Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XXI ★ with Stan Getz (II)

Stan Getz

With

The Lighthouse All-Stars • 1953

Having presented in our previous post Stan Getz's extraordinary stint at the Lighthouse on September 14, 1952, chronology now moves us eight months forward. We find ourselves on May 31, 1953, to examine a fundamental document that records, once again, the participation of the tenor sax giant and jazz musician par excellence as a guest alongside the Lighthouse Allstars. This new series of exciting live performances at the Lighthouse Café on Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach, California, was captured by recording engineer Bob Andrews using a single microphone and a tape recorder.

Getz was born on February 27, 1927, in Philadelphia. His real name was Stanley Gayetzki, but his parents changed it due to discrimination. Discovered by Woody Herman's producer, by the late 1940s and into the 1950s he had already made a name for himself, being acclaimed during those years as "The Sound." He can be considered an exceptional musician who remained at the forefront throughout his entire life, continuing his musical activity until shortly before passing away from liver cancer in California on June 6, 1991.

On the other hand, the Lighthouse Allstars—the band backing Getz on this occasion—were the house group at the club. Although Shorty Rogers and Jimmy Giuffre were the central figures of the ensemble at that time, for this session we have Teddy Charles on vibes, Russ Freeman on piano, leader Howard Rumsey on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums.

The vibrant beach atmosphere can be felt throughout this magnificent compilation of live West Coast Jazz. The festive crowd enjoyed these jam sessions, and their enthusiasm drove the band, inspiring an energy that transforms the dynamics wherever the recording is played. If some of the horns—Getz, Bob Cooper, and Jimmy Giuffre—seem slightly off-mic, it must be kept in mind that these are neither perfectly balanced nor professionally mixed recordings. However, it is by no means a sloppy audience tape; the overall sound is surprisingly consistent, and the music is exceptional, including brilliant passages by vibraphonist Teddy Charles.

Amidst this impeccable rhythm section, Getz sounds divine on every track, in any company, no matter what happens. Great moments abound in this superb compilation, where two extensions of Basie's repertoire stand out in particular: an interpolation of nearly 12 minutes of Harry "Sweets" Edison's "Jive at Five" and a magnetically modern rendition of Eddie Durham's "Topsy". Ultimately, the album stands as a valuable session that splendidly captures Getz's golden era in 1953.

Off Note:

It is imperative to warn the reader and collector about the gross editorial errors carried by the CD edition of this volume (coordinated under the Interplay/Norma label).

In the first place, the front cover incurs a flagrant chronological error by dating the session as 1954, when historical documentation and the liner notes themselves unanimously confirm that the recording took place on May 31, 1953.

Allow me the boldness of presenting this album cover as it should have been, if only as an illustration:

In the second place (and as a warning to those who can read the Japanese text), an analysis of the liner notes—signed by producer Yasunori Iwanami—reveals an alarming lack of editorial oversight. The text enthusiastically describes the performance of songs that are not present on the CD, surely due to recycling generic information from the complete All-Stars sessions, completely ignoring the actual content of the disc.

As if that were not enough, the tray card adds two other monumental errors:

a) "Jive At Five" is listed as "Jive Jumpin'" and credited to Claude Williamson. This is a doubly egregious blunder, given that "Jive at Five" is an absolute classic by Count Basie and Harry "Sweets" Edison from 1938. By mistitling it, they confuse the piece with a later composition or arrangement, stripping the track of its true historical roots.

b) "So Long Broadway" is presented under the title "Heading Hermosa" and credited to Stu Williamson, which is nothing short of a record label fantasy. They decided to alter the original title of the composition to provide some "local color" related to Hermosa Beach, burying the song's real name.

