Five-Star Collection... Charlie Parker

Charlie Parker

Charlie Parker Memorial • Vol.1

CHARLIE PARKER was born in Kansas City, August 29, 1920. He played baritone saxophone in his school band and accumulated his experience with the orchestras of Lawrence Keyes and Harlan Leonard. In 1937 he joined Jay McShann with whom he came to New York in 1942. "BIRD" left McShann to work with Kenny Clarke and Thelonious Monk at Minton's and Clark's Uptown House. Soon after he blew with Noble Sissle for about a year and then he joined the Earl Hines Orchestra which featured Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Harris and Billy Eckstine. In 1944 he joined the fine Billy Eckstine Band and, at this time, he cut his first session which, we are proud to say, is on Savoy records.

One of the greatest chapters in Jazz came to a close on Saturday, March 12, 1955 when CHARLIE PARKER passed away, stricken with bronchial pneumonia and a greater blow to Jazz was never dealt. We in Jazz will never forget the "BIRD" and because we feel that you, the Jazz audience, may not have had the opportunity to know the "BIRD" as well as you would have liked to, we are releasing all of his unreleased versions of his most famous compositions.

Along with these new versions and short takes, we include some of the original masters to try to give you a more complete musical description of CHARLIE PARKER's recording sessions and also to give you a greater insight of his work. Also heard herein is some conversation between CHARLIE PARKER and the other musicians on the dates, which is added because we are sure you will find it as interesting as we do. *Ozzie Cadena (from the liner notes)*

This is the first of the Savoy 12" Memorial LPs. Included are several previously unreleased takes, as well as several (often more than one to a number) short takes. The comparisons are illuminating insights into the processes of improvised creation. Ozzie Cadena has clearly listed the nature of each take as well as complete personnel. Rudy Van Gelder has done a first-rate remastering job, and while this is not a hi-fi recording, as the envelope states, it's often a considerable improvement over the originals and the sound is quite clear.

Among the musicians present are Miles Davis, Duke Jordan, Tommy Potter, Max Roach, John Lewis, Curly Russell, and Bud Powell. These are taken from Bird's 1944-1948 sessions for the label, a period that saw Bird's influence on modern jazz begin to take hold firmly throughout the country and world. These records were some of the vital messengers of the new era, and they rank in musical and historical importance with the Louis Armstrong Hot Fives 20 years before.

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

1 - Another Hair Do (short take 1)

2 - Another Hair Do (short take 2)

3 - Another Hair Do (original take 3)

4 - Bluebird (new take 1)

5 - Bird Gets The Worm (new take 1)

6 - Barbados (new take 1)

7 - Constellation (short take 2)

8 - Constellation (new take 1)

9 - Parker's Mood (new take 1)

10 - Ah Leu Cha (short take 1)

11 - Ah Leu Cha (original take 2)

12 - Perhaps (short take 4)

13 - Perhaps (new take 5)

14 - Perhaps (original take 6)

15 - Marmaduke (short take 1)

16 - Marmaduke (new take 2)

17 - Steeplechase (original take 1)

18 - Merry Go Round (new take 1)

19 - Buzzy (short take 4)

20 - Buzzy (original take 5)

(All compositions by Charlie Parker)

Charlie Parker (alto sax) with:

#1 to #5:

Miles Davis (trumpet), Duke Jordan (piano), Tommy Potter (bass), Max Roach (drums).

Recorded at United Sound Studios, Detroit, Michigan, December 21, 1947

#6 to #18:

Miles Davis (trumpet), John Lewis (piano), Curly Russell (bass), Max Roach (drums).

Recorded at Harry Smith Studios, New York City,

September 18 (#6 to #11) and September 24 (#12 to #18), 1948

#19 and #20:

Miles Davis (trumpet), Bud Powell (piano), Tommy Potter (bass), Max Roach (drums).

Recorded at Harry Smith Studios, New York City, May 8, 1947

Five-Star Collection... John Lewis

John Lewis

Grand Encounter:

2° East – 3° West

Grand Encounter is perfect as the title of this album, featuring as it does three grand and eloquent soloists playing together for the first time.

