Five-Star Collection... Teddy Charles

Teddy Charles Quartet

New Directions

Volume 3

New Directions Volume 3 comes as a direct outgrowth of considerable playing along the new lines indicated in Volumes 1 and 2. On the West Coast during the summer of 1953, Teddy Charles had the opportunity to work with a group of serious and sympathetic musicians, putting into practice the theoretical material and its consequent discoveries initiated in the earlier works by Hall Overton and himself. The fortunate combination of this experience with the talents of "Jolly Roger", Shelly Manne, and Curtis Counce has produced very effective, swinging jazz within a strikingly different medium. It is not a radical departure from what has become conventional jazz playing but is rather an evolution to a jazz style more controlled with regard to form, unity of materials and development while generating through this medium a greater freedom for solo and group improvisation. The restricting of materials to circumscribed limits permits a freedom impossible where all players pull in completely independent directions. Teddy believes by using materials unfamiliar to conventional jazz playing, using conventional materials in unfamiliar ways and using compositional techniques in treating these materials, a cohesive jazz environment is produced which at once liberates the soloist.(...)

Hall Overton's statement, "The challenge of the new materials serves as a spur to greater excitement", has been borne out by the vibrant, electric quality of the music and Teddy Charles through his playing and writing has clearly established himself as one of the important figures of the post bop transition period. *Ira Gitler (from the liner notes)*

This deserves background notes by the musician chiefly responsible for the west coast addition to the Teddy Charles writes: "...In Variations I took the characteristic left hand figure that Bud plays in fast tempos for freeing his right hand for melodic exploration. We used this to negate the usual chord progression, to give instead superimposed tonalities. I used the usual bridge for relief on this familiar pattern... Note bass behind second trumpet chorus — note melodic freedom generated by shifting tonal centers thus allowing the line to go all over...

"Wailing Dervish is by Jolly Roger, also using the tonal center idea with progression on the bridge for contrast and free rhythmic patterns in the interludes. The intro and ending are entirely improvised by the ensemble, and the contrapuntal idea persists throughout.

"Further Out is a composition making use of polytonal lines and chords moving contrapuntally and utilizing the trumpet sound. The elements of the piece are combined to form an harmonic background, suggested linear-wise for the blowing, with a polyphonic bridge. The first short trumpet solo and the two short vibes sections have polytonal environs (note results) and a brief coda resolves the piece.

"Etudiez le Cahier... is linear white-note music (fixed scale idea) with a strong chromatic middle section... In all these the written parts serve only to create the musical environment and as a point of departure for the blowing... The blowing's the thing... There also emerge here individual textures — not a 'blend' which I'm against. Note presence of drums, more lifelike instead of the usual drums-in-the-barrell and bass-overload sound..."

Teddy wrote all but Dervish. Other musicians on the date were Shelly Manne, bassist Curtis Counce and Jolly Roger on trumpet. The rating is for the careful daring of the approach and the excellence of the musicianship. It's another important step. There's still stiffness in the written sections but that's to be expected. Most important, it's valuably challenging to both musicians and lay listeners. And the extraordinary trumpet by Jolly Roger all the way alone merits the stars.

*Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, March 10, 1954 [5 stars])*

Side 1

1 - Variations On A Motive By Bud

(Teddy Charles)

2 - Wailing Dervish

(Shorty Rogers)

Side 2

3 - Further Out

(Teddy Charles)

4 - Etudiez Le Cahier

(Teddy Charles)

Teddy Charles (vibes), Shorty Rogers [as Jolly Roger] (trumpet),

Curtis Counce (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, August 21, 1953

✳✳✳

For those who prefer the digital version, there are several CD editions containing this music. One of them is the 2006 release by the Barcelona-based label Fresh Sound, titled Adventures in California, with some of the best early 1950s modern jazz — recordings that really shook things up on the coast. The bulk of the CD is from Collaboration West, formed from two 10" LP sessions by Charles, both in small-group formations with Shorty Rogers on trumpet, Curtis Counce on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums, plus Jimmy Giuffre on tenor sax on a few bonus tracks. The tunes have more of a West Coast groove than some of Charles's later 1950s work, but their tone and approach still keep things enjoyable and cutting-edge, and honestly, this might well be one of the most impactful pieces of work from 1953 that any of the other musicians were involved in! Titles include "Variations On A Motive By Bud", "Etudiez Le Cahier", "Free", "Evolution", "Wailing Dervish", "Further Out", "Boabalob 1 & 2", and "Margo". Added to those 8 tracks are 4 more that are even more interesting — a bit more hardbop in orientation, and featuring Charles' vibes in a group with Frank Morgan on alto sax, Wardell Gray on tenor, Sonny Clark on piano, and Lawrence Marable on vibes — a real meeting of modernists on tracks that include "So Long Broadway", "Paul's Cause", "The Man I Love", and "Lavonne".

Teddy Charles And The Westcoasters

Adventures in California

In 1952, Teddy Charles, one of the foremost vibists in the jazz scene at the time, became one of the leaders in a new movement away from the cluttered closets of bop to a new and more serious development — a synthesis of jazz and "serious" music. Early in 1953 he moved to the West Coast where he soon had ample opportunity to watch musical developments in the Coast and discover younger players like Frank Morgan, Sonny Clark and Lawrence Marable, who worked together for the first time on these recordings.

Later, the fortunate combination of Charles' experience with the talents of Shorty Rogers, Shelly Manne, and Curtis Counce produced very effective, swinging jazz within a strikingly different medium. Hall Overton said: "The challenge of the new materials serves as a spur to greater excitement". Charles reached a major achievement with these performances, that clearly established him as one of the important figures of the post bop transition period. *freshsoundrecords.com*

1 - So Long Broadway

(Teddy Charles)

2 - Pauls Cause

(Teddy Charles)

3 - The Man I Love

(Davis, Sherman, Ramirez)

4 - Lavonne

(Sonny Clark)

5 - Variations On A Motive By Bud

(Teddy Charles)

6 - Wailing Dervish

(Shorty Rogers)

7 - Further Out

(Teddy Charles)

8 - Etudiez Le Cahier

(Teddy Charles)

9 - Free

(Teddy Charles)

10 - Evolution

(Teddy Charles)

11 - Margo

(Teddy Charles)

12 - Bobalob

(Teddy Charles)

#1 to #4: Teddy Charles Sextet

from the Prestige 7-inch EP "Teddy Charles' West Coasters" (PR EP 1307)

Teddy Charles (vibes), Frank Morgan (alto sax), Wardell Gray (tenor sax),

Sonny Clark (piano), Dick Nivison (bassa), Lawrence Marable (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, February 20, 1953

#5 to #8: Teddy Charles Quartet

from the Prestige EP "New Directions 3" (PR LP 164)

Teddy Charles (vibes), Shorty Rogers (trumpet), Curtis Counce (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, August 21, 1953

#9 to #12: Teddy Charles Quintet

from the Prestige EP "New Directions 4" (PR LP 169)

Teddy Charles (vibes, piano[#11]), Shorty Rogers (trumpet),

Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax, baritone sax), Curtis Counce (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, August 31, 1953

Five-Star Collection... Jimmy Giuffre

Jimmy Giuffre

Jimmy Giuffre

JIMMY GIUFFRE is a quiet and intense young man with a singular creative touch. He has written and played for Woody Herman, Boyd Raeburn, Buddy Rich, Jerry Gray, Stan Kenton, and many more of the nation's leading bandsmen, and now — for the first time — he's on his own, in this album of seven Giuffre gems.

