It’s been five weeks since I’ve done a jazz show. I’ve missed it. But I make up for lost time with the playlist for tonight’s show: a touch of West Coast Cool Jazz for late spring, to get in the mood for summer, to relax our minds with the tones of California jazz, to engage our “jazz mindfulness,” and to relish a life lived to a swing tempo.
Started out the first set of tonight’s show with the baritonist, leader Virgil Gonsolves and his Sextet performing the silky smooth “Bounce” from the Jazz in Hollywood series. 1954. Originally released as 10″ LPs on the Nocturne label. While Gerry Muligan had the name recognition—not to mention the unique tone of his baritone—this came at the expense of overlooking many other extraordinarily talented baritonists, especially like Virgil Gonsalves. His West Coast cool jazz sextet also features valve trombonist Bob Enevoldsen, and tenor saxophonist Buddy Wise. Many, if not most, of these fifties era west coast jazz musicians recorded for the Nocturne label, which always had very cool album cover art, either a black and white photograph of the muscians playing during a session, or some kind of crazy jazz expressionist artwork.
Chet Baker’s “The Wind,” composed by Baker, is from his 1953 Columbia album Chet Baker and Strings. This is a young Chet Baker in a quintet baked up by a nine-piece string section. “Zoot” Sims and Jack Montrose on tenor saxes, Russ Freeman (piano), Joe Mondragon (bass), Shelly Manne (drums), and Bud Shank probably playing the flute on “The Wind.” The album was recorded late 1953, early 1954. By comparison, Charlie Parker had recorded standards with a string section a few years earlier—one session Nov. 30, 1949 and another in July of 1950. These two sessions resulted in two separate recordings, Charlie Parker with Strings (Nov. 1949-July 1950).
This is one of those albums that comes along once in a lifetime. A seminal album at the time, Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus was first released in April of 1962; I was a freshman in high school. The first time I heard the record and immediately fell in love with it was two years later when my father and I were living in Walla Walla, WA. He bought a few records from somewhere and played them on my Hi Fi record player. One record was Willis Jackson’s Neopolitan Nights, which was also released in 1962, and Stan Getz’s Getz Au Go Go, first released the summer before we moved to Walla Walla in 1964. But it was Vince Guaraldi’s Cast Your Fate to the Wind that really knocked me out. His music is so lyrical, hypnotic, and technically sublime. Vince Guaraldi Trio “O Nosso Amor” composed by Demoraes from Jazz Impressions Of Black Orpheus (1962) on fantasy — Vince Guaraldi, piano; Monte Budwig on bass and Colin Bailey on drums
Henry Mancini “The Chaser” composed by Henry Mancini from Martinis with Mancini (1958) on RCA. Okay, lounge music that swings. This is a compilation of tunes from albums and soundtracks recorded from 1958 to 1967. I enjoy much of Mancini’s compositions and arrangements; they are reflections of a very particular era during America’s burgeoning pop music culture. A guilty pleasure for certain.
Andre Previn & His Pals “I Remember It Well” composed by Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe from Gigi (1958) on OJC — Andre Previn, piano; Red Mitchell, bass; Shelley Mann, drums.
Gerald Wiggins Trio “All That’s Good” composed by Gerald Wiggins from Gerald Wiggins Trio (1953) on Tampa — Wig swings this one with a tense cool. After an intro that begs resolving, Wig plays a vamp with a bluesy sharp on the last note of the second repetition. That’s the note at the center of the whole composition, the one that creates the slightest sense of tension. But those notes, the blue notes, the flatted fifths are the ones that are never resolved; they just hang there for a fraction of a second and then they’re gone. That’s the blues in West Coast Cool Jazz. Gerald Wiggins, piano; bassist Joe Comfort and drummer Bill Douglass
Conte Candoli. “Zizanie” composed by Conte Candoli from Little Band, Big Jazz (EP) (1960) on Fresh Sound — “Zizanie” is hot. The music has a big, rolling jazz sound with bop sounding riffs, but without the frenetic tempo and chord changes; this is the cool side of Bop. Conte Candoli’s trumpet pairs perfectly with Buddy Collette’s tenor sax and the rhythm section of the brilliant Vince Guaraldi on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and drummer Stan Levey.
