Chet Baker - Big Band

It would be pleasant to be able to write that Rickard Bock, the chief panjandrum of  Pacific Jazz Enterprizes, heard Chet Baker playing with a big band years ago and thereupon resolved to some day record him in this context —as he has done so felicitiously in the present album. The fact is, however, that when Chet was part of the big band scene not a single recording company was setting up mikes and tape machines to impound his blowing for posterity. This is understandable when you consider that the groups with which the young hornman was associated were such as a junior high school orchestra and U.S. Army military bands.

Chet, who got his start in Yale (Oklahoma, that is) on December 23, 1929, became a Californian in 1940 when his family moved to the Los Angeles area. He began playing in junior high and within only a few years came to national attention of sorts. That was when the draft board pulled his number from the barrel. This stroke of good fortune eventually landed Baker in Berlin with the 298th Army Band. He is reputed to have been better than adequate as a member of the brass ensemble on "Stars and Stripes Forever" and "When the Caissons Go Rolling Along". And his solo work on that rousing selection, "Reveille", was so respected by those who heard it that literally hundreds rose to their feet.

In September, 1955 Chet began a European tour which was scheduled for four months but which was stretched to eight, so responsive was Baker's reception.  During this tour, the longest yet made by an American jazzman, Chet made some radio appearances with Kurt Edelhagan's Orchestra. Several air checks of these performances subsequently came to the attention of Bock and Woody Woodward, general manager of Pacific Jazz Enterprises. Both immediately noted that Chet was playing in a much more aggressive manner than they ever had heard him employ. Out of this came the idea of recording Chet with groups which, while relatively small, still would produce a big band sound and provide a suitable showcase for Baker’s lustier blowing. 

Herewith you have the result, and I believe you will find it one of the most intriguing albums Chet yet has made. Three of the tracks are done by an eleven-piece group. On the five other sides Chet leads a nontet.

The arrangements not only capture the big band sound which was sought but, even more importantly, provide a variety of tonal textures, rhythmic patterns and tempos, along with ample solo space, which the top jazz artists who made this date exploit to the fullest.

Adding everything up, there’s only one answer: a most listenable album. *Russ Wilson (liner notes)*

These tracks — essentially by two different sized groups, one of nine and one of 11 musicians — presented Chet to an American record-buying public in an unfamiliar setting, given that hitherto his producer Richard Bock had unstintingly promoted Baker's small group persona. But Chet's lengthy 1955-56 stint in Europe had teamed him up with Kurt Edelhagen's orchestra and more tellingly with a Parisian octet for Barclay Records. Hearing these discs, and realising he had missed a trick, Bock celebrated the trumpeter's return to the West Coast with this pair of sessions, that put his uncharacteristically aggressive trumpet at the head of these larger ensembles. Some of the charts are by Baker's regular small group colleague Phil Urso, some by Jimmy Heath, and some —the least conventional— by the French bassist Pierre Michelot, who had played on the Barclay sessions.

Not surprisingly, Michelot's composition "Chet" makes much of Bond's skilled bass playing, but there are also fine moments crafted to show off Bob Burgess's trombone in this and Michelot's other piece, "Mythe". *Alyn Shipton*

Releasing an entire album under the moniker Chet Baker Big Band is a bit of a misnomer, as only the first four sides actually incorporate an 11-person configuration. The remaining tracks from the long-player feature a slightly smaller nonet configuration. Among the luminaries joining Baker (trumpet) and participating in the big-band arrangements are Art Pepper (alto sax), Bud Shank (alto sax), Phil Urso (tenor sax), and Bobby Timmons (piano). The critical argument proposing that Baker's style is more akin to bop —and the residual post-bop— than the West Coast cool that he is often connected with gets tremendous validation throughout not only the four big-band tracks, but also the remainder of the album. The band bops with tremendous verve behind Baker's unmistakable leads. Jimmy Heath's ultrahip arrangements —especially of "Tenderly" and "A Foggy Day"— allow the soloists to improvise fluidly from within the context of the larger unit. The Pierre Michelot composition "Mythe" is notable for some outstanding soloing from Baker and Timmons. It is a shame that poor master tape editing —a motif that haunts many Dick Bock productions— mars the overall aesthetic. Of the nonet sides, the band really jumps and responds best to the original compositions such as Phil Urso's "Phil's Blues" and "V-Line". The horn blend on these recordings is likewise striking. *Lindsay Planer*

