As I've posted in the past, Art Tatum in many ways is the father of the post-war jazz piano. His spectacular speed, love for jazzing up the American songbook and torrents of improvised ideas all would inspire pianists and other instrumentalists who followed.
Today, we tend to think of Tatum exclusively as an artist from the 1930s and '40s. And while the pianist certainly became a force during this period, he also made superb recordings in the early 1950s, leading up to his death in 1956 at age 47. During these later years, Tatum worked with a trio—guitarist Everett Barksdale and bassist Slam Stewart. Tatum had worked with Stewart previously in an earlier trio in 1943 and '44, along with guitarist Tiny Grimes.
The 1950s trio toured mostly in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. I've long thought it a shame that a documentary team didn't accompany them on their road trips. Can you imagine if one had? Instead, we have only the trio's recordings, released over the years by Storyville, Capitol and Verve.
So imagine the shock when I heard that previously unissued recordings of the group in 1953 had been found and were coming out on Resonance Records. The 39 tracks on Jewels in the Treasure Box: The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings, with a running time of nearly three hours, were captured live between August 16 and 28. The material was recorded by club owner Frank Holzfeind, and the new set was produced with the full cooperation of the Art Tatum Estate and the Holzfeind family. [Photo above of Art Tatum by William P. Gottlieb]
The sound of these recordings is magnificent, and Tatum is at his peak in terms of ideas, swing and chord voicings. All of his tricks are here—the fleet arpeggios, stair-climbing chords, bass clef drop notes and harp-like glissandi outros. While Tatum is more laid back here than during his previous two decades, all of his fire, determination and improvised entries and escapes make an appearance.
As the Holzfeind family stated for this release: “We are excited to be sharing these never-before-heard live Art Tatum recordings from the Blue Note with you and we're grateful to Resonance Records for seeing their value and having the determination to introduce them to audiences old and new. Dad's private reel-to-reel tapes were a proud part of his legacy."
There's so much gentle, organic beauty in Tatum. Listening to him play, it's as though you're watching snow just starting to fall. Or early summer morning shadows projecting long on green lawns. [Photo above of Art Tatum with Slam Stewart by Bob Parent, courtesy of Resonance Records]
Barksdale here is competitive, running duets with Tatum before swinging off to do his own thing. Stewart on bass is straight ahead, with just a smattering of his gimmicky humming-and-arco octave bowing solos. What a trio. The lines must have been around the block when Tatum came to town. [Photo above of Everett Barksdale]
Another sterling job by Resonance co-president and producer Zev Feldman, with warm mastering by engineer Matthew Lutthans (who also engineered Resonance’s Grammy-nominated Nat King Cole box Hittin’ the Ramp) and presented in its RSD edtion on 180-gram vinyl pressed at the audiophile pressing plant Le Vinylist.
Swing into spring indeed!
JazzWax tracks:The three-LP set of Art Tatum's Jewels in the Treasure Box: The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings can be found at vinyl retailers on Record Store Day, this Saturday, April 20. Find your local retailer here.
The three-CD set and digital download will be available on April 26 and on major streaming platforms.
Not all West Coast jazz of the 1950s was shaded by the relaxed influences of the Los Angeles suburbs and the Pacific Ocean. Black jazz artists brought their own artistic perspectives to the studios and clubs, forged through migration from the South and Southwest, living in the Watts and South Central sections, and trying to stand out as musicians in a city with heightened segregation and racism.
Among the finest black jazz musicians in Los Angeles in the 1950s was tenor saxophonist Harold Land. Born in Houston, his family moved to San Diego, Ca., when he was a child. His first recording as a leader came in L.A. in 1949. In 1954, he was part of the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet until mid-1955. Then he began playing and recording with the very best jazz musicians in L.A., including Hampton Hawes, Art Pepper, Chet Baker, Curtis Counce, Herb Geller and others. [Photo above of Harold Land]
Land's third album, The Fox, was recorded in August 1959 for the HiFijazz label (above), founded by Robert Vaughn in 1956. The quintet consisted of Dupree Bolton (tp), Harold Land (ts), Elmo Hope (p), Herbie Lewis (b) and Frank Butler (d). The LP was most notable for Land's fiery hard-bop energy and the blistery playing of Bolton and Hope.
The album's title (and the name of the first track) was a nickname. As Land told liner-notes writer Leonard Feather in 1969, when the album was remastered and reissued by Contemporary Records: "The truth is, that was a nickname Lawrence Marable, the drummer, dropped on me and which hardly anyone ever uses now. Aside from that, I felt that this particular composition has the speed, the action and movement of a fox. So it seemed a fitting title." [Photo above of Herbie Lewis]
Hope, who moved to L.A. in 1957 after his license to perform in New York was suspended after a drug conviction, composed the album's next three songs—Mirror Mind Rose; One Second, Please; and Sims A-Plenty. The first is a mournful ballad, the second is a hard-bop twister and the third is a quick spirited, jagged song that showcases Hope's piano chops and Bolton's trumpet. [Photo above of Elmo Hope by Francis Wolff (c)Mosaic Images]
This album is also important for its inclusion of Bolton, one of jazz's least known and barely recorded bright lights. Bolton was among those extraordinary artists who had the misfortune of being incarcerated for extended periods of their adult lives for crimes related to drug addiction. [Photo above of Harold Land, left, and Dupree Bolton by Bob Skeetz]
Bolton appeared on The Fox after being released from Terminal Island Correctional Institution in L.A. Soon after the album was recorded, Bolton was re-arrested and sent to San Quentin State Prison. He would record only one other studio album, Katanga, led by saxophonist Curtis Amy. [Photo above of Dupree Bolton]
Land's Little Chris is a pretty composition with a Horace Silver feel and was written for Land's then 9-year-old son, who went on to become a jazz pianist. One Down by Hope is a smart hard-bop anthem. Dig Butler's drum solo toward the end. [Photo above of Frank Butler]
Said Land of Hope in conversation with Feather: "Elmo was equally talented as a soloist and composer but with a difference. He expresses things in his writing you don't hear in his playing. In his solos, he's loose and free, while in his writing there's a sense of form. His lines are involved, yet never lost continuity. Elmo truly had a touch of genius. I was in awe of him."
