When Fresh Sound released two lost Dick Collins albums from 1954 on RCA nearly 15 years ago, the sound was just satisfactory. Some of the instrumentation seemed suppressed in the background, but it wasn't a huge deal. More important was having these precious recordings by the West Coast trumpeter in the digital format. [Photo above of Dick Collins]
Now, Fresh Sound has just reissued both albums on a single CD using 24-bit technology to digitally remaster them. The new sound is fantastic and akin to going to the museum and seeing a masterpiece cleaned and restored. The album's punch and colors are stronger and more vibrant, allowing you to hear the oomph of the band and lyricism of Dick's wandering solo horn.
Dick was among a generation of trumpeters that included Don Fagerquist and Conte Candoli who moonlighted or departed big bands in the 10-inch LP era of the early 1950s to go out on their own and work as leaders or sidemen in the growing number of recording studios. As the 12-inch album became ubiquitous starting in the mid-1950s, there was suddenly more than enough work to go around.
In Dick's case, as a third-chair jazz soloist in big bands led by Woody Herman and Les Brown, his warm improvisational sound was refined and melodic. As noted yesterday in my Hal Schaefer post, RCA on both coasts in 1954 was furiously recruiting jazz musicians who could fill the larger vinyl format. [Photo above of pianist and arranger Nat Pierce]
The result for Collins were two leadership albums—a small-group LP called Horn of Plenty and a big band record entitled King Richard the Swing Hearted. (A third leadership album—Nat Pierce and the Herdsmen, Featuring Dick Collins—should have been credited to Dick but went to Pierce in error.) The first two titles mentioned above are now on Fresh Sound's new two-fer and both feature a wonderful assembly of East and West Coast talent.
On the first, Horn of Plenty, the nonet was comprised of Dick Collins (tp), Med Flory (as), Dick Hafer and Al Cohn (ts), Bill Perkins (fl, ts), Jack Nimitz (bs), Nat Pierce (p), Tom 'Red' Kelly (b) and Chuck Flores (d).
On King Richard the Swinghearted, the band's personnel was Dick Collins, Al Porcino, Charlie Walp and John Howell (tp); Sonny Russo and Billy Byers (tb); Dick Meldonian, Al Cohn, Bill Perkins and Richie Kamuca (ts); Jack Nimitz (bs); Nat Pierce (p); Herb Ellis (g); Tom 'Red' Kelly (b) and Chuck Flores (d).
In both cases, the ensembles were made up mostly of highly skilled players, many of whom were members of Woody Herman's band. The albums were recorded at RCA studios in New York while the band was in the city on tour. [Photo above, from left, Al Cohn, Med Flory, Bill Perkins and Dick Hafer recording Horn of Plenty]
Relistening to the releases yesterday, I fell in love again with Dick's tone and gentle attack. But now, with the release's cleaner sound, you can also fully appreciate the glory of Cohn and Pierce's arrangements and the bands' fluidity. They're so vivid that you can hear the distinct musical personalities of each member.
Dick Collins died in 2016 at age 91.
On a personal note, Dick was a great guy. You can read my two-part 2010 interview with him here and here.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Dick Collins: Horn of Plenty, Complete 1954 RCA Victor Recordings (Fresh Sound) here.
JazzWax clips: Here's I'd Know You Anywhere, from Horn of Plenty...
Here's Why Was I Born, from the same album...
Here's As Long As I Live, from Richard the Swinghearted...
And here's Northern Comfort, from the same album...