Jimmy has been playing clarinet and tenor sax since he was a lad in Texas, and he approaches composition most naturally as a performer. His work is generally melodic and “linear” in character. "This style of writing", he says, "gives the players the feeling of individuality that’s so important to jazz. Besides, I think it gives the listener more variety. I also use less rhythm section than is usual because I believe that this, too, provides more clarity and less monotony".

Like Jimmy, the performers he has joined together in this album of "chamber jazz" all belong to the vigorous and imaginative West Coast group of topflight modernists that has created such a stir in music circles. The tunes they play here, with the exception of the familiar I Only Have Eyes for You, are all Giuffre originals, one in particular — Four Brothers — having achieved a good deal of success in big-band arrangement.

Among the others are new and carefully fashioned numbers whose free flow and variety of instrumental combinations give them a wonderful improvised sound — though all of >Sultana<, for example, and half of Nutty Pine, are written out. Wrought of Iron is an exciting eight-bar theme and variations, an unusual form featuring ad lib solos by every member of the group.

An odd back-beat rhythm introduces the swinging tempo of Do It! and its fine improvisations on tenor sax, clarinet, trumpet, and piano. All For You is in a brooding ballad style, with trumpet playing gently about the tenor sax melody line. The one "standard" — Eyes — displays Giuffre's instrumental inventiveness at its best in an ad lib baritone sax cadenza, with masterful drum accompaniment, that highlights the six minute production number.

In all, this Jimmy Giuffre album debut shows fine versatility, and is a stimulating contribution to first-rate modern jazz literature. There's fascinating listening enjoyment here for quite a while to come. *(from the liner notes)*

Jimmy's first LP to himself is an absorbing success on which Jimmy scores both as performer (tenor, clarinet, and baritone) and as writer (all six originals are his). As a writer, Jimmy strikes this listener as the most freshly inventive and maturely daring (but unpretentious) of all the writers on the coast. For one thing, several of his works have the melodic strength (Nutty Pine and All for You, for example) to become part of the repertoire of any swinging modern jazz group.

And almost all of his original lines on this and on other albums are really original and fresh. They are not (as so often happens with Shorty Rogers, Bill Holman, and many other writers of "originals") just quick routines that can be enlivened only by the ad lib solos within them but can't stand up for themselves.

Even the more involved Giuffre numbers (like the completely written-out Sultana) are constantly challenging to the ear even if they don't entirely come alive yet. Fine work on the first four by Bud Shank, Jack Sheldon (trumpet), Shorty Rogers (fluegel horn), Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone, bass), Ralph Pena (bass) and Shelly Manne. The last three have the excellent aid of Sheldon, Manne, Russ Freeman, and Curtis Counce. Cover credit should have been given the fine engineering of John Palladino and to whoever wrote the helpful notes. But the man who rates the full bows and the encores is Giuffre, a major modern jazz talent.

*Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, December 15, 1954 [5 stars])*

1 - Four Brothers

(Jimmy Giuffre)

2 - Sultana

(Jimmy Giuffre)

3 - Nutty Pine

(Jimmy Giuffre)

4 - Wrought Of Iron

(Jimmy Giuffre)

5 - Do It!

(Jimmy Giuffre)

6 - All For You

(Jimmy Giuffre)

7 - I Only Have Eyes For You

(Harry Warren, Al Dubin)

#1 to #4:

Jimmy Giuffre (clarinet, tenor sax, baritone sax), Bud Shank (alto sax),

Jack Sheldon (trumpet), Shorty Rogers (flugelhorn), 

Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone, bass), Ralph Pena (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded at Capitol Studios, Holywood, California, April 15, 1954

#5 to #7:

Jimmy Giuffre (clarinet, tenor sax, baritone sax), Jack Sheldon (trumpet), 

Russ Freeman (piano), Curtis Counce (bass),  Shelly Manne (dums).

Recorded at Capitol Studios, Holywood, February 19, 1954

Five-Star Collection... John Graas (II)

In a previous post, we highlighted how producer Tom Mack, in the liner notes of Jazz Studio #3, underscored the pivotal role Jazz Studio #2 played in John Graas's career. This was the album that let listeners hear Graas in a completely new light — as a composer and arranger. His debut as an arranger on this project quickly drew the attention of jazz soloists and record labels, and it set the stage for larger commissions that would define the path of his career.

The story behind the album makes it even more fascinating. In 1954, as Decca expanded its catalog with new 12-inch LPs, Tom Mack turned to the West Coast's finest studio musicians. Graas, already known for his mastery of the French horn, took the lead, assembling an exceptional ensemble: Don Fagerquist, Milt Bernhart, Herb Geller, Jimmy Giuffre, Marty Paich, Howard Roberts, Curtis Counce, and Larry Bunker.

The result was a record that not only showcased impeccable musicianship but also captured the relaxed, sophisticated vibe of 1950s Los Angeles—a snapshot of an era in sound. Jazz Studio #2 became more than an album; it was a gateway for John Graas, opening doors to new opportunities and solidifying a group of musicians who would come to define the West Coast jazz scene.

Although Down Beat awarded it four stars in 1956, the 2004 CD reissue of From Hollywood received a five-star rating from AllMusic, earning it a rightful place in our Five-Star Collection — a recognition that ensures this landmark album continues to reach new listeners today.

John Graas

Jazz Studio #2 • From Hollywood

If there is one word that epitomizes the kind of jazz which has been developing on the West Coast during the past few years, probably that word is "organization". For although the swinging beat, once minimized by purists as a distraction, has happily returned to the scene, with the result that jazz on the Coast now swings with complete freedom, it has done so within the framework of individual patterns which have become organized to considerable degree.

A typical modern jazz group in Hollywood seems to follow nature's principle of tension-and-release, which in music is at least as old as the earliest symphonies, yet, being basic, seems fresh whenever applied to new forms and subjected to new interpretations. Usually the first chorus takes the formidable talents of the performers and constrains them lightly within the bounds of an arrangement which is actually a jumping-off place for what is to follow. During these initial choruses, which are characterized by an interdependence and mutual awareness of the performers, a tension builds to a point where a soloist derives a powerful send-off into his own improvisation. Often contrapuntal, harmonically interesting, these jump ensembles have come to replace almost entirely the unison riff of the early days of jazz. It is not considered bad form for one or more musicians (other than the rhythm section) to chime in with improvised backgrounds to another's solo, thus often giving unusual contrapuntal effects to the soloist's performance.

