LP-625

Chubby Jackson's Big Band - I'm Entitled To You!!

 

Released 1958

Recording and Session Information

Chicago, November 4 1957
Joe Silva, Don Geraci, John Howell, Bill Hanley, Don Jacoby, Porky Panico, trumpet; Cy Touff, trumpet; George Jean, Paul Krum, Bill Harris, trombone; Howard Davis, alto saxophone; Sandy Mosse, Vito Price, tenor saxophone; Willie Caulkins, baritone saxophone; Marty Rubenstein, piano; Ray "Remo" Biondi, guitar; Chubby Jackson, bass; Don Lamond, drums; Jackie Paris, vocals; Manny Albam, Al Cohn, Bill MacRae, Bob Brookmeyer, arrangement

I'm Entitled To You
To Seek
New York To Chicago
Move My Way
Gus's Blues
Slap That Bass
Big Fat Nothin
Yesterday Is Here
Do Me Sump'n
Mister Duff

I'm Entitled To You	C. Jackson	November 4 1957
To Seek	C. Jackson	November 4 1957
New York To Chicago	C. Jackson	November 4 1957
Move My Way	C. Jackson	November 4 1957
Gus's Blues	Gus Johnson	November 4 1957
Slap That Bass	George and Ira Gershwin	November 4 1957
Big Fat Nothin	C. Jackson, M. David	November 4 1957
Yesterday Is Here	C. Jackson	November 4 1957
Do Me Sump'n	Jackson	November 4 1957
Mister Duff	C. Jackson	November 4 1957

Liner Notes

In the recent lean years of jazz, there was a lot of confusion as to what to play and how to play it. But certain champions have stood for what they believe despite the urging of big business to do otherwise. By sticking to their convictions, they have kept the truth of our music alive and have given courage to the rest of us to go on. My new prediction is for a prosperous era of jazz. More and more good jazz is being exposed in albums. I feel a lush period ahead for those who play for the love of it.

Usually, when someone sits down to plan what he hopes will be a hit album, he gets advice and counsel from all sides to copy other successes, to alter the style he believes in, etc. He's got to wind up without saying his own story. I'm proud to say that Leonard and Phil, Chess, the two men behind Argo records, told me point-blank to do whatsoever I chose, to take a free hand in the entire production of the album. No meetings, no conferences, no stop-lights no nuttin'!

Up to date, I've never really imposed my writings on other musicians. I wrote some for Woody that he accepted and played only because it was my Woody and I never felt ashamed of presenting him with any of my thinking. Strangely enough, most people feel that a bass player's function is solely to supply rhythm and nothing else. A careful listening to the great melodic efforts of such bassists as Jimmy Ihanton, Red Mitchell, Oscar Pettiford, Ray Brown, Charlie Mingus and many others too numerous to mention would quickly set such people straight. I have found strength from the music of these men, and in this album decided to do the majority of the writing, to tell and to see what my story happens.

I love to play bass in a big band! Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the cute lines of a small group and the solo efforts of solo artists who are really artists who know how to make their statements clear once you open a hole for them. But the drive of the big band machine has always been my number one love. Like, I'd rather watch the Chicago Bears football machine operate than sit in the sun and watch a tennis match.

In choosing certain artists to feature in this album, I immediately called on my favorite instrumentalist of all time, my friend and associate Bill Harris. All I can say is that when I try to write a ballad form, I automatically visualize Big Bill playing it, so in this album you'll hear Bill on three ballads especially written for him. And for perhaps the most important instrument and instrumentalist in the entire album - Mr. Don Lamond, a swingin" guy who has never stopped swingin'. I know that most jazz musicians would back up that statement. My years of association with him make me appreciate his fantastic knowledge of music. I also felt that album needed the presence of an honest wailer with the voice to express his feelings. The great success of Jackie Paris at the Newport Jazz Festival reminded me that he was the guy to fill that need. I predict that Jackie is going to be a big star in the near future. He makés his messages clear with a big display of heart. In his efforts, I'd like you to meet the guy who supplied the lyrics on two of the songs, Marvin David. You'll hear a fresh approach to writing, and to add his construction to the feeling I wanted in this album just seemed to come naturally.

