JazzWax

Johnny Mandel at the Movies

Another jazz artist who became a spectacular composer, arranger and conductor for the movies starting in the late 1950s is Johnny Mandel. His haunting love themes, sweeping strings and nocturnal horns were more brooding and jazz influenced than perhaps any other Hollywood arranger. Here are 10 of my favorite Johnny Mandel scores:

Here's the main theme from I Want to Live (1957), with Gerry Mulligan on baritone saxophone...

Here's Emily from The Americanization of Emily (1964)...

Here's The Shadow of Your Smile from The Sandpiper (1965), with Jack Sheldon on trumpet...

Here's Quietly There from Harper (1966), with Ruth Price on vocal...

Here's The Shining Sea from The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming (1966), with Irene Kral on vocal...

Here's This Way to Heaven from Point Blank (1967)...

Here's Suicide Is Painless from M*A*S*H (1970)...

Here's Sea Dawn from The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea (1976)...

Here's the main theme from Agatha (1979)...

And here's the main theme from Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), with Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone...

JazzWax note: For my multipart JazzWax interview with Johnny, start here at Part 1. The link to subsequent parts can be found at the top of each post, above the red date.

Neal Hefti at the Movies

Like Henry Mancini, arranger-composer Neal Hefti turned to the movies (and television) for work in the 1960s and beyond. Best known in the '50s for updating the swing and snap of Count Basie's New Testament band, Hefti wrote movie scores in the '60s that were distinctly jaunty, jovial and wistful They crystallized the young-adult mood of those years. Hefti knew how to write simple, catchy melodies and bring strings together with horns and reeds in a way that kept the music hip and light. [Photo above of Neal Hefti in the early 1960s]

While Mancini's scores were always distinctly West Coast, Hefti's film music somehow sounded like New York. That's probably because many of the movies Hefti scored were mating-game comedies that took place in Manhattan. Here's a bunch of my favorite Hefti movie themes... 

Here's Sex and the Single Girl (1964)...

Here's How to Murder Your Wife (1965)...

Here's Boeing Boeing (1965)...

Here's Girl Talk from Harlow (1965)...

Here's Synanon (1965)...

Here's Dual at Diablo (1966)...

Here's the theme for Barefoot in the Park (1967)...

Here's The Odd Couple (1968)...

And here's a cover of Hefti's theme to P.J. (1968)...

Betty Carter: Music Never Stops

After singing with Lionel Hampton in the late 1940s, vocalist Betty Carter had her first hit with Hampton's Red Top in 1952. Teamed with vocalist King Pleasure, their vocalese duet put words to the solo melodies of tenor saxophonist Gene Ammons and trumpeter Gail Brockman on their 1947 version of Red Top. Between 1956 and 1964, Carter recorded six studio albums and then took a break to raise a family. By the time she returned at the end of the decade, she was in less demand. Her unusual way of phrasing—bending notes, rushing the tempo and adhering to bop scat attacks—were out of vogue in the mystical fusion era.

But in the 1980s, when acoustic jazz staged a comeback, Carter again found an audience and acclaim. Her singular, rich voice had grown deeper, and she was even looser on songs, taking enormous artistic liberties with renewed confidence. Her performances throughout the decade were recorded. Then in 1988, Carter began recorded studio albums again starting with Look What I Got! (Verve).

On March 29, 1992, Carter performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center in a program entitled "The Music Never Stops." The results now appear for the first time on The Music Never Stops (Blue Engine), an album of previously unreleased music that features Carter at her stylistic peak.

The tracks are Ms. B.C., Make It Last, 30 Years, Why Him?/Where or When?/What's New, Tight!/Mr. Gentleman, Social Call, Moonlight in Vermont, The Good Life, Bridges, If I Should Lose You, Most Gentlemen Don't Like Love, Make Him Believe and Frenesi.

