Yusef Lateef - Morning

 Always nice to repost something that someone requested that I probably haven't listened to since I first posted it over 4 years ago. This is great stuff. Not a bad track across both lps.
 These are Lateef''s first sessions as a leader after his move from Detroit to NYC. Originally  released across 3 Savoy lps from just two sessions a few days apart.
 These sessions were recorded a year before I was thrust upon the world. These reissues were  released in 76, my senor year in high school. Only a year had passed since I had realized the fantastic sounds of Miles and Trane. This shit wasn't even on my radar. Tis a shame.

Yusef Lateef
Morning - The Savoy Sessions

1. Morning
2. O'Blues
3. Ameena
4. Metaphor
5. Yusef's Mood
6. Blues In Space
7. G. Bouk
8. Polarity
9. Midday
10. Happology
11. Space
12. The Beginning
13. Beauregard

Lateef - tenor, flute, argol, scraper
Curtis Fuller - trombone, tambourine
Hugh Lawson - piano
Ernie Farrow - bass, rabat
Louis Haynes - drums
Doug Watkins - finger cymbals, misc. percussion


originally released as Savoy lps 12003, 12009, and 12115 - these are taken from Savoy SJL-2205

Eddie Bert - Kaleidoscope

C'mon now. Admit it, Eddie Bert looks so freaking cool on this cover. Far hipper than Kai Winding, the other white dude playing trombone with any recognition at the time. Just dig that mustache. That mustache alone is worth the price of admission.

I love this Savoy session for a ton of reasons. First off, Savoy had a grittier sound than the more popular BN releases. And they tended to showcase lesser appreciated artists of their time. Eddie Bert was kinda second string trombone at the time. Eddie was probably aware of that. It didn't stop him from making some fine music. He appears on many fine recordings as a sideman. Yet when he takes center stage here, he really allows this to be a group effort. I never get the feeling he needs to be the star even though he is the de facto leader on these dates.

If I was hard pressed, I would say the most overlooked player on the dates is Duke Jordan. His piano is an integral part of the bebop revolution and he shines here.
And while I would normally frown upon a vocal track as a novelty, Bert doesn't embarrass himself on the single outing included here.

Look for Joe Morello of Brubeck Quartet fame on the last session.

Eddie Bert - Kaleidoscope

1. Love Me Or Leave Me
2. Little Train
3. Prelude To A Kiss
4. Conversation Piece
5. Interwoven
6. Around Town
7. Kaleidoscope
8. Broadway
9. Melting Pot
10. Ripples
11. Conversation
12. He Ain't Got Rhythm
13. Cherokee

Eddie Bert - Trombone; Duke Jordan - piano; and Clyde Lombardi - bass with...

1-4: Sal Salvatore - guitar; Mel Zelnick - drums
recorded 5/11/53 - Van Gelder studios, NJ
5-8: Vinnie Dean - alto sax; Art Madigan - drums
recorded 8/20/54 - NYC
9-13: Vinnie Dean - alto sax: Joe Morello - drums; EB - vocals (12)
recorded 11/3/54 - NYC

Savoy Jazz SJL 1186

Cecil Payne - Patterns Of Jazz

I am a sucker for the deep registers of a baritone sax. While not the flights of fancy of an alto, nor the stand firm posturing of of the tenor, baritone players seem to be of a different breed. Whether performing their own material or covering a standard there is always such a leisurely feeling to their playing.

This is Cecil Payne's first recording as a leader and it is no exception. Swinging as hard as any post bop lp, it still manages to seem laid back. Perfect for late in the evening as things wind down, just before the vocalists go on.

Cecil Payne
Patterns In Jazz

1. This Time The Dream's On Me
2. How Deep Is The Ocean
3. Chessman's Delight
4. Arnetta
5. Saucer Eyes
6. Man of Moods
7. Bringing Up Father
8. Groovin' High

CP - baritone sax
Kenny Dorham - trumpet
Duke Jordan - piano
Tommy Potter - bass
Art Taylor - drums

recorded 5/19-22/56 by R. Van Gelder.

this reissue is labeled Savoy SJl 1167

Fats Navarro - Nostalgia

So if you ever wanted to hear what a real Savoy record sounds like, here's your chance. Of course decent copies of these records are few and far between and excruciatingly expensive. Or they are simply so beat as to be worthless. Luckily I found one somewhere between. This has seen its share of late nights and probably a few early mornings.

A Savoy reissue of a couple of different sessions. Everything here should be recognizable but goddamn if it ain't a lot of fun!

I sometimes find myself awed that a talent like this was silenced before I was even born.

Nostalgia
Fats Navarro Memorial No. 2

1. Nostalgia
2. Barry's Bop
3. Be Bop Romp
4. Fats Blows
5. Dextivity
6. Dextrose
7. Dexter's Mood
8. Index
9. Stealing Trash
10. Hollerin' and Screamin'
11. Fracture
12. Calling Dr. Jazz

1-4
Fats - trumpet
Charlie Rouse - tenor
Tadd Dameron - piano
Nelson Boyd - bass
Art Blakey - drums

5-8
Fats - trumpet
Dexter Gordon - tenor
Tadd Dameron - piano
Nelson Boyd - bass
Art Madigan - drums

9-12
Fats - trumpet
Eddie Davis - tenor
Huey Long - guitar
Al Haig - piano
Gene Ramey - bass
Denzil Best - drums

Savoy MG-12133

Some Zoot Sims

I guess this would be the first of those oddball posts I was talking about earlier. The ones where sharing the music really is foremost.

