Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XXIX ★ Jazz On Television (II)

The relationship between jazz and television enjoyed its golden age in the mid-fifties in Los Angeles. Far from the rushed pace of conventional variety shows, network KABC-TV launched Stars of Jazz in 1956, a pioneering program hosted by pianist and composer Bobby Troup. The show not only offered live performances with sound quality and lighting unprecedented for the time, but it also treated jazz with an almost pedagogical respect—explaining arrangements, introducing the musicians, and documenting the effervescence of the West Coast scene in real time.

However, those broadcasts ran the risk of being forgotten in the television network archives. It was in the mid-seventies when the label Calliope Records took on a fundamental task of sound archaeology: rescuing the audio tapes and transcriptions from the Stars of Jazz broadcasts to release them on vinyl for the first time under the Sessions, Live series.

Through Calliope's catalog, the sessions recorded between 1956 and 1958 on the Hollywood soundstages came to light officially, allowing fans to hear unique takes, exclusive arrangements for television, and reunions of musicians that were never captured on traditional studio albums.

In this second post dedicated to jazz on the small screen, the label's two albums featuring Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars—the central leitmotif of this series—will be presented.

◈◈◈◈

Sessions, Live

Lighthouse All-Stars

Julie London

Bud Shank

and

Chris Connor

(Calliope CAL-3030)

THE LIGHTHOUSE ALL STARS were led by Howard Rumsey, a former member of the Stan Kenton organization.

In 1949, Howard walked into a nightclub in Hermosa Beach, Calif. and sold the management on booking his group for a trial basis.

The result was a fifty two week gig for the next nine years.

Former members of the Lighthouse All Stars have included Shelly Manne, Jimmy Giuffre, Gerry Mulligan, Shorty Rogers and Bud Shank.

Featured guest soloists on these sessions were Bob Cooper, oboe; and Bud Shank, flute on The Nearness of You.

Viva Zapata features the trumpet and pen of Shorty Rogers.

Here's the All Stars, a group that epitomized the sound of West Coast jazz during the fifties.

MISS JULIE LONDON is also featured on side one.

Julie made her first singing debut on local radio in California at the age of three. She impersonated Marlene Dietrich singing Falling In Love Again.

In 1947, Life magazine named Julie the most promising young acting find of that year. On February 18, 1957 she made the cover of Life, only this time she was Julie London, singing star.

Julie's biggest hit was Cry Me A River in 1955.

THE BUD SHANK QUARTET kick off side two.

Bud plays alto and baritone sax plus the flute. He was born in Dayton, Ohio on May 27, 1926, and was regarded as the most important West Coast flutist during the late fifties and sixties.

CHRIS CONNOR hails from Kansas City, Missouri and was a former vocalist with Stan Kenton during the fifties. *(original liner notes)*

Side 1

1 - All The Things You Are

(Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II)

2 - The Nearness Of You

(Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington)

3 - Free And Easy

(Henry Mancini, Bobby Troup)

4 - Midnight Sun

(Lionel Hampton, Sonny Burke, Johnny Mercer)

5 - Viva Zapata!

(Shorty Rogers)

#1, #2, #4, #5:

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars:

Conte Candoli (trumpet), Frank Rosolino (trombone), 

Bob Cooper (tenor sax, oboe [#2]), Bud Shank (alto sax, flute [#2])

Vince DeRosa (french horn), Victor Feldman (piano, vibes),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Stan Levey (drums), Jack Costanzo (bongós, percusión [#5])

#3, #4:

Julie London (vocals) with Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars

Jimmy Rowles replaces Victor Feldman on piano.

Recorded live on "Stars of Jazz", KABC-TV (Channel 7),

Los Angeles, California, May 19, 1958

Side 2

6 - Crazy Rhythm

(Irving Caesar, Joseph Meyer, Roger Wolfe Kahn)

7 - Lover Man

(Jimmy Davis, Ram Ramirez, James Sherman)

8 - 'S Wonderful

(George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)

9 - Love Walked In

(George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)

10 - The Lamp Is Low

(Peter DeRose, Bert Shefter, Maurice Ravel)

#6, #7, #10

Bud Shank Quartet:

Bud Shank (alto sax, flute), Claude Williamson (piano),

Don Prell (bass), Chuck Flores (drums).

#8, #9

Chris Connor (vocals) with The Bud Shank Quartet

Recorded live on "Stars of Jazz", KABC-TV (Channel 7),

Los Angeles, California, November 26, 1956 (#6, #7, #10) and May 27, 1957 (#8, #9)

Off Note:

The dates printed on the original LP liner notes are incorrect. This type of chronological mismatch was very common among independent catalog and reissue labels during the 1970s, such as Calliope Records.

Working with magnetic tapes from television broadcasts and kinescope transcriptions salvaged nearly two decades after their original air date, the label frequently relied on imprecise handwritten notes on the master tape boxes or misplaced production indices from KABC-TV. Lacking the cross-referenced data from the Stars of Jazz production logs known today, Calliope lumped under the wrong date of November 5, 1956, what were actually two completely separate broadcasts recorded months apart (the Bud Shank Quartet set on November 26, 1956, and Chris Connor's set on May 27, 1957). An archival oversight that takes nothing away from the extraordinary historical value of these salvaged sessions.

◈◈◈◈

Sessions, Live

Lighthouse All-Stars

June Christy

and

Jimmy Giuffre

(Calliope CAL-3035)

THE LIGHTHOUSE ALL STARS were led by Howard Rumsey, a former member of the Stan Kenton organization.

In 1949 Howard walked into a nightclub in Hermosa Beach, California and sold the management on booking his group for a trial basis.

The result was a fifty two week gig for the next nine years.

Former members of the Lighthouse All Stars have included Shelly Manne, Jimmy Giuffre, Gerry Mulligan, Shorty Rogers and Bud Shank.

JUNE CHRISTY was the voice of Stan Kenton's band. She replaced Anita O'Day and became one of the most popular female vocalists during the late forties and fifties.

JIMMY GIUFFRE hails from Dallas, Texas and plays clarinet, tenor sax and flute.

He played a major role as clarinetist, saxophonist and personality in the groups of both Shorty Rogers and Shelly Manne during the fifties.

NELLIE LUTCHER started playing the piano around the middle of World War I.

She performed mostly on the West Coast and became a favorite at the Interlude Club on Sunset Strip. *(original liner notes)*

Side 1

1 - Somebody Loves Me

(George Gershwin, Ballard MacDonald, B.G. DeSylva)

2 - Sunday Mood

(Bob Cooper)

3 - I Want To Be Happy

(Vincent Youmans, Irving Caesar)

4 - That's All

(Bob Haymes, Alan Brandt)

5 - Witch Doctor

(Bob Cooper, Bob Gioga)

#1, #2, #5

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars:

Frank Rosolino (trombone), Bob Cooper (tenor sax, oboe [#2]),

Victor Feldman (piano, vibes, conga [#5]),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

#3, #4

June Christy (vocals) with Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars

Lou Levy replaces Victor Feldman on piano.