The word "modern", applied to any kind of music, sometimes makes people expect a preponderance of dissonances, atonality, and harsh sounds. Paradoxically enough, modern West Coast jazz is very melodic, possibly because the arrangers and composers in this medium are more apt to lean upon Bach than Schoenberg. The paradox extends to the basic sound, which is generally a quiet sound, seldom resorting to screaming high notes to achieve the excitement that is jazz. Excitement is generated by a swinging beat, good melodic form, and imaginative writing.

In JAZZ STUDIO 2 we are attempting to offer a representative picture of the kind of jazz which is pretty much indigenous to the West Coast, played by some of the musicians who have contributed notably to this development. It is not intended to set it apart from jazz everywhere, and of course the listener will find a great deal which is not regional. *Tom Mack (liner notes, 1954)*

An absorbing set recorded in Hollywood by Tom Mack. Personel included Herb Geller, Milt Bernhart, John Graas, Don Fagerquist, Marty Paich, Curtis Counce, Howard Roberts, Larry Bunker, and Jimmy Guiffre on tenor and baritone (and I think the tasty clarinet on Lions is his, too). How come, by the way, Jimmy just gets one credit line buried in the notes and no front cover billing?

Anyway, the playing of all involved is just fine. This record, for one thing, should firmly establish Herb Geller as one of the undeniably arrived alto stars. The man has it—ideas, beat, pungent tone, and above all, heart. Herb blows with everything he has; he doesn't try to fit himself into icily studied attitudes. John Graas' French horn comes through freer, more swinging and more inventive than on his Trend sides. Bernhart had a sweepingly relaxed ball on the date judging from his playing. Guiffre and Fagerquist are firstrate and the rhythm section is crisp, light and steady. Howard Roberts' guitar, imagination and tone are highly impressive and it's good to hear full-toned bassist Curtis Counce get some extended solo space.

Almost all of the writing is of better than average consistency and some contains real organic development. Graas wrote Lions and Graas Point and arranged Do It Again. Paich contributed Paicheck and arranged the other two songs. Graas Point has some especially intriguing contrapuntal intersections and there's a swingingly fresh feel to the lines of Lions that isn't as easy to attain as it may sound.

Footnote: Listen to the entrance of Fagerquist and Bernhart in Dream. It must have been a thoroughly sunny California day when this LP was made. This is a distinguished Decca debut for Mr. Mack. Give the man a raise and let him do some more sessions — even if he does think there's such a thing as "west coast jazz". *Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, October 6, 1954 [4 satrs])*

The Jazz Studio series recorded for Decca during the 1950s produced a lot of enjoyable sessions, though many of them were very hard to obtain.

Jazz Studio, Vol. 2, with French horn player John Graas as the leader of this cool-oriented West Coast session, with trumpeter Don Fagerquist, trombonist Milt Bernhart, alto saxophonist Herb Geller, Jimmy Giuffre (who plays clarinet, tenor, and baritone saxes), pianist Marty Paich, guitarist Howard Roberts, bassist Curtis Counce, and drummer Larry Bunker on hand. The mood is considerably more subdued than the bop material recorded by the East Coast musicians heard on Jazz Studio, Vol. 1, but the music has held up very well, with excellent solos and strong charts by Graas and Paich. Highlights include Graas' intricate "Here Come the Lions" and Paich's equally challenging "Paicheck" (note its equally witty title). *Ken Dryden (2004, allmusic.com [5 stars])*

Side 1

1 - Laura

(David Raksin, Johnny Mercer)

2 - Here Come The Lions

(John Graas)

3 - Paicheck

(Marty Paich)

Side 2

4 - Graas Point

(John Graas)

5 - Darn That Dream

(Jimmy Van Heusen, Eddie De Lange)

6 - Do It Again

(George Gershwin)

Don Fagerquist (trumpet), Milt Bernhart (trombone), John Graas (french horn), 

Herb Geller (alto sax), Jimmy Giuffre (clarinet, tenor sax, baritone sax),

Marty Paich (piano), Howard Roberts (guitar), Curtis Counce (bass), Larry Bunker (drums).

Recorded at Decca's Studio 55, Los Angeles, California, June 4, 1954

Five-Star Collection... John Graas (I)

John Graas

Jazz Studio #3

For some time, JOHN GRAAS, winner of the 1954 Metronome Poll, has been building a reputation as one of the most important modern jazz instrumentalists, and he has been doing it with an instrument usually found in the hallowed precincts of the symphony hall: the French Horn. For this he is to be congratulated, because he is welding one more link in the chain which binds all modern music, and helping to destroy the prejudices which have served no good purpose but to divide where there should be no division.

"JAZZ STUDIO 3: JOHN GRAAS" offers the listener the opportunity of witnessing the growth of the artist in other fields: those of composition and arranging. 

Since making his arranging debut in "JAZZ STUDIO 2", John's newly discovered writing talents have been much in demand. Many jazz soloists and recording companies 

have sought his product, but even more important, he has been commissioned, as a direct result of his work in "JAZZ STUDIO 2", to compose a Jazz Symphony. Portions 

of this work will appear here. "JAZZ STUDIO 3" is glad to show-case Graas' writing talent in a stage of its development which will be all the more apparent to those who 

were first impressed by his flair for contrapuntal invention as illustrated by "GRAAS POINT", considered by many the high point of "STUDIO 2". *Tom Mack (liner notes)*

Decca's third Jazz Studio set is devoted to the composition and arrangements of French horn expert John Graas. The selections are played by a septet, quartet, and ninetet. The overall personnel comprises Graas, Gerry Mulligan, Don Fagerquist, Red Mitchell, Larry Bunker, Marty Paich, Howard Roberts, Charlie Mariano, Conte Candoli, Zoot Sims, Jimmy Giuffre, Andre Previn, and Curtis Counce. The material covers a refreshingly wide range beginning with a briskly swinging tribute to Mulligan. My Buddy is resurrected from the land of bathos and turns up in a lyrically imaginative quartet arrangement marked by some excellent interlinear play by Mulligan and Graas. The 6/4 framework comes off jumping and the Charleston shakes off its age under Graas' deftly hip hand to end the first side.

Rogeresque is another bright and effective tribute. From Graas' forthcoming Symphony No. 1 in F Minor, commissioned by the Cincinnati Symphony, nine men play the sonata allegro and the atonal scherzo. I don’t know whether this will sound as free and idiomatic when scored for full symphony orchestra and jazz soloists, but as of the way it comes through here, these two sections indicate that Graas is constructing a largely fresh, vital work — one that, though somewhat eclectic, already carries much more individualized conviction than the overrated Liebermann Concerto for Jazz Band and Symphony Orchestra. The set closes with an incisive modernization of 12th Street Rag.