While the individual players here are special, the biggest reward is the sound of all of them together, from Land's darting saxophone and Bolton's Clifford Brown-inspired horn to Frank Butler's dancing drum figures, Hope's leathery bop and Lewis' rolling bass lines. The sound is akin to listening to a casino dealer shuffle cards. The tight unity is something else. Kudos to the late producer David Axelrod.
Best of all,The Fox is newly available on 180-gram vinyl from Craft Recordings, a division of Concord, complete with its 1969 cover and Feather's liner notes on the back. Bernie Grundman handled the updated mastering. You'll find the LP here.
Must read: Ted Gioia's two-part essay and interview with Dupree Bolton here
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Harold Land's The Fox (Craft) remastered as a digital download here.
It also can be found on major streaming platforms.
Coming this Saturday, April 20, for Record Store Day, is a new four-LP set by Sonny Rollins—Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings. Released by Resonance Records—the nonprofit label co-led by George Klabin and Zev Feldman—the album features for the first time all of the known recordings by the Sonny Rollins Trio performed while on tour in Europe between March 2 and 11 in 1959. The CD and digital formats will follow on April 25. Having listened to all three formats, the sound is sterling.
The trio featured Sonny on tenor saxophone, Henry Grimes on bass and three different drummers—Pete La Roca, Joe Harris and Kenny Clarke— depending on the venue. The cities covered on the album are Stockholm; Zurich, Switzerland; Laren, Holland; Frankfurt, West Germany; Aix-en-Provence, France. [Photo above, from left, of Pete La Roca, Henry Grimes and Sonny Rollins Jean-Pierre Leloir]
Seven of the Stockholm tracks and the five from Zurich were issued in 2016 on The Sonny Rollins Trio & Horace Silver Quintet: Zurich 1959, part of the Swiss Radio Days Jazz Series (go here). To Zev's point in the liners, the new issue is the first time the material is being issued with restored sound and the blessing of Sonny, who is benefiting from the album financially. Kudos to Zev for looking after the interests of legacy musicians featured in releases.
Regarding the earlier 2016 Swiss release, Sonny said at the time, "While this recording is indeed legal under Swiss law, to release a broadcast such as this after the 50-year copyright period has expired, without any payment or even notification to the artists involved, is unfair. Although this may be a 'legal' release according to Swiss law, it remains, in my view, illegal and completely unauthorized. I never entered into any agreement at any time with these people or with anyone for a recording to be made of our performance or for it to be released." [Photo above of Sonny Rollins by Chuck Stewart, courtesy of Resonance Records]
What makes the new Freedom Weaver album and its 26 tracks so indispensable is that they were the last recordings by Sonny before his famed Williamsburg Bridge sabbatical, which lasted from spring 1959 to late 1961. So by definition, you are listening to music that frustrated Sonny and motivated him to create a new approach on his instrument. By frustrated, I mean tired of the same approach and not satisfying or ground-breaking, which is what he sought to do with his extended break.
Today, we are more forgiving than he was, since all of Sonny Rollins' recordings have value for his tone, passion and their sheer beauty as well as improvisational architecture. His playing here is fluid, fleet and warm, and the risks he takes are novel and stunning.
The reason I love this album is for his exasperation and attempts to go further, both of which bleed through the music. At this point in time, tenor saxophonist John Coltrane had overtaken Sonny in terms of prowess, prestige and an innovative new sound. Coltrane's work with the Miles Davis Sextet had been monumental and his Giant Steps album would be a game-changer. Davis' Kind of Blue was being recorded in March and April of 1959 and Coltrane's Giant Steps was being recorded in May. Both would become among the greatest post-war jazz albums recorded, and Sonny surely knew about both projects, at least through the grapevine. [Photo above of Sonny Rollins by Bob Parent]
In places on the new set, one can hear Sonny's angst and, to some extent, his boredom and uncertainty about his next move. Despite the artistic struggle and self-doubt, his playing is extraordinary, even if he was displeased that it wasn't on the cutting edge of jazz's next frontier.
Among the high points are There Will Never Be Another You (listen how inventively he deals with the standard), Paul's Pal (all versions) and Lady Bird, which features the Sonny at his remarkable best delivering a remarkable workout, especially on the second half. Especially interesting is his intro on I Want to Be Happy #1, which employs the same attack he'd use to open The Bridge three years later.
In March 1959, Sonny may no longer have been the most innovative and commanding tenor saxophonist on the scene, but as this set proves, he was still a powerhouse romantic looking to find a way to be himself and break new ground. Several months later, the solution would be to stop performing and recording, and spend hours on the Williamsburg Bridge practicing. Whether all that bridge work paid off, ultimately, is a topic for another post down the road.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find the four-LP set of Sonny Rollins' Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings (Resonance) at your local record store. To find a vinyl retailer near you, go here.