The combination of John Lewis, Bill Perkins, and Jim Hall is absolutely inspired, as they are three of the most lyrical soloists in jazz. In addition to eloquence and lyricism, they share other attributes and similarities. All three have a sound on their instruments that is personal and immediately recognizable, Lewis with his dry, kittenish attack, Perkins with a tone richer than the richest velvet, and Hall with a sound that is clear and bell-like. They all approach improvisation with a seeming trepidation, perhaps an extension of the genuine modesty they manifest as human beings. The three express themselves instrumentally in a spare, pared-down manner; thus, they seem such reflective and unpretentious soloists, as if they had weighed all the possibilities for this specific solo long before and this is precisely what they want to say about this composition at this particular time, and that to say anything more would be excessive. And, lastly, all three are possessors of a romantic bent that makes their lyricism all the more poignant.

Another attribute they share is sensitivity, for this is principally what makes this recording so pleasurable — because everyone listens so well. There is a group feel and interplay that is absent from many other all-star groups assembled for recording purposes only.

This "grand encounter" took place on February 10, 1956. For a pick-up recording, it is unusual in that it contains several firsts and a near-first. It marks John Lewis' first recording as a leader and his first trio recording (on I Can't Get Started), and Hall's first trio recording (on Skylark); Bill Perkins' first record date as a leader took place the day before.

Don't look for 2 Degrees East, 3 Degrees West on the map. It denotes the geographic composition of the quintet — two Easterners and three Westerners. (Hall is from New York and Heath from Pennsylvania; Lewis is from New Mexico and Perkins and Hamilton are from California. However, considering that Lewis and Heath were based in New York with the MJQ at the time, it is likely that Lewis regarded himself and Heath as the two Easterners when he titled his original blues.) Today, all are based in New York City except Perkins, who may be seen on television with the Tonight Show orchestra and in jazz clubs with Shorty Rogers’ quintet.

*Todd  Seibert (from the liner notes of the 2016 reissue)*

Simplicity is deceptive. On the one hand it can mean the artist is limited, and at its best this can be folk art of a high order. On the other, it can mean that the artist, having at his disposal the full range of materials, chose simplicity to best serve his needs. And this is conscious art at its creative best, as in this LP.

Simplicity is the keynote to this album. It is simple, direct, and overwhelmingly effective without ever once shouting at you or waving a flag. Not only are all the soloists at their best here, but perhaps they are at their best because of the high degree of empathy which surrounds the date. Few sessions in recent years — some Vanguards and the first Columbia Buck Clayton come to mind — have had the mark of the era of good feeling to the degree this album has. That is one of its charms.

Another is the rhythm section, in which Percy Heath and Chico Hamilton merge together to produce a compelling beat that is felt on every track. Still another is the way the solo horns — Perkins, Jim Hall and Lewis — pick up the phrases, the nuances, the shadings of the compositions, turn them over carefully and examine them, and then replace them in a different setting.

There is really no high spot to this album, because the performances on all tracks are on a plateau of excellence such as to make further comparison superfluous. It might be worthwhile to credit Perkins with some moving Lesterian moments in which he adds his own touch of individuality to a wailing solo on Love Me, or his Easy Living solo all the way which sets the tune running in your mind for days.

Perhaps John Lewis' majestic I Can’t Get Started or his blue-tinted solo on Three Degrees should be stressed, or Jim Hall's romantic mood on Skylark.

It seems enough to say, however, that this is the sort of album you hope for and seldom get. In common with the Mulligan quartet and the MJQ, this album contains the kind of performances you are forced to think of for hours. You can't help yourself. Is there any stronger praise?

The liner notes by Whitney Balliett are five-star, too.

*Ralph J. Gleason (Down Beat, November 14, 1956 [5 stars])*

1 - Love Me Or Leave Me

(Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson)

2 - I Can't Get Started

(Ira Gershwin, Vernon Duke)

3 - Easy Living

(Leo Robin, Ralph Rainger)

4 - 2 Degrees East – 3 Degrees West

(John Lewis)

5 - Skylark

(Johnny Mercer, Hoagy Carmichael)

6 - Almost Like Being In Love

(Alan Jay Lerner, Federick Loewe)

John Lewis (piano), Bill Perkins (tenor sax),

Jim Hall (guitar), Percy Heath (bass), Chico Hamilton (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, February 10, 1956

Five-Star Collection... The Modern Jazz Quartet

The Modern Jazz Quartet

Plays

One Never Knows

Original Film Score for No Sun In Venice by John Lewis

In December 1956 the globe-trotting Modern Jazz Quartet found itself in Paris. Among the enthusiastic Parisians who flocked to St. Germain-des-Pres to hear the group was Raoul Levy, producer of the film And God Created Woman and other international cinema hits. Levy did not come over to the Left Bank merely to spend a pleasant evening digging jazz sounds, but to make John Lewis a business proposition. He was about to produce Sait-On Jamais, a film to star Francoise Arnoul, and wanted to know whether John would be free to write the background music and whether it would be possible to use The Modern Jazz Quartet to make the soundtrack.

