Pee Wee Russell - Everest recordings

I was gonna do a clarinet week, this was to be the first offering. I plan to do lots of things. Sometimes things don't work out as planned. You should still give an ear to this lp. An Everest recording, there is little info to be gleaned from the sleeve.

I remember a time when I would have viewed this music as "simple". I could not have been farther off base and I am so glad I came to appreciate the long history of jazz.

Pee Wee Russell

1. Out of Nowhere
2. Pee Wee Blues
3. I Used To Love You
4. Oh! No!
5. That Old Feeling
6. I've Got The World On A String
7. Exactly Like You
8. It All Depends On You
9. If I Had You

Pee Wee Russell - clarinet
Ruby Braff - trumpet
Bud Freeman - tenor sax
Vic Dickenson - trombone
Karl Kiffe - drums
Charles Potter - bass
Nat Pierce - piano and arrangements

FS-233 stereo

Mel Torme - radio transcriptions

These recordings could not sound better on this stifling summer evening.
These sides are from radio transcriptions recorded in the late 40's, the formative years in Torme's career. These are nothing more than a fascinating bit of nostalgia.

This no additional info provided with the lp, which was reissued in 1978 on Glendale records.

I keep threatening to post some vocal lps and hopefully I can get some more up here eventually.

Mel Torme

1. Isn't It A Lovely Day
2. I Can't Get Started
3. Stranger In Town
4. When It's Sleepy Time Down South
5. I Cover The Waterfront
6. Country Boy
7. How Are Things In Glocca Morra
8. The Blues
9. April In Paris
10. How Long Has This Been Going On?
11. Cottage For Sale
12. Gone With The Wind

material licensed from the C. P. MacGregor library

GL 6007

The Definitive Jazz Scene Vol 1 - Impulse Comp

It seems like I have owned this record forever, pulling it out every couple of years to be floored once again at all the great music it has that I just never run into elsewhere. Cah-rist! Ellington and Hawkins! Coltrane! Webster! Mingus! Tyner! and more Hawkins!
Of the series of three, and none of them are weak, this is probably my favorite. The two Bean tracks are simply outstanding. And this is the part where I mess with you...this issue has far more detailed notes about the recordings sessions including anecdotes, which the following lps tended to lack. Of course I can't share them with you due to the digital block in my brain.

But I will share as much info as my poor tired fingers will allow....

The Hawkins/Ellington tune was recorded after the session had ended and Hawk talked a few guys into playing one of his favorite Ellington themes, Basie looks back at his roots with a new incarnation of his Kansas City Six. Mingus makes my soul soar with this version of Freedom, while I dig the soprano version of Trane's selection. Hawkins sneaks in again with Shelley Manne on an outtake from their lp. Ben Webster showcases Ellington's "Single Petal Of A Rose". Webster shows up again on Clark Terry's bonus track.
You're gonna have to trust me here...there ain't a bad track on this compilation.
Without doing a whole lot of homework, I will assume that most of these tracks have appeared across the board on the respective artist's releases, but at the time this vinyl was the shit!!

The Definitive Jazz Scene
Vol. 1

1. Solitude
2. Trey of Hearts
3. Single Petal of a Rose
4. Tippie
5. Lisa and Pam
6. Big Nick
7. Avalon
8. Freedom
9. Hammer-Head Waltz
10. Flapstick Blues

1. Duke Ellington - piano, Coleman Hawkins - tenor sax, Ray Nance - violin, Sam Woodyard - drums, Aaron Bell - bass 8/18/62
2. Count Basie - piano, Thad Jones - trumpet, Frank Wess, Eric Dixon - flutes, Freddie Green - guitar, Ed Jones - bass, Sonny Payne - drums 3/22/62
3. Ben Webster - tenor sax, Hank Jones - piano, Richard Davis - bass, Osie Johnson - drums 3/11/64
4. Terry Gibbs - vibes, Kenny Burrell - guitar, Sam Jones - bass, Louis Hayes - drums 1/16/64
5. Shirley Scott - organ, Earl may - bass, Jimmie Cobb - drums 8/22/63
6. John Coltrane - soprano sax, McCoy Tyner - piano, Jimmy Garrison - bass, Elvin Jones - drums 8/11/62
7. Coleman Hawkins - tenor sax, Shelley Manne - drums, Hank Jones - piano, George Duvivier - bass 2/5/62
8. Charles Mingus - bass, narration, Eddie Preston, Richard Williams - trumpets, Britt Woodman - trombone, Don Butterfield - tuba, Jerome Richardson, Dick Hafer, Booker Ervin, Eric Dolphy - saxophones, Jaki Byard - piano, Walter Perkins - drums 10/20/63
9. Clark Terry - trumpet, Phil Woods - alto sax, Ben Webster - tenor sax, Roger Kellaway - piano, Milt Hinton - bass, Walter Perkins - drums 3/13/64
10. McCoy Tyner - piano, Jimmy Garrison - bass, Albert Heath - drums 6/4/63

Impulse A-99