These tracks were divided among small groups and a big band, which on some tracks include strings. The small groups feature Geri Allen, and Cyrus Chestnut on piano, Ariel Roland on bass and Greg Hutchinson and Clarence Penn on drums.

The big band was comprised of Lew Soloff, Earl Gardner, Ron Tooley and Kamau Adilifu (trumpets); Art Baron, Robin Eubanks and Joe Randazzo (trombones); Jerry Dodgion and Rick Wald (alto saxophones); Alex Foster and Lou Marini (tenor saxophones); Joe Temperley (baritone saxophone); John Hicks (piano), Lisle Atkinson (bass) and Kenny Washington (drums).

The strings were Jeanne LeBlanc, Akua Dixon, Julie Green and Bruce Wang (cellos); and John Beal and Dave Finck (bass).

High points include Carter's own Tight!, which she introduced on her Betty Carter Album in 1974; a limber Social Call composed by Qusim Basheer and Jon Hendricks; Carter's own ballad Make Him Believe and Bob Haymes's ballad Make It Last.

Carter isn't to everyone's taste. She sings too fast on songs that required a bit more lingering (Moonlight in Vermont and Frenesi) and her moaning technique can grow tedious as she bends songs out of shape. But once your ear adjusts to her voice-as-an-instrument approach, you come to realize that she had a beautiful tone and that each song was remarkably re-invented.

Betty Carter died in 1998.

JazzWax tracks: You'll find Betty Carter's The Music Never Stops (Blue Engine) here.

The album also can be found at Spotify.

JazzWax clips: Here's Tight!/Mr. Gentleman...

And here's If I Should Lose You...

Bonus: Here's Gene Ammons's Red Top in 1947...

And here's King Pleasure and Betty Carter singing Red Top in 1952, a vocalese version of Ammons's solo...

Alan Broadbent: New York Notes

I began paying attention to pianist-arranger Alan Broadbent in 1973, when Woody Herman's Giant Steps came out. It was my senior year in high school, and the wife of the band's drummer, Ed Soph, was one of my teachers. I wasn't much of a student during high school until my last year, when I began acing everything. I have no idea what motivated the turnaround. Perhaps the editorship of the high school newspaper straightened me out. Or maybe it was the new batch of young teachers who were less foreboding and more encouraging than the older ones.

Whatever the reason, I loved the Herman album and Alan's arrangements of A Child Is Born and Bebop and Roses. But it was his piano accompaniment on two albums by singer Irene Kral (Where Is Love? and Gentle Rain) in 1974 and 1977, respectively, that won my heart. Alan's way with a piano is still so darn beautiful. His approach has often been compared with the inhaling-exhaling style of Bill Evans, but in truth, Alan is about taste, sensitivity and swing. The two pianists just happened to share those qualities.

On his new album, New York Notes (Savant), Alan is backed by his long-time bassist Harvie S and drummer Billy Mintz. Alan has chosen songs with plenty of mood and attitude. There's Gigi Gryce's Minority, Little Benny Harris's Crazeology, Tadd Dameron's On a Misty Night and Lennie Tristano's 317 East 32nd Street. There are two American songbook classics—I Fall in Love Too Easily and Fine and Dandy—but both have become part of the jazz lexicon. Miles Davis recorded the former song twice (in 1963 and 1965) and Chet Baker sang and played it. Fine and Dandy has been recorded by many jazz artists since the late 1940s, including Bud Powell and Sonny Stitt. And then there are Alan's gorgeous originals: Clifford Notes, Continuity and Waltz Prelude.

Interestingly, On a Misty Night is taken a few ticks slower than most versions of the song, giving it a lusher coloration. Tristano's 317 East 32nd Street also is special. The Out of Nowhere cousin seems to move backward and forward at the same time and becomes a colorful workout for Alan, who spins it gracefully in the air as if making a pizza. If there's a common thread running through all of these songs, it's their sophisticated, tautness. Alan burrows deep inside each one, and how he works his way back out is magical. [Photo above of Harvie S]

An album that shows off Alan's enormous dexterity while giving the compelling melodies all the attention they deserve. Best of all is listening to how Alan dances differently with each song. [Photo above of Billy Mintz]

JazzWax tracks: You'll find Alan Broadbent's New York Notes (Savant) here.

