In 1966, producer Sonny Lester, engineer Phil Ramone and arranger-composer Manny Albam launched Solid State Records as the jazz division of United Artists. The label specialized in sophisticated fidelity to maximize an emerging generation of component stereo systems. The days of bulky console phonographs were ending and a new era of speakers, integrated receivers and turntables purchased individually had begun. [Photo above of Manny Albam]
Solid State's albums were recorded using transistorized gear. The label's albums were positioned specifically for solid state stereo equipment, which processed music with semiconductors rather than vacuum tubes. The result was more musical information projected through the speakers. [Photo above of a Sony ad from 1966]
To put Solid State's wide-sound promise to the sonic test, Albam recorded The Soul of the City. He composed, arranged and conducted the songs, Lester produced and Ramone engineered. The New York band was staggeringly first rate: Ernie Royal, Joe Newman, Burt Collins, Snooky Young, John Frosk and Freddie Hubbard (tp); J.J. Johnson, Eddie Bert, Wayne Andre and Tony Studd (tb); Jimmy Buffington, Earl Chapin, Howard Howard and Al Richman (fhr); Jerome Richardson, Phil Woods, Don Ashworth, Chuck Russo, Frank Wess and Seldon Powell (reeds); Mike Mainieri (vib); Hank Jones (p); unknown (g) Richard Davis (b) or Ron Carter (b); Mel Lewis (d); Phil Kraus (perc) and strings.
The Soul of the City was a concept album featuring Albam's musical impressions of different New York scenes. To enhance the concept, sound effects such as babies crying, a police siren, a sports crowd cheering, a city river's lapping against its banks and a jet flying overhead were overdubbed briefly in places. Each of the songs offers a different impression but resists becoming an orchestral View-Master of New York. Instead of celebrating tourist destinations, Manny limited his impressions to obscure places he found audibly interesting: Born on Arrival; Children's Corner; Museum Pieces; Game of the Year; View From the Outside; Tired Faces Going Places; View From the Inside; Ground Floor Rear (Next to the Synagogue); Riverview and El Barrio Latino. [Photo above of Manny Albam]
The soloists are superb:
- Born on Arrival — J.J. Johnson (tb), Phil Woods (as) and Hank Jones (p)
- The Children's Corner — Jerome Richardson (fl), Mike Mainieri (vib) and Woods
- Museum Pieces — Woods and Mainieri
- The Game of the Year — Frank Wess (ts), Woods and Johnson
- A View From the Outside — Woods, Burt Collins (flhn) and Johnson
- Tired Faces Going Places — Collins (tp)
- A View From the Inside — Joe Newman (tp), Johnson
- Ground Floor Rear (Next to the Synagogue) — Richard Davis (b), Freddie Hubbard (tp)
- Riverview — Mainieri, Woods, Jones
- El Barrio Latino — Ernie Royal (tp)
The Soul of the City lived up to expectations. As the label boasted, "[The line] deftly blends superb artists and magnificent performances with dynamic range and absolute cleanliness of recording." As for Manny Albam, the album remains an unheralded and virtually unknown masterpiece. Every inch of the recording is bold, elegant, fresh and cool. Why this recording hasn't been reissued is a travesty. [Photo above of Sonny Lester]
Manny Albam died in 2001; Phil Ramone (above) died in 2013. Solid State Records ceased production in late 1969.
JazzWax tracks: Manny Albam's The Soul of the City can be found on vinyl here or the tracks can be found hidden on an Albam CD and download compilation here.
JazzWax clips: Here's Museum Pieces with solos by Phil Woods and Mike Mainiari...
Here's Tired Faces Going Places, with a trumpet solo by Burt Collins...
And here's El Barrio Latino, with a trumpet solo by Ernie Royal...
A special thanks to David Langner and Michael van Gee.