Phil Woods • Gene Quill Sextet - Phil And Quill

 

In all of the awed recognition of the overwhelming influence that Charlie (Bird) Parker has had on the way jazz has developed during the past decade, it is only occasionally that one comes face to face with the problems that follow in the wake of so pervasive an influence. These problems are most noticeable in the area of Parker's own instrument, the alto saxophone.

If Parker pointed the way for jazz as a whole, he did much more for the alto sax. He set a pattern that has seemed so definitive that every alto man who has come after him, almost without exception, has taken to his pattern as though any deviation would be unthinkable heresy. This, of course, is the natural way for a jazz musician to start—there is always someone who is the inspiration and the guide.

But before Parker, no one —not even Louis Armstrong— had established an approach that was so universally accepted by the contemporary jazz generation.

As a consequence Parker, as a model, has been a trap —an inviting and exciting trap, to be sure— but nonetheless a trap for many young altoists who managed to acquire the surface qualities of Parker but, having done that, found they had no place to go but around and around the same repetitive and uncreative circle.

Neither Phil Woods nor Gene Quill were exceptions to the mode of the times when they started out on alto. Bird was the influence and they took to it with passion.

But, having used this convenient stepping stone to launch themselves in jazz, they both had the individuality and personal creativeness to realize that they had to avoid being suffocated by this influence. Building on the foundation they inherited, they have each moved in directions that are distinctly their own, and as time goes by the sound of their original inspiration has become steadily dimmer as their own musical personalities assert themselves.

Of the two. Woods has possibly developed the most completely individual attack at this point strong, assertive and gustily swinging. But Quill, who burst from the cocoon a Itit later than Woods, has recently been moving with startling and satisfying speed toward his own jazz fate.

The idea of teaming up has been stewing in the two altoists' minds for a couple of years, ever since they met at the apartment of pianist John Williams and started playing together in various groups. They found that they felt comfortable in each other's musical company and that more flexibility and variety were possible in the sound of two altos than in pairings of most other instruments.

The close musical and personal ties that bind Gene and Phil were made even tighter after they launched their own group (two altos and rhythm).

In the sextet heard in these performances, a "bottom" is provided for the two alto saxes by Sol Schlinger's baritone saxophone. The rhythm section is made up of the brilliant, swinging pianist, Dave McKenna; bassist Buddy Jones; and drummer Shadow Wilson, a widely experienced big-band veteran (Hampton, Hines, Basie, Herman).

The arrangements come from the pens of Woods; Neal Hefli and Nat Pierce, both quondam bandleaders; Bill Potts, who made his mark as a writer with Willis Conover's Washington band; and Gene Orloff, a violinist who is in great demand as concertmaster on jazz sessions when strings are used. *John S. Wilson (liner notes)*

The meetings of alto saxophonist Phil Woods and Gene Quill, such as this 1956 sextet date for RCA, are always enjoyable. In addition to baritone saxophonist Sol Schlinger, Woods and Quill are joined by pianist Dave McKenna, bassist Buddy Jones, and drummer Shadow Wilson. The focus is on the two altoists, but there is occasionally blowing room for Schlinger and McKenna, too. Gene Orloff's snappy "Sax Fifth Avenue" and Woods' brisk "Four Flights Up" are the highlights of the date, along with several works by Bill Potts. This is a typically solid effort by Phil Woods and Gene Quill.

*Ken Dryden*

Side 1

1 - Sax Fith Avenue

(Gene Orloff)

2 - Ready Rudy

(Neal Hefti)

3 - Cabeza

(Nat Pierce)

4 - Twin Funkies

(Phil Woods)

5 - Rib Roast

(Nat Pierce)

6 - High Stepping Bizzies

(Bill Potts)

Side 2

7 - Four Flights Up

(Phil Woods)

8 - Dig You P's And Q's

(Nat Pierce)

9 - Dry Chops In The Moonlight

(Bill Potts)

10 - Una Momento

(Phil Woods)

11 - Pottsville, U.S.A.

(Bill Potts)

12 - Frank The Barber

(Bill Potts)

Phil Woods, Gene Quill (alto saxes); Sol Schlinger (baritone sax); Dave McKenna (piano); Buddy Jones (bass); Shadow Wilson (drums).

Recorded in New York City, March 15, 1956.

• The Fourmost Guitars •

Jimmy Raney • Chuck Wayne • Joe Puma • Dick Garcia 

The Fourmost Guitars

The Fourmost Guitars, was a 1956, 12-inch release from ABC-Paramount that featured four different top jazz guitarists of the period.

At first glance, I thought it was akin to one of those Savoy samplers featuring a range of different artists who recorded for the label. But on closer inspection and a bit of research, it seems to be a more sophisticated package. Here's how I believe this album came to be:

In 1956, when producer Creed Taylor left Bethlehem to join ABC-Paramount as head producer of the jazz division, he must have been given tape from recording sessions held the previous year. In all likelihood they were recordings from initial sessions to be held over multiple days but never completed. Perhaps they were done for singles or 10-inch LPs just as the record industry was switching to the 12-inch format.