The playing by everyone on the date is excellent, and Graas gets the full rating because of the scope of his imagination and his ability to write modern jazz frameworks that, for the most part, challenge the soloists rather than constrict them. Not everything comes off wholly here, but so much of worth and individuality is going on that the set deserves a wide audience.

*Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, June 1, 1955 [5 stars])*

Side 1

1 - Mullinganesque

(John Graas)

2 - My Buddy

(Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson)

3 - 6/4 And Even

(John Graas)

4 - Charleston

(Cecil Mack, Jimmy Johnson)

Side 2

5 - Rogeresque

(John Graas)

Jazz Sections From Symphony No.1 in F Minor

6 - a) Sonata Allegro

7 - b) Scherzo

(John Graas)

8 - 12th Street Rag

(Andy Razaf, Euday L. Bowman)

#1, #3:

John Graas (french horn), Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax), Don Fagerquist (trumpet),

Marty Paich (piano), Howard Roberts (guitar), Red Mitchell (bass), Larry Bunker (drums).

#2:

John Graas (french horn), Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax),

Red Mitchell (bass), Larry Bunker (drums).

#4, #6, #7:

John Graas (french horn), Conte Candoli (trumpet), Charlie Mariano (alto sax),

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Jimmy Giuffre (baritone sax), André Previn (piano),

Howard Roberts (guitar), Curtis Counce (bass), Larry Bunker (drums). 

#5, #8:

John Graas (french horn), Conte Candoli (trumpet), Charlie Mariano (alto sax),

Marty Paich (piano), Howard Roberts (guitar), Curtis Counce (bass), Larry Bunker (drums). 

Recorded at Decca's Studio 55, Los Angeles, California,

December 16 (#1, #2, #3), 1954; January 6 (#4, #6, #7) and January 8 (#5, #8), 1955

Red Norvo: A hidden gem

Red Norvo

Ad Lib

Featuring Buddy Collette

One of the hippest Red Norvo records ever — a rare outing for Liberty that features Buddy Collette on reeds, bringing in a new level of color to the Norvo group! Red's work on vibes is precise and nicely chromatic — often coming across in waves of sound on the mellower tracks, and with a poppingly melodic quality on the more upbeat ones. Other players include Dick Shreve on piano, Bill Douglass on drums, and either Curtis Counce or Joe Comfort on bass — and titles include "A Few Days After Xmas", "Tar Pit Blues", "Shreve-Port", "The Brushoff", and "Fifth Column". *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

How does the man do it? Year in and year out, Red continues to maintain standards of musicianship and ideational interest that have been associated with him for better than a quarter-century on records. The latest pair of LPs (Ad Lib and Music To Listen To Red Norvo By) will add further luster to Red's reputation; there is little to choose between them except for the added interest of Bill Smith's writing on the second set.

"What Is There to Say?" typifies the Liberty sides (Ad Lib). The melody is neatly rephrased in strikingly effective vibes-flute unison, with accents by brushes and rhythm. Shreve is his usual spare, incisive self; Red, Buddy, and the bassist (why don't they tell us who played on which tracks?) all capture the spirit of the easy tempo and sunny-afternoon mood.

It's the same on most of the other items, with Buddy's clarinet most effective on "Shreve-port" and "School", his alto pleasant on "Waterfront". The latter tends to become rhythmically logey; the piano gets a fine funky sound (or sounds out of tune, whichever way you prefer to look at it). The originals (three by Buddy, two by Dick) are all light and charming, especially "Xmas", Buddy’s "Frenesi"-like, up-tempo blues. *Leonard Feather (Down Beat, September 19, 1957)*

When you cross bridges, combine schools, intertwine the swinging with the cool, you could not choose two better ingredients than Red Norvo and Buddy Collette for the purpose.

Red's great vibe work has been one of jazz's standout commodities for years, whether rocking some small group of his own or backstopping a great vocalist such as the late, great Mildred Bailey. Red's soft tasty beat with the right ideas in just the right places has given his work that individual stamp which defies eras and fads. Red is certainly one of the "jazz greats" of the music world.

Watching him in a session, leading the way with his own ideas, one readily comprehends Red's mastery of his instrument. For Red to come through with continuously brilliant performances have become commonplace.

It is only natural that an artist with the conception of Norvo should reach out and attract artists of equal stature. Such is the case of "The Man of Many Parts", Buddy Collette. This master of the reed family, is a new artist only in the sense of being discovered but lately by the jazz aficionados.

Buddy has long been one of the stalwarts of the West Coast scene. Not only has he shown to advantage with various jazz groups but being a full, well-schooled musician, he has been sought after for the more mundane vocations of the studio orchestra chair and serious musical projects.

However, it is in jazz, obviously Buddy's first love, that he has risen to giant proportions. In Ad Lib, Buddy's and Red's talents blend so beautifully that we are forced to re-evaluate some earlier conceptions of the cool scene. Here, at least, it is not all technique and a nose tilted haughtily at the solid beat. Here, at least — Red, Buddy, and their cohorts manage to interject a feeling of warmth and swinging, listenable, understandable and over-all projection of a wonderful mood in jazz.

Ad Lib showcases Buddy Collette's new discovery. His name's Dick Shreve and his fresh and scintillating pianistic slyle stamps him as a sure-fire bet to join his illustrious compatriot in the Jazz Hall of Fame. *Simon Jackson (liner notes)*

Side 1

1 - What Is There To Say

(Vernon Duke, E. Y. Harburg)

2 - Shreve-Port

(Dick Shreve)

3 - 96th Street School

(Buddy Collette)

4 - Fifth Column

(Dick Shreve)

5 - The Brushoff

(Buddy Collette)

Side 2

6 - I Cover The Waterfront

(Johnny Green, Edward Heyman)

7 - A Few Days After Xmas

(Buddy Collette)

8 - Mad About The Boy

(Noel Coward)

9 - Tar Pit Blues

(Dick Shreve)

Buddy Collette (flute, clarinet [#3, #4, #5, #9], alto sax [#6]);

Red Norvo (vibes); Dick Shreve (piano); Bill Douglass (drums);

Curtis Counce [#1, #5, #6, #7], Joe Comfort  [#2, #3, #4, #8, #9] (basses).

Recorded in Hollywood, California, December 18 [#1, #5, #6, #7], 1956;

December 27 [#2, #3, #4], 1956 and January 4 [#8, #9], 1957

Al Cohn and Shorty Rogers - Two Five Stars

This is the best Al Cohn LP I have ever heard and one of the best jazz LPs in recent months. As a free-blowing session it has everything, and its appeal should be equally strong for those oriented ins wing as well as in modern jazz. Do not miss it.