Side 1

1 - A Foggy Day

(George and  Ira Gershwin)

2 - Mythe

(C. H. Chevallier)

3 - Worrying The Life Out Of Me

(Mole, Signorelli, Russell)

4 - Chet

(Pierre Michelot)

5 - Not Too Slow

(C. H. Chevallier)

Side 2

6 - Phil's Blues

(Phil Urso)

7 - Darn That Dream

(DeLange, Van Heusen)

8 - Dinah

(Lewis, Young, Akst)

9 - V-Line

(C. H. Chevallier)

10 - Tenderly

(Gross, Lawrence)

#2, #4, #5, #6, #8, #9:

Chet Baker (trumpet), Bob Burgess (trombone), Phil Urso (alto and tenor saxes), Bob Graf (tenor sax), Fred Waters (alto sax), Bill Hood (baritone sax), Bobby Timmons (piano), Jimmy Bond (bass), Peter Littman (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, October 18, 1956.

#3:

Chet Baker (trumpet), Bob Burgess (trombone), Phil Urso (alto and tenor saxes), Bob Graf (tenor sax), Fred Waters (alto sax), Bill Hood (baritone sax), Bobby Timmons (piano), Jimmy Bond (bass), James McKean (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, October 19, 1956.

#1, #7, #10:

Chet Baker, Conte Candoli, Norman Faye (trumpets); Frank Rosolino (trombone); Art Pepper, Bud Shank (alto saxes); Bill Perkins, Phil Urso (tenor saxes); Bobby Timmons (piano); Jimmy Bond (bass); Lawrence Marable (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, October 26, 1956.

Chet Baker & Art Pepper - Playboys

The music of Chet Baker and Art Pepper has been heard and appreciated all over the world, thanks to three elements which probably have meant more to the musical history of the Twentieth Century than is yet fully realized. I am thinking of radio, the phonograph and the faster means of communication available. There have been many form of music, but none other than jazz has experienced such a rapid growth and in so little time has seen the birth of so many different schools and contrasting styles. Jazz is by its very nature a typical Twentieth Century phenomenon; it gives the individual musician and the listener an emotional outlet and an esthetic experience, while they are at the same time a stable part of a group of people. The collective spirit and teamwork which is so typical of good jazz rhythm section, the complete collaboration between human beings who still can retain their identity, is one of the happiest examples of thought and theory which have been with us last hundred years.

Of course, it is impossible for everybody to be completely different from everyone else in all aspects, and everyone has to belong to a certain time, enviroment, and style of living, talking and playing. The true artist take advantage of these facts, not necessarily consciously, and uses them to accentuate his own personality while expressing himself in the style which is most fitting for what he wants to say.

The combination of a trumpeter and an altoist always seems to be stimulting, teams like Dizzy Gillespie-Charlie Parker or Parker-Miles Davis, Clifford Brown-Lou Donaldson or Art Farmer-Gigi Gryce having produced some of the most worthwhile jazz ever recorded. This album is the first recorded example of Chet Baker and Art Pepper playing together, and their collaboration is indeed a fruitful one. The consistency of playing and the never-failing inspiration on these sides is a joy to hear. *Lars Werner (LP's liner notes)*

In the relatively short history of jazz on record, many an album has been produced with the thinking that, if one star soloist can make great music, two can make greater music. This thinking is logical but frequently the music produced by such starry affairs does not ignite. Either one musician has no positive feeling for the other's playing or their styles are incompatible. But occasionally the pairing of two stars produces music of a higher order — music sparked by mutual inspiration and rapport. Such was the case with Chet Baker - Art Pepper PLAYBOYS session for Pacific Jazz.

At the time, October 31, 1956, both Baker and Pepper were at their peaks, which is to say that each was playing as much or more on his instrument than anyone in jazz. But their playing alone is not what elevates this recording; they were also inspired by and, in turn, inspired the other members of the sextet — Phil Urso, Carl perkins, Curtis Counce, and Lawrence Marable. Everything clicked this day.