Somewhat puzzling is the timing. Several of these sessions were held prior to ABC-Paramount forming in September 1955. Either way, the material was shelved or put on hold until the artists could be rounded up again to finish what was started.

I'm guessing that when Creed gave a listen, he realized many were quite good. Included in the stack of tape reels were three different sessions led by different guitarists — Jimmy Raney, Chuck Wayne, and Dick Garcia and Joe Puma.

As he listened, Creed probably leaned back in his chair and concluded there were two ways to go. Bring in the different artists to complete enough tracks for three different 12-inch albums, which wouldn't be easy given the schedule of musicians at this level back then. Or simply take the tracks that existed and create a guitar album. Creed chose the latter. The result was The Fourmost Guitars.

The cover featured an image of four guitars ablaze at night on a sandy beach, an eye-catching allegory signaling to the buyer that the guitarists playing inside were red hot. The back cover is telling. For one, while Creed was given credit in the bottom right-hand corner as the album's producer, his famed oversized signature hadn't yet begun to be used.

Also interesting is that the cover design was credited to Fran Scott, who was Tony Scott's wife at the time. She was an ABC-Paramount art director and would work closely with Creed on the covers at the label until 1960, when he founded the Impulse label for ABC.

As for the music, what we have here are fascinating examples of superb mid-1950s jazz guitarists backed by different instrumental configurations.

The swinging guitarists' tasteful chords and lines are impossibly great. I'm always astonished at how many terrific jazz guitarists there were on both coasts in the 1950s. Clearly there was plenty of work to go around. On this album, we have the roundness and lyrical wanderings of Wayne, the plucky determination of Raney and the low-register togetherness of Garcia and Puma, especially on "Time Was". *Marc Myers*

Since approximately the end of World War II, the guitar has increasingly come into its own as a solo instrument of stature in the world of jazz. The late Charlie Christian is credited with opening the way during the Thirties and early 'Forties. The tradition has since been carried on by such people as Billy Bauer, Jimmy Raney, Bill DeArrango, Chuck Wayne, Barney Kessel, and more recently, Tal Farlow, Joe Puma, Sal Salvadore, Herb Ellis, Dick Garcia, etc. Toward this álbum.

The Fourmost Guitars, four of the best practitioners of guitar jazz have contributed.

Jimmy Raney is one of the most widely known and influential of the modern jazz guitarists. Jimmy has played under such leaders as Woody Herman, Artie Shaw, Terry Gibbs, Buddy De Franco, Stan Getz and Red Norvo. For the past year or so he has been a member of Jimmy Lyon’s Blue Angel house trio. His guitar can be heard on numerous recordings.

Although he has been employed for the past couple of years as accompanist to singer Tony Bennett, Chuck Wayne can be remembered from the Fifty-Second Street days following World War II. Chuck has played with numerous jazz groups in addition to his own. He is an alumnus of the early George Shearing Quintet and the great Woody Herman band of the late Forties which recorded the "Sequence In Jazz" album.

Joe Puma is thirty years old and a native of The Bronx. A family man (Joe has a wife and two daughters), he has stayed as close to New York as possible. His experience includes tenures with Joe Roland, Artie Shaw, Louis Bellson, Don Elliott and Herbie Mann, among others. In the past couple of years Joe has done considerable recording work and has moved steadily toward wider recognition. 

Dick Garcia is the youngest of the four guitarists in age (he is twenty-five), but by no means the youngest as far as talent is concerned. Dick has played with George Shearing, Tony Scott, Joe Roland, and is currently touring with Ray McKinley’s band. He is a prolific composer and has broad tastes in music (and a particular fondness for Spanish folk music). *Tom Stewart (liner notes)*

The Fourmost Guitars is actually a compilation of three separate groups recorded especially for this Paramount LP from the mid-'50s. The first guitarist, Jimmy Raney, is heard on four tracks with trumpeter John Wilson, pianist Hall Overton, bassist Teddy Kotick, and drummer Nick Stabulas. Raney composed two originals, including the snappy bop vehicles "Two Drams of Soma" and "Scholar's Mate" (the latter referring to being checkmated in chess in just four moves), along with intricate arrangements of the standards "Gone with the Wind" and "Yesterdays". Guitarists Dick Garcia and Joe Puma play together on four tracks with bassist Dante Martucci and drummer Al Levitt. Without a pianist or horn, their collaboration is a more easygoing affair, though no less enjoyable. Finally, Chuck Wayne is accompanied by pianist Dave McKenna, bassist Oscar Pettiford, altoist Dave Schildkraut, and drummer Sonny Igoe on three songs. The interplay between Wayne and Schildkraut is delightful in the uptempo setting of "If I Ever Love Again". Like many Paramount albums, this LP has long been a collectible and seems to be an unlikely candidate for reissue.

