It's amazing what you can find by roaming around on Tom Lord's online Jazz Discography. I love combing through the database's artist recording sessions hunting for unknown gems, the way prospectors pan for gold or flea-market pros look for hidden masterpieces. [Photo above of Ib Glindemann]
Case in point: Recently I was going through the discography of West Coast tenor saxophonist and arranger Bill Holman when my eye landed on a most unusual entry. It was for a Danish orchestra leader named Ib Glindemann, who recorded live at the Odd Fellow Palaeet in Copenhagen on February 12, 1957. The Palaeet is a rococo town mansion in the Danish capital that was converted into concert space. [Photo above of Bill Holman in the early 1950s, courtesy of Bill Holman]
The 10-inch album was entitled Special Brew and was recorded for the Danish Columbia label. The band featured Palle Bolvig, Einer Christiansen and Allan Botschinsky (tp); Bent Ronak and Kurt Jarnberg (tb); Rolf Billberg (as); Erik Munk Moller, Johannes Jorgensen and Bent Penthien (ts); Uffe Karskov (bar); Finn Kraefting (p); Urban Moberg (b); Jorn Elniff (d); Oluf Lindberg and Bill Holman (arr) Ib Glindemann (cond,arr).
Bill Holman, arrangements? In Denmark, in 1957? I did a little research. Glindemann's specialty back then was recreating the sounds of great American big bands for Scandinavian concert audiences and album buyers. Glindemann's particular favorite was Stan Kenton. He would even arrange songs with the Kenton feel and commission them from band members. [Photo above of Stan Kenton]
Given the year of the recording—1957—I knew the album had to be special or at least worth investigating. No bandleader in his right mind would take on Bill Holman's arrangements unless the orchestra could authentically nail them in terms of feel, swing and punch. And in 1957, the odds were high that Glindemann could do all of those things and more. Otherwise, the embarrassment would have put him out of business.
As you might suspect, this album wasn't easy to come by. None of my state-side sources knew of it. So I reached out to my dear friend Guy Jones in Stockholm. He didn't know the album nor did anyone in his immediate network there. But Guy knew who Ib Glindemann was and had the following to say:
"Stan Getz used to play in Ib's bands when he was over here, and Glindemann was responsible for the great vocalist Monica Zetterlund's first performances outside Sweden. His recordings '50s and early '60s that I've heard are solid."
Halfway into his email, Swedish jazz pianist Jan Lundgren called Guy. Jan added the following:
"Ib Glindemann is still very much around, and he turned up to see a quartet gig I did with Harry Allen in Aarhus, Denmark, about 18 months ago. It was one of our 'Stan Getz-Jan Johansson' tributes. Given Ib's work with Getz, it seems to have been a big part of the reason why he came along." [Photo of Jan Lundgren above]
On my behalf, Guy reached out to his Danish network asking for assistance. They came back with another source. When I emailed the gentleman, he graciously had sent along the album. As I suspected, Ib Glindemann's Special Brew is excellent.
The tracks are Talk of the Town, Cousin Jack, Plain Folks, Polka Dots and Moonbeams, Special Brew, King Fish, Dirch's Walk, Hav-a-Havana, In Lighter Vein, Stompin' at the Savoy and Cherokee.
The opening track, Talk of the Town, is played like Kenton's Artistry in Rhythm. Bill arranged Cousin Jack, Plain Folks, King Fish, Have-a-Havana, In Lighter Vein and Stompin at the Savoy. Olaf Lindberg handled Polka Dots and Moonbeams, Gindemann arranged Special Brew and Dirch's Walk, and Palle Bolvig scored Cherokee.
The band clearly understood Kenton and dug Bill's writing. The songs Bill arranged were recorded just the way he intended them. The liner notes say the average age of the band is 22. The youngest was 16—trumpeter Allan Botschinsky. And what a sound!
What the album's liner notes fail to mention is how Ib Glindemann came to have Bill's scores. They could have been transcribed off the Capitol albums on which they originally appeared, with Danish Columbia securing Bill's permission. Unless Bill, during Kenton's 1953 stop in Copenhagen, met Glindemann, who had just started his band. Glindemann may have asked for charts and Bill made copies for him with Kenton's permission when he returned to Los Angeles.
Hopefully Special Brew will find its way into the marketplace again. All Bill Holman and Stan Kenton fans should hear it.
JazzWax tracks: If you want Ib Gindemann's Special Brew on vinyl, prepare to shell out between $200 and $500 depending on the album's condition.
JazzWax clips: Here's Bill Holman's composition and arrangement of Cousin Jack, which was recorded only once before for his Kenton Presents: Bill Holman album in 1954 for Capitol...
Here's Bill's King Fish...
And here's one of Bill's finest Kenton arrangements, Stompin' at the Savoy, from Kenton's Contemporary Concepts album...
A special thanks to Guy Jones, Swedish jazz pianist Jan Lundgren, Danish jazz pianist Søren Bebe and Danish blogger Niels Overgård, who posts at JazzNYT.com. Guy hosts the site Friends of Jan Lundgren.
