ADA MOORE | BUCK CLAYTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA | JIMMY RUSHING — Cat Meets Chick A Story In Jazz (1955) Vinyl, LP | Mono | FLAC (tracks), lossless

As the common format for LPs became 12" rather than 10" in the mid-'50s, record companies and artists struggled to come up with ideas for sustained musical performances lasting 30 to 45 minutes. In 1955, Columbia Records producer Irving Townsend put together a selection of pop songs with the singers Felicia Sanders, Peggy King, and Jerry Vale to come up with Girl Meets Boy, and he had a similar concept in the jazz realm for Cat Meets Chick. Borrowing Jimmy Rushing from Vanguard Records and hiring young Ada Moore, who had recently made her Broadway debut in the musical House of Flowers, he put them in front of an orchestra led by Buck Clayton and had them perform a series of songs in which the story line was that Clayton (through the medium of his trumpet) and Rushing were vying for Moore's attention. For example, Moore would say, "Buck, if I choose you, what are you gonna give me?," which would be a cue for Clayton to launch into "I Can't Give You Anything But Love." "Nothin' but love?" Moore would say, "Uh-huh, you got the wrong girl," after which Clayton would play "The Blues." The concept, of course, was just an excuse to have Rushing and Moore sing a bunch of old favorites before Clayton's band, and that was fine, especially because Moore, sporting a Sarah Vaughan-like alto, held her own against the great blues shouter. Of course, the ruling presence, even in his absence, was Count Basie, who had previously employed both Rushing and Clayton for extended periods. The music had much of the verve and swing of the Basie band, even without the leader being on the date. The story might be silly, but the music was not. William Ruhlmann
Tracklist :
Opening - Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home    0:42
A1a    Unknown Artist–    Opening
A1b    Ada Moore–    Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home
Written-By – Mercer-Arlen
A2    Jimmy Rushing–    Pretty Little Baby 1:32
Written-By – Bernie, P. Baker, S. Silvers
A3    Ada Moore–    I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling 2:26
Written-By – B. Rose, Waller, Link
A4    Jimmy Rushing And Ada Moore–    If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight) 2:44
Written-By – Creamer, J. Johnson
A5    Buck Clayton–    Ain't She Sweet 2:39
Written-By – Yellen, Ager
A6    Ada Moore–    Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home 2:17
Written-By – Mercer-Arlen
A7    Buck Clayton And Ada Moore–    You're My Thrill 3:38
Written-By – Gorney, Clare
B1    Ada Moore–    Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea 2:41
Written-By – Arlen, Koehler
B2    Jimmy Rushing–    Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You 2:36
Written-By – Razaf, Redman
B3    Jimmy Rushing–    Cool Breeze, Woman 2:28
Written-By – Rushing
B4    Buck Clayton–    I Can't Give You Anything But Love 2:02
Written-By – Fields-McHugh
B5    Buck Clayton–    The Blues    1:20
Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home - After You've Gone - Conclusion    4:42
B6a    Ada Moore–    Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home
Written-By – Mercer-Arlen
B6b    Jimmy Rushing And Buck Clayton–    After You've Gone
Written-By – Creamer, Layton
B6c    Unknown Artist–    Conclusion
Credits :
Arranged By – Buck Clayton
Bass – Aaron Bell, Milt Hinton
Drums – Jo Jones, James Osie Johnson
Guitar – Steve Jordan
Piano – Ken Kersey, Sir Charles Thompson
Saxophone – Bud Johnson, Eddy Barefield, Willard Brown
Trombone – Dicky Wells
Trumpet – Buck Clayton, Emmett Berry
Vocals – Ada Moore, Jimmy Rushing

BUDD JOHNSON – 1944-1952 (2003) The Classics Chronological Series – 1307 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