Recorded live on "Stars of Jazz", KABC-TV (Channel 7),

Los Angeles, California, March 3, 1958

Side 2

6 - Gotta Dance

(Jimmy Giuffre)

7 - Four Brothers

(Jimmy Giuffre)

8 - Blue Skies

(Irving Berlin)

9 - The Nearness Of You

(Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington)

10 - Two Kinds of Blues

(Jimmy Giuffre)

#6, #7, #10

The Jimmy Giuffre Three:

Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax, clarinet), Jim Hall (guitar), Ralph Peña (bass).

#8, #9

Nellie Lutcher (piano, vocals), Ray Brown (bass), Alvin Stoller (drums).

Recorded live on "Stars of Jazz", KABC-TV (Channel 7),

Los Angeles, California, January 7, 1957 (#6, #7, #10) and March 18, 1957 (#8, #9)

Off Note:

Once again, the documentation printed on the original Calliope Records cover presents notable discrepancies with the actual content on the tapes. For labels dedicated to rescuing radio and television material during the 1970s, it was common practice to work with broadcast tape duplicates that lacked accurate technical logs or carried confusing handwritten notes on the master boxes.

While Side 1 accurately places the Lighthouse All-Stars and June Christy performance on the March 3, 1958 broadcast, Side 2 suffers from an obvious cataloging oversight. The printed date of February 18, 1957 actually corresponds to an episode of Stars of Jazz featuring James Clay, Toni Harper, and Lorraine Geller—none of whom appear on this LP. Calliope mistakenly lumped under that single date two shows recorded more than two months apart: The Jimmy Giuffre Three session from January 7, 1957, and Nellie Lutcher’s vocal set from March 18, 1957 (backed by the station’s rhythm section rather than Giuffre's trio). An editorial slip that, while requiring historical clarification, does not lessen the magnificent audio testimony of these broadcasts.

◈◈◈◈

Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XIII

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars

On The Air 1957

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars On the Air features two complete radio broadcasts from late 1957. These broadcasts come from a short-lived program called Nightlife which aired on KMLA 100.3 FM beginning in the fall of 1957.

We're very fortunate that these broadcasts exist, especially when you consider the state of FM radio in 1957. FM was still somewhat a novelty and programming was mostly classical music, easy listening and other non-popular programming. As a matter of fact, most popular brands of radios that were available at that time didn't even have an FM band. AM was still king and would remain so for another 20 plus years. Besides the fact that FM wasn't widely listened to, this was a local broadcast that aired at 11:30 pm on Wednesday nights. It was a live broadcast so the only way for these programs to survive was for someone to record them off the air. (...)

These KMLA broadcasts represent a time of transition in the Lighthouse personnel and come at a time when the All-Stars were not well represented on commercial recordings. The working All-Stars unit made their last record for the Contemporary label in October of 1956, the classic "Music For Lighthousekeeping". There was one final recording for Contemporary in March of 1957 that featured an augmented version of the All-Stars to fill out a 12" release of "In The Solo Spotlight". (...)

For this members-only CD we have included two full broadcasts both with the same personnel: Conte Candoli, Bob Cooper, Frank Rosolino, Victor Feldman, Howard Rumsey and Stan Levey. One broadcast comes from November 20, 1957 and the other from December 18 featuring a special program devoted to the music of Bob Cooper.

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars On the Air gives us a rare opportunity to transport ourselves back to the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach circa 1957 to experience the West Coast Jazz scene at it's finest. *Ken Poston (from the liner notes)*

1 - I Deal • Broadcast Introduction

(Sonny Clark) • (Donn Harling [Announcer])

2 - Jazz Invention

(Bob Cooper)

3 - Nightlife

(Bob Cooper)

4 - Lighthouse Commercial

(Donn Harling [Announcer])

5 - Octavia

(Bob Cooper)

6 - Moto

(Bob Cooper)

7 - Lighthouse Commercial

(Donn Harling [Announcer])

8 - Snap The Whip

(Bob Cooper)

9 - Topsy

(Durham, Battle)

10 - Jubilation

(Bob Cooper)

11 - Somebody Loves Me

(Gershwin, MacDonald, DeSylva)

12 - Round Midnight

(Thelonious Monk)

13 - Confirmation

(Charlie Parker)

14 - Musician Introductions • Lighthouse Commercial

(Donn Harling [Announcer])

15 - Long Ago And Far Away

(Kern, Gershwin)

16 - Topsy • Broadcast Closing

(Durham, Battle)

Howard Rumsey (leader, bass), Conte Candoli (trumpet), Bob Cooper (tenor sax),

Frank Rosolino (trombone), Victor Feldman (piano, vibes), Stan Levey (drums).

KMLA's "Night Life" Broadcast from Lighthouse Cafe,

September 19 (#1 to #6) and November 20 (#7 to #16), 1957

Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XI

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars

Jazz Structures

This album represents a fundamental turning point and, in many ways, the conclusion of the canonical corpus of the Lighthouse All-Stars recordings. Although it fits chronologically into the Lighthouse All-Stars Collection series, its nature demands a dual interpretation: on one hand, it belongs to the band's main line; on the other, as Howard Rumsey himself did not participate as a session musician, the record functions as a natural heir to the Lighthouse Series that the All-Stars produced for the Liberty label.

Unlike the recordings captured in the effervescent atmosphere of the club in Hermosa Beach, Jazz Structures sought an almost "architectural" clarity. To achieve this, Rumsey moved the project to United Recording Corp. in Hollywood. Under the technical direction of Bill Putnam, the studio environment allowed for a technical precision impossible to reach in a live setting, capturing Bob Cooper’s complex arrangements with absolute fidelity. The use of specialized microphones and the controlled acoustics of United Recording provided this work with a unique sonic texture within the group's discography.

It is worth noting that while this album marks the end of a formal era, the legacy of the Lighthouse All-Stars — with or without Howard Rumsey in their ranks — extends through many more recordings. Much of that material, generally recorded live and featuring top-tier special guests (Miles Davis, Art Pepper, Stan Getz), is currently scattered across official releases and valuable unreleased recordings that we will be discovering in the near future.

It was over 12 years ago that bassist Howard Rumsey left the Stan Kenton Orchestra and, in his own words, "decided to find a permanent home for the music of jazz on the west coast". Today, the Howard Rumsey All-Stars, based at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, California, are internationally famous. As Stan Kenton says today: "Much credit must go to Rumsey as a pioneer and an enlightened promoter for the best in jazz". For the past five years, composer-tenorist Bob Cooper (or "Coop" as he is affectionately known) has been a leading member of Rumsey's Lighthouse group.

"Les Novros, head of Graphic Films, wanted to have jazz as the background music for his A BUILDING IS MANY BUILDINGS picture", Howard Rumsey tells. "This is a color documentary film showing the construction of the new Union Oil building in downtown Los Angeles".

"Novros wanted mostly improvisation originally", Rumsey continues. "I arranged for Bob Cooper to do the score and he took off like a bird. 'Coop' was so impressed by the calibre of the film that he went a lot further, musically, than we had planned".