The three-CD set and digital download can be found here.
The album also will be streamed on major platforms.
JazzWax clips: Here's There Will Never Be Another You...
This week in The Wall Street Journal, I interviewed Kyle MacLachlan for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Kyle is in a new futuristic series called Fallout. [Photo above of Kyle MacLachlan in Fallout by JoJo Whilden/Prime Video]
A special thanks to WPIX hosts Dan and Hazel and producer Marcia for having me on their morning show live last week to talk about my book, Anatomy of 55 More Songs. Go here...
What I'm watching.
Last week...
Who is Erin Carter? (2003)—British crime thriller about a British-born schoolteacher living in Barcelona, Spain, with her daughter and husband. During an armed robbery at a grocery store, the teacher defends herself and her daughter by neutralizing one of the thieves and reveals her expert fighting skills and raises questions about who she is really. The best part of the film is that, for a change, a woman is kicking everyone's ass. (Netflix)
The Bricklayer (2023)—A typical guy film complete with a CIA agent drawn out of retirement to track down a double agent everyone thought was dead. Nonstop action, car chases and twists that all take place in Greece. (Netflix)
Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans—(2024/FX, with streaming on Hulu)
Fisk—(2021/Netflix)
The Gentlemen—(2024/Netflix)
Godless—(2017/Netflix)
Goliath—(2016-2021/Prime)
The Gilded Age—(current/Max)
High Water—(2022/Netflix)
Homeland—(2011-2020/Showtime)
Jane Eyre—(2006/Britbox)
Justified—(2010-2015/Hulu)
Life & Beth—(Seasons 1& 2, 2022-present/Hulu)
Lincoln Lawyer—(2022-present/Netflix)
Loudermilk—(2017-2020/Netflix)
MI-5, the Series—(2002-2011/BritBox)
Monsieur Spade—(2024/AMC)
Murdaugh Murders: The Movie, Parts 1 and 2—(2023/Lifetime)
1923—(2022-present/Paramount+)
1883—(2021-2022/Prime)
Outlander—(2014-present/Netflix)
Pieces of Her—(2022/Netflix)
Poldark—(2015-2019/Prime)
Reacher—(2016-present/Netflix)
Ripley—(2024/Netflix)
Scott & Bailey (2011-2016/Prime)
Turn: Washington's Spies—(2014-2017/Prime)
Unbelievable—(2019/Netflix)
Veronica Mars—(2004 to 2019/Hulu)
The Watcher—(2022/Netflix)
The Way Home—(2023-current/Peacock)
The Woman in the Wall—(2024/Showtime)
Yellowstone—(2018-present/Paramount Network)
Films
The Accountant—(2016/Hulu)
American Gangster—(2007/Max).
Armageddon Time—(2022/Prime)
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs—(2018/Netflix)
The Ballad of Lefty Brown—(2017/Netflix)
The Dig—(2021/Netflix)
Eiffel—(2021/Prime)
Enola Holmes 1 and 2—(2022/Netflix)
The Equalizer 1, 2 and 3—(2014-2024/Prime)
Fury—(2014/Netflix)
God's Country—(2022/Hulu)
Guy Ritchie's The Covenant—(2023/Prime)
Jack Reacher (the movie)—(2012/Paramount+)
Kill Chain—(2019/Max)
Knight and Day—(2010/Roku)
Last Night in Soho—(2021/Prime)
Last Seen Alive—(2020/Netflix)
The Little Things—(2021/Netflix)
Man on Fire—(2004/Max)
MI-5—(2015/Max)
The Mule—(2018/Netflix)
The Night Agent—(2023/Netflix)
Nobody—(2021/Prime)
Ordinary Angels—(2024)
Purple Hearts—(2022/Netflix)
The Queen's Gambit—(2020/Netflix)
Queenpins—(2021/Pluto TV)
Reptile—(2023/Netflix)
The Secret: Dare to Dream—(2020/Netflix)
Self Reliance—(2023/Hulu)
Seraphim Falls—(2006/Netflix)
Somewhere in Queens—(2022/Hulu)
The Spy—(2019/Netflix)
Spy(les)—(2009/Prime)
The Stranger—(2022/Netflix)
Toscana—(2022/Netflix)
The Two Popes—(2019/Netflix)
Wonder Wheel—(2017/Prime)
Documentaries
Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake—(2022/Netflix)
Carole King: Live in Central Park—(2023/PBS)
The Comeback—(2005 and 2014/Max)
Cunk on Earth—(2022/Netflix)
Facing Nolan—(2022/Netflix)
Five Came Back—(2017/Netflix)
The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari—(2022/Netflix)
'Tis Autumn: The Search for Jackie Paris—(2007/go here)
Shorty Rogers. Sunday, April 14, is Shorty Rogers' centennial. Following my post last week on the trumpeter/flugelhornist, composer, arranger and band leader, I heard from Von Babasin, son of the legendary West Coast bassist Harry Babasin. [Photo above of Shorty Rogers]
Von sent along the following fabulous photos from his collection along with a note:
Photo above, from left, bassist Harry Babasin (unseen), drummer Shelly Manne (unseen), trumpeter Shorty Rogers and pianist Marty Paich at the Trade Winds in Inglewood, Ca., in 1952, courtesy of Von Babasin.
Photo above, from left, Harry Babasin with a cello, Shorty Rogers, Shelly Manne and Marty Paich at the Trade Winds in Inglewood, Ca., in 1952, courtesy of Von Babasin.
