Chico Hamilton

We interrupt the Christmas shares for a quick tribute to a fine musician who passed away several days ago - drummer Chico Hamilton was 92 at the time of his death.

Hamilton was central to West Coast jazz, having been a member of the Gerry Mulligan group, and later founding a notable quintet of his own with flutist Buddy Collette, guitarist Jim Hall, cellist Fred Katz and bassist Carson Smith.

The drummer recorded this LP, his first as a leader, between appearing with those two ensembles. Like them, the trio had no piano, relying on Hamilton's interplay with guitarist Howard Roberts and bassist George Duvivier. The results are enduringly fresh.

This album is actually an expanded version of an EP that Pacific Jazz had recorded with the group in December 1953. Its success led to an additional session on October 1954 and this 10-inch LP the following year.

As always, the post is a transfer from my own copy of the original album. The sound is good.

Dancing with Zig

In our last post, we had a dancing couple on the cover, but the music inside was a no-way-danceable symphony. This time out, the dancing couple on the cover does indeed signify music you can dance to, should you have the inclination.

And who better to dance with than the clarion trumpeter Ziggy Elman and a variety of studio bands in these M-G-M recordings. Ziggy, of course, was once a member of the powerful Benny Goodman brass section, along with Chris Griffin and Harry James. Post war, he set out on his own, but did not have consistent success as a bandleader, although he did have a recording contract with M-G-M for several years.

This LP brings together singles from 1947 through 1952. Although the dates and personnel vary, the music is all very well played. The fare consists mainly of standards, and it's hard to imagine why the record company thought such items as "Me and My Shadow" (which practically usurps an Ellington arrangement) would achieve commercial success. The best number is certainly the title tune, a Basiesque swinger.

Still and all, this is a highly enjoyable outing from a fine musician, and the sound is good.

Detail from 1951 Billboard ad

The Jazz and Poetry Movement

Once again we are exploring the intersection of jazz with other arts in the 50s, this time examining the short-lived jazz and poetry movement through this LP, possibly its most enduring artifact.

The idea of a poetry recital backed by jazz music is usually ascribed to the beat movement, specifically the San Francisco poets. This particular LP was midwifed by Lawrence Lipton, but Kenneth Rexroth was at least as involved in the movement. He made his own album about the same time, as did Kenneth Patchen.

This record features the work of San Francisco poets Philip Whalen and notably Lawrence Ferlinghetti along with Lipton. Also included are precursors Walt Whitman and W.C. Williams, along with Langston Hughes, whose poetry was influenced by vernacular music and who had experimented with jazz accompaniment back in the 1920s.

Lipton coined the phrase "jazz canto" to describe the fusion of jazz and poetry - although "fusion" is perhaps too strong a word for what is achieved here. This is not art song; the poetry is recited, although at times reciter Bob Dorough does fall into a sort of notated speech or even outright singing. Most often, the poetry and music seem to be in two different worlds; and although interesting and valid on their own, one doesn't add much to the other when heard together.

That is, except for one number that is gloriously successful - Dorough's recitation and music for Ferlinghetti's poem Dog. In this case, the music makes the poem leap vividly to life, and the result is one of the best things (and by that of course I mean one of my favorite things) produced in 50s music. It helps that Ferlinghetti's poem is based on the dog's journey through the streets of SF, which lends itself to being set to music that trots right along with him. It also helps that Dorough's wry Southern accent sounds just like you imagine this "real live barking democratic dog" would sound. It's a third-person (third-animal?) poem, but the poet identifies closely with his dog-tagonist.

Dorough also did the music and recitation for three Langston Hughes poems, with much less success. The LP contains music from Fred Katz, Ralph Pena, Buddy Collette, Jack Montrose, Bob Hardaway and Gerry Mulligan with speakers John Carradine, Hoagy Carmichael, Ben Wright and Roy Glenn. Mulligan's music accompanies Glenn's recitation of Philip Whalen's Big High Song for Somebody, and that cut has achieved a certain minor renown of its own, but I think the actor's hip baritonal presentation isn't right for the poem.

This was billed as Vol. 1 of a series, but I don't think there was a Vol. 2. The jazz and poetry movement, which started with a bang (or a rimshot) in 1957, was all but over by the time this record came out in 1958.

Do try this for Dog - who, writes the poet, has his head cocked sideways "into the great gramophone of puzzling existence with its wondrous hollow horn which always seems just about to spout forth some Victorious answer to everything." It's the perfect poem for a record collector.