The rhythm section is a perfect, pulsating, prime mover, with a grace and taste that is utterly delightful. Both Cohn and Rehak get ample opportunity to blow freely and both make the most of it. Whatever that indefinable (in words) quality is that we refer to as "soul" and "wailing" can be precisely demonstrated by Cohn's performance on this album. Both on his own compositions and on the attractive set of standards and ballads that comprise the different tracks, Cohn gets a remarkable amount of emotional charge into every one of his solos.

"Blue Lou" and "Old Blues" in particular ("We Three", too, for that matter) have that combination of urgency and relaxation that is undeniable in jazz. You can't wander from this album when you play it. It demands and holds your attention and it does it by its emotional quality. There's not a trick, not a gimmick, not an arranging device in it. There is not one bar of mannered or contrived playing. The entire content of the LP is straight ahead, honest, and irrepressibly swinging jazz that won't quit.

Aside from Cohn’s superlative performance, there are good solos by Rehak, Jones, and Hinton, and even when the drummer takes his breaks, taste is the password. This is uncomplicated blowing jazz at its best, and it should serve as a solid convincer to those who have been reluctant to admit Cohn to the hierarchy of jazz soloists. I expect to be playing this album for a long, long time.

The notes by Gary Kramer are a model of clarity and intelligence. *Ralph J. Gleason (Down Beat, March 4, 1957)*

Al Cohn

Cohn On The Saxophone

Al Cohn is one of the hardest working and most sought-after musicians in Local 802. This isn't just because he is an extremely competent technician and knowing stylist, but because, in addition, he is an "idea man". Many veins of modern jazz have been so thoroughly worked over that there gets to be a premium on miners like Cohn that can be relied upon to bring up a handful of bright new nuggets every trip down.

With all the bread-and-butter jobs available to jazzmen today, some cynics are saying (with a grain of reason), "More musicians than ever are eating now, and fewer than ever of them are thinking". That Cohn can't be included among the latter is all the more remarkable for the fact that he gets so few breathing spells between jobs. The originality and solidity of his work can easily be documented from his prolific record output. Cohn's undeniable progress is not so much a matter of "advancing" but one of broadening and deepening.

The most impressive thing about Cohn is his sense of heritage, his awareness of what elements of traditional jazz are worth preserving and synthesizing with the modern idiom. His fundamental beat, his dynamic tone and his extrovert spirit are reincarnations in modern dress of some of the permanently useful ingredients of the older jazz. Observing the frantic efforts of some musicians these days to be "modern" at any cost, Cohn remarked, "Sometimes I feel I don’t belong in the modern school at all. Lots of people try to be modern and lose sight of the path". Cohn has a conscious pride in being in the "mainstream" and is not ashamed of his debt to Armstrong, Young, Hawkins and the other giants who antedate Charlie Parker.

This program is an informal blowing session. It makes you want to dance. All of which is to say that a detailed analysis of the selections in this album, chorus by chorus, would be an academic choice not in keeping with the spirit of the date. A few random highlights might be pointed out. Like the beauty of Cohn's tone in "Softly", the simplicity and sincerity of his conception; the of "When Day is Done"; the way Cohn livens up "Blue Lou", darting in and out like a flash. Or take Cohn's slow-tempo "Blues" original for insight into his New Orleans-oriented side; or "Idaho" to see why the rhythm section rates as New York'’s finest; or listen to "We Three" if you want to know where the expression wail came from. "Be Loose" with its repeated figure exchanged by Rehak and Cohn in perpetual motion is a delight.

Here is modern jazz that continually arouses subtle associations with jazz's storied past without injecting an archaic note. The distinctive craftsmanship of all five musicians showcased here guarantees listening pleasure for connoisseur and layman alike. Swing on this. It will get good to you. *Gary Kramer (from the liner notes)*

1 - We Three

(Mysels, Robertson, Cogane)

2 - Idaho

(Jesse Stone)

3 - The Things I Love

(Barlow, Harris)

4 - Singin The Blues

(Robinson, Conrad, Lewis, Young)

5 - Be Loose

(Al Cohn)

6 - When Day Is Done

(DeSylva, Katscher)

7 - Good Old Blues

(Al Cohn)

8 - Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise

(Romberg, Hammerstein II)

9 - Abstractact Of You

(Al Cohn)

10 - Blue Lou

(Mills, Sampson)

11 - Them There Eyes

(Pinkard, Tracey, Tauber)

Al Cohn (tenor sax), Frank Rehak (trombone),

Hank Jones (piano), Milt Hilton (bass), Osie Johnson (drums).

Recorded at Webster Hall, New York City, September 29, 1956

✳✳✳

Atlantic Records' entry into the jazz field is an auspicious one this month. With Shorty, they resorted to the simple, yet previously unthought-of expedient of waxing Rogers and the group with which he works regularly in L.A. — Jimmy Giuffre, clarinet, tenor, and baritone; Pete Jolly, piano; Curtis Counce, bass, and Shelly Manne, drums.

And it turns out to be a joy to hear. Shorty plays much more distinctive trumpet when he's with a small group, for some reason, and Giuffre is a gas on clarinet (note particularly Martians Go Home, which also is recommended as the title of the year). Jolly is going to be a highly ranked pianist one day, and the work Manne has done in the last three years has caused me to completely change the opinion I had of his work at that time.

Perhaps Nesuhi Ertegun's album notes best explain what goes on here: "You can hear Shorty for the first time without changes or additions of personnel. It's evident at once that these five musicians have worked together for a long time and are thoroughly accustomed to each others' styles. There exists in this group an instinctive affinity and rapport that can never be duplicated by a band assembled just for a recording session".

For the group spirit, for Shorty's strong horn, for Giuffre’s great reed work, for Shelly's swing — all the stars.

*Jack Tracy (Down Beat, August 24, 1955)*

Shorty Rogers And His Giants

The Swinging Mr. Rogers

Who said West Coast jazz doesn't swing?

It has become terribly fashionable, of late, to make learned distinctions between jazz of the East and West, as if the two never meet, to paraphrase a time-honored platitude. Either clearly stated or vaguely implied, the theory current in vogue goes as follows: East Coast jazz is really more emotional, more driving, closer to "real jazz", whatever that may be. West Coast jazz, we are told on the other hand, takes us into a rarefied atmosphere of intellectual games, is more cerebral, more abstract; it is supposed to be too concerned with harmonic complexities, and to show too many traces of the influence of the modern classical composers; sometimes it is even, God forbid, atonal. West Coast jazz is accused of lacking the pulse and passion of jazz; jazz is lost in the shuffle, so it goes, while the ivory-tower composers of the Hollywood hills are searching for artificial forms and designing their clever collages with bits of Bartók and Berg and Schoenberg and Stravinsky.

I would be the last one to deny the existence of an important and significant experimental jazz movement in the West. It's here, it's growing, and I am all for it. That the West Coast jazz composers are keenly aware of the great modern writers (just as the East Coast and Midwestern and Swedish jazz composers are), there's absolutely no doubt about it; but does this mean, as we are led to believe, that the West Coast school has turned its back to "real jazz"? For an answer to this strange accusation, I suggest you listen to this album.