Let us then separate the wheat from the chaff: the music of Getz and the All-Stars in May '53 is sublime, but the packaging of this edition is a true disappointment that we take charge of amending here. The correct information is as follows:

1 - Only Have Eyes For You

(Al Dubin, Harry Warren)

2 - Jive At Five (as Jive Jumpin')

(Count Basie, Harry "Sweets" Edison)

3 - Moonlight In Vermont

(John Blackburn, Karl Suessdorf)

4 - Love Me Or Leave Me

(Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson)

5 - So Long Broadway (as Heading Hermosa)

(Teddy Charles)

6 - Topsy

(Eddie Durham, Edgar Battle)

Stan Getz, Bob Cooper (tenor saxes); Jimmy Giuffre (baritone sax);

Teddy Charles (vibes); Russ Freeman (piano); Howard Rumsey (bass); Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded live at The Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, California, May 31, 1953

(to be continued...)

Five-Star Collection... Teddy Charles

Teddy Charles Quartet

New Directions

Volume 3

New Directions Volume 3 comes as a direct outgrowth of considerable playing along the new lines indicated in Volumes 1 and 2. On the West Coast during the summer of 1953, Teddy Charles had the opportunity to work with a group of serious and sympathetic musicians, putting into practice the theoretical material and its consequent discoveries initiated in the earlier works by Hall Overton and himself. The fortunate combination of this experience with the talents of "Jolly Roger", Shelly Manne, and Curtis Counce has produced very effective, swinging jazz within a strikingly different medium. It is not a radical departure from what has become conventional jazz playing but is rather an evolution to a jazz style more controlled with regard to form, unity of materials and development while generating through this medium a greater freedom for solo and group improvisation. The restricting of materials to circumscribed limits permits a freedom impossible where all players pull in completely independent directions. Teddy believes by using materials unfamiliar to conventional jazz playing, using conventional materials in unfamiliar ways and using compositional techniques in treating these materials, a cohesive jazz environment is produced which at once liberates the soloist.(...)

Hall Overton's statement, "The challenge of the new materials serves as a spur to greater excitement", has been borne out by the vibrant, electric quality of the music and Teddy Charles through his playing and writing has clearly established himself as one of the important figures of the post bop transition period. *Ira Gitler (from the liner notes)*

This deserves background notes by the musician chiefly responsible for the west coast addition to the Teddy Charles writes: "...In Variations I took the characteristic left hand figure that Bud plays in fast tempos for freeing his right hand for melodic exploration. We used this to negate the usual chord progression, to give instead superimposed tonalities. I used the usual bridge for relief on this familiar pattern... Note bass behind second trumpet chorus — note melodic freedom generated by shifting tonal centers thus allowing the line to go all over...

"Wailing Dervish is by Jolly Roger, also using the tonal center idea with progression on the bridge for contrast and free rhythmic patterns in the interludes. The intro and ending are entirely improvised by the ensemble, and the contrapuntal idea persists throughout.

"Further Out is a composition making use of polytonal lines and chords moving contrapuntally and utilizing the trumpet sound. The elements of the piece are combined to form an harmonic background, suggested linear-wise for the blowing, with a polyphonic bridge. The first short trumpet solo and the two short vibes sections have polytonal environs (note results) and a brief coda resolves the piece.

"Etudiez le Cahier... is linear white-note music (fixed scale idea) with a strong chromatic middle section... In all these the written parts serve only to create the musical environment and as a point of departure for the blowing... The blowing's the thing... There also emerge here individual textures — not a 'blend' which I'm against. Note presence of drums, more lifelike instead of the usual drums-in-the-barrell and bass-overload sound..."

Teddy wrote all but Dervish. Other musicians on the date were Shelly Manne, bassist Curtis Counce and Jolly Roger on trumpet. The rating is for the careful daring of the approach and the excellence of the musicianship. It's another important step. There's still stiffness in the written sections but that's to be expected. Most important, it's valuably challenging to both musicians and lay listeners. And the extraordinary trumpet by Jolly Roger all the way alone merits the stars.

*Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, March 10, 1954 [5 stars])*

Side 1

1 - Variations On A Motive By Bud

(Teddy Charles)

2 - Wailing Dervish

(Shorty Rogers)

Side 2

3 - Further Out

(Teddy Charles)

4 - Etudiez Le Cahier

(Teddy Charles)

Teddy Charles (vibes), Shorty Rogers [as Jolly Roger] (trumpet),

Curtis Counce (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, August 21, 1953

✳✳✳

For those who prefer the digital version, there are several CD editions containing this music. One of them is the 2006 release by the Barcelona-based label Fresh Sound, titled Adventures in California, with some of the best early 1950s modern jazz — recordings that really shook things up on the coast. The bulk of the CD is from Collaboration West, formed from two 10" LP sessions by Charles, both in small-group formations with Shorty Rogers on trumpet, Curtis Counce on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums, plus Jimmy Giuffre on tenor sax on a few bonus tracks. The tunes have more of a West Coast groove than some of Charles's later 1950s work, but their tone and approach still keep things enjoyable and cutting-edge, and honestly, this might well be one of the most impactful pieces of work from 1953 that any of the other musicians were involved in! Titles include "Variations On A Motive By Bud", "Etudiez Le Cahier", "Free", "Evolution", "Wailing Dervish", "Further Out", "Boabalob 1 & 2", and "Margo". Added to those 8 tracks are 4 more that are even more interesting — a bit more hardbop in orientation, and featuring Charles' vibes in a group with Frank Morgan on alto sax, Wardell Gray on tenor, Sonny Clark on piano, and Lawrence Marable on vibes — a real meeting of modernists on tracks that include "So Long Broadway", "Paul's Cause", "The Man I Love", and "Lavonne".

Teddy Charles And The Westcoasters

Adventures in California

In 1952, Teddy Charles, one of the foremost vibists in the jazz scene at the time, became one of the leaders in a new movement away from the cluttered closets of bop to a new and more serious development — a synthesis of jazz and "serious" music. Early in 1953 he moved to the West Coast where he soon had ample opportunity to watch musical developments in the Coast and discover younger players like Frank Morgan, Sonny Clark and Lawrence Marable, who worked together for the first time on these recordings.

Later, the fortunate combination of Charles' experience with the talents of Shorty Rogers, Shelly Manne, and Curtis Counce produced very effective, swinging jazz within a strikingly different medium. Hall Overton said: "The challenge of the new materials serves as a spur to greater excitement". Charles reached a major achievement with these performances, that clearly established him as one of the important figures of the post bop transition period. *freshsoundrecords.com*

1 - So Long Broadway

(Teddy Charles)

2 - Pauls Cause

(Teddy Charles)

3 - The Man I Love

(Davis, Sherman, Ramirez)

4 - Lavonne

(Sonny Clark)

5 - Variations On A Motive By Bud

(Teddy Charles)

6 - Wailing Dervish

(Shorty Rogers)

7 - Further Out

(Teddy Charles)

8 - Etudiez Le Cahier

(Teddy Charles)

9 - Free

(Teddy Charles)

10 - Evolution

(Teddy Charles)

11 - Margo

(Teddy Charles)

12 - Bobalob

(Teddy Charles)

#1 to #4: Teddy Charles Sextet

from the Prestige 7-inch EP "Teddy Charles' West Coasters" (PR EP 1307)

Teddy Charles (vibes), Frank Morgan (alto sax), Wardell Gray (tenor sax),

Sonny Clark (piano), Dick Nivison (bassa), Lawrence Marable (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, February 20, 1953

#5 to #8: Teddy Charles Quartet

from the Prestige EP "New Directions 3" (PR LP 164)

Teddy Charles (vibes), Shorty Rogers (trumpet), Curtis Counce (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, August 21, 1953

#9 to #12: Teddy Charles Quintet

from the Prestige EP "New Directions 4" (PR LP 169)

Teddy Charles (vibes, piano[#11]), Shorty Rogers (trumpet),

Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax, baritone sax), Curtis Counce (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, August 31, 1953

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

Five-Star Collection... Teddy Charles

Teddy Charles

The Teddy Charles Tentet

Comes a time when you begin to search anew. You've written for and played with almost every conceivable small jazz group instrumentation. You want to "stretch out" for something bigger. But it must be an ensemble consistent with your personal ideas on jazz.