John consented to write the score and worked on it assiduously during his scanty leisure hours while he and the Quartet were touring the United States in the first months of 1957. Despite the fact that some of the music was written in Los Angeles, some in Chicago, some of it in New York, the score has structural unity and a high degree of internal organization. It was John Lewis' first film score and represented a special challenge. As he put it, "Jazz is often thought to be limited in expression. It is used for 'incidental music' or when a situation in a drama or film calls for jazz, but rarely in a more universal way apart from an explicit jazz context. Here it has to be able to run the whole gamut of emotions and carry the story from beginning to end". *Gary Kramer (from the liner notes)*

This is the music composed for the sound track of a confused and trashy little French sex-pot movie, Sait-on Jamais (One Never Knows, but called No Sun In Venice by the American distributors) and even with its faults, it represents an achievement in several respects.

The role of sound-track music is, of course, entirely functional. Its basic purpose is to complement the film, comment on its action and mood, and (at base) keep the audience from becoming distracted. The moment the usual film score begins to draw attention to itself, it fails. Despite the fact that in the film one hears only what is in effect snippets of the total score, I think most of it can stand (like Virgil Thompson's The Plow That Broke the Plains, Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky, and, perhaps, Aaron Copland's Of Mice And Men) as exceptional, as a film score that ingeniously manages to be both effective in context and strong enough to stand on its own.

Second, it is now evident that the quartet has so thoroughly assimilated and transformed the 18th century fugal form that we can no longer speak of a pastiche, a novelty, or a toy, but, in its case, of a jazz-fugue. And perhaps that means a new kind of specifically jazz polyphony, such as is heard here on The Rose Truc (a blues, despite what the liner says), something Lewis and Jackson do so excitingly, may be now developed.

The two fugues (Striker and the triple fugue Windows) dramatize the fact that the rhythmic disunity heard on the quartet’s previous release is not a fact but, in retrospect, seems a flaw in engineering. Connie Kay's work is almost unbelievably integrated. He is magnificent on Striker and almost manages to overcome the parts handed to him on Windows, which did not work out as intended but became monotonous.

Knows is a lovely melody and shows again how much Lewis can make out of the simplest materials, but the performance explores it little, using it almost as a vehicle for dynamics and tone-colors. The same sort of thing happens on Cortege, which is rescued a bit too late from its lushness and returned to it too soon. At this point in its career, the quartet still seems to find it necessary to treat such exhibitions as if they were ends in themselves—which they are not. Cortege begs comparison to Django, and Django succeeds by an opening and closing condensation of theme-statement and melodic exploration where Cortege fails. Venice is another simple melody which a solo by Jackson rescues from a certain cocktail-ish impressionism; Lewis' solo therein is not up to the level of passion understatedly achieved on his recent The Bad and the Beautiful.

Finally, the recording preserves a better performance of the score than any of several recent "in person" ones that I have heard. *Martin Williams (Down Beat, July 10, 1958 [5 stars])*

1 - The Golden Striker

2 - One Never Knows

3 - The Rose Truc

4 - Cortege

5 - Venice

6 - Three Windows

(All compositions by John Lewis)

Milt Jackson (vibes), John Lewis (piano),

Percy Heath (bass), Connie Kay (drums, percussion).

Note: Connie Kay's use of triangles, finger cymbals, tambourines,

open high hats and mallets on cymbals to create gong-like effects.

Recorded in New York City, April 4, 1957

Five-Star Collection... The Modern Jazz Society

The Modern Jazz Society

Presents

A Concert Of Contemporary Music

Of the five compositions that were recorded for this album, three were specifically commissioned by Mr. Norman Granz for this date. The remaining two, Django and The Queen's Fancy, were older compositions of mine that were specially orchestrated by Mr. Gunther Schuller for this session.

