An early bebop tune I find liberating and energizing by a powerhouse combo led by Sonny Stitt that included Bud Powell and Kenny Dorham, whose name was misspelled as “Kinny Dorham” on the label.
0:00 Head In 0:22 Sonny Stitt (alto sax) 0:52 Bud Powell (piano) 1:24 Kenny Dorham (trumpet) 1:55 Piano and bass duet 2:11 Sonny Stitt (alto sax) 2:26 Head Out
Recorded in NYC on August 23, 1946. Released as Savoy 978.
Credits Kenny Dorham – trumpet; Sonny Stitt – alto sax Bud Powell – piano Al Hall – bass Kenny “Klook” Clarke – drums
After working with Miles Davis’ influential nonet in NYC from 1948 – 1951, Gerry Mulligan moved to L.A. in 1952. He started playing at a local jazz club with a young trumpeter from Oklahoma named Chet Baker. They hit it off and began recording for the fledgling Pacific Jazz label.
Their collaboration came to an abrupt end a few months later when Mulligan was arrested on a narcotics charge that sent him to prison for six months.
Here we have an original composition by bassist Carson Smith that starts off with a driving descending bass riff. The two horns seem to glide and meander like a pair of ice skaters circling one another on a frozen pond, resulting in a mesmerizing performance.
Recorded in Hollywood, Gold Star Studios on February 24, 1953 Released as Pacific Jazz PJ 611.
Credits Chet Baker – trumpet Gerry Mulligan – baritone sax Carson Smith – bass Larry Bunker – drums
A blazingly fast Oscar Peterson attacks Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies” supported by Barney Kessel and Ray Brown keeping down the rhythm.
This particular record has no business sounding as good as it does – the surface was trashed with scratches and scuffs and I fully expected it to be a placeholder copy until something better comes along. Sure there are some clicks and tics – but on the whole, it sounds quite enjoyably listenable!
The moment at the 0:08 mark when the bass and guitar kick in is quite good when listening on headphones.
Fans of the 20s versions of “Blue Skies” are gonna spit out their coffee at the screen hearing the manic Peterson bop it up – but you have to admire his furious playing full of zest and stylish panache. A great recording and performance!
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA in early December, 1952. Released as Mercury 87039 in early 1953.
Credits: Oscar Peterson – piano Barney Kessel – guitar Ray Brown – bass
An exciting performance of Dizzy Gillespie’s bop standard “Night in Tunisia” by the Bud Powell Trio featuring drummer Max Roach and bassist Curly Russell.
If you listen closely you can faintly hear Powell’s hummed vocalizations during his playing.
Recorded in New York on May 1, 1951. Released as Blue Note 1576. Later included on the 10″ ep “The Amazing Bud Powell” (Blue Note LP 5003)
Credits: Bud Powell – piano Curly Russell – bass Max Roach – drums
Bird bursts on the scene: the fantastic “Ko Ko” on the Savoy label recorded in New York City on November 26, 1945. One of the first bebop recordings and Charlie Parker’s first session as a bandleader.
Pianist Bud Powell couldn’t make the session and alternate Sadik Hakim didn’t have a union card – so Dizzy Gillespie wound up playing both trumpet and piano on this revolutionary track.
Miles Davis gets a trumpet credit but wrote later that he didn’t play on this date, feeling that he wasn’t ready to play complex changes at this hyperfast tempo of 300 bpm.
This copy originally belonged to novelist and poet Robley Wilson, who I was lucky enough to briefly correspond with in 2018 before he passed away. He was a fan of big band but bought his first Charlie Parker record, “Billie’s Bounce” in the late 40s. He started collecting the records of Bird and Diz and wrote: “Those old labels, Savoy and Dial and Musicraft, I can still see in my mind’s eye.”
After retiring from teaching creative writing at @northern_iowa, Robley moved to Florida. He gave his 78s to one of the movers, and they ended up at a local record store. Robley had put stickers with his name and address on every record – so I took a chance and looked him up. It’s nice when records can tell their story.
For all who have been working hard in stressful times – pour yourself a drink, sit right down, and dig “Weary Land Blues” – the chillest cool jam from 1939 by J.C. Higginbotham Quintet on @bluenoterecords
Featuring guitarist Teddy Bunn, pianist Albert Ammons, and trombonist J. C. Higginbotham, this quiet unassuming little improvisation slowly builds its story – and by the end leaves you wishing it wasn’t over. Certainly, at the time it was recorded, the world was about to change irrevocably.
Bunn’s understated guitar drips with weariness yet manages to capture a feeling we’ve all felt, setting the tone for the band. Ammons shows us that a fast and loud boogie-woogie player can bring it down to a quiet whisper. Higginbotham deftly demonstrates the beauty and soul that the trombone is capable of delivering.
Recorded in New York on April 7, 1939. Released as Blue Note 501 – this pressing is slightly later – probably from 1940-41.
Credits: J. C. Higginbotham – trombone Albert Ammons – piano Teddy Bunn – guitar John Williams – bass Sidney Catlett – drums
