The Definitive Jazz Scene Vol 2 - Impulse Comp

The second set of amazingly unreleased (at the time) sessions from the Impulse stable. Other than the Ray Charles track this is easily as strong as the last batch. Not that the uncle Ray track is a slouch, it just seems a tad outta place. Granted it does make a fine opener.

Highlights for me this time include Shirley Scott doing an instrumental version of the song that was her vocal debut, Coltrane's massive take on contemporary Stan Getz' signature tune and Oliver Nelson making his septet sound huge!

The Definitive Jazz Scene
Vol. 2
1. Without A Song
2. The Blues Ain't Nothin' But Some Pain
3. Moon Over My Annie
4. Night Lights
5. Gloria
6. Dear Old Stockholm
7. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
8. Blues Company
9. Anything I Do

1. Ray Charles - piano; and a whole crapload of people of whom you have never heard. 7/10/63
2. Shirley Scott - organ; Bob Cranshaw - bass; Otis Finch - drums 5/14/64
3. Lionel Hampton - vibes; Clark Terry - flugelhorn; Ben Webster - tenor sax; Hank Jones - piano; Milt Hinton - bass; Osie Johnson - drums 10/28/64
4. Oliver Nelson - arr.; Thad Jones - tp; Phil Woods - alto sax; Phil Bodner - french horn; Pepper Adams - baritone sax; Roger Kelleway - piano; Richard Davis - bass; Grady Tate - drums 11/11/64
5. J.J. Johnson - tb; Harold Malbern, Jr. - piano; Arthur Harper, Jr. - bass; Frank Gant - drums 5/1/64
6. John Coltrane - tenor sax; McCoy Tyner - piano; Jimmy Garrison - bass; Elvin Jones - drums 4/29/64
7. McCoy Tyner - piano; Jimmy Garrison - bass; Albert Heath - drums 6/4/63
8. Manny Alban - arr.; Johnny Coles - tp; Urbie Green - tb; Phil Woods -slto sax; Oliver Nelson - tenor sax; Jim Hall - guitar; George Duvivier - bass, Gus Johnson, Jr. - drums; others 1/12/62
9. Tommy Flanagan - piano; Richard Davis - bass; Connie Kay - drums


Impulse A-100

Charlie Parker - Bird Of Paradise

No images for this were found online and the mindless zombies at Kinko's refused to scan it for me citing copyright concerns. Yeah, I'm sure there are no previous violations involved. Anyway, we have the next best technological invention - the cellphone photo.

The record itself contains no performance info whatsoever, other than the subtitle "Broadcasts of rare and Vitriolic Quality".

I grew up on Dylan and Kinks bootlegs. It never occurred to me what a labor of love some of them must have been. It took far more to get this stuff out there back then than it does now in this digital age.

Oh yeah.. the music itself... Well, Bird does not disappoint, but he rarely does. Highlights include this version of Star Eyes, and Cheryl, which I am not familiar with otherwise. Easy to Love is recorded with live with strings.

Hopefully some Bird aficionado can come along and tell us where these songs originated.

Charlie Parker
The Effervescent Indomitable Bird of Paradise

1. Cool Blues
2. Bernie's Tune
3. Don't Blame Me
4. Wahoo
5. Ornithology
6. Embraceable You
7. Star Eyes
8. Ornithology
9. Dynamo A
10. Embraceable You
11. Your Father's Moustache
12. Moose The Mooche
13. Cheryl
14. Easy To Love

This lp was "styled for Custer billings Jr. Fargo ND. I hope he enjoyed it.

Elysium 8008

Hank Jones - Swings Gigi

Hank Jones could have been a star. Maybe he should have been. I'm not sure what Hank wanted. While his personality may have been understated, his playing was not. But he was never the star.
Here we have an infrequent turn as leader. Even better we have a go at the Lerner/Lowe masterpiece. I love the soundtrack to this musical. It has been translated fantastically many different ways. Put this near the top of the list.

Let us also thank the BCB denizen who passed this record my way. This is a rip from his original vinyl We are humbled.

Hank Gones
Swings Gigi

1. Gigi
2. I'm Not Young Anymore
3. Thank Heavens For Little Girls
4. It's A Bore
5. Say A Prayer For Me Tonight
6. Gossip
7. Waltz At Maxim's
8. The Parisians
9. I Remember It Well
10. The Night They Invented Champagne

Hank Jones - piano
Donald Lamond - drums
Arnold Fishkin - bass
Joe Galbraith - guitar

Golden Crest Records
CR 3042

Okeh Jazz

Okeh was a really cool label. This double lp reissue of some of their jazz stuff is a must own, although they have taken some liberties.
While not strictly bebop, there is enough crossover between these sides and the last couple of lps I posted, to make me want to share it now...while I have your attention.
The first side is all big Texas tenor dude, Arnett Cobb. Dig out some old Lionel Hampton to hear Cobb come of age. These sides are macho and swinging, a trend that was soon to make an appearance.
Side two starts with "Little Johnny Griffin", joined by Babs Gonzales on a couple. On the lp next up would be Red Rodney, but I just posted the same songs on the IAJRC post.
Side Three is the one that sends me to my happy place. Early Ahmad Jamal. With the so sublime original "Ahmad's Blues"
Finishing the records off is some crazy organ trio stuff by Wild Bill Davis. I love his stuff with Johnny Hodges that came about much later. And lastly we get some sides by Mary Ann McCall, which were not actually released on Okeh, presumably because the label was on brief hiatus. Apparently whoever assembled this comp felt they belonged. Hmmm...well they are fun songs from a great band.

