LP-650

Billy Taylor and His Orchestra - Taylor Made Jazz

Released 1959

Recording and Session Information

Billy Taylor and His Orchestra
Willie Cook, Clark Terry, trumpets; Britt Woodman, trombone; Johnny Hodges (as The Rabbit), alto saxophone; Paul Gonsalves, tenor saxophone; Harry Carney, baritone saxophone; Billy Taylor, piano; Earl May, bass; Ed Thigpen, drums

Biddy's Beat
Theodora
Mood For Mendes
Daddy-O
Cu-Blu
Day Dreaming
Can You Tell By Looking At Me
Tune For Tex

Track Listing

Biddy's Beat	Billy Taylor	21141
Theodora	Billy Taylor	21141
Mood For Mendes	Billy Taylor	21141
Daddy-O	Billy Taylor	21141
Cu-Blu	Billy Taylor	21141
Day Dreaming	Billy Taylor	21141
Can You Tell By Looking At Me	Billy Taylor	21141
Tune For Tex	Billy Taylor	21141

Liner Notes

WHEN the Ellington sidemen spend their offstand hours recording outside the Duke's domain, they select their sessions with care. After all, they've got a reputation to uphold. The Ellington band, for years, has represented precise discipline, flawless taste, and an inimitable repertoire. Duke's men are generally unwilling to chip that stature by making sessions that don't reflect some of the charm and challenge of life with Ellington.

Those musicians who have been a part of the urbane Ellington atmosphere can appreciate the virtues of the most professional jazzmen. That's why the Ellingtonians present here were eager to explore eight compositions by Billy Taylor, all arranged by bassist Johnnie Pate. Pianist Taylor writes moody, lyrical, elegant ballads, in the best, most lasting sense of the term uromantic." His medium and up-tempo compositions have a surging quality, without ever being frenetic; they are more than adequate inspiration for the soloing horn man. Taylor is a sophisticate and his music has a rich, contemporary flavor—modern and moving and free of faddistic cliches.

Clark Terry, Willie Cook, Harry Carney, Paul Gonsalves, and Britt Woodman need no introduction to such sopllistication. They know it on the grand Ellington level. And they are sensitive enough to relish Taylor-made adventures.

Taylor's presence on piano, of course, is indispensable. His playing is as melodic (and pianistic) as his compositions. Southpaw bassist Earl May has worked with Taylor for several years, as did drummer Ed Thigpen, currently serving as one of the rotors in Oscar Peterson's mainspring trio.

Compatibility, obviously, can be taken for granted here. Yet what is most impressive is the manner in which Taylor's tunes are performed—not in a perfunctory manner at all but, rather, with infinite insight and love.

There isn't a frantic or strident moment on any track in this LP. That's rare enough these days. What's comforting to the harassed jazz listener is the down-the-middle swing and the pointed, but never pretentious, ballad tours.

The ballads — Theodora, Mood For Mendes, Day Dreaming, and Can You Tell By Looking At Me — are superbly conceived and touchingly played (liner note prose is full of such terms, I admit, but in this case they were selected for accuracy rather than filler purposes).

It isn't unusual to hear jazz groups attacking fleetly-flowing riffs, but many jazzmen seem to be out of touch with the art of ballad interpretation. For a definitive sample of playing a ballad as a ballad, without any sense of urgency or rigidity, listen to "The Rabbit" and Taylor (with astute assists from May and Thigpen) on Theodora. It's an exquisite performance, lean of line yet directly moving. The same sort of approach makes the other ballads sincerely poignant experiences, too. For a change, the modern jazz listener can feel and fully accept the soloists' lyrical side.

The non-ballad material is equally tasteful, from the bounce of Biddy's Beat to the sprightly flavor of Daddy-O to the earthy Cu-Blu to the Longhornish prance, Tune For Tex. The soloists are at ease, the rhythm section is wholly compatible, and the tunes are delights. It's like the rare holiday gathering, with everyone contributing, but no one being a distracting bore.