Shorty has made many records for many companies with big groups and small groups, but strangely enough, never with his own band the way it regularly appears in Hollywood night clubs. On his first Long Play for Atlantic (several more are in preparation), you can hear Shorty Rogers and his Giants for the first time without changes or additions of personnel. It's evident at once that these five musicians have worked together for a long time and are thoroughly accustomed to each others' styles. There exists in this group an instinctive affinity and rapport that can never be duplicated by a band assembled just for a recording session. It is customary for such bands, by the way, to be called All-Star bands; this happens to be a real All-Star band, although it's Shorty's regular group.

It's easily understandable that a group working steadily together achieves a high degree of unity and cohesion; in the case of the Giants, such a unity by no means eliminates the element of surprise, the sudden outburst of an unexpected idea that adds so much to the pleasures of jazz listening. Here, these "surprises" are answered and developed almost instinctively by musicians who are quick to respond to each other. Listen, for instance, to Shorty's last break on "Not Really the Blues", immediately restated by Shelly Manne's drums.

We tried in the recording studio to get a sound for the band that would be as close as possible to its sound in clubs. If that was our object, you might wonder why the recordings weren't made in a club. The fact is that most clubs have horrible acoustics, at least for recording purposes; also, I've never been one to dig crowd noises during a musical performance.

I think these recordings reflect the "in-person" sound of the group rather faithfully, under somewhat idealized conditions. By this I mean that the piano part has more clarity than you'll hear in most clubs, and the bass line is easier to follow. Otherwise, we tried not to change the natural relation of the different instruments, in order to keep an accurate perspective of different volumes and shadings. We liked the sound of the band, and tried to capture it, not "improve" it.

*Nesuhi Ertegun (from the liner notes)*

1 - Isn't It Romantic

(R. Rodgers, L. Hart)

2 - Trickleydidlier

(Shorty Rogers)

3 - Oh Play That Thing

(Shorty Rogers)

4 - Not Really The Blues

(John Mandel)

5 - Martians Go Home

(Shorty Rogers)

6 - My Heart Stood Still

(R. Rodgers, L. Hart)

7 - Michele's Meditation

(Shorty Rogers)

8 That's What I'm Talkin' 'Bout

(Shorty Rogers)

Shorty Rogers (trumpet), Jimmy Giuffre (clarinet, tenor sax, baritone sax),

Pete Jolly (piano), Curtis Counce (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded in Hollywood, California, March 1 (#1, #3 to #6) and March 3 (#2,#7, #8), 1955

Shorty Rogers And André Previn - Collaboration

It really seems that West Coast musicians will never cease to surprise us. They had a propensity for launching themselves into the wildest enterprises, taking enormous musical risks, with an air of nonchalance totally their own. The album Collaboration could well be the most impressive of all such carefree excursions; it is, at the very least, unique of its kind. 

The rules of this particular game seem innocuous at the outset, but have an unexpected sting in their tail. Take nine musicians, of whom two — among the best in California — double as instrumentalists and arrangers. Ask this same nonet to perform charts by each of the two arrangers in Strict alternation. Too easy so far, so now impose the condition that for each standard scored by the one, the other must reply with an original composition constructed around the same harmonies! A challenge to which Shorty Rogers and André Prévin respond magnificently.

Milton "Shorty" Rogers symbolises single-handed that magnificent wave of renewal that swept across the West Coast in the early 'fifties. Everything that bore his signature-whether as trumpeter, arranger or supervisor-possessed a certain distinction. His spell as artistic director at RCA produced many quite irreplaceable albums. André Prévin, for his part, is a musician who defies all categorisation. For many years he worked for MGM, composing the music of films such as Vincente Minnelli's "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse", Ranald McDougall’s "Subterraneans" and Richard Brook’s "Elmer Gantry". Today he reigns triumphant as conductor of some of the world's leading symphony orchestras.

Undaunted by the daring concept of this project, Shorty Rogers and André Prévin set joyously about their task, juggling eagerly with contrasts and camparisons. They humorously nod acknowledgement to classical music: the shadow of Stravinsky glides over "You Do Something to Me", while Bud Shank and Bob Cooper execute a magnificent fugue passage on "Some Antics".

The vitality, invention and sheer mastery exhibited in this album almost obscure the fact that "Collaboration" originated as little more than a lighthearted wager! *Alain Tercinet*

Shorty Rogers And André Previn

Collaboration

For this slightly unusual LP Shorty Rogers and Andre Previn split the arranging chores in a somewhat competitive fashion. Rogers arranges a standard and then that is followed by a Previn original based on the same chord structure. This procedure is followed until the halfway point of the date when they reverse roles. As performed by a nonet featuring Rogers' trumpet, Previn's piano, altoist Bud Shank, Bob Cooper on tenor, baritonist Jimmy Giuffre, trombonist Milt Bernhart and a rhythm section, the result is a dead heat with some fine swinging solos on tunes (and variations) of such songs as "It's DeLovely", "You Stepped Out Of A Dream" and "You Do Something To Me". This will be a difficult album to locate. *Scott Yanow*

Here's a jazz set that should sell at a snappy rate over the next few months. If features, for the first time together, two top arrangers, having a go at each other in a sort of jazz arrangers battle. Shorty Rogers does a take-off on three of André Previn's arrangements, and vice versa. It ends up a stimulating, and oft-times exciting platter. The sidemen, all first-rate modernist, include Bud Shank on alto, Jimmy Giuffre on baritone, Milt Bernhart on trombone and Shelly Manne on drums. The boys turn out some mighty listenable jazz on both Rogers and Previn wear their arranging laurels proudy. Liner notes are good and the cover attractive. Crazy wax this, and a potent release. *Billboard, February 12, 1955*

1 - It's Delovely

(Cole Porter)

2 - Porterhouse

(André Previn)

3 - Heat Wave

(Irving Berlin)

4 - 40.° Below

(André Previn)

5 - You Stepped Out Of A Dream

(Nacio Herb Brown, Gus Kahn)

6 - Claudia

(André Previn)

7 - You Do Something To Me

(Cole Porter)

8 - Call For Cole

(Shorty Rogers)

9 - Everything I've Got (Belongs To You)

(Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)

10 - Some Antics

(Shorty Rogers)

11 - It Only Happens When I Dance With You

(Berlin)

12 - General Cluster

(Shorty Rogers)

Shorty Rogers (trumpet); Milt Bernhart (trombone); Bud Shank (alto sax, flute); Bob Cooper (tenor sax); Jimmy Giuffre (baritone sax); André Previn (piano); Al Hendrickson [#3 to #6, #9 to #12], Jack Marshall [#1, #2, #7, #8] (guitars); Curtis Counce [#4, #6, #10, #12], Joe Mondragon [#1 to #3, #5, #7 to #9, #11] (basses); Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded at RCA Studios in Hollywood, California, March 30 (#3, #5, #9, #11), June 14 (#4, #6, #10, #12) and September 14 (#1, #2, #7, #8), 1954.