I am greatly indebted to all the music and musicians I have known for my inspiration for these compositions. The compositions center on and depend on the jazz soloist and they incorporate jazz and classical techniques. Midsömmer is an adagio in a general first Rondo form, the chord structure of the second theme being used for the improvisations. The title and inspiration is from the Swedish summer holiday and festival. Little David's Fugue is a fugue. The expositions are written while the episodes are improvised on a predetermined chord structure the accompanying instruments participate in the development of intervallic and rhythmic elements of the subject. The Queen's Fancy — This piece was written during the weeks of the coronation of H. M. Queen Elizabeth II of England and was inspired by pieces written for Queen Elizabeth the first of England. This piece is an arrangement and orchestration by Gunther Schuller. Django also is an arrangement and orchestration by Mr. Schuller. The piece is a memoriam for and is dedicated to the late great French guitarist Django Reinhardt. Sun Dance was inspired by dancers. Namely the Hopis of New Mexico and the great Watuse dancers in a film entitled "King Solomon’s Mines". *John Lewis (liner notes)*

This is a collection of five John Lewis compositions, three of which were commissioned by Norman Granz for this recording. On one and three, the musicians are Stan Getz, Tony Scott, J. J. Johnson, flutist James Politis, bassoonist Manuel Zegler, French horn Gunther Schuller, harpist Janet Putnam, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Connie Kay. On the others, Lucky Thompson and Aaron Sachs replace Getz and Scott while the rest of the personnel remains the same. Midsommer, an "adagio in a general first rondo form" is impressionistic. Though it's a flowingly lyrical work in general, the opening composed section is too long for the content involved and rather diffuse. The soloists are superb, particularly in the cross-conversations. Little David's Fugue is based on a sprightly set of figures, and it swings. The solos are good, but Sachs is not up to Scott.

Gunther Schuller's arrangement for The Queen's Fancy works out well, giving this unique mixture of jazz and quasi-Elizabethan textures growing space and effective added coloration. Schuller's scoring of Django is less successful. The original had a spare strength while this version is somewhat sugary and the harp in the background tends to be distracting and somewhat out of context. Sun Dance is another indication, as are all of these works, of Lewis' compositional imagination and craftsmanship. The blowing in these last three is again very good, especially Getz, J. J., Scott, and Lucky. Norman Granz deserves credit for commissioning the set.

*Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, February 22, 1956 [5 stars])*

Side 1

01 - Midsömmer

02 - Little David's Fugue

Side 2

03 - The Queen's Fancy

04 - Django

05 - Sun Dance

(All compositions by John Lewis)

John Lewis (supervisor, arranger);

Stan Getz [#1, #3], Lucky Thompson[#2, #4, #5] (tenor saxes); J.J. Johnson (trombone);

Tony Scott [as Anthony Sciacca, #1, #3], Aaron Sachs [#2, #4, #5] (clarinets);

Gunter Schuller (french horn, arranger, conductor) ; James Politis (flute); Manuel Zegler (bassoon);

Janet Putnam (harp); Billy Bauer (guitar);Percy Heath (bass); Connie Kay (drums).

Recorded at Fine Sound, New York City, March 14, 1955

✳✳✳

For those who prefer the digital version, the CD reissue features three bonus tracks taken from the original rehearsals previously unissued until 1999. This reissue received the special token of merit award in Richard Cook and Brian Morton's The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, 6th Ed. Here’s their evaluation:

The Modern Jazz Society

Presents

A Concert Of Contemporary Music

One of the great forgotten masterpieces of the 1950s, this brilliant date is still available only as a limited-edition reissue in Verve’s Connoisseur Edition. 

Collectors are advised to snap up any copies they see, although it's disgraceful that this classic should not be more easily available. The Modern Jazz Society was an initiative by Lewis and Schuller to present new works and new arrangements, broadly in the 'Third Stream' vein which Schuller encouraged. Lewis was only the supervisor of the original LP, but new discoveries — a rehearsal of a previously unheard J.J Johnson piece "Turnpike" and a run-through of "Queen's Fancy" — find him at the piano.

The five principal pieces are all Lewis compositions, and they are among the finest treatments of Little David's Fugue, Django and Queen's Fancy ever set down. 