Okeh Jazz
1. Smooth Sailin'
2. Walkin Home
3. Jumpin The Blues
4. I'm In The Mood For Love
5. Whispering
6. Open House
7. Lil Sonny
8. The Shy One
9. For Dancers Only
10. Flying Home
11. Chicago Riffin'
12. Till We Meet Again
13. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
14. Will You Still Be Mine
15. Aki and Ukthay
16. Billy Boy
17. Ahmad's Blues
18. A Gal In Calico
19. Azure Te
20. Rough Ridin
21. April In Paris
22. Money Is Honey
23. I Want A Big Butter and Egg Man
24. On Time

Arnett Cobb 1-8
NYC 9/12/50 (1), 8/7/51 (2-4), 11/20/51 (5-6), 8/52 (7-8)
Johnny Griffin - bs (2-4)

Johnny Griffin 9-12
NYC circa 1954
Babs Gonzales - vcl (9-10)

Ahmad Jamal 13-17
Chicago 10/25/51 (13-14), 5/5/52 (15-17)
Ahmad Jamal - p, Ray Crawford - b, Eddie Calhoun - d

Wild Bill Davis (18-20)
NYC 11/20/51 (1), 2/4/52 (2), 1/8/53 (3)
Bill Davis - organ, Bill Jennings - g, Chris Columbus - d

Mary Ann McCall 21-23
LA 6/19/47
Howard McGhee - tp, Dexter Gordon - ts, Jimmy Rowles - p, Barney Kessel - g, Red Callender - b, Jackie Mills - d, Willie Smith - as

EG 37315

Modern Trumpet Leaders - IAJRC

I've really been on a bebop kick lately so I thought I might share a little. This is another fine record given us by the venerable IAJRC.

Other than the "schmaltzie" Flamingo by Candoli, this lp is a bristling documentary bebop just before the age of 78's came to a close.

In the internet age it is hard to appreciate how awesome records like this are. From the back cover "Twenty five to thirty years ago after these recordings were made... Art Zimmerman, Dec. 1976". Well now we are 30+ years passed when this lp came out. Some of the songs have surfaced elsewhere, some may have not. But you can bet your ass the only place you would find these tunes in 1976 was on this lp, or the very rare 78's. And pressing records was a far bigger labor of love than just disseminating some mp3's.

What, you might ask, has this to do with music. It doesn't. The music will speak for itself. One of the traditions of jazz has always been to acknowledge those they came before you. So as I do my best to keep this music alive, I bow to those who worked far harder at it than me.

As far as the music...I'd bet my bottom dollar I have these Dizzy songs elsewhere but the fog won't lift.

Modern Trumpet Leaders
IAJRC 25

1. Dig This Menu, Please
2. Red's Mambo
3. Honeysuckle Rose
4. Buckle My Shoe
5. Flamingo
6. Mambo Junior
7. Chris and Diz
8. Purple Sounds
9. Ornithology pt 1
10. Ornithology pt 2
11. Sweet Potato
12. Hoggin'
13. Blues Ala King
14. Night Mist
15. Yardbird Suite
16. Donna Lee

1-4
Red Rodney Orchestra
Red Rodney, tp; Buddy Savitt, ts; Jimmy Golden, p; unknown, b; Morton Perry, dr, vcl
NY Sept. 1052 Okeh 6899, 6922

5-6
Conte Candoli
Conte Candoli, tp; Bob Winn, as; Ira Sullivan, ts; Gene Esposito, p; Chubby Jackson, b; Tony Papa, dr. Chicago June 1953 Chance CH-1153

7-8
Dizzy Gillespie Quintet
Dizzie, tp; Sahib Shihab, bs; Wade Legge, p; Lou Hackney, b; Al Jones, dr
NY June 1953 Showcase 4401

9-10
Junior Jazz At The Auditorium
Howard McGhee, tp; Lucky Thompson, Jack McVea, ts; Jimmy Bunn, p; Irving Ashby, g; Red Callender, b; Jackie Mills, d; LA, 1946 Imperial 5075

11 - 14
Howard McGhee Orchestra
McGhee, tp; J D King, Teddy Edwards, ts; Jimmy Bunn or Vernon Biddle, p; Robert Kesterson, b; Roy Porter, drums LA spring 1946 Melodisc M1002

15-16
Howard McGhee Sextet
McGhee, tp; Jimmy Heath, as; Milt Jackson, vibes; Will Davis, p; Percy Heath, b; Joe Harris, dr; Earl Coleman, vcs Chicago, late 1948 The Old Swingmaster....


IAJRC 25