***

and now... time for Punta del Este...

~ will back on December 20 ~

Buddy Collette And His West Coast Friends

The primary focus of the two albums compiled in this CD set rests on Buddy Collettes talents as a writer and as a multi-reed instrumentalist. Although the sleevenotes didnt say so, Tanganyika was Buddy Collettes album; he is the composer of most of the tunes and is featured throughout. On the second album, Mood For Max, a Max Albrights drummer date, Collette, as a player, is clearly the star of the session, along with trumpeter John Anderson. Both also made considerable contributions as composers and arrangers for the session.

Despite the presence of other great soloists on both dates, among them Jim Hall, Gerald Wiggins, Curtis Counce, Chico Hamilton and William Green, Buddys taste and sensitivity as a player and writer dominates. The writing ranges from the African exoticism that Collette had a penchant for delivering, as well as some Basie-type tunes, standards, and moody and groovy originals. Overall, it is an excellent example of the tight, considered writing that characterizes the best of the West Coast style. *Jordi Pujol*

about Tanganyika:

This set, presented by disc jockey Sleepy Stein but actually led by multireedist Buddy Collette, slightly predates the Chico Hamilton Quintet and hints strongly at that chamber jazz group. Comprised of Collette, drummer Chico Hamilton, trumpeter John Anderson, pianist Gerald Wiggins, guitarist Jimmy Hall and bassist Curtis Counce if one substitutes cellist Fred Katz for Anderson and Wiggins and changes the bassist, the result is the Chico Hamilton Quintet of 1955. The music is mostly group originals (five by Collette) and is an excellent example of cool jazz. *Scott Yanow*

about Mood For Max:

Studio drummer Max Albright's only session as a leader was one of the few releases for the short-lived Motif label. A variety of top L.A.-based musicians (including trumpeter John Anderson, Buddy Collette and William Green on reeds and pianist Gerald Wiggins) are heard from on the octet date. Collette and Anderson split the writing for the six standards evenly and each contributes three originals. This obscure session is melodic, swinging and worth searching for by fans of West Coast jazz. *Scott Yanow*

1 - Jungle Pogo Stick

(Buddy Collette)

2 - Green Dream

(Buddy Collette)

3 - Its You

(Buddy Collette)

4 - A Walk In The Veldt

(Buddy Collette)

5 - How Long Has This Been Going On?

(George Gershwin)

6 - The Blinfold Test

(John Anderson)

7 - Tanganyka

(Buddy Collette)

8 - Wagnervous

(Hamilton, Wiggins)

9 - And So Is Love

(John Anderson)

10 - Coming Back For Me

(Johnny Otis)

11 - Crows Nest

(John Anderson)

12 - Remember

(Irving Berlin)

13 - Sunset Drive

(Buddy Collette)

14 - Some Folks Like The Blues

(John Anderson)

15 - I Hear Bells

(Buddy Collette)

16 - Buzzin Cool

(John Anderson)

17 - One Morning In May

(Carmichael, Parish)

18 - Heat Wave

(Irving Berlin)

19 - Thats All

(Haymes, Brandt)

20 - Youre Devasting Me

(Kern, Harbach)

21 - Top Hat, White Tie And Tails

(Irving Berlin)

22 - Mood For Max

(Buddy Collette)

#1 to #10:

from the album Tanganyika (DIG J-101)

John Anderson (trumpet), Buddy Collette (flute, clarinet, alto and tenor sax), Gerry Wiggings (piano), Jim Hall (guitar), Curtis Counce (bass), Chico Hamilton (drums). 

Recorded at Capitol Studio, Hollywood, California, September 16 and 27 [other source gives October 11], 1956. 

#11 to #22:

from the album Mood For Max (Motif ML-502)

#11 to #18:

John Anderson (trumpet), Dave Wells (bass trumpet, trombone), Buddy Collette (flute, clarinet, alto and tenor sax), Bill Green (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto and tenor sax), Chuck Gentry (baritone sax), Gerry Wiggings (piano), Curtis Counce (bass), Max Albright (drums, vibes, bells [#15]). 

Recorded at Capitol Studio, Hollywood, California, November 8 and 16, 1956. 

#19 to #22:

John Anderson (trumpet), Dave Wells (bass trumpet, trombone), Buddy Collette (flute, clarinet, alto and tenor sax), Bill Green (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto and tenor sax), Gene Cipriano (oboe, English horn, bass clarinet), Gerry Wiggings (piano), Joe Comfort (bass), Max Albright (drums, vibes). 

Recorded at Capitol Studio, Hollywood, California, November 23, 1956.

Claude Williamson - Kenton Jazz Presents Claude Williamson

It was in June 1954 that Stan Kenton was made head of a new Capitol Records department titled Stan Kenton Presents. Stan was quick to explain his position to Down Beat magazine: "This doesn't mean I'm going to oversee all of Capitol's jazz, but the preentation of new, modern jazz talent will be on Kenton Presents. What we hope is that the label will build so that it stands on its own. I'm very excited about this, and it will be interesting to see a year from now if we have built some importatnt jazz figures".

The music by the Claude Williamson trio is sublime as is the recording expertise of engineer John Palladino, who was responsible for achieving a perfect balance and capturing the music of all titles on tape. As Dick Bank told me, "This album shows both sides of Claude; a great bebop player who, obviously, could draw very heavily on The Great American Songbook". His complete understanding of what went into Bud Powell performancesis displayed on the opening "Bouncing with Bud". This was first recorded by Powell's quintet in August 1949 when Fats Navarro added his special brand of excitement to the occasion. Claude understands exactly what is required for his trio interpretation, and all the tracks which follow are, with no exaggeration,, masterpieces of the idiom, be it classic bebop or beautifullly resolved ballads.

When the album was released, it contained the following statement from Kenton: "Because jazz, more than any other music, is a reflection of the personality, I think it will prove interesting for the enthusiasts of the music to know something of the traits of each artist being introduced in this department of jazz. Possibly a partial knowledge of his emotional make-up will facilitate an easier communication with his music. Claude Williamson has the kind of finely-drawn sensitivity which gives him a sure and incisive awareness of the emotions of those around him. His stability, in the face of this awareness, is a characteristic which deserves applause. Williamson's soft spoken, unassuming manner, too, is deserving of applause, for it makes friends of musicians and non-musicians alike. The young pianist's life is a serious devotion to jazz — a vigorous, hard-working devotion — which can only result in flawness achievements".

