JazzWax

Backgrounder: Jimmy Forrest's 'Forrest Fire'

In the years leading up to World War II, tenor saxophonist Jimmy Forrest got his start in bands led by Jay McShann and Andy Kirk. After the war, he was with Duke Ellington and then was on his own. His big claim to fame was co-writing and first recording Night Train, which became a jazz and R&B standard. He also toured with Count Basie. Among my favorite albums by Forrest are those on the New Jazz and Prestige record labels. He always had a big bossy, blues sound with a smooth bite and serious groove.

Recorded for Prestige's New Jazz label in August 1960, Forrest Fire featured Forrest (ts), Larry Young (org), Thornell Schwartz (g), Jimmie Smith (d) and an unknown percussionist who sounds a lot like Ray Barretto. The tracks were Remember, Dexter's Deck, Forrest's Jim's Jam, Bags' Groove, When Your Lover Has Gone and Doug Watkins' Help!

Of particular note is organist Larry Young, playing on his second studio date here, squeezed between two leadership sessions for New Jazz with his working trio—Testifying and Young Blues.

Here's the complete Forrest Fire without ad interruptions...

Other ad-free Backgrounders in my series:

• Zoot Sims Plays Bossa Nova, go here.
• Lee Morgan: Lee-Way, go here.
• Bossa Nova for Swinging Lovers, go here.
• Leon Spencer: Louisiana Slim, go here.
• Bossa Nova Modern Quartet: Bossa Nova Jazz Samba, go here.
• Bill Evans & Luiz Eça: Piano Four Hands, go here.
• Ray Brown Trio: Don't Get Sassy, go here.
• Os Tatuis: Os Tatuis, go here.
• Waltel Branco: Mancini Tambem É Samba, go here.
• Jack Wilson Plays Brazilian Mancini, go here.
• Conjunto Copacabana Bossa: Bossa, go here.
• Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Swings Lightly, go here.
• Charles Earland: Charles Earland, go here.
• Kenny Burrell: Crash! w/ Jack McDuff, go here.
• Jack McDuff: The Heatin' System, go here.
• Horace Silver: Horace-Scope, go here.
• Antonio Carlos Jobim: Wave, go here.
• Sonny Stitt: Sonny Stitt Plays, go here.
• Sonny Stitt with Bennie Green: My Main Man, go here.
• Johnny Hodges and Earl Hines: Stride Right, go here.
• Lionel Hampton: Bossa Nova Jazz, go here.
• Johnny Hodges & Ben Webster: Cellar Session, go here.
• Bill Evans: Solo Sessions Vol. 1, go here.
• Frank Wess: Trombones & Flute, go here.
• Presenting the Buddy DeFranco & Tommy Gumina Quartet, go here.
• Ernest Ranglin: Wranglin', go here.
• Dave Pell Octet: Plays Rodgers & Hart, go here.
• Milt Buckner: Block Chords Parade, go here.
• Roberto Menescal: A Nova Bossa, go here.
• Count Basie: Have a Nice Day, go here.
• Freddie Green: Mr. Rhythm, go here.
• Leny Andrade: Leny Andrade, go here.
• Johnny Alf: Ele é Johnny Alf, go here.
• Dodo Marmarosa: Dodo's Back, go here.
• Freddie Redd: The Music From the Connection, go here.
• Nicola Stilo & Toninho Horta: Duets, go here.
• Urbie Green: Persuasive Trombone, go here.
• Johnny Richards: Something Else, go here.
• Wayne Shorter: JuJu, go here.
• Hampton Hawes: All Night Session!, go here.
• Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers, go here.
• Chet Baker: Pretty/Groovy, go here.
• Sonny Stitt: The Sensual Sound of Sonny Stitt, go here.
• Gil Mellé: New Faces, New Sounds, go here.
• Herbie Mann and Charlie Rouse: Just Wailin', go here.
• Bobby Hackett: Memorable & Mellow, go here.
• Tina Brooks: Back to the Tracks, go here.
• Sonny Rollins Plays for Bird, go here.
• Red Garland: A Garland of Red, go here.
• Grant Green: Gooden's Corner, go here.
• Eumir Deodato Plays Marcos Valle, go here.
• Horace Parlan; Movin' & Groovin', go here.
• Russ Garcia: Four Horns and a Lush Life, go here.
• Vic Lewis: Plays Bossa Nova at Home and Away, go here.
• Buddy Collette's Swinging Shepherds, go here.
• Dizzy Gillespie: Gillespiana, go here.
• Nelson Riddle: Communication, go here.
• Nelson Riddle: Changing Colors, go here.
• Elmo Hope: Complete Trios, 1953-1966, go here.
• Buddy Collette: Man of Many Parts, go here.
• The Herbie Mann-Sam Most Quintet, go here.
• Shorty Rogers: Cool and Crazy, go here.
• The Return of Art Pepper, go here.
• Benny Golson and the Philadelphians, go here.
• Moacir Santos: Coisas, go here.
• Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis: Lock, the Fox, go here.
• Tony Bennett: The Movie Song Album, go here.
• Thad Jones/Mel Lewis: Consummation, go here.
• James Moody: Return From Overbrook, go here.
• Barry Galbraith: Guitar and the Wind, go here.
• Count Basie: With Quincy Jones and Neal Hefti, go here.
• Johnny Richards: Walk Softly, Run Wild!, go here.
• Dave Pike: Bossa Nova Carnival, go here.
• Clare Fischer: Só Danço Samba, go here.
• Reggie Johnson: First Edition, go here.
• John Graas: French Horn Jazz, go here.
• Eddie Lockjaw Davis & Johnny Griffin: Tough Tenor Favorites, go here.
• Bill Perkins: Bossa Nova With Strings Attached, go here.
• Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, go here.
• Pepper Adams Quintet, go here.
• Sonny Rollins Plus 4, go here.
• Coleman Hawkins: Desafinado, go here.
• Sammy Davis Jr. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays, go here.
• Paul Quinichette: Moods, go here.