"The score is a mixture of classical and jazz", Rumsey concludes, "and I think that 'Coop' really outdid himself!". (from the liner notes)

One of the most exciting jazz bands of the musically fertile '50s and '60s, Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars performed a wide variety of styles ranging from standard bebop and post-bop to the cool West Coast style. The band also included several first-rate arrangers and composers, with Jimmy Giuffre and Bob Cooper receiving special mention. The band also included many of the top musicians of the West Coast jazz scene that boasted the likes of Conte Candoli, Frank Rosolino (who are featured here), Bud Shank, Bill Perkins, Victor Feldman and Stan Levey, to name but a few. This particular release showcases the versatility of this exciting group. Jazz Structures reveals both the complexity of the compositions and precision of the arrangements. All of the charts were written, arranged and conducted by Bob Cooper. The album features the music that Cooper scored for Les Novros documentary A Building Is Many Buildings, where the construction of the new "Union Oil Building" in Los Angeles is described in this film. *Jordi Pujol*

Side 1

1 - Genesis (Pt. II)

2 - Architectonics

Directional Suite 

3 - Introduction

4 - a) Impulse

5 - b) Automatons

6 - c) Impulsion (Pt. 1)

7 - c) Impulsion (Pt. 2)

Side 2

Directional Suit

(continued)

8 - d) Complexus

The Worker 

9 - a) Rain Blues

10 - b) In The Morning

11 - c) Quittin' Time

12 - Edifice

(All compositions by Bob Cooper)

#1 to #8 and #10:

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Conte Candoli (trumpet), Frank Rosolino (trombone), 

Buddy Collette (bass clarinet [#2], baritone sax [#1, #3 to #8]),

Bud Shank (alto sax [#1,#8 ], B-flat clarinet [#2], flute [#3 to #8]),

Victor Feldman (piano, vibes, tambourine, conga, boo-bams and bongos [#2 to #8]),

Monty Budwig (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

#9, #11, #12:

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Conte Candoli (trumpet), Frank Rosolino (trombone),

Buddy Collette (bass clarinet [#9], baritone sax [#12]),

Bud Shank (alto sax [#12], alto flute [#9, #11]),

Joe Castro (piano), Larry Bunker (vibes), Red Callender (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

Howard Rumsey (leader)

Recorded at United Recording Corp., Hollywood, California,

November 21 (#1, #2), November 22 (#3 to #7) and November 29 (#8 to #12), 1960.

Note:

When analyzing the "Directional Suite" in the liner notes, the following peculiarity is noted:

""This particular music depicts workers driving little electric carts", Bob Cooper remembers. "Victor Feldman plays boo-bams here. They're a kind of tuned bongo. After more effusive drum work by Stan Levey, there's simultaneous jazz improvisation. The separation of this collective invention is particularly remarkable in the stereo version of this album".

Consequently, both versions (monaural and stereo) are presented here to

allow for comparison and to appreciate the specific sonic detail described.

Lighthouse All-Stars Collection X

Howard Rumsey

The Lighthouse All-Stars Plus Ten

Jazz Rolls Royce

For many years, the date of October 28, 1957 — Royce Hall, University of California, Los Angeles — has been accepted as the moment of origin of Jazz Rolls Royce. In an essential sense, it is: that evening gave rise not only to the album’s repertoire, but also to its underlying conception. Yet, as is often the case in jazz discography, the relationship between date and final result is more complex than traditional documentation suggests.

The concert, presented as part of the 1957 UCLA Homecoming Show, formed part of a broader institutional production, conceived not strictly as a jazz performance but as a ceremonial event that included the presentation of the Homecoming Queen and other elements typical of the university celebration. Within this context, Howard Rumsey assembled his Lighthouse All-Stars in an expanded formation — "All Stars plus ten" — designed to deliver a broader sonic statement within that festive framework.

The genesis of the project dates back several months prior to the concert, when, as part of the event's organization, a specific program began to take shape, combining original writing with expanded instrumentation. With Conte Candoli featured as a principal soloist, the ensemble reinforced in its lower register, and arrangements largely by Bob Cooper, the repertoire was conceived as a unified body of work, even at this early stage oriented toward eventual recording.

From an aesthetic standpoint, the project sought a delicate balance: preserving the immediacy and character of the Lighthouse small group while incorporating the color and density of a larger orchestral setting. This tension — between improvisational freedom and more elaborate writing — defines much of the project’s musical identity.

The concert was recorded with the explicit intention of producing a live LP. In that sense, the Royce Hall date is not an arbitrary convention: it represents the true starting point of the album. However, the tapes made that evening did not meet the standards required for commercial release. Performance flaws, ensemble imprecision, and incomplete or technically deficient material rendered them unsuitable as a basis for publication.

The solution was to move the project into the studio. In subsequent sessions held at Liberty Studios in Hollywood, the repertoire was re-recorded in its entirety, with a partially revised personnel — Stu Williamson replacing Conte Candoli, and a reconfigured low-brass section including Marshall Cram — under conditions that allowed for a greater degree of precision in the execution of the arrangements.

It is this studio material, rather than the Royce Hall recordings, that forms the basis of the LP Jazz Rolls Royce, although for many years the concert date continued to appear as the recording reference in various editions and discographies. The album thus became associated with a live event from which no direct master recording was ultimately derived.

The subsequent editorial history of the material gave rise to two distinct presentations, each of which approaches the relationship between the original concert and its later discographical realization in a different way. The following presents both releases.

V.S.O.P. Records

The edition issued by V.S.O.P. Records adopted a position of continuity with respect to the original release, preserving the configuration established in its initial appearance on Lighthouse Records (Lighthouse CS-300) and in the subsequent Omega reissue (Omega OSL-5). In this way, the structure of the LP is maintained as originally conceived from the studio material. However, this presentation introduces an additional element: the inclusion of applause not corresponding to the original recording at the end of three tracks, a device that artificially reinforces the impression of a live context in material which, as noted, does not derive directly from the Royce Hall concert.

Our idea was to add ten men to the Lighthouse group, forming a sixteen-piece band. We knew the first song should be the traditional "Strike Up The Band", the song that George Gershwin wrote specially as a "fight" song for UCLA. First of all, the students that accepted the responsibility of the 1957 Homecoming and particularly the producer of the Homecoming Show, John Brown, knew they wanted all new music written just for this occasion. The material should embellish the show, the traditional purpose being of course the selection of the Homecoming Queen and it should fit with the theme "Under the Bruin Big Top".

As we wanted to feature "new" jazz music we got in touch with Bob Cooper. "Coop" is the senior member of the Lighthouse All-Stars and watching his development as a soloist and a composer-arranger certainly has been a pleasure. As a musician he has every qualification: playing Tenor Saxophone, Oboe, English Horn or Clarinet, he has traveled extensively as a member of Stan Kenton's Band and Kenton's Innovations Orchestra; since becoming one of the best known members of the West Coast movement and joining forces with the Lighthouse he has made two European tours with Bud Shank. (...)