Here is an all-star session that succeeds on all levels. This particular combination of great musicians and excellent material served to produce visceral playing and lasting music. Sometimes it works. *Todd Selbert (CD's liner notes)*

These 1956 Pacific Jazz sides appeared in 1961 under the title Playboys. Myth and rumor persist that, under legal advice from the publisher of a similarly named magazine, the collection would have to be retitled. It was renamed Picture of Heath, as more than half of the tracks are Jimmy Heath compositions. Regardless, the music is the absolute same. These are the third sessions to feature the dynamic duo of Art Pepper (alto sax) and Chet Baker (trumpet). Their other two meetings had produced unequivocal successes. The first was during a brief July 1956 session at the Forum Theater in L.A. Baker joined forces with Pepper's sextet, ultimately netting material for the Route LP. Exactly three months to the day later, Pepper and Baker reconvened to record tracks for the Chet Baker Big Band album. The quartet supporting Baker and Pepper on Playboys includes Curtis Counce (bass), Phil Urso (tenor sax), Carl Perkins (piano), and Larance Marable (drums). Baker and Pepper have an instinctual rapport that yields outstanding interplay. The harmony constant throughout the practically inseparable lines that Baker weaves with Pepper drives the bop throughout the slinky "For Minors Only". The soloists take subtle cues directly from each other, with considerable contributions from Perkins, Counce, and Marable. With the notorious track record both Baker and Pepper had regarding other decidedly less successful duets, it is unfortunate that more recordings do not exist that captured their special bond. These thoroughly enjoyable and often high-energy sides are perfect for bop connoisseurs as well as mainstream jazz listeners.

*Lindsay Planer*

1 - For Minors Only

(Jimmy Heath)

2 - Minor – Yours

(Art Pepper)

3 - Resonant Emotions

(Jimmy Heath)

4 - Tynan Tyme

(Art Pepper)

5 - Picture Of Heath

(Jimmy Heath)

6 - For Miles And Miles

(Jimmy Heath)

7 - C.T.A.

(Jimmy Heath)

Chet Baker (trumpet), Art Pepper (alto sax), Phil Urso (tenor sax), Carl Perkins (piano), Curtis Counce (bass), Larance Marable (drums).

Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California, October 31, 1956.

Gerry Mulligan - The Arranger / Mullenium

Everybody knows that Gerry Mulligan is a saxophonist —most often to be heard on the baritone sax— but he’s also a pianist, a composer, an arranger and a bandleader. This album focuses on two important stages in the course of his career as an arranger. The first aspect is exemplified by four items which are representative of his manner in the late 40's, when he was only twenty years and worked for Gene Krupa and Elliot Lawrence. The following four pieces, so far unissued except for "Thruway", were recorded in the late 50's. by a big band an together by Gerry in New York.

During the ten years between those two series, Gerry wrote and arranged for several bands, including the Miles Davis Nonet, Charlie Parker's strings and Claude Thornhill's orchestra. He also went to California where, in 1952, he gained worldwide recognition with his revolutionary piano-less Quartet. Later, in 1955, he put up his Sextet.

Big bands are scarce nowadays and a lot of people the whole world over certainly wish there were more of them on the jazz scene. Not only those who are old enough to have enjoyed on the hoof, so to speak, the music of the 40's and the 50's, but also the younger set, the people in their twenties and thirties who are now discovering it. Both age-groups should be happy with this album, which aptly illustrates one of the most authentic and specific aspects of a purely American musical world: the Big Band, with its seven brass, its five reeds and its rhythm section. One may well wonder how such a rigid formula can allow any latitude to original creativity. Because Gerry Mulligan is not only a brilliant soloist but also a superbly gifted composer and arranger, he has long known the answer to that question. This album makes it obvious. *Henri Renaud (from The Arranger's liner notes)*

Gerry Mulligan

Mullenium

In 1977, a long-lost Gerry Mulligan big-band session from 1957 was released for the first time. The four selections featured the baritonist's arrangements for a 15-piece group that included such notables as altoist Lee Konitz, Zoot Sims, and Charlie Rouse on tenors, and valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer. To fill out the LP, two of Mulligan's vintage arrangements for the Gene Krupa Orchestra ("How High the Moon" and the hit "Disc Jockey Jump") from 1946-1947, and a pair of charts for Elliot Lawrence's big band ("Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" and "Elevation") were reissued. On those titles, Mulligan only plays one solo; he is not even on the Krupa recordings, since he was much better-known as an arranger than as a player at the time. In 1998, all of the music from the album (which was titled The Arranger) was reissued on this CD, along with two alternates from the 1957 set and a newly discovered alternate take of "Disc Jockey Jump." The music overall (even the early titles) definitely has the good humor and swinging flavor of usually found in Mulligan's music, and even if it is not quite as essential as his most significant work, this CD is easily recommended to the baritonist's fans. *Scott Yanow*

