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Hank Jones - Here's Love

Released 1963

Recording and Session Information

Hank Jones, piano; Kenny Burrell, guitar; Milt Hinton, bass; Elvin Jones, drums
RVG, Englewood, New York, October 19 1963

12768 Here's love
12769 My wish
12770 You don't know
12771 Dear Mister Santa Claus
12772 That man over there
12773 Arm in arm
12774 The big clown balloons
12775 Love come take me again
12776 Pine cones and holly berries
12777 My state, my Kansas, my home

Track Listing

Here's Love	Meredith Wilson	October 19 1963
My Wish	Meredith Wilson	October 19 1963
You Don't Know	Meredith Wilson	October 19 1963
Dear Mister Santa Claus	Meredith Wilson	October 19 1963
That Man Over There	Meredith Wilson	October 19 1963
Arm In Arm	Meredith Wilson	October 19 1963
The Big Clown Balloons	Meredith Wilson	October 19 1963
Love, Come Take Me Again	Meredith Wilson	October 19 1963
Pine Cones And Holly Berries	Meredith Wilson	October 19 1963
My State, My Kansas, My Home	Meredith Wilson	October 19 1963

Liner Notes

IF sentimentality is square, then I'm square, Meredith Willson is square, surely the Hank Jones Quartet is square and the squarest of squares are the people who have been jamming the Shubert Theatre in New York City to see "Here's Love" and have been doing so ever since its opening night. October 3, 1963.

"Here's Love", a musical version of the great film "Miracle On 34th Street" says "down with Scrooge and up with Tiny Tim" and in general, you don't have to be a screwball to believe in love or...Santa Claus.

Out of town reports were just great and as the show headed toward Broadway, the excitement about Meredith Willson's new score increased. Excitement rippled throughout the music world as it always does when it is learned that "Meredith Willson's got a new one coming to Broadway". Neither Willson nor his "Here's Love" has disappointed. There is no question that "Here's Love" is THE show of the 1963/64 season. The Hank Jones Quartet interpretation will become the definitive jazz presentation of this great score. From the tender but intense mood Of "You Don't Know"; the happy, toetapping rhythm of "My State, My Kansas, My Home"; the sweet and plaintive ballad "My Wish"; the true yuletide nostalgia of "Pine Cones And Holly Berries"; to the completely uninhibited childrens' enthusiasm of "The Big Clown Balloons", Hank has captured in the jazz idiom the flavor of Willson's musical menu for "Here's Love".

The artistry of Milt Hinton on bass, Elvin Jones on drums, and Kenny Burrell on guitar, welded cohesively by the remarkable ingenuity of Hank Jones, makes for many minutes of easy listening.

For good music aficionados. this will be Christmas all year round with the musicality of the Hank Jones Quartet a perennial gift from St, Nicholas himself.

I have said lot of things about this album, but there's one thing you may have noticed we did not say that would be to refer to this album as...square. So here's color, here's rhythm. here's enjoyment..."HERE'S LOVE"!

LP-727

Herman Foster - Ready and Willing

Released 1964

Recording and Session Information

Herman Foster, piano; Herman Wright, bass; Bruno Carr, drums
RVG, Englewood, New York, October 3 1963

12748 The night we called it a day
12749 You've changed
12750 Popcorn
12751 Our day will come
12752 My ship
12753 Blue-ese
12754 How about you?
12755 Someday my prince will come
12756 Namely you
12757 Ready and willing

Track Listing

Ready And Willing	Herman Foster	October 3 1963
My Ship	K. Weill & Ira Gershwin	October 3 1963
The Night We Called It A Day	Adair & Dennis	October 3 1963
Blue- Ese	Herman Wright	October 3 1963
Namely You	Mercer-DePaul	October 3 1963
Our Day Will Come	Gorson & Hilliard	October 3 1963
You´ve Changed	Carey & Fischer	October 3 1963
Someday My Prince Will Come	Frank E. Churchill & L. Morcy	October 3 1963
Popcorn	Herman Wright	October 3 1963
How About You	B. Lane & Fried	October 3 1963

Liner Notes

BRUNO CARR, a native New Yorker and musician with talent and versatility in handling the drums, had a problem on his mind — he was seeking a good bass man to join pianist Herman Foster and himself in a "gig" at Wells. This problem was fortuitously resolved by the accidental meeting, at the corner of 135th Street and Lenox Avenue, of Carr and Herman Wright in early June of year.

Wright, an enterprising, 3l-year.old alumnus of the "Motor City Gang" and a bassist in charge of a cool, rhythmical beat, expressed the proper of interest in Mr. Carr's dilemma; in fact, he expressed delight with the invitation to become a member of the group and after an exchange of telephone calls, the three gentlemen assembled and agreed to the formation of the Herman Foster Trio.