Oscar Peterson: 'Con Alma, Live In Lugano, 1964'

In February 1964, the Oscar Peterson Trio recorded The Oscar Peterson Trio Plays for Verve in a New York studio. Then Peterson (p), Ray Brown (b) and Ed Thigpen (d) hit the road. In 1964, the road meant Europe, where Peterson spent a good deal of time performing concerts. In April of 1964, the trio was in Paris and in early May they were in Germany. On May 26, the trio played a concert in Lugano, Switzerland, at the Teatro Apollo. [Photo above, from left, of Ed Thigpen, Ray Brown and Oscar Peterson in 1964, courtesy of Two Lions/Mack Avenue]

Now, Two Lions and Mack Avenue have released Con Alma, Live in Lugano, 1964, featuring the Oscar Peterson Trio performing previously unissued renditions of My One and Only Love, Blues for My Landlady, Con Alma, I Could Write a Book and It Ain't Necessarily So. The recording's sound is splendid, capturing the trio at its peak.

Peterson's piano at this point in his career was fleet and fluid, and the notes seemed to pour out of his sleeves and fingers with eyebrow-raising speed. His ideas during improvisation on the new album are cogent and miraculous. Brown is rock solid and in sync with Peterson's moves, and Thigpen's drums are tastefully on time. He deftly fills space, especially on the hi-hat, and his brief solos are crisp and taut. [Photo above of the Oscar Peterson Trio in what looks like a 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, courtesy of the Oscar Peterson Facebook page]

My most recent posts on Peterson were in September, on the Oscar Peterson Duo recordings (here), and a year go on a live recording in Zurich in 1971 (here). I'm of the belief you can't have too many Peterson recordings. It's particularly gratifying to have this one from 1964, when the trio had a measured, elegant sound and before Peterson's playing widened and became more flamboyant and rococo—not bad, just more explosive and ornamental. [Photo above of the Oscar Peterson Trio, courtesy of Two Lions Records]

Oscar Peterson died in 2007.

JazzWax tracks: You'll find Oscar Peterson: Con Alma, Live in Lugano, 1964 (Two Lions/Mack Avenue) on streaming platforms and here.

JazzWax clips: Here's Waltz for Debby...

And here's I Could a Write Book...

Mike Barone: 14 Big Band Arrangements

Yesterday, I posted an e-interview I conducted with composer-arranger and trombonist Mike Barone. Today, I want to share a sampling of his big band arranging and composing over the years. [Photo above of Mike Barone, courtesy of Mike Barone]

Let's dig 14 examples of Mike's scoring prowess on albums under his leadership...

Here's Peachy from Class of '68...

Peachy

Here's Waltz This! from Class of '68...

Waltz This!

Here's Baubles, Bangles and Beads, with a Herb Alpert feel, from Trombones Unlimited Vol. 2 (1968)...

Baubles Bangles And Beads

Here's Beef Stew from Mike and Gary Barone's Blues and Other Happy Moments (1981)...

Beef Stew

Here's Easy Does It from Flight of the Bumblebee (2009)...

Easy Does It

Here's Friends from Live 2005! Redux...

Friends

Here's Grand Central from Live 2005! Redux...

Grand Central

Here's I Won't Dance from Metropole (2006)...

I Won't Dance

Here's Elkhart from By Request (2007)...

Elkhart

Here's Something in Your Smile from Alright, Okay, You Win (2011)...

Something in Your Smile

Here's Indian Summer from Birdland (2012)...

Indian Summer

Here's Blue Memories from The Vamp! Turquoise (2014)...

Blue Memories

Here's Cactus Sam from La Fiesta (2015)...

Cactus Sam

And here's One Note Samba from La Fiesta (2015)...

One Note Samba

More on Mike Barone? Visit his site here.