Photo above, musicians on a break. From left, Shorty Rogers, Shelly Manne, Barbara Moran, Herm Hines and Harry Babasin at the Trade Winds in 1952, courtesy of Von Babasin.
Photo above, from left, Shorty Rogers, Shelly Manne, Barbara Moran, Herm Mines, Harry Babasin and Marty Paich at the Trade Winds in 1952, courtesy of Von Babasin.
Here's Von's note:
Hi Marc. I saw you honored Shorty Rogers, who would become an important part of Nocturne Records, co-founded by my dad, Harry, and Roy Harte in 1954. I thought JazzWax readers would enjoy the photos above of Shorty playing with my father at one of Dad's hosted jam sessions in 1952 at the Trade Winds in Inglewood. The photos were taken on a Monday night, during the "Sessions in Jazz" jams that Herm Hines sponsored. Next to him is his friend Barbara Moran.
Who was Herm Hines? He had a talent-management company called the Clark-Hines Agency: Artist Representatives on Sunset Blvd. Above, an article mentions him. I also sent along a few ads and a post card from the company with the 1952 calendar. I'm almost certain he represented Dad for some time. These jam sessions resulted in Chet Baker's first-ever recording and the famous meeting of Charlie Parker and Chet, which resulted in the album Live at the Trade Winds on Fresh Sound (go here).
David Spinozza. Following my Backgrounder post on Johnny Hodges recently, I heard from the legendary session guitarist David Spinozza, who played on Hodges' 3 Shades of Blue (1970).
Hey Marc. Johnny Hodges' "3 Shades of Blue" has always stuck out in my mind for so several reasons. Back in those days, I was just coming onto the New York recording scene. I was always in love with big band writing and arranging, so I frequently went to the Village Vanguard on Monday nights to hear the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis band. I knew a lot of the cats in that band and played on many R&B recording sessions that included many of the band's musicians.
I didn't do many straight ahead jazz recordings and gigs though. My reputation for being able to sight read and improvise was getting around. I remember worrying about being found out that I wasn't the sight reader they thought I was. I was so young and naive that when I got the call to play on "3 Shades of Blue," I really didn't know who Johnny Hodges was. No kidding!
One of the arrangements by Oliver Nelson called for me to play a fast single note line in unison with the sax section as an intro to one of the songs. When the sax section asked Oliver if we could rehearse it at a much slower tempo, because they were having a hard time reading it, I thought to myself, this is the session when everyone is going to realize I'm not the reader they think I am. I was absolutely mortified! If the best woodwind players in New York can't play it, I'm toast.
Lucky for me, the recording engineer came over the studio speaker and said the tape machine was having a problem and called for a 15-minute break while it was fixed. Well, I saw my opportunity, so I grabbed my chart off the stand and went into the bathroom. There, I threw up from total fear and sat in a stall and sang the part to myself until I had it memorized. When they finally called us back in, I played the part. I felt I had dodged a gigantic bullet.
Now here's the really funny part. I was so proud of myself that on the next few sessions, when I ran into some of the woodwind players that had been on those dates, I would brag about having played with "Jerry Hodges." I still didn't know his correct name. Those woodwind cats made fun of me for years. And deservedly so!
Ahmad Jamal and Yusef Laeef played together in 2012. They were backed by Manolo Badrena (p), Reginald Veal (b) and Herlin Riley (d). Go here...
James Bond Theme was recorded in London by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra at Abbey Road's Studio One in 2022. Go here...
Horace Silver. Bret Primack, also known as the Jazz Video Guy, is planning a documentary on pianist-composer and hard-bop forefather Horace Silver. To fund the project, he has launched a Go Fund Me page. You'll find his post on the Silver project here and the Go Fund Me page here.
You can view his Jimmy Heath documentary, Passing the Torch (2017), here.
Elza Laranjeira, a terrific Brazilian pop singer, recorded just four albums. Here's Sei from her 1962 LP, Ternura...
And finally,here's Cilla Black with Paul McCartney on acoustic guitar running down his song Step Inside Love, in 1967. McCartney's song for Black would be used for her BBC TV show theme in 1968...
For those in the know, Johnny Alf has long been thought of as the father of the bossa nova. Whether that statement is completely accurate or whether he was merely a significant influence has been hotly debated over the years. Even if the Brazilian singer-songwriter wasn't the bossa's earliest pure exponent, his softly romantic, Johnny Mathis-like vocal style, his jazzy sense of swing and his rich melodies certainly held sway over many of the artists who would become identified with the bossa nova movement, such as João Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Carlos Lyra, and others.
The recording that documents Alf's earliest bossa approach was the 1956 single Rapaz de Bem (Good Boy), which appeared on the A-side of a Copacabana 78rpm, with O Tempo e o Vento (Time and the Wind) on the flip. Alf had written the song in 1953. In 1959, Jonas Silva was among the first to cover Alf's Rapaz de Bem, with João Gilberto on guitar, Ed Lincoln on piano, João Donato on trombone, Bebeto Castilho on bass and Milton Banana on drums.
In 1961, Alf re-recorded Rapaz de Bem as the title track of his first LP and recorded it again on his 1963 album Johnny Alf Sings in English, which wasn't released immediately.
Once the bossa nova became popular, Alf refused to join the many Brazilian artists who traveled to New York to perform at Carnegie Hall in November 1962. As he said in a later interview, "I always played in my own style. I had the idea of joining Brazilian music with jazz. I try to bring everything together to achieve an agreeable result.”