After deciding together on the program numbers, all written by Bob Cooper specially for the Show, we began the selection of the added men, players with much recording experience, yet men with strong roots in jazz. More important, it was to be a big modern band, one that pointed ahead. Furthermore, we wanted a permanent record of it. This was a labor of love and all the players responded in a grand manner; after rehearsals, they were on their own. No one conducted the performance or the recording. *Howard Rumsey (from the liner notes)*

1 - Strike Up the Band

(George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)

2 - Prelude To The Queen

(Bob Cooper)

3 - The Clown's Dance

(Bob Cooper)

4 - Coop Salutes the "Co-Op"

(Bob Cooper)

5 - Bruinville, My Bruinville

(Bob Cooper)

6 -Mambo del Quado

(Bob Cooper)

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Frank Rosolino (trombone), Stu Williamson (trumpet),

Victor Feldman (piano, vibes), Howard Rumsey (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

plus Ten Added Stars:

Pete Candoli, Al Porcino, Ed Leddy, George Werth (trumpets); 

Milt Bernhart, Harry Betts, Hoyt Bohannon (trombones);

Marshall Cram (bass trombone); Red Callender (tuba); Larry Bunker (tympany, vibes).

Recorded at Liberty Studios, Hollywood, California, circa 1957

✤✤✤✤

Fresh Sound Records

The edition released by Fresh Sound Records, by contrast, incorporated material from the original Royce Hall concert, adding the only two performances preserved in sufficiently complete and usable condition, introduced by Howard Rumsey himself. As indicated in the accompanying documentation, the surviving master tapes of the live event were largely compromised — affected by excessive audience noise, incomplete musical content, and various technical deficiencies — which reduces these two numbers to the only viable examples of the concert as it actually took place. Even these, however, present defects.

The jazz record buyer is listening more and more to the soloist, as opposed to ensemble writing. This is evident in the decline of the big band and increasing popularity of soloists and small groups. This may be the result of over-arranging and lack of honest emotion except during an improvised solo. It is here that the real communication between the listener and performer takes place. I have felt that the best points of the big band should be retained, especially since a big band can be a great source of inspiration to the soloist. With these things in mind we decided on the instrumentation used here. The idea being to preserve the sound of the small group (Lighthouse All-Stars) and inject the excitement and color of a big band with freedom and ample space for improvised solos.

We learned a great deal in recording and playing this music. I hope that the idea will be carried out and developed by others. I know we are all excited by its challenge.

*Bob Cooper (from the liner notes)*

1 - Strike Up the Band

(George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)

2 - Prelude To The Queen

(Bob Cooper)

3 - The Clown's Dance

(Bob Cooper)

4 - Coop Salutes the "Co-Op"

(Bob Cooper)

5 - Bruinville, My Bruinville

(Bob Cooper)

6 -Mambo Del Quado

(Bob Cooper)

7 - Bruinville, My Bruinville

(Bob Cooper)

8 - Mambo Del Quado

(Bob Cooper)

#1 to #6:

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Frank Rosolino (trombone), Stu Williamson (trumpet),

Victor Feldman (piano, vibes), Howard Rumsey (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

plus Ten Added Stars:

Pete Candoli, Al Porcino, Ed Leddy, George Werth (trumpets); 

Milt Bernhart, Harry Betts, Hoyt Bohannon (trombones);

Marshall Cram (bass trombone); Red Callender (tuba); Larry Bunker (tympany, vibes).

Recorded at Liberty Studios, Hollywood, California, circa 1957

#7 and #8:

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Frank Rosolino (trombone),

Victor Feldman (piano, vibes), Howard Rumsey (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

plus Ten Added Stars:

Pete Candoli, Al Porcino, Ed Leddy, George Werth (trumpets); 

Milt Bernhart, Harry Betts, Hoyt Bohannon (trombones);

John Halliburton (bass trombone); Red Callender (tuba); Larry Bunker (tympany, vibes).

Recorded live at Royce Hall, University of California (UCLA), Los Angeles, October 28, 1957

Five-Star Collection... Miles Davis

Miles Davis

Seven Steps To Heaven

This above all: to thine own self be true,

And it must follow, as the night the day,

Thou canst not then be false to any man.

                                                  "Hamlet"

Miles Davis believes that a performer's first responsibility is to himself, and that if he becomes disturbed by the opinions and advice of others he will make very little headway.

Amplifying this credo, he once pointed out that "critics write whole columns and pages of big words and still ain't saying nothing. If you have spent your life getting to know your business and the other cats in it, and what they are doing, then you know whether a critic knows what he's talking about. Most of the time they don't. I pay no attention to what the critics say about me, the good or the bad. The toughest critic I got, and the only one I worry about, is myself. My music has to get past me, and I'm too vain to play anything I think is bad".

Miles' indifference to critics, and to critical audiences, is coupled with a complete lack of concern for the comments accompanying his albums. He believes in letting the music act as its own spokesman. As a concession to this precept, Someday My Prince Will Come was issued with nothing on the jacket but the personnel, a candid shot of Miles on the back, and a portrait of his princess, Frances Davis, on the front. The music remained unharmed. Fortunately for the penmen, it is still widely believed that contrary to Miles' views, informative commentary can help acquaint the listener with the artist and may thereby aid in an understanding of the music.

To gain an accurate perspective of Miles it is advisable to consider only his musical and personal background, rather than to evaluate him in terms of the curious cult that has taken root around him. There is a growing circle of hipsters who dress as he dresses, curse as they think he curses, copy everything off his old records including the clinkers, and get their masochistic kicks by waiting for him to do, in a nightclub or onstage, something they think they can point out as rude or unconventional. These pseudo-sophisticates, in most cases, are totally unaware of what Miles Davis is or was, for although the what and the how of Miles today fascinates them, the why of yesterday concerns them hardly at all.

His career since 1957 has moved upward in a sort of two-pronged spiral. Experiments with Gil Evans and a large orchestra have alternated with informal performances by his own quintets and sextets. During these years, Miles has matured into a brilliant, complex man shaped by the ironies of a society that could Jim Crow him on a variety of private and professional levels while simultaneously giving him a healthy shove toward his first million dollars.

It is a miniature musical education to watch the creative processes at work during a Miles Davis session. Miles talks very little, expecting the musicians to follow his plans by intuition. It takes a sensitive and intelligent artist to follow the leader under these conditions, and it was the very demands he placed on his men that brought out the best in them.

In a way, it was symbolic of the attitude Miles has developed toward music and life. If one were asked to epitomize in one phrase his uncompromising approach to the horn, the answer would be simple again: Let the chops fall where they may. Miles' music is his own just as he is his own man; never has it been made clearer than in these starkly eloquent musical statements, uttered 360 years after "Hamlet". *Leonard Feather, 1963 (from the liner notes)*

This LP is the result of two sessions held this spring, the first in Los Angeles, the other in New York City. The Los Angeles session, with Feldman, Carter, and Butler, produced Basin, Love, and Baby; the other three titles stem from the second date, with the trumpeter's present group — Coleman, Hancock, Carter, and Williams. Davis played exceptionally well on both dates, though each brought out a different facet of his artistry.

There is a spell of melancholy cast over the Los Angeles performances, partly because the three selections are slow tempoed and balladic in nature, partly because Davis plays only muted — and he tends to play "sadder" muted than he does open. But more than anything, it is what he plays and how he phrases it that casts the spell.

