Five-Star Collection... Miles Davis

Miles Davis

Blue Moods

There was a boy... somehow strange and enchanted, perhaps... but a natural, not a nature boy. This one grew and learned, among other things, not to whistle at the lovely lady of a cigar-smoking citizen of Mississippi. Which made it possible for him to grow enough to read news service reports about what happens to that kind of boy. It made possible, too, some disenchanted wanderings, with horns often not his own; wanderings along a series of personal precipices where nostrils may ache from the sheer agony of breathing.

If there is dignity and artistry in such a boy, he will record such a life with gaunt gestures, or as an anointed conscience, or as the inveterate cynic, or, or... there are some few, even, who merely reflect, neither urging nor decrying. Miles, it seems to me, is one of these latter. His the almost fragile, though never effeminate, tracing of a story line which is somewhat above and beyond him, of almost-blown-aside, pensive fragments which are always persuasively coherent.

His are moods, blue ones if we can allow for a programatic spectrum. Not the kind of blue that happens on Mondays those lastNIGHTWASanight, now-it's-five-days-till-Friday kind of blues. More like Sunday blue; nothing to do in the morning, no family dinner, only a movie in the afternoon and a gig at night kind of blues. That's what Miles says to me anyway, says it in particular and at length in the course of this LP, says it, too, in as moving a way as it can be said.

(...)

All those moods, present and to be accounted for in the music on this LP. For example, you don't hear it here, but on one take Miles wandered so far afield that he was completely lost. But he made no mention of it, not even a request for another take, although, fortunately, another was made, almost as if he really didn't care, was above caring, whether anyone had discovered the error.

And the tunes: "Nature Boy", and where was I; "Alone Together", oh there I am; "There's No You", there never was; and "Easy Living", maybe, but I haven't seen it. All cut of the same cloth. Again, moods. Again, blue.

From this, and the sensitivity of each musician to the others, comes a clarity of expression which makes annotation superfluous, perhaps, even presumptuous. But there are these things which occurred to me, which may make this seemingly strange sales-talk more persuasive. (Sales-talk it is, too, for I am moved enough by this poignant side of jazz to boost its circulation.)

(...)

Through it all, none of the musicians show Miles' finality of mood, but they do perfectly match him as if they shared the same secret, each one adding, as is natural, his own interpretation, and, in the case of Teddy and Mingus, his own answer to that secret. In that very special way it is Miles’ album in the same way that a wedding always belongs to the bride no matter what entertainment is presented at the reception.

These are reflections about a life in which we are all shareholders.

*Bill Coss (from the liner notes)*

Note: The spelling "programatic" appears in the original liner notes and is most likely a typographical error for "programmatic". It is reproduced here as part of the original text.

The album is called Blue Moods and the title is exact. Miles is backed with taste and intelligence by Charlie Mingus, Teddy Charles, Britt Woodman, and drummer Elvin Jones. Everyone falls sensitively into the reflective twilight scene, and everyone plays excellently. Miles has the major share of solo space and demonstrates again how lyrically he excels in this kind of context. Mingus is characteristically strong and penetratingly imaginative in both solo and section. Britt has only one solo (There's No You). It's a good one, and he should have had more. All the spare, well-knit arrangements (except for Mingus' equally capable one of Alone Together) are by Teddy Charles. *Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, December 14, 1955 [5 stars])*

1 - Nature Boy

(Eden Ahbez)

2 - Alone Together

(Dietz, Schwartz)

3 - There’s No You

(Adair, Hopper)

4 - Easy Living

(Rainger, Robin)

Miles Davis (trumpet), Britt Woodman (trombone),

Charles Mingus (bass), Teddy Charles (vibes), Elvin Jones (drums).

Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey, July 9, 1955

Art Pepper and Sonny Redd: Two talents reunited

Art Pepper • Sonny Redd

Two Altos

Art Pepper • Sonny Redd is an album by American alto saxophonists Art Pepper and Sonny Redd. The four standards which appear on the album were recorded in Los Angeles with West Coast-jazz musicians between 1952 and 1954, whilst the two originals were recorded at Van Gelder Studio, in 1957. Regent Records, a subsidiary of Savoy Records, released these recordings in 1959. 

Following in the tradition of great alto saxophonists, a great star of today and a new star of today match their talents in a combination album of what's new and good in modern jazz. Following a tradition on the horn that featured such luminaries as Johnny Hodges, Don Redman, and Benny Carter... the alto saxophone was completely revamped, revitalized, and revved up under the influence of the late Charlie Parker. "Bird's" genius transformed this smaller member of the virile saxophone family into a thing of perfect beauty. He hastened its pace, transformed its tone, and gave a sky-high new horizon for its possibilities that has been untouched yet!