Stan Getz. “Love Is Here To Stay” composed by George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin from Stan Getz and the Cool Sounds (1955) on Verve —I unashamedly love this album cover, or at least its visual metaphor. The obvious “cool” reference is to the soft-toned, mellow, even soothing to some, West Coast Cool Jazz scene emanating from California and isolated to some degree from the New York intellectual jazz scene. After the death of Charlie Parker in 1955, the New York jazz scene began to evolve experimentally, following different avenues of jazz styles and led by post-Parker musicians. Cool jazz era centered around the music of Miles Davis’ Nonet formed in 1948. Capital records at the urging of Pete Rug0lo recorded the band in 1949 and 1950. The records, originally released as 78 RPM, later became the seminal Miles Davis album The Birth of the Cool, released in 1957, two years after this Getz album was released. Cool Jazz was now a distinctly West Coast-East Coast sound. Hot jazz was still around in the form of post-bop or hard-bop, but this style of jazz was still not commercially popular quite yet. Cool jazz did sell records. Stan Getz was very popular jazz musician, having played in the Woody Herman Band in 1947, with Johnny Smith on Moonlight in Vermont, Horace Silver, and with the “Brothers” in 1949. Getz’s mellow-toned tenor is that cool water splashing on a woman’s bare back in the middle of a tropical paradise. Stan Getz, tenor, accompanied by pianist Lou Levy, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and drummer Shelly Manne.
Jimmy Giuffre. “Gotta Dance” composed by Jimmy Giuffre from Jimmy Giuffre 3 (1957) on WEA Japan. With guitarist Jim Hall and either Ralph Pena or Jim Atlas on bass, Giuffre is heard on clarinet, tenor, and baritone. Jimmy Giuffre is a fascinating, cerebral, and unpredictable sort of musician who had enormous talent as a composer, arranger, and multi-instrumental reed man. Giuffre was born in Texas and, according to Jim Hall, spoke with an easy Texas accent and a had a diffident manner that belied his enormous talent and interest in a variety of modern musical forms. He listened to all kinds of from country music (naturally as a Texan) to the avant-garde and certainly, if you listen to much of his music, was influenced by all of it.
Giuffre’s album Free Fall came out in 1962 to critical and commercial success and has been described variously as revolutionary, ground-breaking, and so on. A recent New York Times article claims that there is a renewed interest and appreciation in Giuffre’s music, which at times is complex, atonal, and abstract. I don’t even come close to understanding avant-garde or free jazz or even if those kinds of labels would be appropriate to describe Free Fall, but this is experimental jazz in its most purest form. It takes a special kind of jazz listener to understand this music, which means I probably would not play it on my jazz show for the same reasons I would not play Ornette Coleman or Cecil Taylor. If I did play them, the music would have to be part of a narrative illustrating this particular style of jazz. For an audience used to hard bop riffs, it’s easy to understand why, according to the Times article, Giuffre was booed at some of his concerts.
On the other hand, records like The Jimmy Giuffre 3, The Easy Way (1959—some experimental jazz, but mostly cool swing), and especially Fly Away Little Bird (1992) are much more accessible as modern jazz to jazz listeners. If you’ve not heard Giuffre before, this album The Jimmy Giuffre 3 is a good place to start.
Bud Shank and The Laurindo Almeida Trio “Round Midnight” composed by Monk from Brazilliance Vol. 2 (1958) on World Pacific — Bud Shank, alto and flute; Laurindo Almeida, guiter
Mundell Lowe “Blues for a Stripper” composed by Mundell Lowe from Satan In High Heels (2006) on Collectables — Lowe composes the music and conducts a big band comprised of musicians as skilled as Oliver Nelson, Al Cohn, Phil Woods, Urbie Green, Joe Newman and Clark Terry
Bobby Troup “Makin’ Whopee” composed by Walter Donaldson / Gus Kahn from Bobby Swings Tenderly (1957) on VSOP — pianist/vocalist/composer Bobby Troup’s few (and possibly only) all-instrumental dates. Accompanied by cool-toned horns (valve trombonist Bob Enevoldsen, trumpeter Stu Williamson, tenor saxophonist Ted Nash and baritonist Ronnie Lang) along with bassist
Barney Kessel “Jersey Bounce” composed by Tiny Bradshaw / Buddy Feyne / Edward Johnson /J.C. Johnson / Bobby Plater from Let’s Cook (1957) on OJC — guitarist Barney Kessel. Kessel is matched with vibraphonist Victor Feldman, pianist Hampton Hawes, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and drummer Shelly Manne
Bill Holman Big Band “You Go To My Head” composed by J. Fred Coots / Haven Gillespie from In A Jazz Orbit (1958) on VSOP — Bill Holman, leader, tenor features a 15-piece band filled with West Coast all-stars. Among the soloists on these five standards and four originals are trombonists Frank Rosolino, Carl Fontana, and Ray Sims; altoists Charles Mariano and Herb Geller; trump
Harry Babasin/Bob Enevoldsen “It’s Easy To Remember” composed by Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers from Jazz in Hollywood Series (1954) originally on Nocturne — Harry Babasin, one of Nocturne’s founders, was one of the very first jazz cellists. He is heard on both bass and cello in a quintet with vibraphonist Larry Bunker, valve trombonist Bob Enevoldsen, pianist Jimmy Rowles, and drummer Roy Harte.