On each of the three tracks, there is a general downward curve to his solos; that is, the phrases may rise, but at the critical point they descend, either in a short run or a slur, and even as they rise there are innumerable points where Davis slurs individual notes downward. It's as if he were continually turning down the corners of his highly melodic improvisations.

Davis also often uses the low register of his horn, sometimes in breathy fashion, on Basin, Love, and Baby — on the last named he ends his solo with what must be termed a sigh. And as always, his playing is very human, with voicelike inflections that give his work a "singing" quality, not unlike that of a Billie Holiday or an Edith Piaf.

On the other hand, his playing at the New York session is almost joyous. Certainly there are turned-down corners, but not as many as on the other three tracks.

It should be noted that Seven, So Near, and Joshua are not taken at slow tempos, but this is not necessarily the reason for the joy evident in Davis' playing—he's conjured up melancholy at fast tempos before. There is a shift in his playing here, a general upward curve to his solos— rising phrases and runs up scales to the high register. He also uses the upper register more on these tracks than the others —and he makes what he goes for, which is something one could not always say about some of his other recordings.

Both sessions resulted in classic Miles. All three tracks from the Los Angeles session are superb. And there is a remarkable Joshua solo that must stand as a model of how to construct a solo— there is one part, for example, where he uses a scale first in its entirety and then returns to it periodically but only uses part of it to make his point—which is a simple enough idea, but how many jazzmen think of something like that?

And so strong is Davis' playing on both sessions that one never bothers about how many choruses he plays, how long or short his phrases are, how he gets through a certain set of chords—just as long as he keeps playing. Which, I guess, is the mark of a true artist at work.

Of the others on the album, Feldman, who wrote Joshua and collaborated with Davis on Seven, and Carter are the more sympathetic accompanists, though Hancock solos brilliantly, particularly on Seven and Joshua.

Feldman combines parts of Bill Evans and Red Garland in his solos but plays harder than either of those two former Davis sidemen. In general, he does an excellent job of following Davis' unpredictable twists and turns.

Butler occasionally seems at a loss as to what to play behind Davis, sometimes double-timing for a few bars and then dropping back; he sounds more comfortable backing Feldman. Williams, however, goes straight ahead in his accompaniment, and the young Boston drummer displays mature taste in his Seven solo, which is a characteristic uncommon to most other 17-year-olds.

Coleman is unimpressive in his solos, though I've heard him play very well with the group in live performances since the record was made. The tenorist also falls victim to a recording imbalance in the stereo version that brings out Hancock's often busy accompaniment much too strongly, to the point of distraction, in fact.

But these are minor carps in light of the stunning performances by Davis on the record.

*Don DeMicheal (Down Beat, September 12, 1963 [5 stars])*

1 - Basin Street Blues

(Spencer Williams)

2 - Seven Steps To Heaven

(Victor Feldman, Miles Davis)

3 - I Fall In Love Too Easily

(Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne)

4 - So Near, So Far 

(Tony Crombie, Benny Green)

5 - Baby Won't You Please Come Home

(Charles Warfield, Clarence Williams)

6 - Joshua

(Victor Feldman)

7 - So Near, So Far

(Tony Crombie, Benny Green)

8 - Summer Night

(Al Dubin, Harry Warren)

Miles Davis (trumpet), with:

#1, #3, #5, #7, #8:

George Coleman (tenor sax), Victor Feldman (piano),

Ron Carter (bass), Frank Butler (drums).

Recorded at Columbia Studios, Los Angeles, California,

April 16 (#1, #3, #5, #7) and April 17 (#8), 1963

#2, #4, #6:

George Coleman (tenor sax), Herbie Hancock (piano),

Ron Carter (bass), Tony Williams (drums).

Recorded at Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York City, May 14, 1963

Five-Star Collection... Shelly Manne

Shelly Manne

Shelly Manne And His Men Play Peter Gunn

Peter Gunn is an adult mystery with a different kind of hero: a private eye who is literate, suave, well-groomed, and —digs jazz. The weekly show hit the NBC-TV network September 22, 1958, and zoomed to a success which is, in part, the result of its jazz score, composed and arranged by Henry Mancini, known as Hank to the leading jazz stars in the Los Angeles area who have played for his soundtracks. Since November 1958, Shelly Manne and Victor Feldman have been regular members of the band which records the show's score. When Shelly became enthused about the idea of recording an album of Mancini originals from Peter Gunn, he invited Feldman to appear with him as a guest star. (...)

In Shelly Manne, Mancini has an ideal interpreter for the Peter Gunn music. In recent years Manne's talent has matured and developed so that today he is recognized as the most melodic and inventive of drummers, as well as one of the great swinging drummers of jazz history. For the past three years he has won first place in all three major jazz popularity polls — Playboy, Down Beat and Metronome. 

When Shelly and Mancini discussed the recording of this album, Mancini urged him to feel free to use the compositions as points of departure for creating personal jazz performances.

The album was done at one all night session which began at 6 Monday evening, January 19th, with Peter Gunn, and finished at 7:30 the next morning with Fallout. Improvisation with six men is not easy. It takes musicians who are experienced and skilled, as well as great jazz blowers. (...)

For jazz musicians to be free to express themselves, and to make personal statements, they need the kind of relaxed atmosphere not commonly found in recording studios. The average record date takes but three hours. But, like a barbecue fire which always seems to be glowing at its best after you've removed the steaks, jazz record dates usually begin to develop a "feeling" just as the three-hour time limit is up. At Contemporary we've tried to break this time barrier by scheduling sessions of at least six or nine hours. In the case of Peter Gunn we took four three-hour sessions and as a result an exceptionally close rapport was achieved; each musician felt free to contribute his ideas and suggestions came so thick and fast Shelly was often in the position of a moderator at a heated Town Hall session. That The Men were able to approach each of Mancini’s pieces with a fresh, spontaneous and valid conception is a tribute to their outstanding talents, as well as to the vitality of Mancini's provocative new jazz themes. *Lester Koenig (from the liner notes)*

It looks like The Drummer has done it again. From a sales standpoint this modern jazz treatment of Hank Mancini’s music from Peter Gunn television crime series is sure to equal, even possibly surpass, the great success of the Manne-Previn My Fair Lady enterprise of 1956.

Viewed as a jazz set, moreover, this tentet of tunes and variations is notable for two main reasons: the inspired drive and purposefulness of the group (with guest Feldman added to capture some of the identifying sound of the TV underscore); and the superlative solo work, principally by Geller and Candoli.

Alto and open trumpet achieve a most attractive blend on Floater, but it is not until Geller gets moving in his powerful solo that the real excitement begins. The altoist is consistently stimulating throughout the album, reaching an apex of musical achievement with his long, emotional solo on Dreamville toward the record's close.

Candoli, also, whether muted (as on Sorta Blue) or open (on Slow And Easy and others) plays with an authority and sureness of conception rarely heard before in his playing.

