Mention the phrase "jam session" today and most people cringe. Words that come to mind are "too long," "boring" and "much ado about not much." But as late as the mid-1970s, a jam session in concert had great appeal. In the rock era, a jam session meant welcome, lengthy solos by guitarists and organists, not to mention a multi-minute drum solo. Seeing a rock band live that could jam was thrilling, as I recall.
Let's face it, Iron Butterfly's In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida album in 1968 would have been an instant bargain cut-out if not for Ron Bushy's 2.5 minute drum solo on the title track. It was the selling point. The Grateful Dead was perhaps the greatest of all rock jam bands, along with the Allman Brothers Band. Today, however, the appeal of the jam session is long gone if not dreaded.
Back in the late 1940s and '50s, the jam-session concert was the rage. For one, the format brought the after-hours jazz club format to white and under-21 audiences who either were unwilling or too young to gain admission to such establishments. For another, these concerts were emotional proving grounds for musicians to let loose and show their stamina and improvisational chops. There was no black and white at these concerts. Whoever could get up there and play for the duration with hot ideas was a crowd favorite.
The promoter who did the most to popularize the jam-session concert back then was Norman Granz. I must admit that when I saw the new box from Mosaic Records—Classic Jazz at the Philharmonic Jam Sessions (1950-1957)—I cringed. All of the words I already cited above came to mind, along with "who cares anymore?" and "long-winded." Equally daunting was the number of CDs—10 in all. I thought someone at Mosaic must be losing their mind. [Photo above of Norman Granz]
Over the long weekend, I bit down and put on the box, fully prepared to bail by the second track. Ten CDs later (twice), I was blown away. In fact, this may turn out to be one of Mosaic's finest boxes. There's so much musical freedom and excitement on the 10 CDs, from the artists and audiences on the verge of madness after performances.
The longest jam, Cool Blues, runs 22:37, and the rest last around 7 minutes or so on average. Granz upped the ante by featuring only jazz superstars who could deliver a fire hose of action. Listening to these tracks, I started to realize that a studio recording back then, by comparison, was like listening to jazz musicians parallel park compared to these Daytona 500 racetrack performances. Groups were up on stage to hit a groove to inspire and sustain soloists, who filled the time like perfectly installed wall-to-wall carpeting, with each musicians crafting fresh ideas, no matter how many choruses were taken.
Just as special are the scene-setting liner notes by Tad Hershorn, author of Norman Granz: The Man Who Used Jazz for Justice (University of California, 2011), and a track-by-track analysis by writer, jazz historian and educator John McDonough. Included in the 34-page, 12-inch-square glossy booklet are lots of rare, exciting concert photos.
Long-time Mosaic fans may remember The Complete Jazz at the Philharmonic on Verve 1944-1949, the label's 10-CD box from 1998. This new companion box is even better. By the 1950s, the musicians had been around the block a few times and were recording and touring more, so they were highly seasoned.
Best of all, there's no fat, wheel-spinning tracks or tired renditions here. All 90 songs are top-shelf foot-tappers or warm ballads. The headliners include Coleman Hawkins, Gene Krupa, Lester Young, Buddy DeFranco, Stan Getz and Ella Fitzgerald, as well as all-star combos and crack rhythm sections. All knew their reps were on the line and all rock the house. [Photo above of Lester Young]
The additional musicians include Roy Eldridge, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, J.C. Heard, Buddy Rich, Charlie Shavers, Willie Smith, Ben Webster, Louie Bellson, Jo Jones, John Lewis, Percy Heath and Connie Kay.
Once upon a time, before social media, smartphones, computers, the internet, and downloading, you had to visit a theater to experience the pure excitement of improvised jazz. Stars were household names, they knew they were special and everyone was fiercely competitive and wonderfully collegial. As with sports, audiences rooted for favorites but were happy to cheer on anyone who left it all on the table.
The box's 10 CDs include 90 tracks, with five unreleased tracks. All were by Granz for his Norgran, Clef and Verve labels from 1950 to 1957, when he hit the brakes on concerts and tours. Fortunately for us, Mosaic has corralled the best of the JATP performances at a period in time when the art of improvised jazz was at its peak. The box set sounds great and puts you in the audience with the yellers and the screamers as the world's coolest soloists tried to out-do their peers and hold onto their stellar reputations. As these recordings demonstrate, in the days before flamboyance, outrage and loud volume, jazz musicians ruled the world with enormous musical intellect.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Classic Jazz at the Philharmonic Jam Sessions (1950-1957) (Mosaic) here.
JazzWax clips: Here's One O'Clock Jump with the JATP All Stars at Carnegie Hall on September 19, 1953, featuring Roy Eldridge and Charlie Shavers (tp), Bill Harris (tb), Benny Carter and Willie Smith (as), Flip Phillips, Ben Webster and Lester Young (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Herb Ellis (g), Ray Brown (b) and J.C. Heard (d)...
And here's a ballad medley at Chicago's Civic Opera House on September 29, 1957: Robbins' Nest (Illinois Jacquet), Polka Dots and Moonbeams (Lester Young) and Can't We Be Friends (Flip Phillips); the rhythm section featured Oscar Peterson (p), Herb Ellis (g), Ray Brown (b) and Jo Jones (d)...
Ballad Medley: Robbins' Nest, Polka Dots and Moonbeams and Can't We Be Friends