This sort of maturity is a natural product of meaningful experience in jazz. The Ellington brigade comprises men who have enjoyed both security and growth in their tenure with the Duke; their lives and their music veer from the angry sounds of so many of today's young jazzmen. They've listened to jazz and absorbed it and reflect its better moments in their playing. Taylor has had a like background, playing with most of the greats of modern jazz. Such a union of forces couldn't have produced anything but the serenity and swing you hear in this set.

It's a Taylor-made session, all right. And it will wear well.

Don Gold
Assistant Editor
Playboy Magazine

LP-649

Various Artists - Remember the Oldies

Released 1959

Recording and Session Information

5262 8333 Clifton Chenier The Big Wheel
5274 8482 Jody Williams Lucky Lou
5313 9361 The Three Souls Night Theme
5300 8773 Paul Gayten Windy
LP 649 9570 The Three Souls Night Scene
5277 8458 Paul Gayten Nervous Boogie
5335 9346 Eddie Mc Duff Car Trouble
5291 8560 The Kendall Sisters Yea, Yea
5259 8251 Clarence "Frogman" Henry Ain't Got No Home
5290 3002 The Monotones Book Of Love
5281 8549 The Silva-Tones Chi-Wa-Wa
5327 9222 Rod Bernard This Should Go On Forever

Track Listing

The Big Wheel	Clifton Chenier	c 1957
Lucky Lou	Jody Williams	c 1957
Night Theme	Scott	c 1958
Windy	T. Hark	c 1958
Night Scene	W. Scott	c 1958
Nervous Boogie	P. Gaysen	c 1957
Car Trouble	McDuff, Couch	c 1959
Yea, Yea	Baker, Malejkar	c 1958
Ain't Got No Home	Clarence Henry	c 1956
Book Of Love	Davis, Malone, Patrick	c 1957
Chi-Wa-Wa	M. Rothe	c 1959
This Should Go On Forever	Rod Bernard	c 1959

Liner Notes

Some people say that most of the American popular music of the last few years showed no lasting power — that the hit recordings of the late Fifties were just flashes in the pan and wouldn't go on to become "standards."

Don't you believe it!

The top songs of any day always continue on in the memories of those who lived and laughed and fell in love while those songs were mirroring the pace of their living.

It is because the music of the moment implants itself so firmly in the memories and daydreams of those who enjoy it the most that this album resulted. So many people have asked us to make these great all-time hits available in handsome, permanent form, and in true high fidelity, we decided to do so.

The first side of Remember The Oldies is an assemblage of some truly great instrumentals beginning with Clifton Chenier's The Big Wheel. Then comes the talking guitar of Jody Williams on the haunting Lucky Lou. The Three Souls set a midnight mood on Night Theme, a performance marked by great blues piano.

Then it's the well-known group of Paul Gayten as they play the infectious Windy in great dance tempo. The Three Souls return to play an indigo-hued blues waltz before Paul Gayten wraps it all up with the fiery Nervous Boogie.

The vocalists take over on Side Two as Eddie McDuff amusingly tells about his Car Trouble. The Kendall Sisters follow with the swinging Yea, Yea as they willingly lose a musical argument to a group of young men.

One of the big hits of any year comes next — Clarence Henry's great version of Ain't Got No Home, in which he uses his voice in different ranges with remarkable result.

From the Monotones comes another smash hit — Book of Love, then it's the Silla-Tones with Chi-Wa-Wa, a moving ballad.

To bring Remember The Oldies to a close is the pensive voice of Rod Bernard singing his biggest hit, This Should Go On Forever. And that statement is pretty apropos of the way a lot of people feel about these great recordings of the last few years — they will go on forever.