You reject the standard big band formula. That was born of dancing, large ballrooms, and theatrical displays — the bigger the better (?). The ideas of Gil Evans occur to you. Gil introduced tuba and french horn to Claude Thornhill's fine band of '47, later reducing it to the jazz group proportions of the Miles Davis nine piece band of '48-'49. The innovation was a great musical success; big band and small alike haven't been the same since. 

However, you play the vibes, and you want an instrumentation that may utilize the potential of your instrument, melodically, ensemblewise, and percussively. And you want to use to advantage your own experience gained in playing with everything from a vibes-bass duo with Mingus, to the Composer Workshop nine piece group and big bands. 

Finally you approach it this way: what jazzmen would I like to hear blowing in a group, that would comprise an extremely flexible instrumentation adaptable for larger forms, and who in combination would produce a very distinctive sound consistent with my ideas of jazz? 

Fortunately almost everyone you have in mind is available, and interested. You get Peter Urban, who played in your group a year or so ago, a swinging creative trumpeter, with big band lead experience, having a sensitive sound all his own. You think of his confrere, the fresh, lyrical, well-schooled Gigi Gryce for alto. Next, from your current group the swinging J. R. (Eastcoast Jake, NOT Westcoast Jack) Monterose; an authoritative tenor voice. On baritone, a guy who can blow, and play ensemble, from later Composer Workshop groups, George Barrow, and Sol Schlinger (when George left town on a gig) fit both requirements well. Don Butterfield, from the first C.W. was the likely choice for tuba, having a distinctive, smooth sound with a good jazz feel; a virtuoso on his horn. 

Now you have two brass, a top and bottom, and three saxes having lead, bottom, and inner voice possibilities and possessed of more flexibility of articulation than trombones or french horns. For swinging strings, six of them, and one of our most creative jazz men to play them, guitarist Jimmy Raney, an earlier musical associate of mine. And under him, Bird's favorite bassist, Teddy Kotick, who plays a walking, lyrical bass line, currently with my quartet. Piano, probably a necessity for blowing in a group of this weight, would require a keyboard artist, as well as a comper and soloist. Hence, Mal Waldron, another Workshop man with a fine classical background.

Now you need a drummer-percussionist who has the ability to swing a large ensemble, yet who can play with the sensitivity required for small band blowing. Joe Harris swung the great Dizzy Gillespie big band, and we had both played in Chubby Jackson's exciting power house. 

Thus the Tentet! An ensemble of individual jazz artists, all fresh, all playing jazz of today. In fact, the idea suddenly jelled. This is what I really want to present on records. Jazz of today. Not ten, or two, or fifteen years ago. Not even futuristic, experimental stuff. But a representation of many of my favorite jazz performers, using contemporary jazz means, playing in an ensemble organically the aggregate of their individual jazz talents. Fortunately, I'd been associated musically with almost every man in the Tentet in my own group or others.

(...)

Complex technical details of each composition could be given, but anybody understanding the jargon wouldn't need it. Moreover, there's only one instrument of a kind, so solo order is obvious. I think all the performers did a great and sympathetic job. You can listen to this casually, or accept it as a challenging experience in listening to undiluted jazz. Either way, I hope you are moved, as I am, by this jazz of today. *Teddy Charles (liner notes)*

Teddy's Tentet is made up of Peter Urban (Art Farmer), trumpet; Gigi Gryce, alto; J. R. Monterose, tenor; George Barrow, baritone; Don Butterfield, tuba; Jimmy Raney, guitar; Mal Waldron, piano; Teddy Kotick, bass; Joe Harris, drums; Sol Schlinger, baritone, for Barrow on sides 1, 3, 7.

The composers-arrangers: Waldron (1); Jimmy Giuffre (2); Charles (3, 4, 5); Gil Evans (6); George Russell (7).

This is one that grows on you. There is so much to hear in the writing, so much going on in the group, so many solo moments of merit that come out at you in short bursts, and so much intensity in the entire performance, that a lot of listenings are just about mandatory. Or perhaps I should say, this collection is going to be listened to often by me.