Django, with its final coda taken at the stately pace of a cortege, is so bewitching that it can silence a room. "Midsömmer", which has not been performed or recorded in the intervening 45 years, is a gorgeously evocative piece. The arrangements and ensembles are intoxicatingly beautiful, but there are also the most handsome solos by Stan Getz, J.J. Johnson and Lucky Thompson — the latter especially reminding us how poorly he was served by most of his recording opportunities.

*The Penguin Guide to Jazz, 6th Ed. ("Crown" of recommended jazz recordings)*

1 - Little David's Fugue

(John Lewis)

2 - Django

(John Lewis)

3 - The Queen's Fancy

(John Lewis)

4 - Midsömmer

(John Lewis)

5 - Sun Dance

(John Lewis)

6 - Turnpike (rehearsal take)

• false start

• breakdown take

• complete rehearsal take

(J. J. Johnson)

7 - Midsömmer (rehearsal take)

(John Lewis)

8 - The Queen's Fancy (rehearsal take)

(John Lewis)

John Lewis (supervisor, arranger);

Stan Getz [#3, #4, #7], Lucky Thompson[#1, #2, #5] (tenor saxes); J.J. Johnson (trombone);

Tony Scott [as Anthony Sciacca, #3, #4, #7], Aaron Sachs [#1, #2, #5] (clarinets);

Gunter Schuller (french horn, arranger, conductor) ; James Politis (flute); Manuel Zegler (bassoon);

Janet Putnam (harp); Billy Bauer (guitar); Percy Heath (bass); Connie Kay (drums). 

On #6, #8 add John Lewis (piano).

On #8 omit J.J. Johnson (trombone) and James Politis (flute).

Recorded at Fine Sound, New York City, March 14, 1955

Zoot Sims on Prestige (VII) [as sideman]

Concluding the series dedicated to Zoot Sims and his recordings for the Prestige label, only two collaborations remain as a sideman: with bassist Chubby Jackson's band and with a Miles Davis septet that also includes Al Cohn, his "soul mate". 

Let's remember why it was important for bandleaders to hire Zoot Sims to accompany them:

Sims' signature sound formed in the early 1940s, when he surfaced in Los Angeles' fertile Central Avenue scene. Clarinetist and bandleader Benny Goodman discovered him and immediately recruited him for his band. In 1947 Sims landed an even higher profile gig when he joined Woody Herman's famed Second Herd, along with fellow saxophonists Stan Getz, Herbie Steward and Serge Chaloff. Together, the quartet of sax players was known as the Four Brothers, after a Jimmy Giuffre composition written for them, and became famous for their deft unison lines and the novelty of their dark, sweet sound.

After leaving the Herd and turning up in New York, Sims went through a period of freelancing and unsteady work. In 1953 he joined the Stan Kenton band, which provided a regular paycheck. But the band's music — emphasizing tightly-knit group passages that allowed for only short solos — and Kenton's stern, top-down leadership didn't mesh well with the easygoing, yet musically hard-driving Sims. He didn't stay long with the band, quitting on the spot after their bus wrecked along a Pennsylvania highway.

Zoot retreated to California, but he found few performing opportunities and wound up working as a house painter. Baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan rescued Sims from his day job when he invited Zoot to help expand his well-known, pianoless quartet. As trombonist and band member Bob Brookmeyer remembers, Sims and Mulligan were "connected by the bone" as both players and improvisers.

In the mid and late '50s, buoyed by his success with Mulligan, Zoot would release many recordings as a leader — 10 in 1956 alone. Nevertheless, he remained a great collaborator and team player, and he inevitably returned to winning partnerships. In 1957, Zoot hooked up with an old friend, tenorman Al Cohn. Together, they formed perhaps the most successful partnership of Zoot's career, co-leading an ensemble for many years.

Later in his career, Sims continued to evolve as a player. According to saxophonist and composer Bill Holman, Zoot's tone aged and became gruffer, and he expanded his repertoire thanks to the influence of pianist Jimmy Rowles. But he never gave up on what many consider his greatest asset: his incredible sense of swing. "No matter what he played, it was perfectly in time", said saxophonist Harry Allen. "If you were making your own perfect saxophone player up in your head, that's where you'd put the notes. And (Sims) managed to do that without fail".

