Duke Ellington - Monologue

More of the indomitable Duke. Nice stuff from a powerful time. 11 of the 16 tracks are from 1947, the other 5 from '51. While these bands don't always contain Ellington's most famous players, there are no slouches in this bunch and plenty that would achieve fame with Duke in the ensuing years.
I see a smattering of these songs elsewhere but I would have to do research to see if they are the same recordings. I rarely indulge in research. Sometimes I indulge in a buzz and read the credits. I have not read enough credits to be considered an authority but I know that in my bones these are fine Duke Ellington songs. Some swing like a mother, while others paint that panorama that only Duke can create. Sometimes I wonder if these versions were released elsewhere, but not often.

Duke Ellington
Monologue

1. Three Cent Stomp
2. On A Turquoise Cloud
3. New York City Blues
4. Hy' A Sue
5. Golden Cress
6. Lady Of The Lavender Mist
7. The Clothed Woman
8. Monologue (Pretty and the Wolf)
9. Stop Look, and Listen
10. Rock-Skippin' at the Blue Note
11. Change My Ways
12. Sultry Serenade
13. Women
14. Fancy Dan
15. Brown Betty
16. Smada

The 1947 sessions include at various times Sheldon Hemphill, Harold Baker, Al Killian, Francis Williams, Wilbur Bascom, Ray Nance, Claude Jones, Lawrence Brown, Tyree Glenn, Wilbur DeParis, Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope, Al Sears, Harry Carney, Fred Guy, Oscar Pettiford, Junior Raglin, Sonny Greer.

The 1951 sessions featured Harold Baker, Fats Ford, Cat Anderson, Nelson Williams, Ray Nance, Juan Tizol, Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson, Willie Smith, Russell Procope, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney, Wendell Marshall, Louis Bellson. (tracks 3, 8, 10, 14, 16)


CBS 63 563

Jack Sheldon Big Band - Jack's Groove

Shit photo, I know. Sorry. (Actually thanks to Old Hippie Rick for supplying a better cover. The shit one is reproduced below.) Great record. And one I don't see around much.
Serious West Coast cool in a large band format. There is a small window of time when these dudes were awesome at this.

Sheldon was a veteran of the scene and assembled a crack crew for these sessions.

Recorded at two different sessions, I have no idea why the latter date is presented first.

Jack Sheldon and his Exciting All-Star Big Band
Jack's Groove

1. Green Dolphin Street
2. I'm Also A Person
3. I Had The Craziest Dream
4. Arrivederci
5. Brown Cow
6. Anyhow
7. Julie Is Her Name
8. Aplomb
9. Sunset Eyes
10. J.S.

1 - 5
Jack Sheldon, Conte Candoli - trumpets
Stu Williamson - valve trombone
Vince DeRosa - french horn
Lennie Niehaus - alto sax
Billy Root - baritone sax
Pete Jolly - piano
Red Callender - tuba
Buddy Clark - bass
Mel Lewis - drums

recorded LA, 12/58

6-10
Sheldon and Chet Baker - trumpet
Art Pepper, Herb Geller - alto sax
Harold Land - tenor sax
Paul Moer - piano, arrangements
Buddy Clark - bass
Mel Lewis - drums

recorded LA 8/57


Fresh Sounds cd FSR-CD 70

Shit cover...

Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra - Hodge Podge

Recently a discussion about "swing era" bands came up with a few friends. The usual was bandied about. But surprisingly when Duke was mentioned, most folk almost always referred to the the Blanton/Webster phase.
I spent a couple of days wrestling with whether or not Duke was a swing band and how I was going to explain my position. A listen to Cottontail chased those thoughts straight from my head.

It's simply crazy how much Duke recorded back in the day. Even crazier is how there was enough time for his compatriots to record all this stuff under their own names.

However they worked it out, we are all richer because of it.
Nary a famous orchestra song among the bunch. Awesome...but I bet you could track these songs down elsewhere easily enough.