Then, too, I'm extremely fortunate in having such outstanding newer soloists as Vito Price, Cy Touff and Sandy Mosse. Each chair in this band was carefully chosen. First of all I was looking for four 1st trumpet players with big band experience, and we've got them. The big fat trumpet sound...there's nothing like it. The saxes with the standard alto, tenor and baritone fill in the rest of the meat of the ensembles. Along with Don Lamond on drums, Marty Rubenstein on piano and myself on bass, I feel the emergence of a rhythm guitarist by the name of Remo Biondi. He's our Freddy Green from the Count's band. He's too much.

We've tried to do a couple of things here that, to my knowledge, haven't been done on record before. For instance, in "Gus's Blues", you'll hear an entire ensemble from beginning to end, based note for note on a record of the same name done by the great Zoot Sims and arranged by the famous Bobby Brookmeyer. Also the two Bill Harris ballads, called "Yesterday Is Here" and "To Seek", for just one chorus with a small tag. Bill MacRae arranged these tunes with a great deal of finesse. Jackie does three different vocals, "Do Me Sump'n", "Big Fat Nothin" and "I'm Entitled to You", in which you'll hear mostly ensembles behind him. I'm proud to say that Manny Albam did all the arrangements for Jackie, On "N.Y. to Chicago" and "Mister Duff", you'll hear two arrangements by Al Cohn featuring some of the soloists. He also made up a tune for me featuring the bass — a not too well known show tune by the Gershwin brothers called "Slap That Bass." I can't quite agree with their suggestion, but I'll do my best. Then we'll hear Bill Harris again on "Move My Way", playing with the standard big band sound behind him. This one was also arranged by Bill MacRae.

This album will quickly tell me if I calculated correctly or not in my free choice of musical messages. I hope it makes it. At any rate...this is me. I'm teling my story. I'm entitled to you ! ! !

LP-614

Chubby Jackson's Big Band - Chubby's Back

Released 1957

Recording and Session Information

Chicago, Illinois, March 31 1957
Don Geraci, John Howell, Don Jacoby, John Silva, trumpet; Cy Touff, bass trumpet; Bill Harris, Tom Shepard, trombone; Howard Davis, alto saxophone; Sandy Mosse, Vito Price, tenor saxophone; Bill Calkins, baritone saxophone; Marty Rubenstein, piano; Ray "Remo" Biondi, Jimmy Gourley, guitar; Chubby Jackson, bass; Don Lamond, drums

8460 Tiny's blues
8461 Raffles
8462 Mother knickerbopper
8463 Keester parade
8464 Give me another chance
8465 Plymouth rock
8466 Flying the coop
8467 Let's talk
8468 Sax appeal
8469 New York

Track Listing

Tiny's Blues	Tiny Kahn	March 31 1957
Raffles	Remo Biondi	March 31 1957
Let's Talk	Chubby Jackson	March 31 1957
Mother Knickerbopper	Tiny Kahn	March 31 1957
Keister Parade	Johnny Mandel	March 31 1957
Flying' The Coop	Tiny Kahn	March 31 1957
Plymouth Rock	Neal Hefti	March 31 1957