The Trio's mentor, a 53-year-old, sensitive, blind pianist from Philadelphia, is known foremost for his work as accompanist for leading vocalists. His most recent effort was with the Earl May Trio Gloria Lynne.

The Trio was booked in Wells, a pleasantly warm and happy palace located on Seventh Avenue, for a 2-week engagement in the middle of June 1963, and has since become a permanent fixture. A repertoire of wide range and variety has audiences, which generally come for one set, staying for two and more.

The interplay sparkles with wit, gaiety, and the thorough enjoyment of musicians playing together. Herman Wright recalls their second night together: they had found that certain groove which is necessarv for a successful venture.

The fruits of success are present in the Trio's first recording for Argo. The selections illustrate an 'en rapport' and poised group.

An accurate description of the musicians is the title opus by Foster. an improvised walking blues called "Ready and Willing."

There are two other originals written by Wright, "Blue-ese" and "Popcorn,". The latter, the nickname of Wright's son, is a delightful illustration of a jumpin', hoppin' youth in a minor blues. Foster gallops through choruses with gay, lighthearted chords. Wright supplies a chorus of joyful and talented impressions also.

"Blue-ese," another minor blues, introduces Foster's neo-rhythm, "Bossa Loch." The "Bossa Loch" leans more toward the Afro-Cuban sound than that of the Samba, and the Trio functions excellently at this tempo in "Blue•ese," "Night We Called It A Day," and "Our Day Will Come." Each of these reveals a relaxed, agile unit at its peak.

Foster's distinctive styling of rolling block chords and single note playing is continuously flowing without repetition.

Wright's bass is a pillar of steady rhythm and inventive ideas. Carr shows a keen sense of tempo and is in full command of the matters of percussion.

"My Ship" and "You've Changed" receive an imaginative, warm, lyrical ballad interpretation. "Some Day My Prince Will Come" is done in a lilting three-quarter tempo, with an invitation to the dance intro by Wright.

"Namely You" and "How About You" bounce along in a finger-snapping vein.

Among jazz musicians, the greatest Compliment a fellow musician is that he has the ability to "sing at the drop of a hat." After listening to this album, you'll agree that the Herman Foster Trio is ready and willing.

Ernest F. Dyson

LP-726

Gene Shaw - Debut In Blues

Released 1963

Recording and Session Information

Gene Shaw, trumpet; Herb Wise, trombone; Jay Peters, tenor saxophone; James Taylor, piano; Sidney Robinson, bass; Gerald Donovan, drums
Ter Mar, Chicago, July 8 1963

12541 Debut in blues
12542 Thieves' carnival
12543 Karachi
12544 Who knows?
12545 When Sunny gets blue
12546 Not too cool
12547 Travelog
12548 The gentle princess

Track Listing

Debut In Blues	Thomas Washington	July 8 1963
Karachi	James Taylor	July 8 1963
The Gentle Princess	Gene Shaw	July 8 1963
When Sunny Gets Blue	Foster & Segal	July 8 1963
Thieves Carnival	James Taylor	July 8 1963
Not Too Cool	Thomas Washington	July 8 1963
Who Knows	Renick Ross	July 8 1963
Travelog	Sidney Robinson	July 8 1963

Liner Notes

CLARENCE "GENE" SHAW, originally a Detroiter but now a Chicagoan has recently embarked upon a new career as part night club owner. This new "club/school" called "Old East Inn" is dedicated to the American heritage of creative arts — most heavily, Jazz. As in the case with most musician-owners, Gene's duties, most happily, are concerned with making music; although hammer wielding during the pre-opening preparations were very much a part his daily life.

Gene is a mellow-toned trumpeter who has worked in the Detroit area with most of that cities' well known Jazz contingent including Yusef Lateef, Kenny Burrell and Tommy Flanagan. He counts among his most memorable engagements a two-week stint with Lester Young in Detroit and the almost two years spent with Charlie Mingus in New York (1955-56). His first recorded solos, with Mingus on the RCA Victor LP titled 'Tijuana Moods" drew heavy praise from the not quick to flatter bassist. In 1959 Gene settled family here and made Chicago his permanent home. He began to gather many fans during his in-person session appearances at various clubs. A hearing by Argo executives at one of these sessions led to his first LP for the label, BREAKTHROUGH" (ARGO No. 707), the reviews of which were very favorable, especially from Downbeat-er Bill Goss.