LP-648

James Moody

Released 1959

Recording and Session Information

James Moody - James Moody and His Orchestra
Johnny Coles, trumpet; Tom McIntosh, trombone; James Moody, alto, tenor sax, flute; Musa Kaleem, baritone saxophone; Gene Kee, piano; John Latham, bass; Clarence Johnston, drums

9668 Out Of Nowhere
9669 Darben the Redd Fox
9670 Little Girl Blue
9671 Daahoud
9672 With Malice Towards None
9673 Cookie
9674 R.B.Q.
9675 Yesterdays

Track Listing

Darben The Redd Foxx	James Moody	August 1959
Little Girl Blue	Rodgers & Hart	August 1959
Out Of Nowhere	Heyman, Green	August 1959
Daahoud	Clifford Brown	August 1959
Yesterdays	Kern, Harbach	August 1959
Cookie	Gene Kee	August 1959
With Malice Toward None	Frank McIntosh	August 1959
R.B.Q.	Gene Kee	August 1959

Liner Notes

James Moody's last album, Last Train From Overbrook, was his first recorded step back from a darkness that had engulfed the career of a distinguished jazz musician. It was made in September of 1958, following his half-year tenure at Overbrook, a New Jersey institution at which a sick and alcoholic Moody regained physical and mental health.

This album is the second step back. It was recorded almost exactly one year later, a year during which Moody had reorganized his seven-piece group and had painfully scuffled for bookings that would support it. And it was a year in which Moody established for himself a basis on which he can once more become one of the best-known names among jazz saxophonists and flutists.

It took iust a few hours to record the sides in this album. The band had just finished a weeklong engagement at the Regal theater in Chicago and was, as a result, rested and in good playing shape.

I think it is the most successful album in Moody's career. His tone retains all the soft prettiness that made him easily recognizable, but his attack and phrasing are now marked by a surety and confidence that was seldom noticeable to this degree. Moody's intonation is true, and his ideas are expressed logically and calmly. He is, in short, a jazzman who should be listened to.

During the recording session, Moody once again had a bottle as his companion — a quart of root beer. At the date's end, as he was packing his tenor saxophone, he reached into the Case and pulled out a pint bottle of cheap wine. It was sealed tight, and on the label he had scratched, "Washington, 1958."

"I always carry it with me," he said. "Just to remind me."

About The Music

Darben The Redd Foxx is done in honor of Redd Foxx, a very funny comic and storyteller. It's a blues march type of thing, with Moody's flute leading the way.

A pensive and sensitively-done Little Girl Blue follows, with Moody again playing flute.

Out Of Nowhere, arranged by Moody's trombonist, Tom McIntosh, stretches out to give solo voices to the other bandsmen. Trumpeter Johnny Coles enters first, followed by pianist Gene Kee, McIntosh, then Moody on tenor.

Daahoud, written by the late Clifford Brown, features, in order, McIntosh, the booting baritone sax of Musa (Moose) Kalliem. Coles, then Moody on alto.

Moody's flute is back again to kick off the second side with a moving solo on Yesterdays

Cookie, composed by pianist Kee, spots Coles, Moody on tenor, and Kalliem.

With Malice Toward None, composed and arranged by McIntosh, is a lovely melody and is treated with great care and tenderness by Moody playing flute.

R,B.Q., a walking blues that is started off by bassist John Lathen, winds up the album on a down home note, With eweryone getting a solo shot.

Jack Tracy

LP-647

Will Green

Unissued

LP-646

Ahmad Jamal – Jamal At The Penthouse

Released August 1959

Recording and Session Information

Ahmad Jamal, piano; Israel Crosby, bass; Vernel Fournie, drums, Harry Lookofsky, Gene Orloff, Sylvan Shulman, Leo Kruczek, Harry Katzman, Alexander Cores, Alvin Rudnitsky, Seymour Miroff, Bernard Eichebaum, Felix Orlewitz, Bertrand Hirsch, Isadore Zir, George Brown, Lucien Schmit, David Soyer, strings; Joe Kennedy (arranger)
Nola's Penthouse Studios, New York, February 27 & 28, 1959

