With spring less than a week away, it's time for upbeat West Coast jazz. The last time I posted on Shorty Rogers was over the holidays when I highlighted The Swingin' Nutcracker. Before that, I featured Chances Are It Swings as a Backgrounder. This week, it's the finger-snapping Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers, as suggested by Todd Selbert.
Recorded in the winter of 1957 between January and April, the album for RCA is a swinger loaded with top West Coast studio players. Here's the personnel on various tracks:
Mountain Greenery and On a Desert Island With Thee (January 30): Shorty Rogers (flhn); Conte Candoli, Pete Candoli, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Maynard Ferguson and Al Porcino (tp); Milt Bernhart and Bob Burgess (tb); John Halliburton (b-tb); Frank Rosolino (tb); Sam Rice (tu); Herb Geller (as); Bill Holman, Jack Montrose and Bill Perkins (ts); Pepper Adams (bar); Pete Jolly (p); Red Mitchell (b) and Stan Levey (d). [Photo above of brothers Conte Candoli and Pete Candoli, courtesy of Sheryl Deauville and Candoli.com]
I've Got Five Dollars and I Could Write a Book (February 1): George Roberts (b-tb) replaces John Halliburton.
The Girl Friend, Like a Ship Without a Sail and Thou Swell (February 4): Shorty Rogers and Conte Candoli (tp); Herb Geller (as); Bill Holman (ts); Pepper Adams (bar); Pete Jolly (p); Red Mitchell (b) and Stan Levey (d).
It's Got to Be Love, Mimi and Ten Cents a Dance (April 3): Jimmy Giuffre (cl,bar) replaces Pepper Adams.
Here's Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers, without ad interruptions. My suggestion is to put this one on a loop. It's rather short and the loop will repeat the album over and over until you leave the page. To set the loop, hold down your control key and click the cursor on the video. A pop-up menu will appear. Click "loop," the first choice on the list. That's it!...
Other ad-free Backgrounders in my series:
- Zoot Sims Plays Bossa Nova, go here.
- Lee Morgan: Lee-Way, go here.
- Bossa Nova for Swinging Lovers, go here.
- Leon Spencer: Louisiana Slim, go here.
- Bossa Nova Modern Quartet: Bossa Nova Jazz Samba, go here.
- Bill Evans & Luiz Eça: Piano Four Hands, go here.
- Ray Brown Trio: Don't Get Sassy, go here.
- Os Tatuis: Os Tatuis, go here.
- Waltel Branco: Mancini Tambem É Samba, go here.
- Jack Wilson Plays Brazilian Mancini, go here.
- Conjunto Copacabana Bossa: Bossa, go here.
- Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Swings Lightly, go here.
- Charles Earland: Charles Earland, go here.
- Kenny Burrell: Crash! w/ Jack McDuff, go here.
- Jack McDuff: The Heatin' System, go here.
- Horace Silver: Horace-Scope, go here.
- Antonio Carlos Jobim: Wave, go here.
- Sonny Stitt: Sonny Stitt Plays, go here.
- Sonny Stitt with Bennie Green: My Main Man, go here.
- Johnny Hodges and Earl Hines: Stride Right, go here.
- Lionel Hampton: Bossa Nova Jazz, go here.
- Johnny Hodges & Ben Webster: Cellar Session, go here.
- Bill Evans: Solo Sessions Vol. 1, go here.
- Frank Wess: Trombones & Flute, go here.
- Presenting the Buddy DeFranco & Tommy Gumina Quartet, go here.
- Ernest Ranglin: Wranglin', go here.
- Dave Pell Octet: Plays Rodgers & Hart, go here.
- Milt Buckner: Block Chords Parade, go here.
- Roberto Menescal: A Nova Bossa, go here.
- Count Basie: Have a Nice Day, go here.
- Freddie Green: Mr. Rhythm, go here.
- Leny Andrade: Leny Andrade, go here.
- Johnny Alf: Ele é Johnny Alf, go here.
- Dodo Marmarosa: Dodo's Back, go here.
- Freddie Redd: The Music From the Connection, go here.
- Nicola Stilo & Toninho Horta: Duets, go here.
- Urbie Green: Persuasive Trombone, go here.
- Johnny Richards: Something Else, go here.
- Wayne Shorter: JuJu, go here.
- Hampton Hawes: All Night Session!, go here.