Johnny Hodges and his Orchestra
Hodge-Podge

1. Jeep's Blues
2. Rendevouz With Rhythm
3. Empty Ballroom Blues
4. Krum Elbow Blues
5. I'm In Another World
6. Hodge - Podge
7. Dancing On The Stars
8. Wanderlust
9. Dooji Woodji
10. Savoy Strut
11. Rent Party Blues
12. Good Gal Blues
13. Finesse
14. Home Town Blues
15. Dream Blues
16. Skunk Hollow Blues

Johnny Hodges - alto and soprano sax
Cootie Williams - trumpet
Lawrence Brown - trombone
Harry Carney - baritone sax
Duke Ellington - piano, arrangements
Billy Taylor - bass
Sonny Greer - drums

track 13 - Hodges, Ellington, Greer only
track 15 - Billy Strayhorn replaces Ellington on piano
track 16 - Jimmy Blanton replaces Taylor on bass

recorded 1938/39
1974 Columbia products reissue

JEE22001

Clifford Brown - all stars

I know I just offered up some Clifford Brown recently, but during one of those massive filing sessions I ran across this. And lest it get lost in the shuffle, I present it now....

Just two long tracks. Caravan feels like it was shot out of a blunderbuss, while Autumn takes its time developing. Each has their merits. I can't even for the life of me, imagine what it would have been like to see this stuff in a small bar!

Caravan is one of my favorite all time songs. I freaking love the way this band treats it.

Clifford Brown
all stars

1. Caravan
2. Autumn In New York

Clifford Brown - trumpet
Max Roach - drums
Herb Geller - alto sax
Joe Maini - alto sax
Walter Benton - tenor sax
Kenny Drew - piano


Emarcy EXPR-1007

in glorious mono

The George Wallington Quintet - Jazz at Hotchkiss

I love this record. I think it is a perfect example of the leap made from bebop to hard bop. It's not about virtuosity, but the ability to get you off your seat.
Two bebop standards, an obscure cover, and two originals, this date should be better known.

Alas this appears to be the only session by this group, a fly by night recording rather than a working quintet.

Somewhere I have more Wallington recordings but they are MIA at this point.

The George Wallington Quintet
Jazz at Hotchkiss

1. Dance of the Infidels
2. Strange Music
3. Before Dawn
4. Ow
5. 'S Make 'T

George Wallington - piano
Donald Byrd - trumpet
Phil Woods - alto sax
Knobby Totah - bass
Nick Stabulahs - drums

recorded Hackensack, NJ. 11/14/57

Savoy MG 12122

Milt Jackson - Plenty Plenty Soul

I think this lp is actually seeing a new release soon on one of those discs that contain 4 lps. A bargain, yes. A bad idea throwing all that stuff to together, hell yes! I think it is even being thrown on with Telefunken Blues, which was originally released under Kenny Clarke's name but didn't garner enough attention that way so was remarketed under Jackson's name.

Ok so record company rant over, here is my vinyl copy for you to enjoy!

So my first exposure to Milt Jackson was in the mid/late 70's. We used to get colossally baked and sit in the attic and listen to Sunflower and Olinga along with lots of other CTI jazz, George Benson, Deodato, Airto, Freddie Hubbard....

Hmmm, I wish I had known this date back then...

Milt Jackson
Plenty Plenty Soul

1. Plenty Plenty Soul
2. Boogity, Boogity
3. Heartstrings
4. Sermonette
5. The Spirit Feel
6. Blues At Twilight

Side One:
MJ - vibraharp
Ronnie Peters - alto
Frank Foster - tenor
Sahib Shihab - baritone
Joe Newman - trumpet
Jimmy Cleveland - trombone
Horace Silver - piano
Percy Heath - bass
Art Blakey - drums

Side Two:
MJ - vibraharp
Lucky Thompson - tenor
Joe Newman - trumpet
Horace Silver - piano
Oscar Pettiford - bass
Connie Kay - drums

arrangements by Quincy Jones

Atlantic 1269

Jimmy Smith - Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf

The last time I saw this record offered in the blog-o-sphere was almost 4 years ago. It was at Orgy In Rhythm, a fine place to visit. It's time for my copy and my tale.