9377 Comme Ci, comme Ca
9378 Ivy
9379 Never Never Land
9380 Tangerine
9381 Ahmad's Blues
9382 Seleritus
9383 I Like To Recognize The Rune
9384 I'm Alone With You
9385 Sophisticated Gentlemen

Track Listing

Comme Ci, Comme Ca	Kramer, Whitney	February 27 & 28, 1959
Ivy	Hoagy Carmichael	February 27 & 28, 1959
Never Never Land	Jule Styne	February 27 & 28, 1959
Tangerine	Mercer, Schertzinger	February 27 & 28, 1959
Ahmad's Blues	Ahmad Jamal	February 27 & 28, 1959
Seleritus	Ahmad Jamal	February 27 & 28, 1959
I Like To Recognize The Tune	Rodgers, Hart	February 27 & 28, 1959
I’m Alone With You	Bud Estes	February 27 & 28, 1959
Sophisticated Gentlemen	Kennedy, Bennett	February 27 & 28, 1959

Liner Notes

About The Artist If you have been lost in the Amazonian jungles for several years or have endured a similar disassociation with civilization, it's just possible that you may be hearing of Ahmad Jamal for the first time. It's not likely, of course, what with the rapid strides in communication, the increased efficiency in the distribution of records, and the phenomenal world wide enthusiasm for jazz.

The first time I heard a Jamal recording must have been, roughly, eight years ago. I was having a bite to eat before starting my nightly shift, when suddenly I was intrigued by some exciting sounds emanating from the restaurant's sound system, hooked to a juke box in the manager's office. It was a fervid, Latin treatment of a well-known standard and I lost no time in finding someone who was familiar with the juke box so that I could learn who was playing and thereby acquire a copy of the record for my show.

There began, then, a period of frustration, as Ahmad Jamal was on a comparatively new label with undeveloped distribution, and I experienced considerable difficulty in obtaining any of his records. Since that time, I'm happy to say, Ahmad's records are more readily available and Ahmad is not — which is a back handed way of saying that his rapid growth in popularity has resulted in steady bookings in the better jazz rooms, colleges, concerts, and the like.

Although he was born and educated in Pittsburgh, Pa., Chicago was actually the springboard that launched his career. Such discerning entrepreneurs as Frank Holzfiend and Miller Brown several years ago first presented the Ahmad Jamal trio in their respective rooms — the Blue Note and the Pershing Lounge.

Ahmad Jamal once was a member of a group known as the Four Strings, of which the director was Joseph J. Kennedy, Jr. Ever since the group disbanded in 1949 it has been Ahmad's hope that some day he might utilize the services of Joe Kennedy as arranger and conductor of a session for the trio with strings. This album is the culmination of that idea.

Kennedy comes from a musical family, having had ancestors who performed before the crowned heads of Europe. He and Ahmad literally grew up together, their families being closely associated, and Ahmad's faith in him as one of the foremost arrangers and composers of this era is unwavering.

The prize Joe won in a high school music contest was the privilege of studying violin under the late Theodore Rentz, former professor of violin at Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh. It's not surprising, then, that Ahmad speaks of Joe Kennedy's knowledge of the violin as "extraordinary," and possessing "a wealth of musical talent." This is evident in the extraordinary "full" sound he obtains in his use of the strings in this album, as well as his strategic use of them. Never intrusive, never overpowering, the coming restraint in their use serves to point up the trio just as seasoned dressings do your favorite mixed green salad.

About The Music

Comme Ci, Comme Ca - The strings are introduced immediately for four bars, with the trio echoing in the exchange of fours. Vernell Fournier's crisp, punctuating drumming is contrasted by the delicacy of Ahmad's approach to this pop tune of several years ago.

Ivy — After a quiet ad lib opening to this lovely Hoagy Carmichael peren the trio establishes Latin motif up to the release, which it takes in an easy fox-trot tempo...then it's back to the original tempo, accented by tom-toms. There is an interesting use of a suggestion of the bolero in modulating into the second chorus.

Never Never Land — This is taken in what has come to be known as a "funky" tempo among musicians; relaxed, danceable, and paced by bongos.

