Five-Star Collection... Art Pepper

Art Pepper

Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section

One of the great advantages of the disc or tape recording is the special performance by jazzmen who ordinarily could not be heard together. And as one of the most absorbing aspects of jazz itself is individual expression, it can be fascinating to hear the impact of personality upon personality, and to capture permanently, by recording, the result of the impact. That happened Saturday afternoon, January 19, 1957, when altoist Art Pepper met pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones, hereinafter (as the lawyers say) referred to as The Rhythm Section.

Pepper, one of the most exciting jazzmen of the 1950s, was known only in what might, for want of a better term, be called a "West Coast context". And The Rhythm Section, Easterners all, had been playing together for the past year and a half with the Miles Davis group. It seemed a provocative and challenging project to bring the two elements together. After the first chorus of the first rehearsal of You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To, there was no doubt in anyone's mind the interaction was going to result in some unusually exciting jazz. Things happened fast after that, with everyone coming up with ideas, two new tunes (Waltz Me Blues and Red Pepper Blues) composed and worked out on the spot, and just five hours later this album had been recorded. It is a one shot, unique jazz experience, giving the jazz fan and critic a ringside seat at a completely spontaneous and uninhibited blowing session. (...)

The session itself started off in the worst possible way. Art didn't know about it until the morning of the date. Arrangements were made by Art's wife, Diane, who didn't want him to become tense worrying about it. He hadn't been playing for a couple of weeks; his horn was dried out and the cork in the neck was broken; and he had no idea of what he'd record. To top it all, everyone had been up late the night before and were late in getting started. but after the first rehearsal of You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To, everything jelled. As Art says, "I was so inspired by the rhythm section, I forgot the 'adverse' conditions. I'd never played most of the tunes before, and I fell back on the time I spent before the war on the Avenue playing by ear. Otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to make it".

About his own playing, Art feels, "In some spots I may sound rough, like I'm squawking, but I finally realized that in playing I've got to play exactly as I feel it. I want the emotion to come out rather than try to make everything perfect. You can’t express your emotions in that way. I believe I'm coming closer to that kind of honest emotion in this album. It's hard to drop all the inhibitions built up over the years, but I’m gradually beginning to free myself".

*Lester Koenig,  April 2, 1957 (from the liner notes)*

At time of writing, this album is exactly one year in release. Why it has not been reviewed until now is quite unfathomable, for it certainly was one of the best jazz albums of last year and probably Pepper's most mature recording to date. The session was held Jan 19, 1957, when Lester Koenig availed himself of the Miles Davis rhythm section, then in Hollywood with the trumpeter to play a local night club.

The altoist and rhythm section are indeed well met in this balanced set of eight tunes ranging from a purely played Imagination to some intriguing three-quarter jazz in Waltz Me. The solos of all concerned are of consistent interest, with Pepper at times reaching heights he’s seldom attained even under most congenial conditions in a club. In Red Pepper, a down-homey blues, Art's Lester Young-like phrasing in his opening chorus clearly shows where the roots lie.

As soloist and comper, Garland is authoritative and original. He can be alternatively strong and delicate, sparely laconic, and rippingly virtuosic. The bass-drums team here is peerless, with Chambers getting off some well-conceived pizzicato and arco solos. Jones' brush chorus in Waltz Me bears endless replaying for its taste and humor.

This memorable meeting deserves a favored place in anybody's collection.

*John A. Tynan (Down Beat, June 12, 1958 [5 stars])*

1 - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

(Cole Porter)

2 - Red Pepper Blues

(Red Garland)

3 - Imagination

(Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen)

4 - Waltz Me Blues

(Art Pepper, Paul Chambers)

5 - Straight Life

(Art Pepper)

6 - Jazz Me Blues

(Tom Delaney)

7 - Tin Tin Deo

(Chano Pozo)

8 - Star Eyes

(Gene De Paul, Don Raye)

9 - Birks Works

(Dizzy Gillespie)

10 - The Man I Love

(George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)

Art Pepper (alto sax), Red Garland (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums).

Recorded at Contemporary's Studios, Los Angeles, California, January 19, 1957

Five-Star Collection... John Coltrane

John Coltrane

Soultrane

When reading The New Yorker, usually, I am most amused by an S. J. Perelman gem, the cartoons of something in "The Talk Of The Town". In the May 17, 1958 issue, however, it was the jazz department that gave me my biggest guffaw when Whitney Balliett, in the course of reviewing a Miles Davis album, wrote, "Coltrane, a student of Sonny Rollins…" Of course, we know he didn't mean that Trane was going to Sonny's house, armed with a Klose book, for weekly lessons but the implication was clear, in this perfunctory dismissal, that Coltrane was indebted to Rollins for his style.