Feldman is always effective on either vibes or marimba. The latter instrument is used primarily for effect, which brings one to an essential characteristic of much of the album. There is more than a hint of the exotic to some of the tunes, due to Manne's feeling that Mancini's music demanded special treatment. Fallout for example, is more of a mood piece than a vehicle for blowing. But in the particular instance the idea proves a good one, providing breathing space (via piano and bass dominance) in between the more extroverted tracks.

The title tune is aptly almost rock and roll in basic conception, just as the television theme opens on a heavily accented guitar figure. (Gunn, backed with the slow and funky blues, Slow And Easy, has been released by the company in a bid for the single market. For single play, however, the blues was abbreviated).

Of Manne, Freeman, and Budwig there is little that can be said beyond their ideal function as a rhythm team and their individuality as solo contributors. Manne impressed with especial brilliance in his playing on Breezy, a smeary, dirty line with a rippling, yet somehow angular, solo by Freeman. Budwig has developed into one of the more distinctive bassists in jazz from the standpoint of fundamental tonal quality, which conveys the essence of real jazz sound.

This album could well become one of the top jazz LPs of 1959.

*John A. Tynan (Down Beat, March 5, 1959 [5 stars])*

1 - Peter Gunn

2 - The Floater

3 - Sorta Blue

4 - The Brothers

5 - Soft Sounds

6 - Fallout

7 - Slow And Easy

8 - Brief And Breezy

9 - Dreamsville

10 - A Profound Gass

(All compositions by Henry Mancini)

Conte Candoli (trumpet), Herb Geller (alto sax), Victor Feldman (vibes, marimba),

Russ Freeman (piano), Monty Budwig (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded at Contemporary Records Studio, Los Angeles, California, January 19 and 20, 1959

Five-Star Collection... Bill Holman

Bill Holman

Big Band In A Jazz Orbit

Bill Holman's compositions and arrangements are both experimental and basic at the same time; they never for one moment cease swinging, and yet their rhythmic complexities are brilliant. His harmonic sense is quite daring at times, and still his changes are comfortable and logical to play on. All his pieces have form and definite orderliness; they have strength and an underlying feeling of "There's something left in reserve, this isn't the climax yet". His voices are for the most part linear and his sections play a good deal in unison; however, the interweaving of the lines is so assured and musically sophisticated as to create a bigger harmonic sound than the thickest of chordal arranging. He builds his arrangements carefully and soundly and rarely succumbs to the screaming flag-waver ending so popular with many big bands. He has limited himself to the orthodox jazz instrumentation; trumpets, trombones, saxes and rhythm, but his knowledge of their possibilities is enormous. Being a highly talented instrumentalist himself, his arrangements are relatively easy to play. Everything lies well in the horns, a fact for which Bill is looked upon with gratitude by the playing musicians. He is very fond of the use of canonic imitation in his writing, and uses it to great advantage throughout this album. From a composer-arranger's point of view, he has already arrived at an enviable position: namely that his style is totally distinctive, recognizable, and personal; it is possible to say "That's Bill Holman" after listening to 8 bars of his music, and that is a very major accomplishment for a creative musician.

Bill Holman most assuredly is a first-rate saxophonist, but this true instrument is the orchestra, and he plays it with musicianship, honesty and brilliance. *André Previn (from the liner notes)*

While this, the second Holman big band set to be released in a year, lacks the compositional stature lent the first LP by his monumental work, The Big Street, it stands as an excellent album of modern big band jazz writing.

Thanks to the powerful rhythm section and the well-drilled ensemble, there is no dearth of rhythmic excitement. But the essence of musical interest lies in the imaginative quality of Holman's writing. One particularly interesting aspect of this set is the obvious Ellington-Strayhorn influence in certain portions of the ensemble work. This is evident — to this reviewer, anyway — in the saxes on No Heat and the massed brass effects on Kissin' Bug. It must be stressed, however, that these voicings are used not in imitation, but rather for effect where the overall character of the arrangement demanded them.

The composer ranges from utilizing an almost small band effect (on The Man I Love) to sheer powerhouse ensemble sound (as on Aura, for example) . Yet, for all the complexity of the arrangements, there is ample room for solo blowing and the various horn men use it well. Fontana solos only twice in the entire album, on The Man I Love and After You've Gone. Sheldon plays all the jazz trumpet, from fast glittering open horn lines to moody, muted statements blown right into the mike in the Davis manner. Holman has most of the tenor solos, although Kamuca is heard in relaxed statements on The Man I Love and Aura.

Space does not permit extended discussion of the playing of all soloists, unfortunately, but there is very little disappointment in the individual performances.

It is becoming increasingly evident to these ears that Holman and Gil Evans now emerge as the only two arranger-composers to come to prominence in recent years who have reached a point of maturity wherein their work is so completely individual that it becomes immediately recognizable. Each speaks with his own voice and, as the music on this album attests, Holman’s is eloquent indeed. Highly recommended. Also available on stereodisc.

*John A. Tynan (Down Beat, March 19, 1959 [5 stars])*

1 - Kissin' Bug

(Billy Strayhorn, Rex Stewart, Joya Sherrill)

2 - The Man I Love

(George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)

3 - Goodbye

(Gordon Jenkins)

4 - You Go To My Head

(Jay Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie)

5 - After You've Gone

(Henry Creamer, Turner Layton)

6 - Far Down Below

(Bill Holman)

7 - No Heat

(Bill Holman)

8 - Theme & Variations #2

(Bill Holman)

9 - Aura

(Bill Holman)

Conte Candoli, Ed Leddy, Al Porcino,

Jack Sheldon [replaced by Stu Williamson on #3, #4, #9] (trumpets);

Carl Fontana, Frank Rosolino, Ray Sims (trombones); Herb Geller, Charlie Mariano (alto saxes);

Bill Holman (tenor sax); Richie Kamuca, Charlie Kennedy (tenor saxes);

Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California,

February 11(#1, #2, #6), 12 (#5, #7, #8) and 13 (#3, #4, #9) 1958.

Five-Star Collection... The Swinging Swedes

The Swinging Swedes • The Cool Britons

New Sounds From The Old World

This LP disc is unique in several respects. For the first time on any record, it presents a compact and complete picture of the best in modern jazz from the two European countries that have taken an undisputed lead, over all others outside the United States, in developing first-class talent in this field. For the first time it combines in one comprehensive LP the best in writing, in thinking and performing, that the brilliant young stars of Great Britain and Sweden have given the jazz world.

Every musician on Summertime, Pick Yourself Up and the double-length Cream of the Crop was selected, in a poll taken by Estrad magazine among 25 Swedish music critics, as the No. 1 man on his instrument — and the superb arrangements were the work of the No. 1 penman, Gösta Theselius, whom we hailed in Down Beat as the most brilliant new arranger on the jazz scene, irrespective of country.

(...)

No less remarkable is the swinging spirit of the all-star British groups under the leadership of Johnny Dankworth. Born in London in 1927, Johnny extracts his mellifluous tone and modern style from a plastic saxophone, an idea that has since been copied by several top American jazzmen. On the first two tunes, Birdland Bounce, Leapin' in London, Johnny conducts the winners of a poll conducted among readers of the English weekly Melody Maker, playing two of his own arrangements. The other two numbers, Tea for Me, Cherokee, are played by Johnny with his own combo, which was elected the country's No. 1 small band in the poll.