First, my Jimmy Smith introduction story. I don't know where I first heard of him, I suspect it was through the NPR station outside Chicago. However I was enlightened, my first purchase was a Verve "Best of" collection. Or so I thought...
Usually I pull every record out of the sleeve and check the condition... must've missed this one because when i got home I found I had a copy of Organ Grinder Swing stuffed into the wrong sleeve.
Later as I was to discover I enjoyed this lp far more than I liked the "best of" that I should have purchased. I am confident to this day that had I ended up with that "best of" record it would have taken far longer to explore Smith's catalog. As it was, I thought the lp swing like a mofo.

Many years later I ran across this lp, which I had not even seen, not even so much as a review. Why? Was it that shitty? By now I knew Smith has crossed over into cheese at times (re: Verve - best of). I took the chance for a couple of bucks. What the hell? Even if no musicians are listed, arrangements were by Oliver Nelson, his rep was good enough for me. So the arrangements are shared by some fellow named Claus Ogerman... this is nice stuff. Recorded by Van Gelder and produced by Creed Taylor, we've heard those names before.

Jimmy Smith
Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?

1. Slaughter On Tenth Avenue
2. Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? (pt.1)
3. Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? (pt.2)
4. John Brown's Body
5. Wives And Lovers
6. Women Of The World
7. Bluesette

Jimmy Smith - Hammond B3
other personnel unnamed

recorded in NYC, Jan. 20, 21, and 27, 1964

Verve records V6-8583

Elmo Hope - Informal Jazz

A nice hard bop date that doesn't seem to make its way around much. Granted it didn't retain this title long and was reissued several times, under eitherTrane's moniker or Mobley's and often titled Two Tenors, which unfortunately detracts from the real leader on this date.

At the time this date was recorded Hope was still struggling for recognition. I'm kinda surprised he managed to surround himself with such fine players.

I like Elmo Hope but I think that there is a good reason he remains basically unknown outside of jazz circles. Just for the record I feel the same way about Hank Mobley. And to an extent, Donald Byrd. All have released fine, fine records, but not a consistently long line of them.

During this time so many players were playing on each others dates, always sharing the spotlight, that I have I come to the conclusion that on many of these recordings that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This is a perfect example.

Elmo Hope
Informal Jazz

1. Weeja
2. Polka Dots and Moonbeams
3. On It
4. Avalon

Elmo Hope - piano
John Coltane, Hank Mobley - tenor sax
Paul Chambers - bass
Philly Jo Jones - drums

recorded 5/7/56

Prestige 7043

but actually taken from a 1976 Milestone reissue.

Benny Goodman 45s

Yessiree..more vinyl dug out from the depths... it will take me longer to type this post than the recording will last! (actually it already has.)

This is just a little box set that I acquired somewhere long ago. Benny revisiting his early 30's success. I'm pretty sure these recording are from the 50's.

When I was a kid, I wanted to play a musical instrument. We're talking early on, 7 - 8 yrs old. I wanted to play the coronet! I had seen someone play one on TV and I thought it was cool as hell.

Nope I was told - I would need braces and the trumpet, as I now knew it, was out.
How about a clarinet? Well, I spent the next year or so in a small class without another males. Clarinets were not cool.
My clarinet teacher was not cool, or he would have convinced me what I found out on my own. I love that woody sound.

This story will continue shortly....

20 minutes of swing...

Benny Goodman Trio

1. Blue
2. After Hours
3. Bye, Bye, Pretty Baby
4. At Sundown
5. When You Are Smiling
6. All I Do Is Dream Of You

Benny Goodman - clarinet
James Crawford - drums
Teddy Wilson - piano


Capitol Records CCF 343

Clifford Brown - Pure Genius Vol 1

Now this is a hard bop date!!! Brownie wails, Rollins hangs tough and Roach pounds on these live tracks. Ritchie Powell managed to hold his own. George Morrow is solid. And now I am not listing the personnel below!!

These tracks were produced from private recordings in the possession of Brownie's wife. The tapes were in less than perfect shape and Roach was instrumental in restoring them.

Was there ever a Vol 2?

Clifford Brown/Max Roach
Pure Genius Vol. 1

1. i'll Remember
2. What's New
3. Dahoud
4. Lover Man
5. 52nd St. Theme

Elektra E1-60026