Here's Alf's staggeringly beautiful 1961 album Rapaz de Bem without ad interruptions...
In early 2008, just months after I started JazzWax, I listened to Yusef Lateef's 1968 album The Golden Flute and fell in love with it. So much so that I wanted to interview him. But when I went to his site, I came face to face with a black-and-white photo of Yusef set under an ominous sky. Yusef seemed to be put out, glaring at the lens (photo below). Daunting, for sure, but I called him anyway.
We spent an hour on the phone, and Yusef turned out to be a warm and lovely guy, nothing like the image in the photo. Which is true of most jazz greats. The cool detachment is really part of the music's branding and rarely true of the artists on an individual basis. I do remember he gently explained that he didn't like the word jazz because it carried with it connotations that debased the exceptional quality and emotionalism of the music and artists. Instead, he called it autophysiopsychic music.
I tell you all of this about Yusef because among the many offerings for Record Store Day (April 20), Elemental Music—co-founded by Jordi Soley and Carlos Agustín Calembert—is issuing Yusef Lateef: Atlantis Lullaby. Produced for release by Zev Feldman, the 180-gram double-LP set features a newly unearthed live performance by the exceptional Yusef Lateef Quartet in Avignon, France, in July 1972. The group here consists of Yusef (ss,ts,fl), Kenny Barron (p), Bob Cunningham (b) and Albert "Tootie" Heath (d,Indian flute on Lowland Lullaby). Tootie passed away on April 3. [Photo above of Kenny Barron by (c)Tom Copi]
The music on this set ranges from a march-time blues (Yusef's Mood), a folk ballad (Lowland Lullaby) and a suite (The Untitled) to soul-jazz (Eboness), modal (Inside Atlantis) and a standard (I'm Getting Sentimental Over You). In addition, the tracks show off Yusef's mastery of three instruments plus Kenny Barron's piano virtuosity. Bob Cunningham's bass and Tootie's drums are noteworthy as well for their solo turns and engaging intricacy. [Photo above of Bob Cunningham]
The tracks:
Inside Atlantis (Kenny Barron)
A Flower (Kenny Barron)
Yusef's Mood (Yusef Lateef)
Lowland Lullaby (Albert Heath)
Eboness (Roy Brooks)
I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
The Untitled (Kenny Barron)
Important new music from an acoustic quartet that found work opportunities, artistic freedom and a highly receptive audience in Europe in 1972. Audio archeology continues to amaze as new jazz concert and studio recordings are found in Europe. [Photo above of Albert "Tootie" Heath]
JazzWax tracks: This vinyl set will be available only on April 20 at your local record store. To find a record store near you, go here.
You'll find the two-CD set available starting on April 26 here.
Record Store Day is coming on April 20. In celebration of vinyl retailers who spin music in their stores, answer music questions authoritatively and were instrumental in helping to launch the LP revival of the past 10 years, record labels are releasing special vinyl releases this year that are available only at your friendly neighborhood retailer on the 20th. After that date, you'll have to turn to the aftermarket for them. I'll be featuring some of my favorites leading up to the 20th.
At your local record store, look for two Cannonball Adderley double-LPs of previously unissued music from Elemental Music, a label formed in 2012 by producer Zev Feldman and Spanish producer Jordi Soley. The first is Cannonball Adderley: Burnin' in Bordeaux, Live in France 1969. The quintet features Adderley (as), Nat Adderley (cornet), Joe Zawinul (p,el p), Victor Gaskin (b) and Roy McCurdy (d). Recorded at the Alhambra Theatre in Bordeaux, France, on March 14, 1969, the record is a mix of hard bop, stormy fusion and soul-jazz hits such as Work Song and the ever-sexy Mercy, Mercy, Mercy. The album also features the first known recording of Zawinul's Experience in E.
The second Adderley double-LP is even better and was recorded on October 25, 1972, at the Olympia Theatre in Paris as part of the Paris Jazz Festival. The lineup here is Adderley (as), Nat Adderley (cornet), George Duke (p,el p), Walter Booker (b) and Roy McCurdy (d). The album opens with a superb, 20-minute-plus rendition of George Duke's Black Messiah. It's a masterpiece. Booker's Soli Tomba also is spectacular, especially with Duke's Fender Rhodes keyboard.
Cory Weeds' Reel to Real label is issuing two double albums—Shelly Manne & His Men: Jazz From the Pacific Northwest and Brother Jack McDuff: Ain't No Sunshine. Both previously unreleased live recordings are pressed on 180-gram vinyl.
Shelly Manne & His Men: Jazz From the Pacific Northwest provides a feel for what this group sounded like on the road. The first record features the Manne ensemble performing at the first Monterey Jazz Festival on October 4, 1958. The group included Stu Williamson (tp), Herb Geller (as), Russ Freeman (p), Monty Budwig (b) and Manne (d). The show-stopper is Bill Holman's Quartet (Suite in Four Movements), a piece he wrote specifically for the quintet.
The second Shelly Manne disc was recorded on September 7 and 15, 1966 at the Penthouse club in Seattle. The lineup here is Conte Candoli (tp), Frank Strozier (as,fl), Hampton Hawes (p), Monty Budwig (b), Manne (d) and Ruth Price (voc).