(...)

All in all, the performances in this double-header might well be described by one of the Swedish titles; they are, in every respect, the cream of the crop. *Leonard Feather (liner notes)*

New Sounds from the Old World is the apt title of this LP, which puts the best British and Swedish jazz back to back.

British titles are eloquent testimony to the triple talents of Johnny Dankworth, as alto man and arranger on all four sides, leader of the bigger group of Melody Maker poll winners on the first two numbers and of his own award-winning combo on the last pair. They also show off a fine trumpet man, Jimmy Deuchar, Ronnie Scott's tenor, several other confident soloists, and rhythm section work that's most effective on Bounce, the best item of the bunch.

We've already saluted the Swedes' Summertime and Pick, released as a single. The six-minute Crop is no less impressive. Theselius wrote a fascinating 12-bar theme and intermittent flashes of arrangement that break up the solo passages admirably but leave plenty of room for everyone to expound at length: Ericson's trumpet, Persson's trombone, Wickman's clarinet, Domnerus' alto, Norin's tenor, Gullin's baritone, Linde's vibes, Hallberg's piano, Carlberg's guitar, and, backing them all beautifully, Brehm's bass and Norén's drums. We've heard hundreds of Scandinavian sides, and to our knowledge this was the most successful date ever cut by the Swedes. Don’t miss it.

*Down Beat, Chicago, March 25, 1953*

Note: At the time of this review, the magazine did not identify the author. They only expressed: “Records in this section are reviewed and rated in terms of their musical merit.” In this case, the five stars went to The Swinging Swedes. The Cool Britons received only four stars.

Side 1

The Swinging Swedes

1 - Pick Yourself Up

(Jerome Kern, Dorothy Fields)

2 - Summertime

(George Gershwin)

3 - Cream Of The Crop

(Gösta Theselius)

Side 2

The Cool Britons

4 - Birdland Bounce (a.k.a. Brand's Essence)

(Traditional, arr. Johnny Dankworth)

5 - Leapin' In London (a.k.a. Marshall's Plan)

(Traditional, arr. Johnny Dankworth)

6 - Tea For Me (a.k.a. Seven Not Out)

(Johnny Dankworth)

7 - Cherokee

(Ray Noble)

#1, #2, #3:

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Åke Persson (trombone), Putte Wickman (clarinet),

Arne Domnérus (alto sax), Carl-Henrik Norin (tenor sax), Lars Gullin (baritone sax),

Ulf Linde (vibes), Bengt Hallberg (piano), Sten Carlberg (guitar),

Simon Brehm (bass), Jack Norén (drums).

Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, September 5, 1951

#4, #5:

Kenny Baker (trumpet), Gordon Langhorn (trombone), Henry McKenzie (clarinet),

Ronnie Chamberlain (soprano sax), Johnny Dankworth (alto sax), Ronnie Scott (tenor sax),

Dave Shand (baritone sax [#4]), Victor Feldman (vibes), Ralph Sharon (piano),

Ivor Mairants (guitar), Charlie Short (bass), Jack Parnell (drums).

Recorded in London, England, February 3, 1951

#6, #7:

Jimmy Deuchar (trumpet), Eddie Harvey (trombone), Johnny Dankworth (alto sax),

Don Rendell (tenor sax), Bill LeSage (piano), Eric Dawson (bass), Tony Kinsey (drums).

Recorded in London, England, July 29, 1950

Herb Geller Quintet

Herb Geller

Stax Of Sax

Herb Geller is a blowing soloist. "STAX OF SAX" is Herb Geller blowing a whole lot of variety and mood and style out of his alto. Add to that solos, tempos and treatments, plus integrated teamwork from five of the best musicians out of the West.

"STAX OF SAX" puts the full style of Herb Geller on display. Here is evidence of the atmosphere and influence, the technical mastery and the assimilation. Here are Herb's statement in rhythm, in melody, in form and in content.

The group accomplish blends and effects in solo and ensemble work that point up the links of understanding from the pulse of the bass and the drums to the improvisations of the alto and the piano and the vibes. There is a unity of expresión and musical idea.

Herb Gelles is a blowing soloist. Herb Geller blows a whole lot of alto in "STAX OF SAX", piling imagination and feeling on esciting technique. *Mort Goode (liner notes)*

This somewhat obscure recording by the bop-oriented altoist Herb Geller features him in a 1958 quintet with vibraphonist Victor Feldman, pianist Walter Norris, bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Anthony Vazley. Other than a session for Atco, this was Geller's last American album until 1993; it would be 1975 before he recorded as a leader again. Geller is in fine form on three of his originals and two standards ("Change Partners" and "It Might as Well Be Spring"). Originally cut for Jubilee, this Fresh Sound CD is part of an extensive series that has brought back many forgotten dates from the 1950s. Bop collectors will enjoy this one. *Scott Yanow*

An incredible album from saxophonist Herb Geller — one that's quite different than his better-known sides for Mercury, and which features Geller blowing in an amazingly evocative tone! The first three tracks on the album are haunting originals by Herb — tunes that have a more open style than some of his more tightly arranged work, and which show the kind of fascination with sound structures that would show up much more heavily in later years. The group features Victor Feldman on vibes, Walter Norris on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Anthony Vazley on drums — and the mix of vibes with Geller's horn is an especially nice element, one that adds to the haunting feel of the whole set. Titles include "Nightmare Alley", "A Cool Day", "The Princess", "Change Partners", and "It Might As Well Be Spring". *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

1 - Nightmare Alley

(Herb Geller)

2 - A Cool Day

(Herb Geller)

3 - The Princess

(Herb Geller)

4 - Change Partners

(Irving Berlin)

5 - It Might As Well Be Spring

(Rodgers, Hammerstein)

Herb Geller (alto sax), Victor Feldman (vibes),

Walter Norris (piano), Leroy Vinnegar (bass), Anthony Vazley (drums).

Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California, December 12, 1957

[other source gives: Recorded in Los Angeles, 1958]

Bob Cooper - Coop! The Music Of Bob Cooper

Having listened to all of Bob Cooper's jazz appearances on record in recent years in the function of record reviewer, I regret that the fact I am writing these liner notes will preclude my reviewing this, his latest set. It is his best, I feel, to this point; and it is his best partly because it represents a considerable growth in his conception as a writer and player in the direction of spareness, of that "less is more" discovery most artists achieve as they mature and find their own voice. 