The Capitol sessions of mid-Fifties have a special place in Claude Williamson's memory. They were the first albums he made as leader, and they enabled him to show off his abilities as both an outstanding bebop player and a man who could interpret the finest of songs in a truly unique way. *Alun Morgan*

Side 1

1 - Bouncing With Bud

(Bud Powell)

2 - Salute To Bud

(Claude Williamson)

3 - Penny (solo piano)

(Jimmy Shirl, Ervin Drake)

4 - Thou Swell

(Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)

Side 2

5 - Obsession

(Claude Williamson)

6 - Indiana

(James F. Hanley, Ballard MacDonald)

7 - Over The Rainbow (solo piano)

(Harold Arlen, E. Y. Harburg)

8 - Curtistan

(Claude Williamson)

Claude Williamson (piano), Curtis Counce (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

Recorded at Capitol Melrose Studios, Los Angeles, California, June 26 (#5), June 29 (#3, #6, #7, #8) and July 29 (#1, #2, #4,), 1954.

Leonard Feather And Best From The West

Some of the finest West Coast jazz combo playing of late 1954 appears on Best From the West: Modern Sounds from California (Vols. 1 and 2). These albums were issued by Blue Note as a pair of 10-inch LPs. Frankly, there isn't a drop of filler here, and the playing and compositions, many of which are by Shorty Rogers, swing with a special richness and aggression. As Leonard Feather writes in the original album's liner notes, "this is a wailing set of performances". 

Volume 1 was released in early 1955 and marketed without the musicians' names. The plan was brilliant, actually. Several of the musicians on the date already had contractual commitments. Which presented Feather, the album's producer, with a problem. But rather than trying to thread a needle, Feather simply removed the needle. All of the artists' names were removed, and the record was positioned as a "blindfold test".

The goal was to put listeners through the same audio exam that Metronome magazine had been administering to jazz musicians since 1946 (and a nifty gimmick that continues in jazz publications today). Album-buyers were asked to guess who was playing. At the end of Volume 1's liner notes, Feather writes:

"We're curious to see which of Blue Note's customers, long noted for their astute jazz tastes and discernment, can come up with a complete or at least partially correct answer".

Listeners were urged to send their picks along to Blue Note's offices. Feather offered only six clues in his Volume 1 liner notes:

1. All the music on both LPs was recorded during the winter of 1954-55 in Hollywood, CA.

2. The music was recorded at three different sessions, using a total of 12 instruments, played by sixteen men and a girl (sic).

3. None of the musicians made his record debut on these sessions. In fact, most of them had recorded frequently before, and many are closely associated with the disarmingly amorphous entity known as "West Coast Jazz".

4. The musicians who composed the original material for these sessions did not necessarily take part as instrumentalists.

5. All 17 musicians can be heard if you listen to the three numbers entitled The Blindfold Test (actually three different themes based all based on the 12-bar blues format).

6. All the musicians can be heard on either side of either record.

Best From The West • Volume 1

Modern Sounds From California

1 - Santa Anita

(Shorty Rogers)

2 - Santa Monica

(Buddy Collette)

3 - The Blindfold Test No. 1

(Shorty Rogers)

4 - Culver City

(Shorty Rogers)

5 - The Blindfold Test No. 2

(Shorty Rogers)

6 - Hooray For Hollywood

(Whiting, Mercer)

#1 and #6:

Harry "Sweets" Edison (trumpet), Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone, tenor sax), Herb Geller (alto sax), Lorraine Geller (piano), Joe Mondragon (bass), Larry Bunker (drums).

#2 and #5:

Conte Candoli (trumpet), Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax, clarinet, baritone sax), Buddy Collette (alto sax, flute), Gerald Wiggins (piano), Howard Roberts (guitar), Curtis Counce (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

#3 and #4:

Conte Candoli (trumpet), John Graas (French horn), Charlie Mariano (alto sax), Marty Paich (piano), Monty Budwig (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

Recorded at Radio Recorders Studio, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, December 31, 1954.

***

Volume 1 did not include the names of musicians on the date. But Volume 2, released soon afterward, did, thus revealing the mystery players. I have no idea why it was OK to announce the musicians' names in Volume 2 but not in Volume 1. My guess is that whatever releases Feather and Blue Note were seeking for the first album came through in time for the second album. If so, it's interesting how the Blue Note marketers positioned the inclusion of the names on a "blindfold test" album.

To keep the game interesting, the soloists on Blindfold Tests 1, 2 and 3 were not revealed. But since all of the musicians' names were listed on Volume 2, determining who was playing wasn't too much of a stretch-unless you were unfamiliar with the West Coast scene, which likely was the case for Blue Note's East Coast customer base.

While the two albums featured a wide range of musicians, the Conte Candoli sessions are particularly interesting. Recorded on December 31, 1954, the first group featured Conte Candoli (trumpet), John Graas (French horn), Charlie Mariano (alto sax), Marty Paich (piano), Monty Budwig (bass) and Stan Levey (drums).

The next group with Candoli featured Buddy Collette (flute and alto sax), Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax, clarinet and baritone sax), Gerald Wiggins (piano), Howard Roberts (guitar), Curtis Counce (bass) and Stan Levey (drums).

The 10-inch albums featured yet another set of musicians recorded on the same day: Harry "Sweets" Edison (trumpet), Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone and tenor sax), Herb Geller (alto sax), Lorraine Geller (piano), Joe Mondragon (bass) and Larry Bunker (drums).

Among the many delightful surprises on these recordings are the early flute of Buddy Collette, superb clarinet work by Jimmy Giuffre, the piano of Lorraine Geller and beautiful, full jazz guitar work by Howard Roberts.

Compositions were mostly by Shorty Rogers, with one by Pete Rugolo and originals by musicians on the dates as well as a few standards.

As you listen to the recordings without looking at the personnel, what's instantly clear is the influence that Roy Eldridge and Dizzy Gillespie had on Candoli's playing during this period, before Miles Davis and Kenny Dorham made a much deeper impression.

These albums are a must-own for anyone who appreciates West Coast jazz under the influence of East Coast sensibilities and the intensity of Candoli's horn. *Marc Myers*

Best From The West • Volume 2

Modern Sounds From California

1 - Van Nuys Indeed

(John Grass)

2 - Here's Pete

(Pete Rugolo)

3 - The Blindfold Test No. 3

(Feather, Rogers)

4 - Burbank Bounce

(Marty Paich)

5 - Arcadia

(Leonard Feather)

6 - No Love, No Nothing

(Warren, Robin)

#1 and #4:

Conte Candoli (trumpet), John Graas (French horn), Charlie Mariano (alto sax), Marty Paich (piano), Monty Budwig (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

#2 and #6:

Conte Candoli (trumpet), Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax, clarinet, baritone sax), Buddy Collette (alto sax, flute), Gerald Wiggins (piano), Howard Roberts (guitar), Curtis Counce (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

#3 and #5:

Harry "Sweets" Edison (trumpet), Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone, tenor sax), Herb Geller (alto sax), Lorraine Geller (piano), Joe Mondragon (bass), Larry Bunker (drums).

Recorded at Radio Recorders Studio, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, December 31, 1954.