Brother Jack McDuff: Ain't No Sunshine showcases the organist live at the Gallery in Seattle on September 13, 1972. He's backed by an unknown trumpeter and Leo Johnson (ts,fl,cl), Dave Young (ts,sop), Vinnie Corrao (g) and Ron Davis (d). The soul-jazz ensemble delivers peppery funk and leans hard into jazz, with McDuff's organ acting as a giant spoon stirring the cauldron. Included is a 13-minute-plus, spellbinding Three Blind Mice, a nearly 9-minute Ain't No Sunshine and a sultry I'm Getting Sentimental Over You. McDuff's own Blues 1 & 8 shows off the organist's groove.
All of these Record Store Day products have their merits, particularly the Adderley 1972 set. All of the above will be out on CD and as digital downloads and streaming in May but not on vinyl. You have one day to grab them, on April 20.
JazzWax tracks: To find a record store near you, go here.
So many jazz orchestral albums today are long-winded and devoid of swing. There are interminable suites, spoken narration, solos that last too long and songs without much of a musical story to tell or sell. And then there's the Gary Urwin Jazz Orchestra. Based in Los Angeles, the 18-piece band is comprised of the city's best studio musicians and has recorded five albums since 2000. Their new one, Flying Colors (Summit), is first-rate and returns to the jazz orchestra's roots.
Gary, a trumpeter, composer, arranger and conductor, grew up in Toledo, Ohio, and studied music and psychology at Oberlin College. There, he formed, directed and arranged for the Oberlin Big Band. Nearly 45 years ago, Gary left town and moved to Los Angeles, where he formed the Gary Urwin Jazz Orchestra. He also studied for his law degree at the UCLA School of Law. A strategic plan B. During his early years in L.A., Gary recorded with Pat Longo and His Super Big Band and Harry Goldson's big band. [Photo above of Gary Urwin]
Among the top musicians who have appeared as soloists in Gary's orchestra are trumpeters Bobby Shew and Carl Saunders (above), trombonist Bill Watrous, tenor saxophonist Pete Christlieb, flutist Ali Ryerson and guitarist John Pisano.
The tracks on Flying Colors:
This I Dig of You (Hank Mobley)
Let's Fall in Love
Day in the Life of a Fool
You Don't Know What Love Is
Red Clay
Theme From "Vertigo" (Bernard Hermann)
Short Stop (Shorty Rogers)
Almost Like Being Love
Polka Dots and Moonbeams
Spur of the Moment (Gary Urwin)
Tunnel at the End of the Light (Carl Saunders)
My Buddy
The soloists:
Trumpets: Carl Saunders (1,4,5,6,8,9,10,11), Wayne Bergeron (1,3)
Piano: Christian Jacob (1,3,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12)
Tenor saxophone: Pete Christlieb (1,2,5,6,8,11)
Trombone: Scott Whitfield (2,7,11)
English horn: Phil Feather (2)
Flute/soprano sax: Rusty Higgins (2,5)
Cello: Cathy Blagini (10)
Piccolo trumpet: Bobby Burns Jr. (7)
My suggestion is to listen to the album several times. Gary and the band really are quite remarkable, which becomes more apparent each time you hear the tracks. The band's sound is a throwback to the West Coast of the 1950s and the swinging studio band era, delivering a lyrical story with a one-two punch.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Gary Urwin Jazz Orchestra and Friends' Flying Colors (Summit) here and on most major streaming platforms.
JazzWax clips:Here'sThis I Dig of You, with Pete Christlieb on tenor saxophone and Carl Saunders and Wayne Bergeron on trumpets...
Sunday, April 14, will mark the 100th anniversary of Shorty Rogers' birth. The trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer and arranger who was a founding father of West Coast jazz died in 1994 from melanoma at age 70. [Photo above of Shorty Rogers]
Today, in advanced celebration of Rogers' contribution to jazz, I've assembled 10 of my favorite clips plus three bonus clips:
Here's one of Rogers' first recorded arrangements of Heads Up for Woody Herman's Woodchoppers combo performed in March 1946 at Carnegie Hall. The Woodchoppers featured Sonny Berman (tp), Bill Harris (tb), Woody Herman (cl), Flip Phillips (ts), Red Norvo (vib), Tony Aless (p), Billy Bauer (g), Chubby Jackson (b) and Don Lamond (d) ...
Here's Rogers' composition and arrangement of Jolly Rogers on February 5, 1950 for Stan Kenton, one of the very first charts by Rogers with his distinctive West Coast jazz sound, with solos by Rogers and Art Pepper. The band: Buddy Childers, Maynard Ferguson, Shorty Rogers, Chico Alvarez and Don Paladino (tp); Milt Bernhart, Harry Betts and Bob Fitzpatrick (tb); Bill Russo (tb); Bart Varsalona (b-tb); John Graas and Lloyd Otto (fhr); Gene Englund (tu); Bud Shank and Art Pepper (as,fl); Bob Cooper and Bart Caldarell (ts); Bob Gioga (bar); Stan Kenton (p); Laurindo Almeida (g); Don Bagley (b) and Shelly Manne (d)...
Here'sSam and the Lady in October 1951 with Shorty Rogers and His Giants : Shorty Rogers (tp,arr), John Graas (fhr), Gene Englund (tu), Art Pepper (as), Jimmy Giuffre (ts), Hampton Hawes (p), Don Bagley (b) and Shelly Manne (d)...