You'll also find the album at Spotify.

JazzWax clip: Here's On a Misty Night...

Here's Fine and Dandy. Alan knew he had to advance the song's story and not play it straight. It's fascinating to hear how he turns the song inside out in the first half...

Wolfgang, Joe and Nancy

In The Wall Street Journal this week, my "Anatomy of a Song" column too an in-depth look at T. Rex's Bang a Gong (Get It On) (go here). I interviewed the great Tony Visconti (the song's producer and David Bowie's long-time producer) and drummer Bill Legend, the last surviving member of T. Rex from the early 1970s. Get It On launched the glam-rock movement and predates Bowie's Ziggy Stardust.

Here's Marc Bolan, who died in an auto accident in 1977, and the rest of T. Rex in December 1971 on the BBC's Top of the Pops...

Also in the WSJ, I interviewed Wolfgang Puck for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section on growing up in Austria (go here). Wolfgang talked about his cruel stepfather, why he vowed never to set foot in the house again after he left at age 14 and the day he contemplated suicide at the prospect of having to return home.

Here's Wolfgang on his favorite dessert...

Catch me on SiriusXM on Wednesday from 9 to 10 a.m. (EDT). I'll be on with Feedback co-hosts Nik Carter and Lori Majewski to talk about my "Anatomy of a Song" column on T. Rex's "Get It On." Feedback is on the VOLUME network on channel 106.

More JazzWax. If you want to comment on a JazzWax post or are curious about what other readers are saying, join us at Facebook at Marc JazzWax Myers. Want to be among the first to read my WSJ columns? You'll find them on Twitter first at Marc Myers @ JazzWax.

Joe Alterman performed at New York's Birdland earlier this month. Here's Joe live...

Nancy Wilson. Here's Nancy Wilson for Stroh's beer. Even singing in an ad, Nancy could knock you out. Hard to imagine that more than one take was needed...

Here's another ad by Nancy for Stroh's...

And here's the finished jingle captured in the first clip...

Carol Sloane. Here's a photo that Carol posted at her Facebook page with the following text: "On my first gig at age 14 as the singer with the Ed Drew Orchestra. That's Ed himself, at Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet Ballroom in Cranston, R.I. I thought I was so sophisticated!

Leonard Feather. Last week, Bob Waldman sent along the following:

"Hi Marc, you probably know about this, but I was thrilled to discover this week that Leonard Feather’s scrapbooks have been digitized, along with audio tapes of his Blindfold Test responses.
You can find them here.

Also, the Johnny Mercer Foundation has posted online copies of Capitol Records’s Capitol News Magazine (1943-52) and its successor, Music Views (1952-59). Go here. For more information, go here.

Shirley Scott radio. "Symphony Sid" Gribetz on Sunday will present a five-hour radio broadcast celebrating the career of jazz organist and pianist Shirley Scott on WKCR-FM from 2 to 7 p.m. You can listen to Sid's "Jazz Profiles" from anywhere in the world on your phone or computer by going here.

West Coast jazz. The Los Angeles Jazz Institute is holding one of its extraordinary concert festivals from May 24 to May 26. The list of participants is too long to mention in this space, but you can read all about it by going here.

What the heck. Here's Booker T. and the MGs in 1971 performing Melting Pot...

Oddball album cover of the week.

Why beat around the pitch when you can get right to the point. So many of these albums from the late 1950s and '60s had titles loaded with innuendo—Music for Two Lovers in Love, Music for Reminiscing, Music for Relaxing and so on. Here, we have an album positioned as an audio mickey. Wonder what the cover title might be if the album were marketed to her and the music was geared to get him to go home. Perhaps "Music to Call it a Night," "Music When No Means No" or "Music His Wife Loves Most."