Liner Notes

"Chubby's back," it says here.
To some people, he was nevér gone.
The ebullient spirit that heiped to instill in a couple or more of the various Woody Herman Herds, plus the various small groups he worked with after leaving Woody, remains a happy segment in the memories of those who recall the awesome sweep and charge of some of them.
A couple of years ago, however (this being written in the spring of 1957), Chub decided he'd pretty well had it, what with the jazz world being in a state where work was scarce even for the bright lights of the moment.
So he utilized his always-he's-had-it talent for being able to entertain people, and he pushed an opening into the TV field. Not musically. He conducted a kids' show in Chicago called Chubby's Rascals, And not badly, either. The show was named by TV Guide as the most popular children's show of the year.
But the itch always remained. And the knowledge. The knowledge that he is best qualified to say his piece via jazz.
So, to make a long story short, as the saying goes, this album resulted.
You are the customer. You happen to have the final say as to whether the product is worthy or not. I happen to think it is.
Maybe it's because I was there throughout the long evening that produced these tracks. I was there when the last musician arrived — 15 minutes, ahead of time — and got dirty looks from the rest of the men assembled because they were on hand to prove that the only good big band dates do not come from New York or Los Angeles, and they wanted nothing to go wrong.
I was there while the men pleaded, "Let's do one more take; we can do it better."
I was there while everyone involved hung around for more than an hour after the date to hear the playbacks instead of going home to families, or out for a drink.
I was there when the entire group broke into applause at the finish of Bill Harris' solo on Let's Talk.
I was there when Don Jacoby looked at the rest of the band and exulted, "You know, this is the first time I've hit a high F in years. And it came easy."
I was there. And I'm happy, because seldom have I seen as pleased and satisfied group of musicians. This may not be fhe greatest big band ever recorded, but you'd have a difficult time telling that to the guys who played on it.
It was a trial date, and they came through with flying colors.
To those who have watched the jazz scene with interest for some years, it is needless to say that Chubby Jackson has long been noted as a talent scout extraordinary. He brought into the Herman band, among others, the brothers Candoli, Sonny Berman, Shorty Rogers, Ralph Burns, and many, many more.
In this album, he keeps the record up to date. You may not previously have heard of Sandy Mosse, Jim Gourley, or Vito Price. Maybe even of Cy Touff. But you will. Along with Bill Harris, they provide some drivingly vital solo moments.
When this date was being set up, no other drummer than Don Lamond was ever considered. He was a section-mate in the Herman Herd with Jackson, and they find more than considerable mutual satisfaction working together. Their camaraderie is readily apparent from the first bars of Tiny's Blues, which kicks off the first side. It's probably the best-known of the late Tiny Kahn's compositions, and gets a roaring sound. Solos are by Gourley, Mosse, Price, and Harris.
Raffles was written by guitarist Remo Biondi, and features the saxes, lead by Howard Davis' alto, plus solos from Mosse and Touff.
Let's Talk is all Harris', and it is a credit to his musicianship that only two takes were needed, despite the fact that he saw the music for the first time at the date.
Mother Knickerbopper which used to be played at a fantastic tempo by Chubby's 1949 big band, when it was a Father, is slowed down considerably here, with Gourley easing in as first soloist, followed by Mosse and Price again on tenors. Harris winds it up wailingly, refusing to quit.
Keester Parade is the Johnny Mandel composition played originally by an octet Cy Touff led on a Pacific Jazz Recording date. Expanded to big band size, it still fits beautifully as Cy and Sandy state the theme before taking solos, abetted in that department by Harris, Price, and Jacoby.
Flyin' the Coop is all Gourley and band. "He sounds like a reincarnated Charlie Christian," insists Chubby.
Plymouth Rock is the most uninhibited and powerfully raw side on the date, yet it is a pleasing rawness, one composed of sheer eagerness to play. Adapted by Frank Wess from the Neal Hefti arrangement that's played by Count Basie, it contains an ensemble recreation of Joe Newman's recorded solo wiggles in. Succeeding solos are by Mosse, Price, Harris, and Touff.The bands closing statements verge on the orgiastic.
Marty Rubenstein's three notes at the end are neat tribute to Count Basie. Fitting, too, because that's the sort of band this is.
See if you don't agree.

Jack Tracy
Editor, Down Beat Magazine

PERSONNEL:
Trumpets—Don Jacoby, Johnny Howell, Don Geraci, and Joe Silria;
Trombones—Bill Harris, and Tommy Shepard;
Bass Trumpet—Cy Touff;
Reeds—Howard Davis, Sandy Mosse, Vito Price, and Bill Calkins, baritone;
Rhythm—Marty Rubenstein, Piano; Chubby Jackson, Bass; Remo Biondi,
Rhythm Guitar; Jim Gourley, Solo Guitar; Don Lamond, Drums.