LP-699

Eldee Young – Just For Kicks

Released 1962

Recording and Session Information

Leo Wright, alto saxophone, flute; Mal Waldron, piano; Eldee Young, bass, cello; Richard Evans, bass; Redd Holt, drums
Ter Mar, Chicago, December 28 1961

11389 Thing-a-ma-jig
11390 Untitled
11391 Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
11392 Mr. Kicks
11393 When Johnny comes marching home
11402 Blues
11403 Goodbye
11404 Crazy she calls me
11405 John Henry
11406 Cry me a river Truly
Big brother
Just for kicks

Track Listing

When Johnny Comes Marching Home	L. Lambert	December 28 1961
Goodbye	Gordon Jenkins	December 28 1961
Crazy She Calls Me	Sigman-Russell	December 28 1961
Big Brother	E. Young	December 28 1961
Cry Me A River	A. Hamilton	December 28 1961
Truly	E. Young	December 28 1961
Mr Kicks	Oscar Brown Jr.	December 28 1961
Motherless Child		December 28 1961
Just For Kicks	E. Young	December 28 1961
John Henry		December 28 1961

Liner Notes

YOUNG CARL YOUNG "blew" guitar and sang and dug jazz the most. In his middle twenties his driving dream was to make it as a musician. Naturally, he turned his Little Brother on to music. The kid was still skinning his shins in a West Side Chicago schoolyard, but he was eager to learn.

"Wash your hands and I'll let you play". Carl would say. To Big Brother, the instrument was too beautiful for dirty hands to hold. Then when the kid retutned all scrubbed and ready, the lessons would begin.

"Don't just grab the instrument any old way. Hold it just so. Now try this change. No, listen to how Lonnie Johnson does it. See? try that run again, and swing, dammit, swing!

The directions pointed by Big Brother Carl have guided Little Brother, Eldee Young all his life. He has the same deep love of music and respect for his instruments. His sounds, like his hands, are clean and correct. And above all, he swings. This album, "Just For Kicks" is a moving demonstration of how far Eldee has come and of how much farther he can go.

His recipe is simple. Take a handful of prime musicians, seasoned well. Mix with bold, but sensitive musical concepts. Pour in plenty of purpose and salt it with a sack of soul, and cook. The result is well done.

"I've wanted to make this album for a long time", Eldee explains. "I wanted to show what my instruments can do. The bass has always been part of jazz, but it's seldom used as a boss instrument. Its melodic possibilities are seldom explored and the cello is hardly used at all."

Side one is Eldee's boss bass swinging in boldly as "Johnny Comes Marching Home". "Goodbye" could be a love scene with the bass cast as boy, and Leo Wright's bittersweet alto sax as girl. Eldee grows pensive and more melodic for "Crazy She Calls Me", while "Big Brother" is full of happy memories of Carl. "Cry Me A River" features Wright's alto and reads like a dear John letter.

Side two takes us to the land of the cello, starting with some blues: "Truly", some blues. As the hip slickster, "Mr. Kicks", Eldee introduces himself both on cello and with his spoken vocal. Then comes the weep and wail of the lonely "Motherless Child". The company was perfect to swing "Just For Kicks", the title tune, and to stand tall like mighty "John Henry."

This was what Eldee wanted. A triumph? Yes — but he'd be first to tell you of the rich contributions made by Leo Wright's sensitive sax and flawless of how strong Mal Waldron is on piano and Richard Evans on bass, and of the melodic thunder drummed up by Red Holt who with Eldee and Ramsey Lewis forms one of the most formidable trios in jazz.

And there was one more musician in the group, unseen save by Eldee himself. Big Brother Carl who gave guitar in his thirties; who died at age 41 just four anonths before this album was cut, but whose spirit was in every note.

Yes, the musical Young Brothers made it — both of them.

Oscar Brown. Jr.