Tangerine — The Schertzinger-Mercer ballad of the early '40s has joined the ranks of "standards" by virtue of its pretty melody, evoking memories of its original popularity. Ahmad takes it slightly up-tempo, and arranger Kennedy has given the strings a little more sweeping role than in the previous three numbers. We guarantee that the color won't fade; but if it does, "Marie Phillipe's to blame..."

Ahmad's Blues — This is in an "it's getting late out" mood, with mysterioso exclamations by the strings, and Israel Crosby walking like a nimble-footed ghost from cellar to attic—again proving himself to be outstanding bassist in a generation where "beat" is more becoming as a musical contribution than as a Bohemian attitude.

Seleritus — This is the melody, more than any other in the album, that I have found recurring and running through my head hours after listening to the album. It is the name of a little boy whom Ahmad once met, and, he felt, so musical a name that he was inspired to write this lovely melody. Although the trio had previously recorded it, Kennedy's scoring for the strings made it a "must" for this augmented version. Just as a small boy can remain tranquil and seemingly angelic for only brief spells, the sudden acceleration and switch from pp to ff at the close, although momentarily startling, relaxes one with the grinning realization that it is all very logical.

I Like To Recognize The Tune — They swing this one at a brisk pace, with the strings growling in the lower register at times, and then working hard in more audible fashion. New Orleans-born Vernell Fournier trades fours at the drums with the leader, and then with the strings. Ahmad's pianistics are light, crisp, and sure, and Mr. Rodgers may rest assured that his tune is most recognizable.

I'm Alone With You — The strings are again featured in a fashion that should blend with the mood of the romantic-minded — and isn't everyone upon occasion? Whether your ideal rendezvous would be a stroll through Le Bois of Paris on a sunny spring afternoon, or watching the twinkling of lights in the Bay Area from high atop The Mark in San Francisco, here is music to transport you there in an instant.

Sophisticated Gentleman — Quietly-assured, smart, debonair...this melodic portrait embodies all of these qualities, and we cannot but assume that the gentleman composers Kennedy and Bennett had in mind would be the perfect escort for the Duke's "Lady" of like mien.

The above analyses, of course, simply reflect my own reactions to the selections in the album. Your enjoyment of the music herein will undoubtedly be enhanced as new facets become apparent with repeated listening. To me there is a certain analogy between Ahmad Jamal's playing and that of Count Basie; to wit: the effective use by each of understatement and implication, which I find an ingratiating subtlety; and second, the subordinating of one's own role as leader to the ultimately greater impact of the group as whole.

It's no wonder, then, that the music-loving public has become increasingly aware of Ahmad trio to the point that followers are legion, and enthusiastic in their acclaim.

Dick Martin

LP-645

An Hour With The Ramsey Lewis Trio

Released 1959

Recording and Session Information

Ramsey Lewis, pianoi; Eldee young, bass; Redd Holt, drums
Chicago, April 22 1959

9275 C. C. Rider [See See Rider]
9276 Blues for the night owl unissued
9277 Chant x
9278 Don't blame me unissued
9279 Softly, as in a morning sunrise
I had the craziest dream
I know why
9282 It ain't necessarily so
9283 The more I see you unissued
9284 Summertime unissued 9285 Pug's delight unissued 9286 Angel eyes
9287 The ruby and the pearl
9288 Love for sale
9289 Little Liza Jane unissued
9290 The way you look tonight
9291 The other maras unissued
9402 Song of India
9403 I love Paris
9404 Consider the source x
9408 The walls of Jericho
9409 Jumpin' Jaque unissued
9410 The run unissued