Cooper, being as articulate verbally as he is in music, is actually the primary annotator of these proceedings. *Nat Hentoff, September 19, 1957 (liner notes)* 

A tremendous early album from this west coast tenorist – really breaking out here in a smaller group setting than usual! Coop plays tenor, in a group with Victor Feldman on vibes, Loy Levy on piano, Frank Rosolino on tormbone, and Mel Lewis on drums!  (Out of print.) *dustygroove.com*

Cooper was a mainstay of the west coast jazz scene of the '50s.A member of Stan Kenton's band and the Lighthouse All Stars (regulars of the Lighthouse Club in Hermosa Beach,California). He was married to singer June Christy who he met in the Kenton band (Kenton forbid June to have any serious relationships with the guys in the band but could'nt help June and Bob falling for each other). June passed away in 1990 and Cooper was heartbroken, he died a short 3 years later of a heartattack. This album is from happier days in the '50s with his west coast pals the Candoli brothers, Frank Rosolino, Victor Feldman, Lou Levy, and Mel Lewis. The first half is a suite called "Jazz Theme" which includes a bit of big band trumpet blasts within a small group. The other tracks include Charlie Parker's "Confirmation", the standard "Easy Living", and the Gershwin's "Somebody Loves Me". A overall fine album for west coast cool fans and one of the few Cooper cut under his own leadership. *rateyourmusic.com*

Tenor saxophonist Bob Cooper's only Contemporary album (reissued on CD in the Original Jazz Classics series) is a near-classic and one of his finest recordings. Cooper, along with trombonist Frank Rosolino, vibraphonist Victor Feldman, pianist Lou Levy, bassist Max Bennett, and drummer Mel Lewis, performs colorful versions of five standards (best are "Confirmation", "Easy Living", and "Somebody Loves Me") that show off his attractive tone and ability to swing at any tempo. Half of the release consists of his "Jazz Theme and Four Variations", a very interesting work that holds together quite well throughout 23-and-a-half minutes and five movements. Three trumpeters (including Conte Candoli) and one trombone are added to make the ensembles richer. This set is an underrated gem. *Scott Yanow*

Jazz Theme And Four Variations

(Bob Cooper)

1 - Main Theme: Sunday Mood

2 - 1st Varation: A Blue Period

3 - 2nd Varation: Happy Changes

4 - 3rd Varation: Night Stroll

5 - 4th Varation: Saturday Dance

✤

6 - Confirmation

(Charlie Parker)

7 - Easy Living

(Leo Robin, Ralph Rainger)

8 - Frankie & Johnny

(Traditional)

9 - Day Dream

(Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn)

10 - Somebody Loves Me

(George Gershwin, Ballard MacDonald, B. G. DeSylva)

Bob Cooper (tenor sax, arranger); Conte Candoli, Pete Candoli, Don Fagerquist (trumpets [#3, #4, #5]); Frank Rosolino, Johnny Halliburton [#3, #4, #5] (trombones); Victor Feldman (vibes); Lou Levy (piano); Max Bennett (bass); Mel Lewis (drums).

Recorded at Contemporary's Studio, Los Angeles, California, August 26 (#1, #2, #6 to #10) and 27 (#3, #4, #5), 1957

Charlie Mariano & Jerry Dodgion Sextet - Beauties Of 1918

To quote Shelly Manne, "Charlie Mariano is one of the most underrated if not THE most underrated alto man in the country. I hear him every night on my band and his melodic sense never ceases to amaze me. His lines are beautiful and he solos with great continuity".

It is just as surprising to me as it is to Shelly that Mariano's talent is not recognized as widely as that of some of his contemporaries. The reasons for this apparent lack of acclaim seem contradictory. It can’t be lack of exposure because there are no fewer than five long playing and: two extended play Mariano albums under three different labels in my library. He has been a featured jazz player with every band he has appeared with since his Boston days. In addition to his work with Shelly Manne and His Men during the past three years he has recorded extensively with Hollywood studio groups of varying size and orientation. 

Maybe the explanation of the underrating is his being out of fashion with the people who compile national ratings. This oftentimes has nothing to do with the musician’s playing as related to his overall contribution to jazz, but more his adherence to the currently fashionable manner of performing. It seems silly to rate a man by the fashion of the day (although Coleman Hawkins has suffered from it off and on for years) but that’s the way it appears to be. 

Jerry Dodgion is very likely the musician on this record who will be unknown to most people. I have known Jerry since his late teens. He was born in Richmond, California in 1932. He has worked with every big band I have backed in the bay area. I have watched him grow into the most important alto player in San Francisco, He became THE big band lead alto almost before I realized it. Jerry was also the only jazz flute player in town, and it was this talent that took him to Las Vegas early in 1958 to join Red Norvo’s quintet.

How does it happen that a young San Franciscan suddenly arrives in the ranks of the ‘name’ musicians in Los Angeles? Russ Freeman, who produced this record for WORLD-PACIFIC related it to me this way: "The last time we were in San Francisco, we went to blow at some motel on the outskirts of town one afternoon. There were some other musicians there and we took turns playing. Jerry was there. The afternoon wound up with Charlie and Jerry playing the blues with a rhythm section for about twenty minutes. It was one of the most memorable musical experiences I have ever had, and I wasn’t even playing! 

"When I started working for Dick (Bock), I remembered this combination of Charlie and Jerry, told Dick about it, and we decided to do an album. Charlie and I spent a couple of afternoons picking the tunes, we decided on the instrumentation, picked the players, and that was it". 

The ‘it’ is the record inside this liner which was recorded at Radio Recorders during two afternoon sessions. All of the arrangements were written by Charlie, and the title BEAUTIES OF 1918 just about tells the story. 

All of the tunes were popular during the years that America was engaged in fighting the GREAT WAR. 

Of his playing on this record Mariano said, "I hate to say that this is the best I’ve played because a couple of years from now this will probably seem ridiculous to me, since I expect to keep on improving".

In other words, nearly a decade and some five record albums after his first record session, Charlie Mariano is looking ahead to a better way of things.

I sure do like Charlie Mariano. *Pat Henry (liner notes)*

Pianist Russ Freeman, who produced this record, related it this way: The last time we were (with Shelly Mannes quintet) in San Francisco, we went to blow at some motel on the outskirts of town one afternoon. There were some other musicians there; we took turns playing. Jerry (Dodgion) was there. The afternoon wound up with Charlie and Jerry playing the blues with a rhythm section for about twenty minutes. It was one of the most memorable experiences I have ever had, and I wasnt even playing! The co-leaders, both hard saxists in style, reflect their capable mastery of the work of those they admire. Dodgion likes Phil Woods, and Mariano is more closely Parkerish. I hear Charlie every night on my band, said Shelly Manne, and his melodic sense never ceases to amaze me. His lines are beautiful and he solos with great continuity. *Jordi Pujol*

Side 1

1 - After You've Gone

(Creamer, Layton)

2 - When Johnny Comes Marching Home

(L. Lambert)

3 - Deep River

(H. Burleigh)

4 - Till We Meet Again

(Egan, Whiting)

Side 2

5 - K-K-K-Katy

(J. O'Hara)

6 - 'Til The Clouds Roll By

(Kern, Boldton, Wodehouse)

7 - Over There

(George M. Cohan)

8 - Ja Da

(B. Carolton)

9 - Hello, Central, Give Me No Man's Land

(Lewis, Young, Swartz)

Charlie Mariano (alto sax), Jerry Dodgion (alto sax, flute), Victor Feldman (vibes), Jimmy Rowles (piano), Monty Budwig (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded at Radio Recorders, Los Angeles, California, December 10 and 11, 1957.