*Ken Dryden*

Side 1

1 - Two Dreams Of Soma

(Raney)

2 - I'm Old Fashioned

(Kern, Mercer)

3 - You Stepped Out Of A Dream

(Brown, Kahn)

4 - Time Was

(Prado, Luna)

5 - Scholar's Mate

(Raney)

6 - Easy Living

(Robin, Rainger)

Side 2

7 - Ain't Misbehavin'

(Waller, Brooks)

8 - Gone With The Wind

(Ahlert, Young)

9 - Li'l Basses

(Garcia)

10 - If I Love You Again

(Oakland, Murray)

11 - Yesterdays

(Kern, Harbach)

#1, #5, #8, #11: 

Jimmy Raney Quintet

Jimmy Raney (guitar), John Wilson (trumpet), Hall Overton (piano), Teddy Kotick (bass), Nick Stabulas, drums. 

Recorded in New york City, February 23, 1956.

#2, #4, #7, #9:

Joe Puma - Dick Garcia Quartet

Joe Puma, Dick Garcia (guitars), Dante Martucci (bass), Al Levitt (drums).

Recorded in New York City, December 18, 1955.

#3, #6, #10:

Chuck Wayne Quintet

Chuck Wayne (guitar), Dave Shildkraut (alto sax), Dave McKenna (piano), Oscar Pettiford (bass), Sonny Igoe (drums).

Recorded in New York City, February 17, 1956. 

Clark Terry - What Makes Sammy Swing!

This is an exceedingly attractive record. Why? Because it presents a group of fine jazz men who have settled into some deep swinging grooves, and because the music they’re playing is fresh, exciting and yet very much non-run-of-the-mill.

Jazz records often supply just one or the other of these attributes — either some very good musicians blowing some very uninspired numbers or else some interesting pieces attacked by a group of men whose ambitions tend to exceed their musicianship.

But here we have a record in which the writing is on a par with the playing. The musicians, all of them former jazz group standouts whose all-around musical ability permits them to work in the recording and television studios, obviously enjoy blowing the clever Pat Williams arrangements of Ervin Drake’s score. Throughout they transmit not only good jazz passages but also a most refreshing and contagious joie-de-vivre. They are led by Clark Terry, the former Duke Ellington trumpeter, one of the most satisfying and exciting of today’s jazz musicians, whose grasp of modern jazz combined with a healthy respect for the art’s tradition set the mood and style of the entire septet. I think you might enjoy playing this record a goodly number of times. It certainly will give anyone who likes tasty, relaxed jazz a great deal of highly enjoyable listening! *George T. Simon (Liner notes)*

This obscure 1963 studio session led by Clark Terry features the music from Ervin Drake's Broadway show "What Makes Sammy Run", with arrangements by Pat Williams, but the real attraction to it is the cast of musicians. In addition to the always enjoyable trumpeter, Phil Woods, Urbie Green, Seldon Powell, Dave McKenna, George Duvivier, and Mel Lewis are present. "The Friendliest Thing" is a rare opportunity to hear Woods on flute, joining Terry's muted horn for this easygoing reworking of the chord changes to "Tea for Two". The swinging "Humble" showcases the leader on open horn, while Woods' matchless alto sax is center stage in the bossa nova "Maybe Some Other Time". While the music on this disc may be unfamiliar to the vast majority of jazz fans, the strong melodies and outstanding efforts of the players make this long out of print record worth acquiring. *Ken Dryden*

What Makes Sammy Swing features an All-Star Septet with such outstanding figures as Phil Woods (playing both clarinet and flute in addition to alto sax!), Urbie Green and Dave McKenna.

First published in 1941, "What Makes Sammy Run?" was originally a novel by Budd Schulberg. It is a rags to riches story chronicling the rise and fall of Sammy Glick, a Jewish boy born in New York's Lower East Side who makes up his mind early in life to escape the ghetto and climb the ladder of success. It was later made into a successful Broadway show with music by Ervin Drake and in 1963, Clark Terry and an all-star group of musicians were called to make a record with jazz versions of some of the musical’s songs, with arrangements by Pat Williams.

As Terry himself was quoted on the original liner notes, none of the musicians had the least knowledge about the music or the arrangements before entering the studio. The results, however, are highly interesting as they present a distinguished septet reacting to unfamiliar music. Clark Terry, as usual, alternates between trumpet and flugelhorn, while Seldon Powell switches between tenor sax, baritone sax and bass clarinet.

The most unusual element of these recordings, however, is hearing Phil Woods soloing on clarinet and flute. *Jordi Pujol*

Side 1

1 - A Room Without Windows

2 - You're No Good

3 - My Hometown

4 - A New Pair Of Shoes

5 - The Friendliest

Side 2

6 - Humble

7 - Maybe Some Other Time

8 - Something To Live For

9 - Bachelor Gal

10 - Somedays Everything Goes Wrong

(All compositions by Ervin Drake)

Clark Terry (trumpet, flugelhorn), Phil Woods (alto sax, clarinet, flute), Seldon Powell (tenor sax, baritone sax, bass clarinet), Urbie Green (trombone), Dave McKenna (piano), George Duvivier (bass), Mel Lewis (drums).

Recorded in New York, August 1963.