Dexter in Denmark, 1962

At a New York bar In 1962, Dexter Gordon ran into saxophonist Ronnie Scott, the co-owner of Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London. Scott asked Gordon if he wanted to work at his place. Gorden, as his wife, Maxine, notes in her 2018 book, The Life and Legacy of Dexter Gordon, had never been out of the country except for a brief visit just over the border in Mexico. Gordon surely asked Scott about pay and any other incentives he wanted. Then he agreed to play there that fall, and they shook hands. [Photo above of Dexter Gordon by Jan Persson/CTSImages.com]

In anticipation, Gordon finished recording Go! and A Swinging Affair. Then he was off to London in September. While Gordon was at Ronnie Scott's, Harold Goldberg, an American pianist living in Copenhagen and a quasi manager of the Montmartre jazz club, called Ronnie Scott's. He invited Gordon to perform at the Danish club. Gordon agreed, but for some reason didn't arrive until several days after he was supposed to in early October. 

By November, the German TV show "An Ort und Stelle" ("On the Spot") caught wind of Copenhagen's heady jazz scene and decided to tape an episode there. The show on Copenhagen had a hip, documentary format, opening with an express train from Stockholm, Sweden, pulling into the Copenhagen station. On the platform waiting are pianist Harold Goldberg, bassist Benny Nielsen and drummer Alex Riel.

Emerging from the train is Swedish baritone saxophonist Lars Gulin, who interestingly is without his horn. In the station, Gordon is waiting. They exchange handshakes. Outside, they greet saxophonist and flutist Sahib Shihab, who had moved to Copenhagen a year earlier.

Then, everyone except Gordon pile into a car for a drive to what one assumes is a bar and then dinner before the gig. Meanwhile, Gordon waits and a chic woman shows up—actress Hanne Borchsenius. They embrace and window shop. Then Gordon has to split. Borchsenius turns up again later in the documentary at a table admiring Gordon.

The club music that follows, backed by close-up candids of young Danes and footage of Copenhagen's stores and neon at night, are wonderful. For me, Gordon was at his playing peak in late 1962. Here's the broadcast of "On the Spot: Jazz in Copenhagen," with a performance of Cole Porter's I Love You... 

Gene Cipriano: First Time Out

Since 1947, reed player Gene "Cip" Cipriano has recorded on thousands of albums, singles, TV shows and movies. He's one of the most recorded session musicians in the business. Cip can be heard playing the E-flat clarinet solo on Henry Mancini's Baby Elephant Walk in Hatari! and soloing on tenor sax for Tony Curtis in Billy Wilder's film Some Like It Hot (1959). He's on albums with Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Rosemary Clooney and dozens of others. And that's just on the pop side.

In the jazz discography, he's on 175 sessions, including Johnny Mandel's soundtrack for The Sandpiper, Thelonious Monk's Monk's Blues with a big band, and jazz albums by Pete Rugolo, Anita O'Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney, Patti Page, John Towner Wiliams, Dennis Farnon and so many others. Cip could play any woodwind instrument and in any style. 

Then in 2006, Cip finally released his first album as a leader—a two-CD set called Gene Cipriano: First Time Out. What hits you is how seasoned and pure his horn sounds. His tone is round and pristine, and he swings. Throughout Cip's career, he was most often embedded in an orchestra or ensemble. Occasionally, he had a solo.

On his 2006 leadership album, all he does is solo. Throughout the 30 tracks, he's backed by or teamed with a range of crackerjack session musicians and arrangers such as Sammy Nestico, Gary Foster, Tom Ranier, Dan Higgins and Dennis McCarthy. The result is a gorgeous set of music ranging from heartfelt ballads (Don't Take Your Love From Me and Moonglow), midtempo numbers (How About You) and flagwavers (Four Brothers, Just Friends and a ripping Lover Come Back to Me). [Photo above, from left, of Johnny Mandel and Gene Cipriano]

On the latter tune, Cip is joined by tenor saxophonist Pete Christlieb for a terrific blowing session. On Four Brothers, conducted by Sammy Nestico, Cip teams with Dan Higgins, Joel Peskin on tenors and Sal Lozano on baritone. On Just Friends/Friends Again, Cip is contrasted with trombonist Dick Nash. 