Here's Shorty Rogers and His Orchestra, featuring his Giants, on Coup de Graas from March 1953, with a terrific West Coast big band: Shorty Rogers, Conrad Gozzo, Maynard Ferguson, Tom Reeves and John Howell (tp); Milt Bernhart, John Halliburton and Harry Betts (tb); John Graas (fhr); Gene Englund (tu); Art Pepper (as) and Bud Shank (as); Jimmy Giuffre (ts,cl); Bob Cooper (bar); Marty Paich (p); Curtis Counce (b) and Shelly Manne (d)...
Here's Rogers' arrangement of Ten Cents a Dance for the Dave Pell Octet in June 1954: Don Fagerquist (tp), Ray Sims (tb), Dave Pell (ts), Ronnie Lang (bar,fl), Donn Trenner (p), Tony Rizzi (g), Rollie Bundock (b) and Bill Richmond (d), with a superb short trumpet solo by Fagerquist...
Here'sElaine's Lullaby arranged by Rogers for his Augmented Giants in September 1954, with Rogers (tp), Milt Bernhart and Bob Enevoldsen (tb), Jimmy Giuffre (cl,ts,bar), Lennie Niehaus and Bud Shank (as), Zoot Sims (ts), Pete Jolly (p), Barney Kessel (g), Curtis Counce (b) and Shelly Manne (d)...
Here'sAudition, from Shorty Rogers and His Giants' soundtrack recording for the film The Man With the Golden Arm, in November 1955. Conducted by Elmer Bernstein, the band consisted of Ray Linn, Pete Candoli, Conte Candoli and Buddy Childers (tp); Shorty Rogers (flhrn); Milt Bernhart, Harry Betts and Frank Rosolino (tb); George Roberts (b-tb); Bud Shank, Bob Cooper, Bill Holman and Jack Montrose (ts); Jimmy Giuffre (bar); Lou Levy (p); Ralph Pena (b) and Shelly Manne (d). Dig Manne's drums throughout...
Here'sI Could Write a Book in February 1957 from Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers, with Rogers, Conte Candoli, Pete Candoli, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Maynard Ferguson and Al Porcino (tp); Milt Bernhart, Bob Burgess and Frank Rosolino (tb); George Roberts (b-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)...
Here'sGrand Slam from Portrait of Shorty in August 1957 with Shorty Rogers (tp,flhrn); Al Porcino, Conrad Gozzo, Don Fagerquist, Conte Candoli and Pete Candoli (tp); Frank Rosolino, George Roberts and Harry Betts (tb); Bob Enevoldsen (v-tb); Herb Geller (as,ts); Richie Kamuca, Jack Montrose and Bill Holman (ts); Pepper Adams (bar); Lou Levy (p); Monty Budwig (b) and Stan Levey (d)...
And here's Shorty Rogers and His Orchestra, Featuring the Giants playing A Very Special Love in December 1958, with Rogers (flhrn); Don Fagerquist, Pete Candoli, Conte Candoli, Ollie Mitchell, Al Porcino and Ray Triscari (tp); Bob Enevoldsen (v-tb); Harry Betts, Dick Nash and Ken Shroyer (tb); Paul Horn and Bud Shank (cl,fl,as); Bill Holman and Richie Kamuca (ts); Chuck Gentry (bar); Red Norvo (vib); Pete Jolly (p); Howard Roberts and Barney Kessel (g); Monty Budwig (b) and Mel Lewis (d)...
Bonus clips:Here's Shorty Rogers in 1958 on TV's Peter Gunn, with vocalist Lola Albright...
Here's Shorty Rogers in 1962 on TV's Frankly Jazz, hosted by Frank Evans, playing Time Was, with Rogers (flhrn), Gary Lefebvre (ts), Lou Levy (p), Gary Peacock (p) and Larry Bunker (d)...
And here's Rogers in 1983 with His Giants playing Infinity Promenade, featuring Rogers (flhrn), Bud Shank (as), Jimmy Giuffre and Bob Cooper (ts), Bill Perkins (bs), Peter Jolly (p), Monty Budwig (b) and Shelly Manne (d)...
In The Wall Street Journal this week, I interviewed actor Giancarlo Esposito for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Giancarlo pops up everywhere now. In addition to major roles in Kaleidoscope, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul and The Gentlemen, he currently stars in AMC’s crime-drama series Parish. [Photo above of Giancarlo Esposito in Parish by Eliot Brasseaux/AMC]
Ripley (2024)—This is a psychological thriller series based on Patricia Highsmith's 1955 crime novel The Talented Mr. Ripley. In short, Ripley is a loser-grifter who manages to weasel his way into a wealthy family after being sent to Italy to bring home the son of a New York shipbuilder. While the book was made into an American movie of the same name in 1999, this eight-episode series is much more remarkable. For one, Robert Elswit is sure to win an Emmy for cinematography. The film is in black and white, and every scene is a work of art. Also, it's a rush how they managed to recreate the look, sound and feel of New York in 1961. (Netflix)
The Little Things (2021)—A psychological crime film that takes place in the 1990s as two detectives (Denzel Washington and Rami Malek) try to find a serial killer. Though the script has flaws, particularly toward the end, Denzel is good in virtually anything, and Jared Leto, the suspect, received several awards for his haunting performance. (Netflix)
Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans—(2024/FX, with streaming on Hulu)
Fisk—(2021/Netflix)
The Gentlemen—(2024/Netflix)
Godless—(2017/Netflix)
Goliath—(2016-2021/Prime)
The Gilded Age—(current/Max)
High Water—(2022/Netflix)
Homeland—(2011-2020/Showtime)
Jane Eyre—(2006/Britbox)
Justified—(2010-2015/Hulu)
Life & Beth—(Seasons 1& 2, 2022-present/Hulu)
Lincoln Lawyer—(2022-present/Netflix)
Loudermilk—(2017-2020/Netflix)
MI-5, the Series—(2002-2011/BritBox)
Monsieur Spade—(2024/AMC)
Murdaugh Murders: The Movie, Parts 1 and 2—(2023/Lifetime)
1923—(2022-present/Paramount+)
1883—(2021-2022/Prime)
Outlander—(2014-present/Netflix)
Pieces of Her—(2022/Netflix)
Poldark—(2015-2019/Prime)
Reacher—(2016-present/Netflix)
Scott & Bailey (2011-2016/Prime)
Turn: Washington's Spies—(2014-2017/Prime)
Unbelievable—(2019/Netflix)
Veronica Mars—(2004 to 2019/Hulu)
The Watcher—(2022/Netflix)
The Way Home—(2023-current/Peacock)
The Woman in the Wall—(2024/Showtime)
Yellowstone—(2018-present/Paramount Network)
Films
The Accountant—(2016/Hulu)
American Gangster—(2007/Max).
