Arranger-trombonist Billy VerPlanck's real first name was John. He called himself Billy after hearing Woody Herman's trombonist Bill Harris in the 1940s. VerPlanck was in Jimmy Dorsey's orchestra in 1952, and with Claude Thornhill from 1953 to 1955. Then he played with Charlie Spivak, where he met his future wife, Marlene, the band's singer. They both moved to Tommy Dorsey's band for seven months in '56. When Dorsey died in November, Billy re-joined Jimmy Dorsey's band and wound up on his So Rare recording session.
Along the way, there was plenty of session work with other leaders including Ralph Flanagan, Neal Hefti, Aaron Sachs and others. In 1957, Verplanck began arranging and conducting his own leadership sessions. His first album was Dancing Jazz for Savoy. His second album for Savoy in November 1957 was Jazz for Playgirls, an extraordinary nonet album that showed off VerPlanck's enormous talent. The band VerPlanck assembled for the session included Clyde Reasinger and Joe Wilder (tp); Bill Harris (tb); Phil Woods (cl,as); Seldon Powell (ts/fl); Gene Allen (bar,cl); Eddie Costa (p,vib); George Duvivier (b); Bobby Donaldson (d) and VerPlanck (arr), who replaced Harris on trombone on Du-Udah-Udah.
Señor Blues was by Horace Silver; Playgirl Stroll, Aw C'mon Sugah! and Who-ee! were credited to Savoy producer Ozzie Cadena; and Miss Spring Blues, Winds and Du-Udah-Udah were by VerPlanck.
VerPlanck's scoring throughout swings in explosive waves, and we have an opportunity to hear extensive and impressive solos by Bill Harris, Eddie Costa, Phil Woods (on alto saxophone and clarinet), Joe Wilder, Seldon Powell and VerPlanck. VerPlanck's instrument combinations on songs also are remarkable. On Winds, for example, VerPlanck combines a flute (Powell), muted trumpet (Wilder), clarinet (Woods) and bass clarinet (Allen).
As arrangers go, VerPlanck was exquisite. His small-group albums like this one are evidence of a tasteful artist at work, always conscious of texture, swing and impact. [Photo above of Billy VerPlanck with wife and singer Marlene.]
As for the album's title, the founding of Playboy magazine in 1953 and its surging popularity among subscribing college-age males in 1956 and '57 encouraged jazz label producers to tie in to the bachelor zeitgeist. A bunch of jazz albums used the word Playboy or Playgirl in their titles in hopes of appealing to the new demographic of hip, fast-life single men and women. Or those who wanted to be. Albums included Jazz for Playboys by Frank Wess (Savoy/1956), Playboys by Chet Baker and Art Pepper (Pacific Jazz/1956), Jazz for Playgirls by VerPlanck (Savoy/1957), the Hollywood Playboys Orchestra's Music for Playboys to Play By (Urania/1957), Beverly Kenney Sings for Playboys (Decca/1958) and, once the magazine began featuring its jazz poll in 1957, albums by poll winners under the Playboy Jazz All-Stars name.
Billy VerPlanck died in 2009; Marlene VerPlanck died in 2018.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Jazz for Playgirls on Billy VerPlanck and His Orchestra 1957-1958 (Fresh Sound), a two-CD set that teams the album with VerPlanck's arranging work for Dancing Jazz, Jazz Is Busting Out All Over, The Spirit of Charlie Parker and The Soul of Jazz here.
JazzWax clips: Here's Aw C'mon Sugah!...
And here's Whoo-ee!...