Here is a well-drawn portrait of a multitalented artist —first as a young man, then as a figure of international stature. We encounter Gerry Mulligan —arranger/composer/pianist/clarinetist/prime mover of the "West Coast Jazz" of the early 1950's (and, of course, the definitive modern baritone saxophonist) as an ambitious 19-year old whose arrangements caught the ear of Swing drumming demigod Gene Krupa.

Krupa's exciting swing-to-bop band is heard playing a pair of Mulligan's charts, "How High The Moon" (whose chords were the basis of Charlie Parker's bebop 

anthem, "Ornithology", and to whose line Mulligan’s pulsating arrangement alludes) and two takes of the "Four Brothers"-like "Disc Jockey Jump", a tune credited to Mulligan (1927-1996) and the leader. If you’ve ever seen Scorcese's wonderfully evocative but commercially-failed movie "New York, New York", these two cuts exemplify the kind of music favored by Robert DeNiro's selfabsorbed, tenor saxophone-playing main character.

Mullligan and bandleader-pianist Elliot Lawrence went back to their hometown days in Philadelphia. Like Krupa, Lawrence was impressed by Mulligan's ideas, but was more in tune with their modernist viewpoint. Significantly, it was during the period the two Lawrence selections ("Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea" and "Elevation") were recorded that Mulligan achieved his greatest successes up to that point. As a member of Miles Davis' nonet of young direction-setters, he wrote and arranged "Jeru", "Rocker", and "Venus De Milo" and arranged two other titles for the group’s watershed album, Birth Of The Cool.

Finally, we move forward to 1957, by which time Mulligan was almost a household name, thanks mostly to his pianoless early '50s quartet, featuring trumpeter Chet Baker. There are six performances by a 15-piece Mulligan-led orchestra, comprising a host of New York's first-call jazz and studio musicians. The corps of superb soloists includes tenor saxophonists Zoot Sims and Charlie Rouse, alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, the under-appreciated, lyrical trumpeters Don Joseph and Jerry Lloyd, plus the leader on baritone saxophone and piano.

Mulligan's masterly voicings and contrapuntal writing are evident throughout, with "Motel" issued for the first time in complete form and all of the material, save for "Thruway", released for the first time in stereo.

This newly remixed and remastered edition of Mullenium includes previously unpublished photographs from the sessions, as well as new liner notes by respected arranger (and Mulligan authority). *Bill Kirchner*

Here's baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan as big–band conductor/composer/arranger/player with his own ensemble and others led by Elliot Lawrence and Gene Krupa. These radiant sessions, recorded between 1946–57, show that Gerry was comfortably at home in any setting from pianoless quartet to full–fledged orchestra (big bands, in fact, were his early proving ground) and serve as a touching reminder of how much was lost when he left us in January 1996 at age 69. When Gerry arranged "How High the Moon" for drummer Krupa's big band in 1946, he was barely 19 years old. That chart is here with two takes of "Disc Jockey Jump", written and arranged by Mulligan for the Krupa orchestra; his own "Elevation" and the standard "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea", performed by Lawrence's ensemble; and six selections by Mulligan's orchestra from 1957 (not released until 1977) including three of Gerry's compositions, "Mullenium" and two takes each of "Thruway" and "Motel", alongside Jerome Kern's memorable standard, "All the Things You Are". The disc moves backward in time with the Mulligan ensemble first, followed by Lawrence (from 1949) and Krupa. Mulligan's orchestra, also for the most part pianoless (except for Gerry's occasional comping), was a platform for future superstars with names like Sims, Brookmeyer, Konitz, Rouse, McKusick and Rehak, all of whom are given solo space, with the irrepressible Zoot, at the top of his hard–swinging game, an exceptionally dynamic presence throughout (his shouting solo on track 6 is pure gold) while Konitz dances gracefully around Gerry's gruff baritone on "All the Things You Are" and Brookmeyer weighs in with several enterprising choruses. Drummer Bailey and bassist Benjamin aren't flashy but they get the job done. Sound quality on the Lawrence and Krupa tracks — none of which runs longer than 3:19 — is vastly inferior, with many a snap, crackle and pop, but there's more than enough wonderful music to counterbalance that shortcoming. I can still remember the impression "Disc Jockey Jump" made on me when I first heard it as a pre-teen (how's that for dating oneself?) and it's every bit as good as I remembered it to be. Mulligan was beyond question one of the finest big-band composer/arrangers of the modern era (bop and beyond), and this album definitely belongs in everyone's big-band library. *Jack Bowers*