Armageddon Time—(2022/Prime)
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs—(2018/Netflix)
The Ballad of Lefty Brown—(2017/Netflix)
The Dig—(2021/Netflix)
Eiffel—(2021/Prime)
Enola Holmes 1 and 2—(2022/Netflix)
The Equalizer 1, 2 and 3—(2014-2024/Prime)
Fury—(2014/Netflix)
God's Country—(2022/Hulu)
Guy Ritchie's The Covenant—(2023/Prime)
Jack Reacher (the movie)—(2012/Paramount+)
Kill Chain—(2019/Max)
Knight and Day—(2010/Roku)
Last Night in Soho—(2021/Prime)
Last Seen Alive—(2020/Netflix)
Man on Fire—(2004/Max)
MI-5—(2015/Max)
The Mule—(2018/Netflix)
The Night Agent—(2023/Netflix)
Nobody—(2021/Prime)
Ordinary Angels—(2024)
Purple Hearts—(2022/Netflix)
The Queen's Gambit—(2020/Netflix)
Queenpins—(2021/Pluto TV)
Reptile—(2023/Netflix)
The Secret: Dare to Dream—(2020/Netflix)
Self Reliance—(2023/Hulu)
Seraphim Falls—(2006/Netflix)
Somewhere in Queens—(2022/Hulu)
The Spy—(2019/Netflix)
Spy(les)—(2009/Prime)
The Stranger—(2022/Netflix)
Toscana—(2022/Netflix)
The Two Popes—(2019/Netflix)
Wonder Wheel—(2017/Prime)
Documentaries
Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake—(2022/Netflix)
Carole King: Live in Central Park—(2023/PBS)
The Comeback—(2005 and 2014/Max)
Cunk on Earth—(2022/Netflix)
Facing Nolan—(2022/Netflix)
Five Came Back—(2017/Netflix)
The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari—(2022/Netflix)
'Tis Autumn: The Search for Jackie Paris—(2007/go here
Bud Freeman. Last week, Michael Bloom of Michael Bloom Media Relations sent along an email wondering if I knew of Bud Freeman's 1960 album Midnight Session (Dot), with a vocalist named Mary Mulligan, who sings three tracks. I did, but I was never impressed with Mulligan, who sounds like Marilyn Monroe had she lived into her mid-70s. Tenor saxophonist Bud Freeman is quite good, but the real star of the album is pianist Jimmy Jones. My apologies to Michael. I said the woman on the cover was a likely a model. In fact, it is Mulligan. [Photo above of Bud Freeman]
Pete Jolly—Seasons (Future Days). Long out of print on vinyl, Pete Jolly's Seasons is now available once again on LP. The reissue has been remastered from its original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed at RTI on two special color variants: clear amber and clear light green. Both are available exclusively at LightintheAttic.net. Originally released on A&M Records in 1970, the album produced by Herb Alpert featured Jolly on piano and a range of electric keyboards. The group included Pete Jolly (p,el-p,org,musette,accor,Sano Vox), John Pisano (g), Chuck Berghofer (b), Paul Humphrey (d), Milt Holland and Emil Richards (perc) plus a brass section, dubbed on the first track arranged, by Bill Holman. You'll find the album here and on streaming platforms.
Rasmus Sørensen—Balancing Act (April Records).This new album by the Danish pianist was recorded in New York and features six tracks—three originals and three covers. Rasmus is backed by Alexander Claffy on bass and Kendrick Scott on drums. He moved to New York in 2018 to attend the Manhattan School of Music on a full scholarship. Rasmus plays with grace and introspection, and Claffy and Scott feed freely into his approach. You'll find the album here and on streaming platforms.
Here's the trio's version of Duke Pearson's Is That So?...
Billie Holiday radio. On Sunday (April 7), WKCR-FM in New York will host its annual "Billie Holiday Birthday Broadcast," spinning the vocalist's recordings for 24 hours. Tune in starting at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Saturday night. You can listen from anywhere in the world by going here.
And finally, before Michael Jackson's Off the Wall (1979) shattered pop sales records and paved the way for Thriller (1982), he had this little-known disco track in 1977 with the Jacksons. Go here...
Marc Myers writes regularly for The Wall Street Journal and is author of "Anatomy of 55 More Songs," "Anatomy of a Song," "Rock Concert: An Oral History" and "Why Jazz Happened." Founded in 2007, JazzWax has won three Jazz Journalists Association awards.
