At the end of April, my dear friend and arranger Bob Freedman sent along the following email about the late pianist Pete Jolly:
"A few years ago, I wrote a arrangements for a CD being recorded by Jerry Donato, a wonderful Phoenix-area reed player. Among the other local players was a piano player named Pete Jolly. Pete was very ill the entire time he was here, but he played typically beautifully throughout the three days of recording, and his spirits were remarkably high considering the pain and distress he was enduring. These sessions turned out to be the final recordings of Pete's career. I'm telling you this because I know how interested you are in bringing unknown recordings of the great ones to the public's attention through JazzWax."
Jerry was cc'd on the email. So naturally I asked Jerry if he'd kindly send along a copy of the CD and he did. Jerry is a pro multi-reed and woodwind instrumentalist with a beautiful tone. Pete Jolly, of course, was one of the finest and most highly regarded session jazz pianists on the West Coast in the 1950s and beyond. [Photo above of Jerry Donato courtesy of Marcellino Ristorante in Old Town Scottsdale, Az.]
Let me quote from the album's liner notes, written by guitarist Madelyn Roberts (above), daughter of guitar great Howard Roberts:
"With charts arranged by Bob Freedman (above), Pete lived up to his 'A'-player reputation, bringing his best game to town regardless of how ill he was feeling... I applaud Jerry Donato for many things in bringing this project to fruition and having had the courage to contact Pete, a former stranger, and bring him to town. Then doing right by the artist and the project, he got one of the finest arrangers in the country to do original charts. When they did the record [in May 2004], Jerry treated Pete and his devoted wife, Lew, with the deference and respect Pete deserved. I am also glad that during the time of adversity, when Pete was in the hospital, Jerry took care of Pete and Lew as if they were his own parents."
This album is a charmer. Everyone on the session is fabulous, and the musical dialogue between Jerry and Jolly throughout is extraordinary. Jerry wisely left plenty of room in his solos so Jolly's piano could rise up and be heard. And Jolly's solos are firm, confident and magical. The producer's mix wisely set the piano on the same audio level as Jerry's blowing, so it's easy to hear Jolly in action. Knowing the back-story about how ill Jolly was on this recording (he died six months later in November 2004), his playing becomes that much more poetic and important. But as Roberts points out in her notes, this is a musician for whom nothing, not even ill health, cut into a stellar record date. Jolly knew only one way. [Photo above, from the It's a Cool Heat session in May 2004, from left, Pete Jolly, Bob Freedman and Jerry Donato; courtesy of Jerry Donato]
A word about the personnel for downloaders: Jerry Donato plays and solos on soprano, alto, tenor and baritone sax as well as on flute, alto flute and bass clarinet. He was joined by Pete Jolly (p), Dwight Kilian (b) and Dom Moio (d). [Photo above of Jerry Donato courtesy of Jerry Donato)
Tom Miles joins on flugelhorn on I'm Old Fashioned and trumpet on There Is No Greater Love; Hugh Lovelady (as) on Tangerine; Brad Bauder (ts) on Broadway; Bob Freedman (p) on Deep Purple; Clarke Rigsby (g) on Jerry's Everyday Walk; and Madelyn Roberts (g) on Little Bird. Lady is a Tramp is an early recording of Pete Jolly on accordion.
As Jerry told me earlier today:
"Lady is a Tramp originally was given to Clarke Rigsby, our album's producer and engineer, by a man named Johnny Dixon. Johnny is a long-time DJ in the Phoenix area. Pete was recorded live in the 1940s with his Phoenix-based trio playing at a club that was called the Jazz Mill. Johnny informed us that that recording was the first recording of Pete, so it’s kind of cool to be able to say that on this CD we have the first and last recording of Pete Jolly. [Photo above, from left, of Howard Roberts and Pete Jolly from YouTube]
"Pete was in great shape when he was at the studio and showed no signs of any illness. We knew he was sick but he sure didn't show signs of it. He was great to work with."
In true jazz fashion, Pete Jolly's last official recording was similar to his first in 1954 with Shorty Rogers—swinging and right on time.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find It's a Cool Heat (Tempest) at CDBaby here.
JazzWax clip: Here's Bob Freedman's superb arrangement of Tangerine, with great playing by Jerry and Jolly...
A special thanks to Bob Freedman. For more on Jerry Donato, go here.