You see this post consists of pieces of two lps. Most of the one at your left and another Savoy reissue under Chuck Wayne's banner.

I have never seen either of the two on disc nor hanging around the blogoshpere much.

The first - the Good Ole Zoot lp is culled from two sessions. The first (a) is a quintet recording. Unfortuately one track from this lp was too warped to be salvageable and it was from this session. This missing track is titled Toot No.2.

The players are:
Zoot Sims - tenor
Stu Williamson - trumpet, valve trombone
Kenny Drew - piano
Ralph Pena - bass
Jimmy Pratt - drums

recorded 7/16/54

The second session (b) is actually a Chubby Jackson session. (Damn, I have some great Chubby Jackson on cassette around here that I need to locate.) I still love the big band sound even when it was falling out of style. Actually even more so, when the young dudes tried keeping it alive. Even though Georgie Auld would hardly be considered a hip new guy, and as usual there is the inclusion of a couple of fellows who found this to be their fleeting claim to fame.

The players here are:
Zoot Sims - tenor sax
Chubby Jackson - bass
Al Porcino - trumpet
Don Ferrara - trumpet
Howard McGhee - trumpet
J.J. Johnson - trombone
Kai Winding - trombone
Charlie Kennedy - alto sax
Georgie Auld - tenor sax
Gerry Mulligan - baritone sax
Tony Aless - piano
Don Lamond - drums

Recorded 3/15/50

The final session(c) was actually attributed to Chuck Wayne and also consisted of several sessions. From the lp at left we have culled the only 4 songs thatZoot Sims played on.

The rest of the lp is fairly uneventful, but the Sims songs manage to be a pretty good time. Oddly there were 8 tracks cut this day with Zoot only playing on 4 while relatively unknown Brew Moore blew sax on the other 4. Hmmm, what were they thinking?




The cast:
Chuck Wayne - guitar
Zoot Sims - tenor sax
Harvey Leonard - piano
George Duvivier - bass
Ed Shaughnessy - drums

recorded 4/13/54

The thing you all have been waiting for....

1. Howdy Podner (a)
2. Indian Summer (a)
3. Leavin' Town (b)
4. Flyin' The Coop (b)
5. What's New (a)
6. Hot Dog (b)
7. So What (b)
8. While My Lady Sleeps (c)
9. Tasty Pudding (c)
10. Prospecting (c)
11. Sidewalks of Cuba (c)

(a) & (b) New Jazz 8280
(c) SJL 1144

Tommy Flanagan - It's Magic

As promised, here is a nice recording by Tommy Flanagan. This dude was a workhorse playing om some of the finest lps ever recorded by many many artists. But he didn't really come into his won as a leader until later into his career. I really wish I would have held onto some of those later Muse lps i had at one time. I bet I would appreciate them much more now.

This is a pretty straight ahead bop session from 57. The standards medley may be the highlight.

Flanagan may not have set the world on fire but he certainly should be remembered. I am glad to contribute one of his own efforts here.

Of course, not to be missed is his work on the previous post of Wilbur Harden Quartet's "King and I" set.

Tommy Flanagan
It's Magic

1. Two Ton
2. Medley:
It's Magic
My One and Only Love
They Didn't Believe me
3. Soul Station
4. Club Car
5. Upper Berth

Tommy Flanagan - piano
Sonny Redd - alto sax
Curtis Fuller - trombone
George Tucker - bass
Louis Hayes - drums

recorded 9/5/57 at Van Gelder studios

Savoy 12209

the usual disclaimer of late; recorded from a vinyl version of SJL 1158

Wilbur Harden - The King and I

Somehow I have always been a sucker for this musical, and these takes on the songs are some of my favorite versions. Wilbur Harden is always so lyrical in his playing so this rendition of the soundtrack seems natural.

Later on this was to be credited often to Tommy Flanagan who seems to have claimed larger fame than Harden, although mostly through longevity. Not to say Flanagan was a slouch, far from it as my next post will show.

There is such a joyful quality about this whole lp that it always leaves me smiling at the end. And generally befuddled as what to play next. Later versions of the lp included alternate versions of "Getting To Know You" and "Something Wonderful". Very nice recordings that languished in the Savoy faults for 30 years but unessiantal and therefore left off of this post. I can provide them upon request.

And once again, a great record to play just after an intimate dinner, but before dessert. Who can resist the charms of a beautiful companion and the wonderful strains of "Shall We Dance"? Not me.

The Wilbur Harden Quartet
Plays the Music of Rogers and Hammerstein

1. Getting To Know You
2. My Lord and Master
3. Shall we Dance
4. We Kiss In A Shadow
5. I Have Dreamed
6. I Whistle A Happy Tune
6. Hello Young Lovers
7. Something Wonderful

Wilbur Harden - trumpet, flugelhorn
Tommy Flanagan - piano, celeste
George Duvivier - bass
Granville T. Hogan - drums

recorded 9/23 and 9/30, 1958 at Van Gelder studios.

Savoy 12134

disclaimer: recorded from a vinyl copy of SJL 1189