LP-698

Gene Ammons – Just Jug

Released 1962

Recording and Session Information

Gene Ammons, tenor saxophone; Eddie Buster, organ; Gerald Donovan, drums
"D.J. Lounge", Chicago, August 28 1961

Not Released
11195 Just you, just me
11196 M.J. blues
11197 I can't get started
11198 C jam blues
11199 But not for me

The following selections appear on LP 698
11200 Foot tappin'
11201 It could happen to you
11202 Sweet Georgia Brown
11203 Falling in love with love
11204 Please send me someone to love
11205 Scrapple from the apple
11206 P.M - A.M. [Jug's blue blues]
11207 Fast track

Track Listing

Scrapple From The Apple	C. Parker	August 28 1961
Falling In Love With Love	Rogers, Hart	August 28 1961
Please Send Me Someone To Love	Mayfield	August 28 1961
Sweet Georgia Brown	Casey, Bernie, Pinkard	August 28 1961
It Could Happen To You	Burke, Van Heusen	August 28 1961
Foot Tappin	Gene Ammons	August 28 1961
P.M. - A.M.	Gene Ammons	August 28 1961
Fast Track	Gene Ammons	August 28 1961

Liner Notes

THE ADVENT of having Gene Ammons as an exclusive Argo artist has given me a long-awaited opportunity to heap accolades upon Chicago's great gift to the world of music.

This particular recording, done live, with a little less than the ultlmate in accoustical opportunity, points up Gene's enormous tone jutting through the resounding sounds and clashes of the club which was crowded with "last set" swingers.

Combined with the organ of Eddie Buster and Gerald Donovan's drums, Gene's warmth and inventive genius transforms these standards and originals to Jazz performances worthy of continued listening. Gene, throughout, is in his "down home" bag, and is playing to the customers. These renditions, completely spontaneous, put Gene on his own without another horn to battle and without a full complement of rhythm instruments. That he successfully generates the excitement expected from a "real pro" is easily in evidence throughout the album.

The music contained here - in was all recorded at one setting, in this exact sequence. Gene had eyed the recording equipment the entire evening, and with only the last set to go he took the stand with that "Ammons gleam" in his eye and signaled to the engineer, the audience and the hand that "this one's goin' down"! And down they are, one after the other, giving the audience barely enough time to applaud or soulfully carry on, between tunes. Just as with the other truly great saxophonists there is no mistaking the Ammons sound or approach. Known among record fans and musicians alike as "The Big Sound" and "Boss Tenor", to me "JUG" now occupies the position of a LESTER YOUNG.

Some of the particular musical highlights that appeal to me include Gene's swingmg of the "usually sugared up" ballad, "Falling In Love With Love"

With his famous tag endings; the up-tempoing Of "Sweet Georgia Brown", spotlighting Jug's running facilities; the BIG, JUICY, SWINGING ENDING on "It Could Happen To You"; and the beautiful turning of the pretty blues line of "Foot Tappin'" into a soul moving performance.

This, then is one of the GREAT saxophonists of our time playing here as he does most every night of the week wherever his "tours of musical duty" may take him; in the big famous clubs in the big famous cities, or in the local "hot spot" where the cats come to dig. This is GENE AMMONS in his most musical habitat, groovin' along, swingin' a song, and making everybody happy in the process! How about you?"

Joe Segal

LP-697

Gene Ammons / Sonny Stitt – Dig Him!

Released 1962

Recording and Session Information

Sonny Stitt, alto saxophone, tenor saxoiphone; Gene Ammons, tenor saxophone; John Houston, piano; Buster Williams, bass; George Brown, drums
Chicago, August 26 1961

11183 A mess
11184 New blues up and down
11185 Time on my hands
11186 We'll be together again
11187 My foolish heart
11188 Red sails in the sunset
11189 Headin' west [Water Jug]
11190 A pair of red pants
11191 Autumn leaves
11192 But not for me

Track Listing

Red Sails In The Sunset	Kennedy, Williams	August 26 1961
But Not For Me	Gershwin	August 26 1961
A Pair Of Red Boots	Stitt	August 26 1961
We'll Be Together Again	Fisher, Laine	August 26 1961
A Mess	Stitt	August 26 1961
New Blues Up And Down	Ammons, Stitt	August 26 1961
My Foolish Heart	Young, Washington	August 26 1961
Headin' West	Ammons	August 26 1961
Autumn Leaves	Mercer, Prevert, Kpzma	August 26 1961
Time On My Hands	Adamson, Youmans, Gordon	August 26 1961

Liner Notes

ANYONE who's been around jazz for awhile can tell you that this is certainly not the first time Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt have played together. And after hearing this album, even those relative newcomers to the music would be able to tell that these two men know each other's music so well and complement each other so perfectly, that at times it's hard to tell when one horn stops and the other begins.