LINK

Django

This colorful cover heralds a collection of some of Django Reinhardt's greatest records, as issued on Angel in 1954, shortly after his death at age 43.

Django is hardly obscure - his entire recorded oeuvre is available on 20 CDs for those who are gaga over the gypsy guitarist. This post is merely designed to be a sampler for those who have not discovered his genius. It comes to us courtesy of my friend flyingfinger, whose rip this is, and quite a good one. Nice cover, too!

As his name may suggest, flyingfinger knows a great guitarist when he hears one, so this upload comes with an ironclad guarantee. If you don't like it, I will substitute any Les Paul record of your choice.

Friedrich Gulda at Birdland

We've examined a couple of records in which the jazz and classical worlds came together to produce something new. Now here is what happens when a renowned classical pianist shows up at a jazz shrine to play bop.

The pianist is Friedrich Gulda, the place is Birdland and the time is 1956. And the results could hardly be more successful.

Gulda was one of those remarkable artists who was equally proficient at Mozart and Monk. Here he and several well known jazzmen (see back cover below) perform Gulda's own compositions along with Night in Tunisia and Bernie's Tune. Gulda could not sound more at home (except he does not play the Night in Tunisia theme as the man wrote it).

Gulda, who was Viennese, won the Geneva International Competition in 1946, made his first recordings a few years later, and was already well known as a classical artist when this date was taped. At the time of these records, critics tended to lump him together with his fellow Viennese pianists Jörg Demus and Paul Badura-Skoda - but I would have a hard time imagining either of them coming out with Gulda's incendiary improvisation on Bernie's Tune.

Gulda had an unorthodox streak that later led him to mix jazz and classical pieces on the same program, to refuse awards, and to dress casually for concerts. Once he supposedly performed in the nude. I'm not sure if this improved the musical results or not - but in his honor I took my pants off while I dubbed this record, and it sounds pretty good!

Birdland's Pee Wee Marquette introduces him as "Frederick" Gulda. It could be that Gulda was using an anglicized version of his first name then, or it could be that Gulda didn't pay off Pee Wee. Legend has it that Marquette would deliberately mispronounce the names of artists who didn't tip him. Fred - pay the two dollars!

NEW LINK (remastered)

Jimmy Blythe

Returning to our series of the first reissues of early blues and jazz records, here is a Riverside LP of Chicago pianist Jimmy Blythe.

These records were made for the legendary Paramount label of Wisconsin in 1924, 1925, and 1928, a time when Blythe was active for the company, mostly as an accompanist. The sides here, in contrast, are primarily a showcase for Blythe's considerable solo skills.

The LP begins with 1924's Chicago Stomps (or Stomp, as it usually is given), which is reputedly the first recorded boogie-woogie tune, although elements of the style can be found in earlier records. These and the 1925 efforts sound to be acoustic recordings, with their limited frequency range. It's not until the final two items, made under the name of the Dixie Four in 1928 and electrically recorded, that you can fully hear Blythe's ringing tone. But even in the acoustic items, his rhythmic drive and vivid imagination are quite startling. This is compelling playing, full of the joy of living. Sadly, Blythe lived only a few more years after these sessions, dying in 1931 of meningitis. He was only 30.

Although this is a Riverside record, it was produced by the Bill Grauer-Orrin Keepnews team that did the "X" Records reissues that I have been presenting. The cover artist (Paul Bacon) is the same, as well. However, the Riverside item is pressed on red vinyl. I just love colored vinyl, although I am not sure why.

The LP sound was somewhat filtered, probably to lessen some of the noise of Paramount's poor quality shellac. I have opened out the sound, at the cost of bringing forward some of the grunge. I think it's worth it to hear a facsimile of what Blythe must have sounded like. Blythe also made many piano rolls, and I checked this record of Chicago Stomp(s) against a reissue of his piano roll of the same tune. The sound is much better on the latter, of course, but something is missing - even if it's only my emotional reaction to listening in on a great recording session some 85 years later.

REMASTERED VERSION - MARCH 2015

Mat Mathews

This post is a tribute to the eminent jazz accordionist Mat Mathews, who passed away last month. Mathews, born in the Netherlands, came to the US in 1952, and quickly began making records.

I first encountered him on some of Carmen McRae's earliest records. He made quite a few under his own name as well, and four with the New York Jazz Quartet. That group also included flutist Herbie Mann, guitarist Joe Puma, and bassist Whitey Mitchell.