Perhaps the finest star on this horn today is Art Pepper. A bird-inspired disciple who has developed his own powerful voice, Art's allegiances have been with the so-called "West Coast" school of jazz, but he's a mighty swinger! 

Two tracks are extended vehicles for the combo led by young alto star Sonny Redd. A Detroiter, recently in New York, he has stirred great interest with his emotional, fiery alto style.

*Alan Stein (from the liner notes)*

Two of our favorite 50s alto talents together on one LP — both players who handle their instrument better than most of their contemporaries, and always with a unique and personal sound! The album offers four tracks by Art Pepper — recorded with groups that include Hampton Hawes on piano, Larry Bunker on drums, Jack Montrose on tenor, and either Russ Freeman or Claude Williamson on piano — and two tracks by Sonny Redd, recorded with a quintet that includes Pepper Adams on baritone, Doug Watkins on bass, Wynton Kelly on piano, and Elvin Jones on drums — more of a Prestige lineup than a Regent one, and really remarkable for the set. The Redd tracks — "Watkins Products" and "Redds Head" — are the longer and more enticing numbers on the set — but we should also say that we love Pepper's work for Regent, and think it's some of his best – and find his tracks pretty darn nice, too. Titles by Pepper include "Deep Purple", "Everything Happens To Me", "These Foolish Things", and "What's New". *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

1. Deep Purple

(Robbins, Parish)

2. Watkins Production

(Doug Watkins)

3. Everything Happens To Me

(Dennis, Adair)

4. Redd's Head

(Sonny Red)

5. These Foolish Things

(Maschwitz, Link, Strachey)

6. What's New

(Haggart, Burke)

#1, #6: Art Pepper Quintet

Art Pepper (alto sax), Jack Montrose (tenor sax),

Claude Williamson (piano), Monty Budwig (bass), Paul Ballerina (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, August 25, 1954

#2, #4: Sonny Redd Quintet

Sonny Redd (alto sax), Pepper Adams (baritone sax),

Wynton Kelly (piano), Doug Watkins (bass), Elvin Jones (drums).

Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey, November 12, 1957

#3: Art Pepper Quartet

Art Pepper (alto sax), Russ Freeman (piano), Bob Whitlock (bass), Bobby White (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, March 29, 1953

#5: Art Pepper Quartet

Art Pepper (alto sax), Hampton Hawes (piano), Joe Mondragon (bass), Larry Bunker (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, March 4, 1952

Rare And Obscure Argo Recordings (XIII)

Hank Jones

Here's Love

"Here's love", a musical version of the great film "Miracle on 34th Street" says "down with Scrooge and up with Tiny Tim" and in general, you don't have to be a screwball to believe in love or...Santa Claus.

The Hank Jones Quartet interpretation will become the definitive jazz presentation of Meredith Wilson's great score to "Miracle on 34th Street." Hank Jones has captured in the jazz idiom the flavor of Wilson's musical menu for Here's Love."

The artistry of Milt Hilton on bass, Elvin Jones on drums, and Kenny Burrell on guitar, welded cohesively by the remarkable ingenuity of Hank Jones, makes for many minutes of easy listening.

For good music aficionados, this will be Christmas all year round with the musicality of the Hank Jones Quartet a perennial gift from St. Nicholas himself.

I have said a lot of things about this album, but there's one thing you may have noticed we did not say and that would be to refer to this album as...square. So here's color, here's rhythm, here's enjoyment... HERE'S LOVE! *(From liner notes)*

Highlight is the interplay between Hank Jones and Kenny Burrell;

excellent music and arranging (5 stars):

I've owned this album for quite some time and decided to pull it out and listen with fresh ears. While this is not exactly a 'must-have' album, the musicianship is uniformly excellent and the arranging is masterful. Every track is based on a musical titled Here's Love, all of which were originally composed by Meredith Willson. There is where the arrangements shine because orchestral pieces have been distilled down into jazz quartet format and they sound rich and full.

The sound samples on this page will provide enough information to get a good sense of the music. The center of the music is Hank Jones' piano and Kenny Burrell's guitar. Both take turns with melody and harmony, and create some real studio magic (hence, the five stars.) Milt Hinton on bass and Hank's brother Elvin on drums are the perfect rhythm section. If you are a bassist focus on Hinton. He makes it sound simple and easy, but he is doing some incredible things that make the piano and guitar stand out. Elvin is masterful, especially on brushes, but he does have a few moments when he seems to over play. It does not detract from the music, and after a few listens I cannot imagine a more perfect drummer for this album.