Track Listing

Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise	Romberg, Hammerstein III	April 22 1959
C. C. Rider	Arr. Lewis, Young, Holt	April 22 1959
Love For Sale	Cole Porter	April 22 1959
I Had The Craziest Dream / I Know Why	Warren, Gordon/Morgan, Davis	April 22 1959
It Ain't Necessarily So	George and Ira Gershwin	April 22 1959
I Love Paris	Cole Porter	April 22 1959
The Way You Look Tonight	Ker, Fields	April 22 1959
Song Of India	Arr. Lewis, Young, Holt	April 22 1959
Consider The Source	Arr. Lewis, Young, Holt	April 22 1959
The Ruby And The Pearl	Evans, Linvingstone	April 22 1959
Walls Of Jericho	Arr. Lewis, Young, Holt	April 22 1959
Angel Eyes	Dennis	April 22 1959

Liner Notes

This album was recorded under the most ideal studio conditions imaginable.

The engineer got a good balance on the trio, then just sat back while we played. Occasionally he'd leave the control booth and let the tape run.
There was no one else in the studio or the booth. We were free to play as long (and whatever) we wished.

And so this entire hour of music resulted from one five-hour recording session. (Ed. Note: It customarily takes nine hours of recording time to get in the usual half-hour album.)

The fact that we knew a one-hour LP was to result from the date gave us a chance to stretch out when we felt like it and freed us from being conscious of any time limits.

It closely approached the atmosphere of a club, except there was no audience present, and no one to shout, "Play Melancholy Baby.

And just as you often find yourself going onstage at a club without having planned anything to play but the first tune, so did we do this date. We wanted to record Ruby And The Pearl because we get a lot of requests for it, but other than that we thought we'd let the session take shape naturally.

And it did — sometimes so much so that we painted ourselves into musical corners that were hard to get out of.

Take Consider The Source, for example. It is a mixture of an eight-bar blues pattern commonly heard in jazz and a similar eight-bar chordal pattern used for many years in the type of church music I have heard since I was a child. The trouble was, when w€ started it I didn't tell El Dee Young, the bassist, the chords we'd be playing or anything. As a result, you might notice a few places where we clash a little, but I'm pleased with the overall feeling we got on it.

C. C. Rider is an old folk blues that we had all heard before, but never played. And because we had never played Walls Of Jericho, Ain't Necessarily So, and Source before as a group, no one had any idea of what was going to happen on the Spontaneous cadenzas at the end of those things.

Because the recording studio atmosphere was so informal, we played everything just once, then went on to something else. A few days later we listened to it all and began selecting the things we were happiest with for this album.

We think it comes closer than anything we've yet done to give an idea of how the group sounds in person at a jazz club.

Ramsey Lewis

This record is, in many ways, an experiment. For one thing, we've put about twice the usual amount of material on the disc. For another, we have abandoned several of the conventional steps in record making which we feel interfere with the musical values Of the material. Since most of these things are involved in the mastering of the record, perhaps some explanation is in order.

There are many ways to cut a master disc. There are fast ways, slow ways, easy ways, and hard ways of doing what would seem to be a simple task — transferring sound from a master tape to a master laquer disc from which recordings will be made.

It is not, however, simple. There are rules to be observed. Not too loud, or the pickup cartridge will distort. Not too soft, or the record noise will be louder than the music. Not too many grooves per inch, or the pickup arm will skip grooves. Not too few, either, or you won't get enough time on the record.

Argo recordings are mastered by Douglas Brand. Doug is an engineer who knows the methods and rules so well he doesn't believe all of them anymore. This is important.

It is more important to know that Doug Brand is a musician. He plays no instrument, he holds no union card, but he is a musician nonetheless. He plays knobs. When the accepted methods and rules interfere with what he wants as a musician, he goes over, under, around, or through them. This record is an example of circumvented rules.

There is a rule that says you must limit. Limiting makes loud notes softer and soft notes louder. The music on this record is not limited. Limiting takes punch out of recorded music, and we don't think that's good.

Another rule says rhat if you put more than 22 minutes of music side you must cut a very low level master to keep the grooves from touching at the loud passages. Doug made a 30-minute side by skillful use of variable pitch mastering, made possible by the fact the Ramsey Lewis trio plays softly more often than it does loudly. On soft passages Doug cut 340 grooves per inch, on loud passages, 160. The average is 290, as compared to the standard 240. To our knowledge, this is the first time AVP mastering has been carried this far on a jazz record.