The NY Jazz Quartet recorded this Latin-inflected record in 1956, under the vaguely distasteful title "Goes Native." A less likely group for this concept could hardly be found (see photo below). And in truth the results are not nearly as loose as they might have been. But the results are unusual and enjoyable - as are all Mathews' recordings that I have heard.

The Exciting Mr. Bellson

Another sad loss on the music scene was the death earlier this week of the eminent drummer Louis Bellson. To prepare this tribute, I pulled down from the shelves a very early Bellson recording as a leader - an item I hadn't played as yet. What a pleasure it was to hear this dynamic band and the tremendous momentum Bellson generated behind his massive drum kit.

Here's the lineup: Harry Edison, Maynard Ferguson, Conrad Gozzo, Ray Linn (tp), Hoyt Bohannon, Herb Harper, Tommy Pederson (tb), Benny Carter, Willie Smith (as), Wardell Gray, Bumps Myers (ts), Bob Lawson (bar), Jimmy Rowles (p), and Barney Kessel (g).

On one item ("Loris"), the big band is replaced by an excellent small group consisting of Don Elliott (mellophone), Ralph Martin (p), Joe Puma (g), and Bob Petersen (b).

The recordings are from 1953 (big band) and 1954. This 10-inch LP is called The Exciting Louis Bellson on the front, and The Exciting Mr. Bellson and His Big Band on the back and label. The pieces on this record were later combined with more sides by the small group to form a 12-inch LP called Skin Deep.

The sound on this LP was rather cramped; I've done my best to give it some breathing room.

Jimmy Yancey

Returning to the Label "X" series of blues and jazz reissues, here is Jimmy Yancey, a Chicago pianist who achieved a certain renown relatively late in life.

This 10-inch record collates sides that Yancey made in 1939 and 1940 for Bluebird, the RCA label. They were among his first recordings, and the first for a major label. He was about 40 years old (his birth year is disputed).

At that time Yancey had been a Chicago White Sox groundskeeper for some years and did not play music full-time. But his playing nonetheless was held in high regard by his fellow pianists. Yancey's imagination and sense of style are in full display here.

The cover of this album, in common with the others on Label "X" featured on this site previously, is by Paul Bacon.

You can read more about Yancey here. He died in 1951.

The Original Dixieland Jass Band

The first side of this EP contains what is usually cited as the first jazz record, made by the Original Dixieland Jass (later Jazz) Band in February 1917. The claim is debatable, not least because this music (in common with all other types of music) is an outgrowth of earlier styles. The Wikipedia article about the ODJB (as the band is often called) notes that the first item on this record is actually a version of a ragtime tune written in 1909.

These records are by no means obscure, and actually I've included them to continues the series derived from the "X" label's Vault Originals series, a jazz/blues reissue program from the mid-50s. As before, the RCA engineers did a fine job on the transfers. These are some of the best acoustic recordings I've heard. (Pre-1925 acoustic recordings were made through a recording horn instead of a microphone.)

Similar to the previous "X" recordings seen here, this has a cover by Paul Bacon, much more to my taste than the previous items. Bacon worked in several different styles, and this scratchboard drawing is a evocative rendering of a 1917 promotional photo that you can see on Wikipedia's ODJB page.

The ODJB was a sensation in its time, and you will find it sensational too if you go for hectic ensembles, barnyard effects and clattering percussion. It's easy to scoff at this stuff 90 years later, but it was the precursor of much great music.

Shelly Manne and Russ Freeman

The other day I was in the mood to listen to jazz, for once, and flipping through the collection I came across this one - two of the notable West Coast jazz artists of the 50s, pianist Russ Freeman and drummer Shelly Manne.

This is an unusual duo LP - no bass, no other instruments. For the most part, Manne plays an equal role with Freeman. The music is not really to my taste, but this kind of jazz is at least as popular today as it was in September 1954, when this record was made, so who am I to judge.

One of the reasons I chose this item was the fact that it was recorded with a single AKG mike, and my copy of the record is mint. So I was hoping for some good sounds. And they are good - but only just that.

The cover is unsigned, but along with the piano and drums includes a steam jet blower and a fish, which otherwise do not make an appearance on the record, as far as I can tell.