Chubby Jackson And His All Star Band

Plays

The style of Chubby's big band would be echoed throughout the 50's and 60's in the bands of Woody Herman, Elliot Lawrence, Gene Krupa, Count Basie and Gerry Mulligan. The actual recording, the first big band date recorded by Prestige was done in the old Cinemart studios in New York City. The studio was so small that the trumpet section had to face the wall to make for a better balance. At the time of the session, Georgie Auld owned a bar and jazz club called "Tin Pan Alley" in the basement of a hotel on 49th Street. The club was a favorite oasis for Zoot Sims, Gerry Mulligan and J.J. Johnson among others and everybody would come by to jam. 

At the date Mulligan remarked how loose he felt when working with Zoot. Certainly the loose feeling permeated the entire session as Auld, Jackson and Don Lamond fooled around with one of those fake nose and glasses disguises and Chubby kicked off the time in his stocking feet! 

The date was the second recording of J. J. Johnson and Kay Winding in tandem, the first being a Metronome All-Star session in January 1949. The Tiny Kahn charts were a constant topic of conversation and the band which Jackson had led in early 1949 had played most of them, some under different titles, at "Bop City" and "The Royal Roost".

It is interesting to note that on this LP, Chubby Jackson does not do much solo playing. This is unusual but again it emphasizes Jackson's role as an organizer. He had musical talent as well as the ability to get good men into good places. Valuable contributions to the American Art Form and contributions that both listeners and historians alike can be grateful for.

*Ernie Edwards, Jr. (liner notes, February 1969)* 

1 - Flying The Coop

(Tiny Kahn)

2 - I May Be Wrong

(Ruskin, Sullivan)

3 - Leavin' Town

(Jarvis, Meissner)

4 - Sax Appeal

(Tiny Kahn)

5 - New York

(Al Cohn)

6 - Why Not

(Tiny Kahn)

7 - Hot Dog

(Zoot Sims)

8 - So What

(Gerry Mulligan)

Chubby Jackson (bass, leader); Howard McGhee, Al Porcino, Don Ferrara (trumpets);

J.J. Johnson, Kai Winding (trombones); Charlie Kennedy (alto sax);

Zoot Sims, George Auld (tenor saxes), Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax);

Tony Aless (piano); Don Lamond (drums).

Recorded at Cinemart Studios, New York City, March 15, 1950

✳✳✳

Miles Davis Septet

Plays The Compositions Of Al Cohn

Since the "records heard 'round the world", "Godchild", "Jeru", "Move", et al, Miles Davis has made many other fine records to enhance his position as top modern trumpeter, but in the main they have been three horn groups (including himself) with an emphasis on solo work. After the original melody, usually stated in tight unison, each hornman played again only when his solo turn came. The soloists had to be good to sustain interest, and they were, but it was felt that Miles needed a change of pace for his next recording date; compositions and arrangements which would suit him and result in a happy combination of arranged music and solo work.

The man who achieved this was Al Cohn, the unheralded great of the tenor saxophone, as well as the composer's and arranger's desk. Three of the pieces, "Willie The Wailer", "Floppy" and "For Adults Only" were written for this session. "Tasty Pudding" had been written before but Al arranged it specially for Miles and this date. The Pudding whipped up by Al receives flavoring and icing from Miles and best exemplifies the whole idea behind this type of integrated arrangement.

Thanks to Miles, Al, and Zoot Sims, with help from John Lewis and Sonny Truitt, the "solo" is not neglected and the feeling that they show in their reading of the arrangements (underlined, and punctuated by Kenny Clarke; propelled by Leonard Gaskin and Kenny) makes the "happy combination" possible. *Ira Gitler (liner notes)*

Miles Davis Plays The Compositions Of Al Cohn, from early 1953, was another album unified by idea and intent. The music is intelligent and spry, with sly references to other tunes, one that would lodge itself in Miles' memory; "Willie The Wailer", for example, opens as "Soft Winds", a number popularized by Benny Goodman in 1941, and which in 1959 Miles would morph into "Freddie The Freeloader" for >Kind Of Blue<. The performances are strong, the harmony lines benefitting from a three-horn frontline with Zoot Sims and Cohn the relaxed foils to Miles' brashness. *milesdavis.com*

Side 1

1 - Tasty Pudding

2 - Floppy

Side 2

3 - Willie The Wailer

4 - For Adults Only

(All compositions by Al Cohn)

Miles Davis (trumpet); Sonny Truitt (trombone); Zoot Sims, Al Cohn (tenor saxes);

John Lewis (piano); Leonard Gaskin (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums).