A third unusual thing about this LP is that it was "cut flat." It is standard practice to boost bass or midrange, or cut down on some of the highs when making masters. This process goes by the misleading name of "equalization." No "equalisation" was used here.

The tape is as close to the sound of the trio in the studio as I could get it, and the pressings are very nearly indistinguishable from the tape.

In short, this LP is an hour of music, presented as naturally as possible.

Malcolm Chisholm
Chief Engineer

LP-644

The Barry Harris Trio – Breakin' It Up

Released 1958

Recording and Session Information

Barry Harris, piano; William Austin, bass; Frank Gant, drums
Chicago, July 31 1958

8934 Stranger in paradise
8935 Embraceable you
8936 Bluesy
8937 S.R.O.
8938 Ornithology
8939 All the things you are
8940 Allen's Alley [Wee]
8941 Passport

Track Listing

All The Things You Are	Kern, Hammerstein	July 31 1958
Ornithology	Charlie Parker	July 31 1958
Bluesy	Barry Harris	July 31 1958
Passport	Charlie Parker	July 31 1958
Allen's Alley	D. Best	July 31 1958
Embraceable You	Gershwin, Gershwin	July 31 1958
S R O	Barry Harris	July 31 1958
Stranger In Paradise	Wright, Forrest	July 31 1958

Liner Notes

IF ALL THE good jazz musicians from across the nation were to converge on New York City at one time, there would be enough musical manpower there for a thousand all-star bands.

But in every corner of these United States there are first rate jazz artists who have no desire to make the trek to "The Apple." They prefer to remain in their own territories and make music in more familiar and less hectic surroundings.

Many of these musicians are strong influences in their respective localities. A great factor in the important Detroit jazz scene is Barry Harris. He has been to New York several times to play engagements and make records, but considers his home town to be a more likeable base of operations. Barry has influenced countless musicians and is currently the moving force behind a group Of talented youngsters who no doubt Will emerge as jazz stars in their own right in the near future. Though still a young man himself, Barry, because of his great stature as a jazz performer, is sought after for counsel, inspiration, and instruction by these up and coming artists.

Harris has recorded with Hank Mobley, Thad Jones, Donald Byrd, Art Farmer, Benny Golson, and others. He has seen many of his contemporaries leave the Motor City and move into the winner's circle of jazz — musicians such as Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Burrell, Doug Watkins, Paul Chambers, Pepper Adams, Don Byrd, and Curtis Fuller, to name just a few.

And though Harris may not be quite as well-known to the general public as the aforementioned Detroiters, he is nonetheless equally as talented and equipped.

Barry has a sound musical mind. He knows at all times in which direction he is heading. His piano work in this album speaks for itself. Ordinarily, I'm not a wagering man, but I'd be willing to bet my whole record collection on this — you'll love the Barry Harris trio.

About The Music

Listen carefully to All The Things You Are and note the subtle manner in which Barry states the theme. There's beautiful work throughout this tune from Harris and accompanists, ihcluding the Latin-favored rhythm pattern on the bridge.

It is good to hear Ornithology again. Here's a romping version of the Charlie Parker jazz classic with a fine walking bass chorus and tasteful drum work, too.

Bluesy is the soul of Barry! It is one of his own compositions done in a style that shows his allegiance to the roots of jazz. The stop time makes it doubly effective. This kind of performance makes you thankful that there are still modern musicians around who respect and continue to capture the real meaning of jazz. Listen while the boys tell the truth!.

Next. Barry has chosen to interpret a Charlie Parker vehicle titled PassPort. A happy, cohesive sound is evident throughout this one.

Side two opens with Allen's Alley and we find Barry comfortably ensconced in an up-tempo rendition of this famous song. Every 32-bar chorus is sheer delight. Sparks fly as the trio cooks!