It is true that when Coltrane joined Miles Davis's quintet in late 1955, Sonny (the Rollins of that time and slightly before) was exerting a peripheral influence over him. Even this proved to be transient. The influences of Dexter Gordon (vintage 1946), Sonny Stitt, Stan Getz (certain facets of sound) and a general essence of Charlie Parker were more evident, even then. Since that time, Trane has developed along personal lines to become quite an influence himself. He and Sonny are parallel figures now, each contributing new ideas to jazz in his own way.

"Soultrane" is a ballad, written by Tadd Dameron, which appears on Mating Call (Prestige 7070 — an album which features Coltrane and Dameron). This album, called Soultrane, does not include that tune but Prestige thought the name an apt one for an entire collection of Coltrane because it plays on his name in a truly descriptive way.

Trane is very serious about his playing; playing jazz is what he is most concerned with. There is a constant effort, on his part, to keep improving. He is self-critical and helpfully, because of clear insight, self-analytical. Practice is not foreign to him.

As in his last album (7123), Trane has the support of Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Arthur Taylor. These four have done much playing together. In this case, familiarity breeds rapport.

Another admirable facet is duplicated from the last album. That is the playing of seldom-done tunes. 7123 had "Soft Lights And Sweet Music", "You Leave Me Breathless" and Alonzo Levister's "Slow Dance". In Soultrane, none of the selections have been overdone and three are entirely new to jazz interpretation. *Ira Gitler (from the liner notes)*

In this very, very good LP, John Coltrane gives a picture of himself which is true in several dimensions. The set, first of all, is one I consider representative of what Coltrane is doing today with the Miles Davis group. That I consider him one of the few most exciting tenor-playing individuals in jazz today has no bearing on the rating, but I do use the "individuals" in its fullest connotation.

Coltrane has been, and is here, playing in a highly personal manner. What he is doing has been described variously as sheets of sound or ribbons of sound or, by some less interested ears, as a haphazard running of as many notes as possible. I find a logic in his playing. And although he does sometimes fail to get his flow underway, the times that it does happen are among the most tingling in modern jazz. What I do admire in him is that he is always going for something beyond him, and that he never falls back on an easy or accepted way of doing what he wants to do.

On this set, Coltrane also has some passages of extremely lyrical playing, particularly on the ballads Talk and Care. He blows straight-forward and with warmth.

Backing is first-rate, and Garland's solo spots are fine. By all means hear this one.

*Dom Cerulli (Down Beat, December 11, 1958 [5 stars])*

1 - Good Bait

(Dameron, Basie)

2 - I Want To Talk About You

(Billy Eckstine)

3 - You Say You Care

(Styne, Robin)

4 - Theme For Ernie

(Fred Lacey)

5 - Russian Lullaby

(Irving Berlin)

John Coltrane (tenor sax), Red Garland (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums).

Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey, February 7, 1958

Zoot Sims on Prestige (V) [as co-leader]

 Starting in his youth, saxophonist Zoot Sims fashioned his seemingly effortless sound from the music of early masters Lester Young and Ben Webster. Playing alongside some of jazz's great bandleaders, accompanists and soloists — and eventually as a leader himself — Sims then refined that sound over a long and productive career. Never a musician to chase trends, he always kept two classic jazz principles in mind: Always play with indomitable swing, and have faith in the infinite variety to be gleaned from a familiar set of chord changes.

Zoot Sims was a highly regarded leader and co-leader in jazz, known for his co-leadership with Al Cohn in the 1950s and 1960s. While he also released numerous albums as a leader in the mid-to-late 1950s, his career was characterized by both leadership and collaborative efforts. Sims's leadership style was described as favoring smaller ensembles, where he could exercise more creative freedom. 

Sims expressed a preference for smaller ensembles over larger ones, stating that it offered greater freedom for creative expression, especially for the leader. He felt he could choose the tunes and tempos he desired, according to a Jazz Professional interview. 

Despite his successful leadership periods, Sims was also a highly sought-after sideman, known for his collaborative spirit and ability to contribute to various musical settings.

The next two albums clearly show Zoot's collaborative spirit:

Stan Getz • Zoot Sims • Al Cohn • Allen Eager • Brew Moore

The Brothers

The five tenor saxophonists featured here are of the highest calibre. Getz, since his early days with Woody Herman, has always been one of the most outstanding voices in jazz. His tremendous inventiveness and still-unusual sound has, in 4 sense, kept him in a class by himself. Zoot Sims, another Herman graduate, who plays with a fire-like quality and an uncanny sense of "time", never ceases to amaze even his fellow-musicians. The multi-talented (player, composer, arranger) Al Cohn projects a mournful, lyrical quality that’s rare even in this era of "soul" music. Mr. Eager, for the benefit of our "newer" jazz listeners, was one of the leading lights in the earlier days of modern 

jazz. An extremely vital player, it's our loss that he now chooses to race Italian sport cars for the rent money. I'm sure you'll agree on hearing the enclosed. 