Recorded at Beltone Studios, New York City, February 19, 1953.

Zoot Sims on Prestige (II)

Originally issued for Prestige on two 10" LPs, the following CD covers two sessions from the early 1950s. Tracks 1 to 5, 10 and the previously unissued alternate cuts of "Trotting", are from an August 1951 date with Harry Biss on piano, Clyde Lombardi on bass and the great Art Blakey on drums. This material is the star of the show, especially when the quartet stretches out on the eight-and-a-half minute take of "Zoot Swings the Blues" and the eleven minute "East of the Sun (West of the Moon)". The sound here is incredible for the late mono era, and the playing is special too, making it feel like a recording from the early 60s, even though it is from a decade earlier. Tracks 6 to 9 from the previous year (September 1950), by contrast don't sound as good, with Zoot's sax frequently distorting and a noticeable tape hiss throughout. Though drummer Don Lamond is no Blakey, the other musicians are of a higher quality — John Lewis on piano and Curly Russell on bass — so it's not a total loss. Though Zoot's recording career lasted until the mid 80s, the number of quality albums he made as a leader aren't that plentiful in my opinion. However this disc and Zoot from the OJC catalog, along with his collaborations with Al Cohn, should be in all serious jazz collections.

Zoot Sims

Zoot Sims Quartets

A full length album that brings together some excellent early 50s sides by Zoot — originally issued on 10" LPs, Swingin' with Zoot Sims and Tenor Sax Favorites, but expanded here with better notes and more space. Half the set features a group with Harry Biss on piano, Clyde Lombardi on bass, and Art Blakey on drums — and the rest features John Lewis, Curley Russell, and Don Lamond. Titles include the two part number "Zoot Swings The Blues", plus "Trotting", "I Wonder Who", "It Had To Be You", "Jane-O", and "East Of The Sun".  *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

These early Fifties sessions are reminders that although Zoot Sims continued to deepen and expand during the next 30 years, he was already a vital force of great melodic sense and relenting swing. The first date, from 1950, with John Lewis on piano, features "Memories of You", the theme song of one of Zoot’s former big band leaders, Sonny Dunham. The second session, from 1951, is particularly notable because it contains "Zoot Swings the Blues" and "East of the Sun", in which Zoot, spurred by the drumming of Art Blakey, stretches out in the first time the LP format was utilized for extended performances in the studio.

This CD reissue features the great tenor-saxophonist Zoot Sims (who was then 25) leading his first American recording dates. He is heard with two quartets, the team of pianist John Lewis, bassist Curly Russell and drummer Don Lamond and with pianist Harry Biss, bassist Clyde Lombardi and drummer Art Blakey. All but two numbers clock in around the three-minute mark: an over eight-minute alternate version of "Zoot Swings the Blues" and an 11-minute "East of the Sun". Sims is in fine form throughout these cool-toned but hard-swinging sets. *Scott Yanow*

1 - Zoot Swings The Blues (take 1)

(Zoot Sims)

2 - Zoot Swings The Blues (take 2)

(Zoot Sims)

3 - Trotting

(Zoot Sims)

4 - I Wonder Who

(Zoot Sims)

5 - It Had To Be You

(Jones, Kahn)

6 - My Silent Love

(Suesse, Heyman)

7 - Jane-O

(Zoot Sims)

8 - Dancing In The Dark

(Dietz, Schwartz)

9 - Memories Of You

(Blake, Razaf)

10 - East Of The Sun (West Of The Moon)

(Brooks Bowman)

11 - Trotting (alternate 1)

(Zoot Sims)

12 - Trotting (alternate 2)

(Zoot Sims)

#1 to #5 and #10 to #12:

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Harry Biss (piano), Clyde Lombardi (bass), Art Blakey (drums)

Recorded in New York City, August 14, 1951

#6 to #9:

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), John Lewis (piano), Curley Russell (bass), Don Lamond (drums)

Recorded in New York City, September 16, 1950