Embraceable You is taken at a meditative pace with the full beauty of this great standard presented in top form.

SRO is another Harris original which employs an engaging melodic line. William Austin follows Barry's solo with a fine bass solo before Harris reenters to set the stage for an exchange of four-bar phrases before the tune is taken out.

The group's interpretation of Stranger In Paradise is a joy to behold.

There is no pretentiousness in Barry's presentation of this song, which has been annoyingly overdone by many artists. Here the group gives it a straightforward, swinging treatment. The end result is pleasant listening!

As long as there are musicians of the caliber of Barry Harris, I don't think we need worry about the future course of jazz.

George White
Radio Station WCHB

Recorded - July 31, 1958
Recording Engineer - Malcolm Chisholm
Producer - Dave Usher

LP-643

Red Rodney - Red Rodney Returns

Released 1959

Recording and Session Information

Red Rodney, trumpet; Billy Root, tenor saxophone; Danny Kent, piano; Jay Cave, bass; Frank Young, drums
February 16/17 1959

9177 5709
9178 Red hot and blue
9179 Whirlwind
9180 Two by two
9181 Shelley
9182 I remember you
9183 Shaw 'nuff
9184 Jordu

Track Listing

Shaw Nuff	Dizzy Gillespie	February 16/17 1959
Red Hot And Blue	Danny Kent	February 16/17 1959
I Remember You	Mercer, Schertinger	February 16/17 1959
5709	Danny Kent	February 16/17 1959
Whirlwind	Danny Kent	February 16/17 1959
Jordu	Duke Jordan	February 16/17 1959
Shelley	Danny Kent	February 16/17 1959
Two By Two	Jay Cave	February 16/17 1959

Liner Notes

The late Harvey Husten once said, "Some day some bright-eyed historian is going to write a definitive work on the music and musicians of our time. I hope he has enough savvy to include a generous chapter paying tribute to the people who made it commercially, and then found they couldn't stomach it, and began the long. tedious, and sometimes painful struggle to make it all over again — but this time playing, or singing, or writing the things they sincerely believed in; things that were inspired from the heart rather than the bank balance."

Although Harvey Husten never met Red Rodney, I am sure he had the "Red Rodneys" in mind when writing the above. I had the pleasure to see and hear the birth of this quintet in the winter of '58 at the Philadelphia area's leading jazz room (The Red Hill Inn); first heard as a replacement for an ailing Oscar Peterson — then by overwhelming demand heard at "the Hill" for as many as ten consecutive weeks.

This is the first the record world has heard from Red Rodney in some time, hence the title, "Red Rodney Returns." It does not mean a return to the jazz scene, as Red has been quite involved in the jazz scene for the past sixteen years.

Just a brief resume: At the age of 16, Red worked with Benny Goodman, his first professional job. He also spent much time with the big bands of Artie Shaw, Gene Krupa, Elliot lÄwrcncc. Woody Herman (during the Four Brothers era) and the avant guard Claude Thornhill band during the time that Gil Evans was contributing greatly to the book—

And of course three years with Charlie Parker.

About the music and the musicians: Billy Root (tenor) calls Philadelphia his home, as do all the men on this date. Billy had a wealth of experience with the big bands Of Stan Kenton (with whom he is currently on the road) and Dizzy Gillespie, prior to his association with Red.

Jay Cave (bass) played oboe with the Pittsburgh Symphonic Orchestra, and has played bass for Chris Connor and Terry Morrel among others.

On this set "Two by Two" is a Cave Original.

Danny Kent (piano) is originally from Boston, where, for three years, he played house piano at Storyville. He also did many arrangements for the Herb Pomeroy Band. "5709"..."Red Hot & Blue"..."Everything Good"...and "Whirlwind" are all Kent compositions.

Frank Young (drummer) has played with the late Herbie Fields and Jimmy Dorsey, but for Frank, this is his first recording session.

SID MARK
Radio WHAT-FM, Pbildelphia, Pa.