Coleman Hawkins - JATP and more

 

It's a Friday night and we gotta lotta love for Hawkins round Chez Hook this evening. Had a itch needed scratchin' so I threw together these live tracks. Couple of oddball bonus cuts thrown in.

I started off with an old Verve lp that has 3 from a 1950 JATP set, next up another 3 from 49. Rifftide from the second set should be recognized as Hackensack by Monk, obviously from their time together. The first lp finishes off with Hawkins accompanying MJQ on 4 tracks.

Next I tacked on Hawkins set from a Pablo box entitled "The Greatest Jazz Concert In The World", a claim that doesn't actually hold up. Go figure! But it is fun.

Then I slapped on a couple of odd tracks from weird compilations before finishing with a "jam session" from the afore mentioned earth shaking concert. The jam is a Duke staple and I'm pretty sure my cloth ears say Hawkins in sandwiched between the Prez and Benny Carter solos.

1. Yesterdays
2. Hawk's Tune
3. Stuffy
4. Body and Soul
5. Rifftide
6. Sophisticated Lady
7. Bean Stalkin'
8. I Can't Get Started
9. Time On My Hands
10. The Walker
11. Moonglow
12. Sweet Georgia Brown

13. Lover Come Back To Me
14. Blues Changes
15. Skippy
16. Battle of the Saxes

17. C Jam Blues

Jazz at The Philharmonic Chicago 1955

Verve reissued a handful of these records in 1983. Pretty sure they never made the cd transistion. My copy is one of those ARS series that were sent to schools and libraries.

I have been on a bit of a Lester Young kick lately and digging through the lps I found this neglected little gem. Not a major record in anyone's discography but still a cool way to spend a hot summer evening. Hell, Prez doesn't even make the cover!!

Side one is a typical JATP jam session. Side two features the inevitable Oscar Peterson group and a odd outing by Gene Krupa. As much as Peterson leaves me cold, this version of Budo is entertaing.
Dizzy is smokin' as always.

Jazz At The Philharmonic
Chicago Opera House
10.2.55

1. Mail Order Blues
 Flip Phillips, Lester Young, Illinois Jaquet - saxes
 Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge - trumpet
 Buddy Rich - drums
 Oscar Peterson - piano
 Herb Ellis - guitar
 Ray Brown- bass

2. Anything Goes
3. Baby, Baby All The Time
4. Budo
 Oscar Peterson -piano
 Herb Ellis - guitar
 Ray Brown - bass

5. Drum Boogie
 Gene Krupa - drums
 Eddie Shu - sax & trpt
 Bobby Scott - piano
 Whitey Mitchell - bass


ARS EJ416


* The link has been corrected, You just have to look a little harder.

Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers

By all accounts Zoot should stand a head and shoulders over his accompanists on this session. I've never really been a fan of Joe Pass or Oscar Peterson. Yet somehow everyone manages to sound inspired on this fantastic session. Zoot Sims plays like he is having the time of his life, perhaps because of the material, there is certainly something to be said for the Gershwins legacy. It must have been infectious because the normally stoic Peterson actually sounds as though he is enjoying himself.

Of all the Gershwin themed lps in my collection, this is probably the one I like the most.

This lp was recorded the day before my 17th birthday. I wonder what I would have thought of it then?

Zoot Sims
and the Gershwin Brothers

1. The Man I Love
2. How Long Has This Been Going On
3. Lady Be Good
4. I've Got A Crush On You
5. I Got Rhythm
6. Embraceable You
7. 'S Wonderful
8. Someone To Watch Over Me
9. Isn't It A Pity
10. Summertime

Zoot Sims - tenor sax
Oscar Peterson - piano
Joe Pass - guitar
George Mraz - bass
Grady Tate - drums

Pablo 2310-744