Brew Moore, currently enjoying great popularity in the Scandinavian countries, is another name synonomous with the earlier "New York Tenor School". In this album, we hear these five great tenor players in one of the most memorable recording sessions ever.

In an extension of the now-famous Herman "Four Brothers" sound, here the boys play some highly-melo-dic compositions by Gerry Mulligan and Al Cohn. In most cases of "all-star" groups, the music suffers because of frantic attempts to out-do each other. Not so, in the case of this album. Possibly it's because of the closeness of the men involved, both personally and musically. In any event, on The Brothers, the soloists prod each other on in a positive sense, never losing sight of the fact that ‘each is part of the whole. The results being, a rousing, happy collection of tunes with plenty of meaningful improvisation. I personally, would like to see these guys get together more often. 

On the second half of this set you'll hear two of "the brothers", Al and Zoot with trombonist Kai Winding. Possibly this is the seed from which the present Al Cohn-Zoot Sims group grew. Each compliments the other's playing so well, it seems only natural that they should merge. Their kind of jazz is a light, swinging, happy one. The tunes are simple, the charts are tasty and the blowing is superb

Being a disc-jockey and not a musician, I can't get technical about the music enclosed and I'm happy for it. This is not the kind of music anyone should get technical about. Inside this jacket are good jazz musicians, good jazz tunes, good jazz arrangements. All in all, just good jazz! Who can ask for anything more? *Les Davis (liner notes)*

A classic Prestige LP that compiles earlier sides by the young tenor genius Stan Getz – four tunes from a 1949 session recorded under Stan Getz & His Four Brothers, with tenor work from Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Allen Eager, and Brew Moore – all blowing with Getz in a real "brothers-like" sax section sound. The remaining 4 tracks feature Stan and Al Cohn, working in a 1952 session with George Wallington on piano and Kai Winding on trombone – on some nice light boppish tracks that have that sweet smooth Getz tone firmly in place. The album's got a great Don Martin cover, and titles include "Battleground", "Five Brothers", "Four & One Moore", "Red Door", and "Zoot Case". Plus this CD issue includes 3 alternate takes, too!  *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

1 - Five Brothers

(Gerry Mulligan)

2 - Five Brothers (alternate take)

(Gerry Mulligan)

3 - Battle Of The Saxes

(Al Cohn)

4- Four And One Moore

(Gerry Mulligan)

5. Four And One Moore (alternate take)

(Gerry Mulligan)

6 - Battleground

(Al Cohn)

7 - Battleground (alternate take)

(Al Cohn)

8 - The Red Door

(Zoot Sims)

9 - Zootcase

(Zoot Sims)

10 - Tangerine

(Schertzinger, Mercer)

11 - Morning Sun

(Zoot Sims, Al Cohn)

#1 to #7: Stan Getz And His Four Brothers

Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Allen Eager, Brew Moore (tenor saxes);

Walter Bishop (piano); Gene Ramey (bass); Charlie Perry (drums).

Recorded in New York City, April 8, 1949.

#8 to #11: Zoot Sims And Al Cohn

Zoot Sims, Al Cohn (tenor saxes); Kai Winding (trombone);

George Wallington (piano); Percy Heath (bass); Art Blakey (drums).

Recorded in New York City, September 8, 1952. 

✳✳✳

Hank Mobley • Al Cohn • John Coltrane • Zoot Sims

Tenor Conclave

An unusually clarifying and multiply successful confrontation. This LP should provide much immediate illumination for anyone whose curiosity has not been wholly satisfied concerning the difference between the two major trends of modern tenor and the variation in each. To help further, Ira Gitler has contributed the most accurate and clearest discussion of the subject I've yet seen in print. I'd suggest you read his genealogical tracing and corollary descriptions in the notes before hearing the record.