Gene's favorite trumpeter is the late creative giant Freddie Webster. Anyone familiar with Webster's magnificent sound can immediately hear the likenesses in Gene Shaw's playing. Gene still uses his Student Olds trumpet and gets from it one of the lovliest sounds you've ever heard. His tone is sweet and singing yet has an acid bite. It's not at all loud but is, if anything a trifle too soft! On several tracks herein you may think the recording engineers have "echoed him up." This is not so. One of Gene's major accomplishments is his ability to play for the overtone. That he does this difficult thing successfully is very evident on this album.

The other main soloist on this date is a well-known (in Chicago) veteran of the Bebop tenor wars of the '40's and '50's. Born here in 1926, Jay Peters is an outstanding member of the Chicago school of modern tenor players, which includes Gene Ammons, Von Freeman, Johnny Griffin and Eddie Williams. He studied at Englewood High, gained his first experience with the "Dukes of Swing," worked with Chicago groups of King Fleming and Floyd Ray and gained a little prominence as one half of the teen-age tenor tandem (Johnny Griffin was the other half) with the great meat grinding band of Lionel Hampton (Circa, 1944). The army band and a teaching assignment in Richmond, Virginia took up the yeaa till 1953 when he re-joined Hamp for a European tour and stayed with the band till 1955. Quite a bit of his Chicago work has been with a group led by guitarist, Leo Blevins. Hearing how well he plays you'll wonder, as I have, why this is his first recording!

Herb Wise is the third horn and is a very unusual trombonist. His style is mellow and non-hurried (A little Bennie Green-ish) but is indiginous to his own easy going personality. Known as "a nice guy" in the music business, it is not uncommon for Herbie to be "aced out" of a high paying transcription or commercial date by more hustling players. His very versatile talent however, quite often wins out. Gene first became aware of Herbie while they were both on an eastern tour this past summer with the Dick Shory Percussion, et al band.

The rhythm section is young, with drummer Jerold Donavon the most experienced. Having worked extensively as part of an organ/drum duo backing such luminaries as Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, Dexter Gordon, Bennie Green and James Moody (working the gigs in pairs and trios), Jerold has developed into a fine musician. Bassist Sidney Robinson and pianist Tim Taylor both appear on Shaw's first album. It was Taylor, who has just left Chicago to study privately in Dallas who did quite a bit of the composing and arranging for the group. "Karachi" and "Thieves Carniyal" are his tunes and he arranged Sidney Robinson's "Travelog."

A young Chicago arranger/ pianist Tom Washington did the title tune of the album "Debut In Blues" and the "Jazztet" sounding "Not Too Cool" on side two. 'Debut' uses the time honored boogie woogie shuffe beat as its rhythmic foundation. Gene's solo has a relaxed, melancholy, almost floating feeling with Jay's Websterish blues steeped tenor and Wise' easy styled trombone following to the "Amen" ending.

Jerold Donavon uses mallets on the authentic sounding Taylor composition "Karachi." It's the most haunting tune of the entire set and you'll no doubt be humming it to yourself very quickly. Gene's solo is a pleasing meandering type with Jay's muscular approach taking him into some very outstanding moments of creativity.

Shaw's lone compositional contribution to this date is the bossa nova'ed, "The Gentle Princess." It has a light airy feeling reminiscent of Tadd Dameron's theme of the early 'SO's, "Jabbero" with Peters' tenor solo a lyrical thing of beauty.

The only standard tune of the date, the introspective, "When Sunny Gets Blue" closes side one with Gene's singing sound solo a bit tempered by a bittersweet approach.

Gene's bright lead trumpet opens side two playing the theme of "Thieves Carnival" which 1/2 steps up and down throughout to give the soloists interesting patterns to explore. Peters "Wild Gooses" his way into a hard swinging solo and Herb Wise "gets hot" on his.

The thick harmonied "Not Too Cool" uses a backbeat chop for its major propulsion but is relaxed throughout. Peters shines again solo-wise.

The lone composition of another young arranger, Renick Ross is a fast waltz with an eerie theme. Titled "Who Knows," it displays the Griffin influence on Peters and the Kenton-styled trombone of Wise. Gene sort of talks dunng his solo, with piano and bass doing short bits before the out theme.

The closer is Robinson's "Travelog." Its slow and pretty theme is carried by Shaw with the other horns weaving complimentary harmonies beneath.

Throughout the entire album I think you'll notice a fresh approach, undoubtedJy due to the use of so much original and different material, young arrangers, young musicians, spiced with the creative know-how of seasoned veterans. The approach is sincere with no gimmicks or strained devices. The three horns are outstanding and individual sounding and Gene intends to keep them with him in his house band at his new club. It's got to be a swinging place!

—JOE SEGAL