LP-718

Al Grey - Having A Ball

Released 1963

Recording and Session Information

Dave Burns, trumpet; Al Grey, trombone; Bobby Hutcherson, (as Robert J. Hutcherson) vibes; Hugh Lawson, piano; Calvin Newborn, guitar; Herman Wright, bass; Otis (Candy) Finch, drums
RVG, Englewood, New York, January 29 1963

12175 Rinky dinky
12176 Deep fried
12177 I don't want to cry
12178 Stand by me
12179 Stone crazy
12180 One day I'll show you
12181 Boss Tina
12182 Something's got a hold of me

Track Listing

Deep Fried	Al Grey	January 29 1963
One Day I'll Show You	Maurice McAllister	January 29 1963
Something's Got A Hold On Me	Woods-Kirkland-James	January 29 1963
I Don't Want To Cry	Jackson & Dixon	January 29 1963
Stand By Me	King & Glick	January 29 1963
Boss Tina	Al Grey	January 29 1963
Rinky Dink	David Clowney	January 29 1963
Stone Crazy	Al Grey	January 29 1963

Liner Notes

JAZZ used to be a happy music that was associated with dancing and good times. However, the trend lately has been toward making the music and its appreciation a somber and serious business. No one seems to be having a good time, the atmosphere is more like a college demonstration than of a Jazz performance. The musicians maintain a "super-cool" attitude on the stand and the audience, afraid of being called "square", sits stoically without expression change throughout what may musically bc an exciting performance. Many of today's top innovators seem to be conducting classes right on the band stand with the audience expected to absorb all of the many complex musicalities thrown at them (inventive as they may be). It is very doubtful that even percentage of these audiences, culled as they are from mostly untutored fans, actually "dig" what's going on. This may be one important reason jazz club audiences have dwindled so drastically during the past few years.

One of the newer groups to emerge a major unit during this hiatus period is that of trombonist, Al Grey. The reasons for their increasing popularity are very easy to comprehend. The music they play is happy, not overly complicated, and always swinging with a clearly defined beat. The mien of Al and every one of his sidemen is one which invites audiences to participate in the obvious "ball" the band is having while playing, Although in their improvisatory excursions the individual band members may "stretch out" into some exploratory ideas, never for a moment is the framework of reference forgotten, or the flavor of the selection being played ignored!

Al'S background ecompasses many eras and many fine bands including those of Benny Carter, Jimmy Lunceford, Lucky Millinder, Lionel Hampton, Sy Oliver, Bullmoose Jackson, Arnett Cobb, Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie. You may notice in that impressive run down of former employers quite a few of what might be called Rhythm and Blues, and of course, just plain rhythm. From these sources Al has derived a good feeling for some of today's better rock and roll compositions (after all a hybrid development stemming from R&B), and has included them in this album, as he does extensively during his in-person engagements. This "in-person" feeling, incidentally, is very difficult to capture during a studio recording date. That these musicians have managed it so easily and beautifully is a great credit to their professional artistry.

I think the selections speak eloquently for themselves. No high toned explanation running down each nuance to you is necessary. There are musical highlights within the entire framework of excellence that should be pointed out however. These include the two all two Dave Burns muted solos (bridge of "I Don't Want To Cry" and "Stone Crazy"), Bobby Hutcherson's mellow vibraphoning on "Cry" and Boss "Tina, the brief but groovy guitar work of Calvin Newborn and the continually interesting solo and comping style of pianist, Hugh Lawson. Al Grey rocks throughout, whether open horned or muted and his opening statements to the congregation on the gospelly "Somethings Got A Hold On Me" are insistently humorous. A tune of real Jazz departure in this album (Baby Cortez' "Rinky Dink") is done in an out and out Cha Cha style and is so captivating that even a clod like me tried to dance to it (almost successfully).

Al's personal tromboning influences are fairly evident upon an even casual hearing (Bennie Green, Tricky Sam Nanton, J.J. Johnson - there's a bone section for you), but throughout all of these influences and/or amalgamations of styles there persists the ever bubbling exciting and happy exuberance that truly marks Al's performance. In today's over crowded market of droll faced "silence or I quit playing" creators, Al Grey's out-going personality is much welcomed. He digs nothing better than having you, his audience, join him while he and his band are "Having A Ball".

-JOE SEGAL