This was recorded for the Argo label at Rudy van Gelder's Englewood Cliffs, NJ studio in a single session on October 19, 1963. While musicians will find this album to be rich in ideas, especially the interplay between piano and guitar, anyone who loves jazz quartets will probably love this album. *Mike Tarrani (amazon reviewer)*

1 - Here's Love

2 - My Wish

3 - You Don't Know

4 - Dear Mister Santa Claus

5 - That Man Over There

6 - Arm In Arm

7 - The Big Clown Balloons

8 - Love, Come Take Me Again

9 - Pine Cones And Holly Berries

10 - My State, My Kansas, My Home

(All compositions by Meredith Wilson)

Hank Jones (piano), Kenny Burrell (guitar), Milt Hinton (bass), Elvin Jones (drums).

Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, October 19, 1963.

Harry Lookofsky - Stringsville

Harry Lookofsky was born in Paducah, Kentucky in 1913 and studied classical violin in St. Louis where he joined the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in the mid-1930s. An early admirer of Joe Venuti, Lookofsky eventually became recognized as one of the earliest accomplished bebop jazz violinists. His technique became particularly recognized on his album Stringsville. Lookofsky was one of many early jazz violinists who occasionally played tenor violin, an instrument he cited for its similar tonal qualities to the tenor saxophone. Another relatively unknown unique characteristic about Lookofsky's playing is that the bebop solos on Stringsville were completely written out and arranged as opposed to improvised as most jazz musicians do. An accomplished studio musician, Lookofsky also experimented heavily with multitrack recording in order to produce a unique sound with several overlaid violin tracks meant to imitate the sound of a horn section in a big band orchestra.

Following his departure from St. Louis in 1938, Lookofsky joined the NBC Symphony Orchestra under Arturo Toscanini for a time while continuing to play jazz on the side. He continued his career as a classical symphony violinist later as concertmaster at ABC following Toscanini's retirement in 1954.

Stringsville was Lookofsky's one major feature release. Aside from his classical and studio recording work, he was more often a contributing artist and/or arranger on other's albums. Over the years, his many jazz collaborators included Quincy Jones, Jaco Pastorius, Sarah Vaughan, George Benson, and Freddie Hubbard. *wikipedia.org*

The violin as a solo instrument has been jazz's forgotten child. In the swing period there were a few violinists (Joe Venuti, Ray Nance, Eddie South and Stéphane Grappelly, for instance) who made significant contributions to the jazz scene, but one looks for it in modern jazz in vain. Many people seemed to feel that the violin did not "belong" — and the violinist often tried to justify himself in the jazz context by using his instrument for comic effect rather than for serious music-making. 

Harry Lookofsky's Stringsville is a bold and brilliantly successful attempt to blend strings with a modern jazz ensemble as if they were just so many horns. He has 

proved for once and for all that the violin can swing. Being the versatile musician that he is, he proves that the viola and tenor violin can swing, too! By means of multiple tracking, he keeps as many as a dozen string lines going at once. From the way Bob Brookmeyer and the other musicians on this date were playing you can tell that they were excited with the sounds Harry was producing. This was no dull academic experiment; it was lively communication, it was jazz. 

*Gary Kramer (liner notes)*

Stringsville challenges the essential rules and definitions of bebop like few records before or since — not only does Harry Lookofsky wield as his weapons violins and violas, but his music hinges as much on technological innovation as it does on technical prowess. Lookofsky transcends contemporaries like Stuff Smith and Stéphane Grappelli for sheer artistry, conjuring remarkably athletic solos rooted in the traditions of classical music but with the creative phrasing and rhythmic intensity of bop -- his performances boast a dark, dramatic edge that pushes the violin into a bold new dimension. No less revelatory is Lookofsky's mastery of tape manipulation: for each track he contributes multiple layers of accompaniment that further establish Stringsville as a truly singular proposition. But it's an approach that by definition runs counter to jazz's improvisational ethos, posing myriad questions about the nature of music and the merits of a critical hierarchy that favors following the rules over breaking them. *Jason Ankeny*

Side 1

1 - 'Round Midnight

(Hanighen, Williams, Monk)

2 - Moose The Mooche

(Charlie Parker)

3 - I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart

(Ellington, Mills, Redmond, Nemo)

4 - Little Willie Leaps

(Miles Davis)

Side 2

5 - Move

(Denzil Best)

6 - Champagne Blues

(Bob Brookmeyer)

7 - Give Me The Simple Life

(Bloom, Ruby)

8 - Dancing On The Grave

(Bob Brookmeyer)

Harry Lookofsky (violins, violas and tenor violins) with

#2, #4, #6, #7, #8:

Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone [#2, #4, #6, #8]), Hank Jones (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), Elvin Jones (drums).

Recorded in New York City, January 20, 1959.

#1, #3, #5:

Hank Jones (piano), Milt Hinton (bass), Elvin Jones (drums). 

Recorded in New York City, June 22, 1959.