John Graas doesn't get enough credit for helping to shape and define the West Coast jazz sound in the 1950s. The French hornist added a cinematic touch to LPs by Shorty Rogers and others, and recorded a series of wonderful albums as a leader. Graas started out as a classical player of the highest order but also fell in love with jazz.
He began with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (1941) before moving on to the Claude Thornhill Orchestra (1942), the Army Air Corps band during World War II (1942–1945), the Cleveland Orchestra (1945–1946), the Tex Beneke Orchestra (1946–1949) and the Stan Kenton Orchestra (1950–1953). Then he recorded in ensembles throughout the 1950s and with Henry Mancini at the tail end of the 1950s and early 1960s.
Graas died in 1962 at age 45 of a heart attack.
His first album as a leader was French Horn Jazz. Recorded as a 10-inch LP for Trend in Los Angeles in June 1953, the octet he fronted was magnificent and included two early compositions and arrangements by Nelson Riddle. The band: Shorty Rogers (tp), John Graas (fhr), Bud Shank (fl,as), Bob Cooper (ts), Jimmy Giuffre (bar), Russ Freeman (p), Bob Manners (b) and Shelly Manne (d).
Here are the songs on the 10-inch LP and the composer-arrangers:
- Egypt (Jimmy Giuffre)
- Be My Guest (Shorty Rogers)
- Bananera (Nelson Riddle)
- Frappé (Giuffre)
- Argyles (Rogers)
- Pyramid (Nelson Riddle)
- 6/4 Trend (John Graas)
- Not Exactly (Graas)
Here's John Graas's complete 10-inch LP French Horn Jazz (Trend), without ad interruptions,...
Bonus: Here's John Graas with Shorty Rogers and His Giants in Dementia, a 1953 horror film. The musicians on the track (all of whom are featured in the film except for drummer Shelly Manne, who was replaced by an actor) are Shorty Rogers (tp), Milt Bernhart (tb), John Graas (fhr), Jimmy Giuffre (ts), Frank Patchen (p), Howard Rumsey (b), Gene Englund (tu) and Shelly Manne (d)...
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.
- Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers, go here.
- Chet Baker: Pretty/Groovy, go here.
- Sonny Stitt: The Sensual Sound of Sonny Stitt, go here.
- Gil Mellé: New Faces, New Sounds, go here.
- Herbie Mann and Charlie Rouse: Just Wailin', go here.
- Bobby Hackett: Memorable & Mellow, go here.
- Tina Brooks: Back to the Tracks, go here.
- Sonny Rollins Plays for Bird, go here.
- Red Garland: A Garland of Red, go here.
- Grant Green: Gooden's Corner, go here.
- Eumir Deodato Plays Marcos Valle, go here.
- Horace Parlan; Movin' & Groovin', go here.
- Russ Garcia: Four Horns and a Lush Life, go here.
- Vic Lewis: Plays Bossa Nova at Home and Away, go here.
- Buddy Collette's Swinging Shepherds, go here.
- Dizzy Gillespie: Gillespiana, go here.
- Nelson Riddle: Communication, go here.
- Nelson Riddle: Changing Colors, go here.
- Elmo Hope: Complete Trios, 1953-1966, go here.
- Buddy Collette: Man of Many Parts, go here.
- The Herbie Mann-Sam Most Quintet, go here.
- Shorty Rogers: Cool and Crazy, go here.
- The Return of Art Pepper, go here.
- Benny Golson and the Philadelphians, go here.
- Moacir Santos: Coisas, go here.
- Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis: Lock, the Fox, go here.
- Tony Bennett: The Movie Song Album, go here.
- Thad Jones/Mel Lewis: Consummation, go here.
- James Moody: Return From Overbrook, go here.
- Barry Galbraith: Guitar and the Wind, go here.
- Count Basie: With Quincy Jones and Neal Hefti, go here.
- Johnny Richards: Walk Softly, Run Wild!, go here.
- Dave Pike: Bossa Nova Carnival, go here.
- Clare Fischer: Só Danço Samba, go here.
- Reggie Johnson: First Edition, go here.