Teddy Charles “I Can’t Get Started” composed by Vernon Duke / Ira Gershwin from Evolution (1955) on OJC — vibraphonist Teddy Charles was for a period an important participant in the early Third Stream movement, using aspects of classical music to revitalize West Coast-style jazz. This CD reissue features trumpeter Shorty Rogers, tenor saxophonist Jimmy Giuffr
Bill Harris “Everywhere” composed by Bill Harris from The Ex-Hermanites (1957) on VSOP — Bill Harris, leader, trombone, featuring current and former members of Woody Herman’s band, Terry Gibbs, vibes; Lou Levy, piano; Red Mitchell, bass; Stan Levey, drums.
June Christy “Just the Way I Am” composed by Bobby Troup from Duet (1955) on Capitol — June Christy teams up with Stan Kenton on piano
Paul Desmond w/Brubeck quartet “Stardust” composed by Hoagy Carmichael from On The Radio Live 56-57 (1956) on Acrobat — Dave Brubeck, piano; Paul Desmond, alto; Norman Bates, bass; Joe Morello, drums
Nat King Cole “The Lonely One” composed by Lenny Hambro / Roberta Heller from After Midnight: The Complete Session (Bonus Tracks) (1956) on Capitol — Nat King Cole, piano, vocals; Juan Tizol, valve trombone; Jack Costanzo, bongos; John Collins, guitar; Charlie Harris, bass; Lee Young, drums
Marty Paich “Black Rose” composed by Marty Paich from The Picasso Of Big Band Jazz (1957) on Candid
Anita O’Day “Under A Blanket Of Blue” composed by Jerry Livingston / Al J. Neiburg / Marty Symes from Time for Two (1962) on Verve — With the Cal Tjader on vibes; Robert Corwin, piano;
Conte Candoli Quartet “No Moon at All” composed by Redd Evans / Dave Mann from Conte Candoli Quartet (1957) on VSOP — excellent bop trumpeter Conte Candoli in a quartet with pianistVince Guaraldi, bassist Monty Budwig, and drummer Stan Levey
Curtis Counce Group “Nica’s Dream” composed by Horace Silver from Carl’s Blues (1960) on OJC — This set features Curtis Counce, bassist-leader; Jack Sheldon on trumpet, tenor saxophonist Harold Land; pianist, Carl Perkins and drummer Frank Butler
The Shorty Rogers Quintet “I Hadn’t Anyone Till You” composed by Ray Noble / Shorty Rogers from The Shorty Rogers Quintet with Jeri (1962) on Studio West — Jeri Southern, vocals; Amos Trice, piano
Shelly Manne “Flip” composed by Shelly Manne from The Three and the Two (1954) on Contemporary — Shelly Manne, drums, leader; Shorty Rogers, trumpet; Jimmy Giuffre, clarinet
Peggy Lee “Cloudy Morning” composed by Marvin Fisher / Joseph McCarthy from Mink Jazz (1963) on Capitol
Art Pepper “Diane’s Dilemma” composed by Art Pepper from Modern Art: The Complete Art Pepper Aladdin Recordings, Vol. 2 (1956) on Aladdin — Art Pepper, alto; Russ Freeman, piano; Ben Tucker, bass; Chuck Flores, drums
Buddy Collette “Blues for Howard” composed by Buddy Collette from Nice Day with Buddy Collette (1957) on OJC — Buddy Collette, clarinet; Don Friedman, piano; John Goodman, bass; Bill Dolney, drums
Call and Response 