A word about the sterling rhythm section of Tom Ranier (above) on piano, Trey Henry on bass and Ralph Humphrey on drums. They are sensational, particularly Ranier, who lays down splendid jazz piano.

What you have here is the sound of perfection unleashed. Many session musicians struggle with solos, since the job requires a certain rigidity and their skill is to read and play beautifully in time, flawlessly. In the case of Cip, he can do all of that but, as evidenced here, he also is a sultry seasoned improviser. In his 80s when this album was recorded, he's now closing in on 91. But you'd hardly know it. [Photo above, from left, of Sammy Nestico and Gene Cipriano]

A special thanks to singer Cat Conner (above) for bringing Cip's album to my attention. Cat sings often with Cip in Los Angeles. Cat's Cat Tales and Cat House albums can be found here and here. 

JazzWax tracks: You'll find Gene Cipriano: First Time Out (Vino Rosso) here.

JazzWax clips: Here's Cip testing out Artie Shaw's Pedler clarinet mouthpiece owned by pianist Tom Ranier...

Here's My Favorite Things by the Masanori Sasaji All-Star L.A. Star Big Band with Cip on the oboe solo...

Here's Cip on his first recording session with Tony Pastor in 1947 with Pastor on lead vocal backed by the Clooney Sisters (Rosemary and Betty)...

Here's Cip in the Tex Beneke band in 1950 on Orange Colored Sky with Eydie Gorme on the vocal...

Here's Lover Come Back to Me from First Time Out with Cip and Pete Christlieb...

Lover Come Back To Me

Here's East of the Sun...

East of the Sun

And here's Cip in 1957 with Herb Geller (as); Cip and Buddy Collette (ts); Marty Berman (bar); John Towner Williams (p,arr); Buddy Clark (b) and Jerry Williams (d) playing I've Got the World on a String. That's Cip soloing on tenor mid-recording...

Gary McFarland on Madison Ave.

Following my post on Gary McFarland last week, I nosed around online and found a Fresca TV ad that McFarland wrote, arranged and conducted in 1966. It was posted by Kristian St. Clair, who directed the documentary This Is Gary McFarland. First, here's the Fresca soda ad, with McFarland in the ad conducting...

So I reached out to Kristian to find out more about McFarland's advertising career. Here's what Kristian told me:

Hi Marc. I'm glad you asked. It's definitely one of my favorite Gary McFarland sub-stories. Apparently, Chico Hamilton introduced Gary to the Madison Avenue jingle scene. According to Gail, Gary's late wife, he made more income on jingle writing than the jazz records. 

I'm not sure whose idea it was to have McFarland appear in a Fresca commercial, but I know it was McFarland's idea to hire all of his musician friends to appear in the ad playing different instruments than they were known for (Corky Hale on cello, Zoot Sims or Bob Brookmeyer on flute, etc.). As Herb Pomeroy said, it was his single best-paying gig up until that point in time. 

McFarland had written the jingle for the launch of Fresca, so he obviously was pretty in-demand by 1966 to get the gig. I think he did a lot of work for the McCann-Erickson ad agency.

In addition to the Fresca ad, McFarland wrote and arranged ad music for Camel cigarettes, Rheinlander beer, Sealtest Ice-Cream (Gary's brother, Gerwin, cited it as one of his personal favorite things his brother had written), Volvo, Tabu perfume and Breck shampoo. Based on print ads for the Soft Samba album, there was probably a tie-in with the Interwoven Sock Co. as well.

Here are links to ads that Kristian sent along:

Here's an outtake from Kristian's documentary focusing on McFarland's advertising career...