1 - Thruway (take 6)

(Gerry Mulligan)

2 - Motel (take 5 )

(Gerry Mulligan)

3 - All The Things You Are

(O. Hammerstein II, J. Kern)

4 - Mullenium

(Gerry Mulligan)

5 - Thruway (take 7)

(Gerry Mulligan)

6 - Motel (take 4)

(Gerry Mulligan)

7 - Elevation

(Gerry Mulligan, Elliot Lawrence)

8 - Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea

(H. Arlen, T. Koehler)

9 - Disc Jockey Jump

(Gerry Mulligan)

10 - How High The Moon

(M. Lewis, N. Hamilton)

11 - Disc Jockey Jump (alternate take 1)

(Gerry Mulligan)

#1 to #6:  Gerry Mulligan and His Orchestra

Gerry Mulligan (piano, baritone sax); Hal McKusic, Lee Konitz (alto saxophones); Zoot Sims, Charlie Rouse (tenor saxophones); Gene Allen (baritone sax); Phil Sumkel, Jerry Lloyd, Don Joseph, Don Ferrara (trumpets); Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone); Frank rehak, Jim Dahl (trombones); Joe Benjamin (bass); Dave Bailey (drums).

Recorded at Colombia 30th Street Studio, New York, April 19 (#1, #4, #5) and April 20 (#2, #3, #6), 1957.

[Note: Mullenium's version here has an intro by Gerry on piano that is not featured on the LP "The Arranger"]

#7: Elliot Lawrence and His Orchestra

John Dee, Joe Techner, Jimmy Padget, Bill Danzizen (trumpets); Vince Forrest, Sy Berger, Chuck Harris (trombones); Joe Soldo, Louis Giamo (alto saxophones); Phil Urso, Bruno Rondinelli (tenor saxophones); Merle Bredwell (baritone sax); Bob Karsh (piano); Tom O'Neil (bass); Howie Mann (drums).

Recorded in New York, April 13, 1949.

#8: Elliot Lawrence and His Orchestra

John Dee, Joe Techner, Jimmy Padget, Bill Danzizen (trumpets); Frank Hunter, Gene Hessler, Sy Berger (trombones); Gerry Mulligan (alto and baritone sax); Joe Soldo (alto sax); Phil Urso, Bruno Rondinelli (tenor saxophones); Merle Bredwell (baritone sax); Elliot Lawrence (piano); Tom O'Neil (bass); Howie Mann (drums).

Recorded in New York, October 10, 1949.

#9 and #11: Gene Krupa and His Orchestra

Ray Triscari, Al Porcino, Ed Badgley, Don Fagerquist (trumpets); Clay Hervey, Dick Taylor, Emil Mazanec, Jack Zimmerman (trombones); Harry Terrill, Charlie Kennedy (alto saxophones); Buddy Wise, Mitch Melnick (tenor saxophones); Jack Schwartz (baritone sax), Buddy Neal (piano); Bob Lesher (guitar); Bob Strahl (bass); Gene Krupa (drums).

Recorded in New York, January 22, 1947.

#10: Gene Krupa and His Orchestra

Ray Triscari, Joe Triscari, Tony Anelli, Red Rodney (trumpets); Warren Covington, Carl Ziggy Elmer, Dick Taylor, Ben Seaman (trombones); Harry Terrill, Charlie Kennedy (alto saxophones); Charlie Ventura, Buddy Wise (tenor saxophones); Jack Schwartz (baritone sax), Teddy Napoleon (piano); Mike Triscari (guitar); Bob Munoz (bass); Gene Krupa (drums).

Recorded in New York, May 27, 1946.