Strangely enough, even though Ammons and Stitt have been around now for quite awhile, and would definitely have to be included on anybody's list of important saxophone players of the last decade and a half, they have both not really been given their due by critics, writers and the other marginalia of jazz. But other musicians have always known iust how important Sonny and "Jug" have been, and have never ceased to sing their praises. Many people who haven't really listened closely to Ammons in years think that the only thing Gene can do is play the loud part in wild saxophone duels. People who think like this perhaps have never heard the Ammons who is playing the opening bars of My Foolish Heart or We'll Be Together Again, two very beautiful ballads, on this album; or Gene's incredibly sophisticated solo on Autumn Leaves. Also, people who associate "Jug" solely with the honk cannot know how deeply he has influenced many of the young "far out" players like Rollins or Coltrane. In fact the Ammons influence is even a very heavy feature in the styles of young "avant garde" players like Archie Shepp of the Cecil Taylor group, who seem to have listened to "Jug" for a long time, and to have benefted by it immensely. But listen to New Blues Up And Down (a direct descendant of the old Blues Up And Down which, along with Stringin' The Jug, was one of the biggest Ammons-Stitt record hits during the old duel days) Time On My Hands or Headin' West as examples of how fluid and vital Gene's line is even at the quickest tempos. He never has to rely on the overly obvious phrase or the well worn cliché; he can always come up with the freshly turned note, the unusual phrase, no matter how old the tune might be. I mean who ever thought they'd hear Red Sails In The Suuset played like this? From Jug's first introductory funky-calypso phrase he invites you to a very singular rehearing of this veteran of the schmaltz circuit.

Sonny Stitt has been characterized too many times, by those people who seem always to be characterizing jazz performers on the basis of one small facet of their styles, as "a disciple of Charlie Parker." I think it would be safe to say that almost any saxophonist who has heard "Bird" can be called a disciple. But Stitt, along with Dexter Gordon, was one of the first people around to transfer what Parker was doing to the tenor saxophone. Although Stitt on tenor sounds nothing like Bird on tenor. But foc any saxophonist walking around today to be completely uninfluenced by Parker would be like a Christian not knowing who his religion was named after. It just hardly seems possible.

The terrible thing, it seems to me, is that too many people have heard that Sonny's been influenced by Bird, without understanding that Stitt is one of the few people who've been able to take so strong an influence and put it to such an admirably personal use. Stitt is first of all Stitt; and a mighty ubiquitous influence in his own right. There are many, many young tenor men around now whose connection to some of the Parker magic was gotten through Stitt's brilliant appropriation of it. Sonny's lovely solo on My Foolish should be enough to convince even the hardest head that Stitt is, and has been for a long time now, an individual voice, and one of the most exciting expressive voices we have. His line, even when he is playing a ballad, soars, and is multi-noted and fluid, without being thin or underweight. Sonny always gets enough meat into his solos, no matter how fast his fingers are moving.

The Stitt-Ammons combination works so well for several reasons, for one, both these players know their instruments as well as they know their own voices; probably better. They know their instruemnts so well that they know they don't constantly have to play meaningless sprays of notes just to show that they've had saxophone lessons. And though each man's style is very separate and singular, their overall approaches complement each other extraordinarily. Ammons is one of those rare saxophonists who was able to put Hawkins and Young together and still come out on top, with a style that is completely his own.

Sometimes Jug's attack is direct, in a manner vaguely reminiscent of Hawkins, but again sometimes it is subtle and graceful in that manner that Pres could have patented. Stitt on the other hand, got all his Pres training via Parker, but his long staggering multi-noted line is still softened and gracious. The Stitt and Ammons methods make for great contrast, but it is a contrast that is so compatible that sometimes it seems that there is only one very, very chameleon like saxophonist working. Their unison sound, e.g.. on New Blues or Headin' West, an Ammons' original is really a marvelous invention, like an organ made out of saxophones. And either soloist can come off this heavy driving duet line, and play a solo of such tenderness and subtlety, one wouldn't think it possible. Again, Autumn Leaves will convince you.

For some indication of how beautifully these musicians are able to extend each other's statements, Time On My Hands is suggested. On the opening phrases of the tune the line is played by Ammons with Stitt just behind him embellishing and commenting on the mam statement. Then Stitt takes the line, and Ammons is content to comment. The piece is resolved with one of the most elegant saxophone duets I've heard in some time, re-emphasizing the taste and musicianship with which these two players approach their work.

Sonny Stitt and Gene Ammons separately can about anything on the saxophone anyone can think of; together, as they have proven so often before, they are completely out of sight.

—LeRoi Jones