Charles' intent? Best described in his own excellent liner notes: "This is what I really want to present on records. Jazz of today. Not 10, or 2, or 15 years ago. Not even futuristic, experimental stuff. But a representation of my favorite jazz performers, using contemporary jazz means, playing in an ensemble organically the aggregate of their many individual jazz talents".

They do an excellent job of fulfilling Teddy's aim. This was a well-rehearsed session—not 10 men walking into a studio and playing some difficult music at sight. Charles chose personnel and writers wisely, with his own Green Blues, Giuffre's Quiet Time, and Gil Evans' Go to My Head particularly well adapted to the size and capability of the tentet.

Put this one up on your shelf along with the Miles Davis Capitol sides and the Gerry Mulligan Tentet album. *Jack Tracy (Down Beat, June 27, 1956 [5 stars])*

Side 1

1 - Vibrations

(Mal Waldron)

2 - The Quiet Time

(Jimmy Jiuffre)

3 - The Emperor

(Teddy Charles)

Side 2

4 - Nature Boy

(Eden Ahbez)

5 - Green Blues

(Teddy Charles)

6 - You Go To My Head

(Gillespie, Coots)

7 - Lydian M-1

(George Russell)

Teddy Charles (vibes); Art Farmer [as Peter Urban] (trumpet); Don Butterfield (tuba);

Gigi Gryce (alto sax); J. R. Monterose (tenor sax);

Sol Schlinger [#1, #3, #7], George Barrow [#2, #4, #5, #6] (baritone saxes);

Mal Waldron (piano); Jimmy Raney (guitar); Teddy Kotick (bass); Joe Harris (drums).

Recorded at Coastal Recording Studios, New York City, January 6 (#2, #4),

January 11 (#5, #6) and January 17 (#1, #3, #11), 1956

Ralph Sharon - Easy Jazz

Apart from being a great jazz artist in his own right, Ralph Sharon proves in this album through his arrangements and leadership, that he can make other great artist’s play well while performing with him. He provides inspiration, ideas, and generates a tremendous beat throughout. We think most musicians and laymen will agree that the all stars improvising around Ralph Sharon arrangements, had a most stimulating experience at the session. 

It would be superfluous to write here about these great musicians since all are outstanding in their field. Each one a leader in his own right. 

You will also find in the course of each selection performed at this session, that each musician was still developing and creating excellent new ideas.

Ralph Sharon is an English born musician who dedicated himself to the piano for more than 15 years. He played with Ted Heath’s Orchestra, Frank Weir and Jack Parnell Quartet. He has composed and published many original compositions in the modern idiom. *Liner notes*

An apt title for this American-made set by the British pianist, even tho his cohorts include such intense avant-gardists as Charlie Mingus, Teddy Charles and J. R. Montrose, plus Joe Puma and Kenny Clarke.

Program is tasteful, light and non-aggressively modern -keyed mainly to Sharon's piano. The names will make some sales, tho this isn't their usual groove. Of the several originals, "Man on the Couch" is an interesting trial track. *Billboard, November 3, 1956*

Side 1

1 - Manhattan

(Rodgers)

2 - Two Sleepy People

(Carmichael)

3 - Have You Met Miss Jones

(Rodgers, Hart)

4 - Man On The Couch

(Sharon)

5 - Just Because We're Kids

(Sharon)

6 - Darn That Dream

(Van Heusen, De Lango)

Side 2

7 - Mood For Mitch

(Sharon)

8 - There's A Small Hotel

(Rodgers)

9 - Love Walked In

(Gershwin)

10 - Can't Get Out Of This Mood

(Loesser, McHugh)

11 - Plutocrat At The Automat

(Sharon)

12 - Slightly Oliver

(Sharon)

Ralph Sharon (piano), J. R. Montrose (alto sax), Joe Puma (guitar), Teddy Charles (vibes), Charles Mingus (bass), Kenny Clark (drums).

Recorded in New York City, May 27, 1955.