DIZZY GILLESPIE – 1952 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1321 (2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 All of the music on this CD was recorded by trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie in Paris during a one-month period in 1952. The first half of the set teams Gillespie with tenor saxophonist Don Byas, who had moved to Europe from the U.S. six years earlier. The sextet alternates swing standards with some boppish originals and Afro-Cuban jazz pieces. The performances are pretty concise, and one wishes that Gillespie and Byas had had opportunities to really stretch out and inspire each other. The final dozen selections mostly feature the trumpeter backed by a string orchestra with arrangements from Jo Boyer or Daniel White. The repertoire is comprised of swing tunes, but Dizzy's melodic statements are still pretty adventurous. Three of the numbers drop the strings and have Gillespie playing with the rhythm section. Although one would not call any of this music essential, it does have its moments of interest and Dizzy Gillespie fans will want to pick it up as a gap filler between more significant sessions. Scott Yanow    Tracklist :

BUCK CLAYTON – 1953, Vol. 2 | The Chronogical Classics – 1427 (2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This fourth volume in the Classics Buck Clayton chronology is mainly devoted to the excellent music he recorded in Paris during the first two weeks of November 1953. Much different from the old-fashioned jazz he blew with Mezz Mezzrow during the same tour, this material represents a fresh, modern approach to the traditions Clayton had helped to establish with (and without) Count Basie during the 1930s and '40s. Tracks one through five showcase informal jam bands co-led by Clayton and drummer Gerard Pochonet. There are several fine soloists featured here, including electrically amplified guitarist Jean-Pierre Sasson, clarinetist and baritone saxophonist Michel de Villers, trombonist Benny Vasseur, and pianist Andre Persiani. That's a short list -- these pleasantly loose blowing sessions involved some of the top jazz musicians available in Paris at that time. Back in New York and recording for Columbia on December 14 and December 16, 1953, Clayton led a ten-piece group that was essentially the Count Basie Orchestra with Sir Charles Thompson at the piano. Three extended romps close out this highly rewarding segment of the Buck Clayton story: "Lean Baby," a sultry blues by Billy May, cruises at a relaxed lope for eight-and-a-half minutes; the great Kansas City swing anthem "Moten Swing" rolls for twelve-and-a-half minutes, and a cool "Sentimental Journey" stretches out for nearly 14 minutes. Excellent music, superbly rendered. arwulf arwulf  
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ROY ELDRIDGE – 1950-1951 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1259 (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

It is June 1950. Roy "Little Jazz" Eldridge is in Paris, making records with a small band of younger musicians. Easily adapting to rapidly evolving styles in music, the trumpeter eases himself into a steadily developing tide of modernity. The music forms a wonderful and comparatively elegant sequel to his rip-snorting big-band recordings of the 1940s. It is a pleasure to hear young tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims relaxing with Eldridge, and the pianist is 23-year-old Dick Hyman, already a strikingly facile and inventive performer. Pierre Michelot and Eddie Shaughnessy form the rest of the rhythm section in this tight little group. Continuing his personal tradition of great ballad interpretations, Eldridge delivers "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" with an open horn. "King David," "Undecided," and "The Man I Love" are each cooked at brisk velocities. Anita Love joins with Eldridge in energetic scat singing throughout Duke Ellington's "It Don't Mean a Thing." Yet the very funny, effortlessly hip, and decidedly cool "Ain't No Flies On Me" allows the two singers to relax and interact more deliciously than ever. The next session in the Eldridge chronology scales the band down to a quartet, with Gerald Wiggins, Pierre Michelot, and the great Kenny "Klook" Clarke. Eldridge ambles through Irving Berlin's "Easter Parade" -- which sounds a bit like "Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet" -- and renders up two more gorgeous ballads. "Goliath Bounce" is a smooth walk and "Wild Driver" a rolling boil, but the hottest number from this date, simply titled "Nuts," opens with a sort of Caribbean brushfire percussion maneuver by Clarke. As the tune unfolds its many intricate bop ideas, Clarke rides his cymbals most excitingly. The session of October 28, 1950, touched upon a wide range of styles and moods. "I Remember Harlem" is a deep study in reflective blue impressions, chamber jazz with bowed bass and haunted horn. Fats Waller's sobering "Black and Blue" gets a slight adjustment in the lyric, "Baby, Don't Do Me Like that" is more or less patterned after Louis Jordan's R&B act, and "L'Isle Adam" is a burner for muted trumpet on the fast track. Eldridge also sang two of his original songs with French lyrics, including a cheerful ode to lettuce and mayonnaise. The great surprise in this package is the inclusion of three long-forgotten piano solos from the same session. "Boogie Eldridge" is the veritable spark plug, as our man growls and even howls while massaging the keys. The last two tracks find Eldridge in Stockholm, sitting in with musicians well schooled in every style of jazz and popular music of the day. Duke Ellington's "Echoes of Harlem" is deep and ominous, while "School Days" plays off of the novelty antics of Joe Carroll and Dizzy Gillespie. arwulf arwulf  
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REX STEWART – 1948-1949 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1164 (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

During 1947-49, the former Duke Ellington cornetist Rex Stewart spent time overseas, playing in Europe and Australia. The music on this CD is quite obscure, featuring Stewart as a leader on dates recorded in Basel, Berlin, Paris, and London. Most of the performances are swing oriented, although there are hints of bebop here, and there and bits of Dixieland. Stewart is in fine form in a quartet with tenor saxophonist Vernon Story, with the Hot Club of Berlin, showcased in an 9-11 piece group organized by pianist/arranger Claude Bolling, and as the only horn in a quintet. Lots of rarities are heard from on this CD, part of the Classics label's complete Rex Stewart series. Scott Yanow
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