Here's McFarland's music for a 1960s Volvo commercial...

Here's a Breck shampoo ad with the same sound McFarland used on his Soft Samba album:

This might be the final Tabu ad the documentary refers to...

And there's this one, which sounds like it has a bit of McFarland in it, from 1968...

Sahib Shihab: Danish Group

As a member of the Quincy Jones Big Band, saxophonist and flutist Sahib Shihab had a chance to travel extensively abroad. In 1959 and '60, the band was in Paris, where Sahib had an opportunity to record and experience Europe for the first time. He found the city relaxing, racially tolerant, art-focused and beautiful during the day and late at night. I know this because Sahib told me when I interviewed him at Rutgers University in the early 1980s, when he was a visiting professor there. [Photo above of Sahib Shihab by Jan Persson/CTSImages.com]

In 1961, the Jones band toured again in Europe, this time in Germany and Sweden. Rather than return to the U.S., Sahib joined the Europe-based Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band. While there, Sahib had a chance to visit and play in Copenhagen in the fall of 1962. He fell in love with the city and moved there. In 1963, he joined the Danish Radio Jazz Group. [Photo above of Sahib Shihab by Jan Persson/CTSImages.com]

The ensemble, supported by the Danish government, was founded in October 1961 and at first featured 10 jazz musicians who performed on just one broadcast per month. Then in 1964, the DRJG was increased to 12 and was able to play on the air more often with guest soloists such as Sahib.

In August 1965, Sahib recorded Sahib Shihab and the Danish Radio Jazz Group over two days for Denmark's Oktav label. The group consisted of Palle Mikkelborg (tp,flhrn); Torolf Molgaard (tb,euph); Niels Husum (sop,ts,b-cl); Poul Hindberg (as,cl); Bent Jaedig (ts,fl); Sahib Shihab (bar,fl,arr); Bent Nielsen (cl,fl,bar); Louis Hjulmand (vib); Bent Axen (p); Fritz von Bulow (g); Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (b) and Alex Riel (d).

The album features Sahib's arrangements of his own compositions, and the DRJG takes to them like cats to milk. The ensemble is extraordinarily well rehearsed and fluid. Many of Sahib's works constantly shift moods and tempos, making them mini suites. Sahib's solos are compelling and sensual throughout on alto and baritone saxophones and on flute, an instrument he helped pioneer in jazz. [Photo of Sahib Shihab with his wife, Maiken Gulmann]

According to the album's liner notes...

Di-Dad was something of an inside joke, its title reflecting the sound of shortened, spike-y staccato notes throughout the song.

Dance of the Fakowees is a tribute to a Native-American tribe.

Not Yet is based on an ascending C-minor scale. 

Tenth Lament is structured in three parts—a slow opening and end, and an uptempo middle.

Mai Ding is a song dedicated to the Japanese poet.

Harvey's Tune was named for the bartender at Copenhagen's famed Jazzhus Montmartre jazz club.

No Time for Cries is a ballad that Sahib plays on the baritone saxophone.

The Crosseyed Cat was composed for this album. The others were composed by Sahib in earlier years.

Little French Girl didn't appear on the original album but surfaced on the digital re-issue. My guess is it's from another session, since there are strings. It features Sahib singing, and his voice, song and lyrics are sublime.

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon listening to this album several times, and the tenderness and complexity of the songs kept growing on me. The music also reminded me to transcribe my Sahib interview. As I recall, our conversation was serious and intense. That was Sahib.

Sahib Shihab died in 1989.

JazzWax tracks: You'll find all of the tracks from Sahib Shihab and the Danish Radio Jazz Group on Sentiments here (but no Little French Girl, I'm afraid).

JazzWax clips: Here's the full album at YouTube, including Little French Girl. You can skip around the tracks by clicking on the linked times for each song in the YouTube notes...

Billy VerPlanck: Playgirls Jazz

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!...

Aw C'mon Sugah!

And here's Whoo-ee!...

Whoo-ee!