LINK

Page Cavanaugh, Part 2

Back at the beginning of this blog, one of the first recordings we featured was by the Page Cavanaugh Trio, a particular favorite of mine. It's time for Page to return, this time with an album on the "X" label, the RCA Victor subsidiary we discussed a few records ago.

I believe this album collects some of the singles that Page recorded for RCA in the 1940s - including The Three Bears. That Bobby Troup song is his signature piece, and it also appeared in a slightly different version on the Vaya LP below. Hey-baba-re-bear, Page!

This record displays Cavanaugh's tremendous pianistic skills - rhythm, touch, imagination, taste - it's all there. And the unison singing seldom sounded better. Speaking of the sound, it's pretty good, but I suspect the RCA transfer engineer couldn't help but add some reverb (they must teach that in transfer engineer school) so the ambiance is just a little fuzzy. But overall, this is most enjoyable.

NEW LINK

Johnny Smith

I was going to offer a two-for-one deal on Johnny Smith today. That was before I discovered I have two copies of the same LP - one in the wrong sleeve.

Fortunately, Johnny recorded these records for Roost, which, being a record company, did not hesitate to put out the same product in multiple packages - 10-inch, 12-inch, different covers, different combinations, whatever.

So as a result, I am able to offer the compete LP you see above and five-eighths of the LP you see below. That's because Roost took most of the items from the pink album and added them to five other items from the white album to make a 12-inch LP, which exists with a couple of different covers. I have that record - actually both of them.

I'm sure all the above is not very clear and even less interesting, so let's move on to the music. I wish the situation were straightforward but it is not. Stan Getz is prominently mentioned on both covers (even showing up graphically as a little buddy for Johnny on the top item), but he does not appear on all the cuts. If I read the discography correctly, Zoot Sims is the tenor on My Funny Valentine and Vilia, and Paul Quinichette is on Cavu and I'll Be Around.

These sides are by no means rare, so I might as well confess that, despite the painful exposition above, my motivation here is really to highlight the covers. They are prime examples of the art of Burt Goldblatt, much active as a artist and photographer for record companies. Even with his seeming emphasis on the musicians' left feet, these are really dynamic covers.

But don't let my fascination with the graphics put you off the music. Johnny Smith is a wonderful guitarist who was perhaps too much taken for granted and Stan Getz is Stan Getz. Most interesting and most enjoyable.

Jackie Paris

Unfortunately not that many people ever got into the "Paris mood" during Jackie Paris' long career, which ended with death in 2004. Unfortunate for him and for those who haven't heard him, for he was one of the finest pop/jazz singers of the past several decades.

This was his first album, issued circa 1954. All but one of the tracks on this 10-incher were later recycled on the 12-inch album Skylark. Paris is accompanied here by a small group featuring trumpeter Charlie Shavers.

You can learn more about Paris here. Or go over to the People vs. Dr. Chilledair, where the doc has a number of articles on the singer, whom he knew personally. As he says there, "Until recently, it was hard for me to grasp that Jackie Paris was 'famous' only with myself and a relative handful of other jazz vocal devotees around the world." Still true, alas.

NEW LINK

Art Hodes

This is one of the first Blue Note 10-inch records and is a repackaging of 78s that pianist Art Hodes made in 1944-45 with some veteran jazz artists playing in a traditional mode. The lineup changes from side to side - refer to the Blue Note discography (here) if you want the details. The trumpeter is the omnipresent Chicago-style player Max Kaminsky. The vocalist, who for some reason reminds me of Helen Humes, is drummer Fred Moore.

When these tunes were cut, jazz was transitioning from swing to be-bop. These guys were stuck in the 20s stylistically, but they put that outdated style across with great conviction.

The LP is titled Out of the Back Room; Blue Note has added so much echo that it sounds more like Out of the Bath Room. The atmospheric cover is - at least according to my web-based deduction - by Pennsylvania artist Allen Foster Hermansader.

Page Cavanaugh, Part 1

Most music lovers have no idea who Page Cavanaugh is. Odd, considering he has been active and highly visible for 60 years, has made many records, including one of the most frequently found thrift store items, has backed everyone from Frank Sinatra to Doris Day, and appears in some well-known movies (some awful ones, too).

Page was and is a virtuoso pianist and singer. I prefer him in his classic trio setting, such as on this 10-inch album with bass and guitar.

Cool stuff, as signified by this sharp cover. The odd detail of the pan figure on the edge of the piano is the symbol of Vaya Records, which issued this item circa 1950.