As Gitler points out, Zoot and Al are in the Basie–Young tradition with some Parker influence. Mobley and Coltrane come directly from Parker and each has complementary influences. Sims and Cohn are "brothers", Gitler adds, while Mobley and Coltrane's differences are somewhat wider, so they could be called "cousins". All four respond to the challenge, and for the most part, are at the top of their form. Coltrane, who has been improving rapidly, never has struck me as impressively as he does here. The rhythm section is just right, and there are bonus Chambers solos. On the record, the titles for Tenor Conclave and Bob's Boys have been switched. The LP represents a valuable a&r idea and is an indication of a reenergization of the creative thinking at Prestige that should lead to an important year for them — and for us. *Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, April 30, 1957)*

These four sides should not be hard to locate, as the primary participants in this November 30, 1956, session have all issued them within their individual catalogs. However Tenor Conclave was first released as credited to the "leaderless" Prestige All-Stars — consisting of tenor saxophonists John Coltrane, Hank Mobley, Al Cohn, and Zoot Sims. Providing support are pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Art Taylor. The Mobley-penned title track commences the effort with the quartet of tenors showing off their stuff in high-flying style. It takes a couple of passes and somewhat of a trained ear to be able to link the players with their contributions, but as is often the case, the whole tends to be greater than the sum of the parts. After a brief introduction with all four rapidly reeling off short riffs, Mobley charges ahead into truly inspired territory. The midtempo take of "Just You, Just Me" keeps things lively with a light swinging pace that is custom-made for bringing the combo's jocular side to the surface, particularly toward the end as they "trade fours," with each tenor blowing four bars before passing the melody on. The other Mobley composition is "Bob's Boys," and by all accounts it is the most compelling piece on the outing. The blues-based tune rollicks as Coltrane, Mobley, Cohn, and Sims find themselves configured in a seeming myriad of sonic face-offs. Wrapping up Tenor Conclave is an ultra-cool and sophisticated "How Deep Is the Ocean?" Cohn commences the long and luscious reading with a subtle strength, suggesting the powerful undercurrent flowing throughout the number. Also, listeners are treated to what is possibly Garland's finest interaction, leading right into Sims, Chambers, and finally a sublime Coltrane caboose. *Lindsay Planer*

1 - Tenor Conclave

(Hank Mobley)

2 - Just You, Just Me

(Jesse Greer, Raymond Klages)

3 - Bob's Boys

(Hank Mobley)

4 - How Deep Is the Ocean

(Irving Berlin)

Hank Mobley, Al Cohn, John Coltrane, Zoot Sims (tenor saxes);

Red Garland (piano); Paul Chambers (bass); Art Taylor (drums).

Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey, September 7, 1956

Miles Davis - The Musings Of Miles

This Miles set, from four years earlier than Kind of Blue, unquestionably seems peripheral by comparison. The historical fascination, however, is that this quartet (with pianist Red Garland, bassist Oscar Pettiford, and drummer Philly Joe Jones) was formed at the time when the trumpeter had just got off heroin, and shortly before his legendary "comeback" performance at the Newport Jazz festival and the formation of his great 1950s quintet, including Garland, Jones and John Coltrane. Garland's bright, jangly piano sound and percussively chordal approach is a major strength after the trumpeter's nimble, though occasionally rather impassive, improvisations. But Pettiford, normally a powerhouse, sounds ponderous, and even the explosive Jones seems subdued, despite an inviting classic like A Night in Tunisia. It's a completist's item only. *Juan Fordham *

Miles' first 12" LP for Prestige Records enlists the aid of bassist Oscar Pettiford, Philadelphia pianist Red Garland, and drummer Philly Joe Jones. The two originals, both sparely built but intriguing, are by Miles. Pettiford is solid; Jones has a lot of fire along with taste and works very well behind Miles; Garland is good but has a frequently idle left hand on middle and up tempos that thereby takes a dimension away from most of his choruses. Miles is fine, and plays with so much heart and intelligently original conception that he's consistently cooking. Dig, for example, his simple lyrically effective muted work on "I See Your Face Before Me", the way he renews "A Night In Tunisia", and the blues-deep warmth of his horn in "Green Haze". *Down Beat, November 2, 1955 [5 stars]*

Miles Davis was in the process of forming his first classic quintet when he recorded this date. The trumpeter is featured on a quartet outing with pianist Red Garland, bassist Oscar Pettiford, and drummer Philly Joe Jones, playing four standards plus a blues ("Green Haze") and "I Didn't", his answer to Thelonious Monk's "Well, You Needn't". Garland and Jones would soon be in Miles' group, although the fiery Pettiford proved too difficult for the trumpeter to handle and was quickly succeeded by Paul Chambers. The interpretations are generally lyrical and melodic; even "A Night in Tunisia" sounds a bit mellow. Likable if not essential music. *Scott Yanow*

Side 1

1 - Will You Still Be Mine?

(Dennis)

2 - I See Your Face Before Me

(Dietz, Schwartz)

3 - I Didn't

(Davis)

Side 2

4 - A Gal In Calico

(Robin, Schwartz)

5 - A Night In Tunisia

(Gillespie, Paparelli)

6 - Green Haze

(Davis)

Miles Davis (trumpet), Red Garland (piano), Oscar Pettiford (bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums).

Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey, June 7, 1955.