One thing about these chronological compilations: if the featured musician only rarely acted as a bandleader, what listeners get is a core sample of nearly every recording date he happened to be in on. In the case of Texas tenor Budd Johnson, the people at Classics decided to begin his story with sessions waxed when he was 34 years of age and had been making records as a sideman for more than ten years. This is a pity, as a thorough survey could have begun with his bizarre vocal on Louis Armstrong's "Sweet Sue" (1933), then sampled his work with Lionel Hampton and Earl Hines, up through 1943. That would have lent context and background to this grab bag of primal bebop and R&B, designated as "the first volume of the recordings of Budd Johnson." Nevertheless, this segment of Johnson's career is exciting and full of surprises. Clyde Hart's Hot Seven, recording for Savoy in December of 1944, included legendary trumpeter Benny Harris and the wild alto sax of Herbie Fields. A Manor date led by squealing trumpeter Al Killian is extra solid due to the presence of Ellington's baritone, Harry Carney, who seems to enjoy weaving a bit of thunder into an already smoking ensemble. J.C. Heard & His Cafe Society Orchestra deliver four very concise, classy studies in boppish swing. George Treadwell's muted trumpet is notably attractive, and Johnson is able to shout or soothe as needed. James Charles Heard was a discerning artist, and his band's interpretation of Ellington's "Azure" is breathtakingly lovely. Of the three sides recorded in March of 1946 for the Hot Record Society by trombonist Dicky Wells & His Big Seven, "Bed Rock" is the cooker, but is somewhat upstaged by "Opera in Blue," a rhapsody built entirely around Johnson's lyrically inspired tenor.
Johnson led his own session in June of 1947 for the obscure Cyclone label. Included here are apparently the only two surviving sides. The tenor is very expressive on "My Heart's Doin' Time (For You)," and Mary Stafford belts out a smart little piece of blues on the flip side. A few months later, crooner Leslie Scott fronted a band with strings and a handful of jazz musicians, including drummer Denzil Best and a very sensuously laid-back Johnson. These sentimental numbers are oddly comforting, and fortunately the strings are not obtrusive. Johnson seems to have specialized in getting signed with small-time labels. In February 1951, working for Faith Records, he can be heard leading an all-star ensemble including Howard McGhee, J.J. Johnson, Cecil Payne, Kenny Drew, Oscar Pettiford, and Kansas Fields. Freddie Jackson sings a tough take on the blues called "Sometime I Feel Like Leaving Home," the band bounces through something called "Grooving in Birdland," and Johnson completely dominates the ballad "Talk of the Town." In March of 1952, Budd Johnson's All-Stars backed vocalist Johnny King on a pair of Louis Jordan-style numbers issued on the MGM label. The leader adapted unflinchingly to every stylistic trend during these years, always delivering gutsy, substantial solos. Here is an intriguing glimpse of one working tenor's professional evolution during a period notable for its many cultural transitions. arwulf arwulf   
Tracklist :
1    Clyde Hart's Hot Seven–    Smack That Mess 3:02
Vocals – Joe Gregory
2    Clyde Hart's Hot Seven–    Dee Dee's Dance    3:00
3    Clyde Hart's Hot Seven–    Little Bennie (King Kong)    2:40
4    Clyde Hart's Hot Seven–    Shoot The Arrow To Me Cupid    3:02
5    Al Killian And His Orchestra–    You're The One    3:00
6    Al Killian And His Orchestra–    Goin' Down     2:40
7    J.C. Heard And His Orchestra–    The Walk    3:00
8    J.C. Heard And His Orchestra–    Heard But Not Seen    2:38
9    J.C. Heard And His Orchestra–    Azure    2:49
10    J.C. Heard And His Orchestra–    Bouncing For Barney    2:54
11    Dickie Wells' Big Seven–    Bed Rock    2:50
12    Dickie Wells' Big Seven–    Opera In Blue    2:59
13    Dickie Wells' Big Seven–    Drag Nasty - The Walk    2:49
14    Budd Johnson–    My Heart's Doing Time    2:43
15    Budd Johnson–    I Just Can't Find That Kind 2:47
Vocals – Mary Stafford
16    Leslie Scott And His Orchestra–    So Long 3:11
Vocals – Leslie Scott
17    Leslie Scott And His Orchestra–    Blue And Sentimental 3:01
Vocals – Leslie Scott
18    Budd Johnson's All Stars–    Sometime I Feel Like Leaving Home 3:09
Vocals – Freddy Jackson
19    Budd Johnson's All Stars–    Grooving In Birdland    3:08
20    Budd Johnson's All Stars–    I'm All Alone 3:07
Vocals – Charlie Singleton
21    Budd Johnson's All Stars–    Talk Of The Town    2:52
22    Johnny King With Budd Johnson And His All Stars–    Where Were You ?    2:09
23    Johnny King With Budd Johnson And His All Stars–    Way Downtown At The Bottom Of The Hill    2:25
Credits
Alto Saxophone – George Dorsey (tracks: 14 to 15), Herbie Fields (tracks: 1 to 4), Hilton Jefferson (tracks: 22 to 23)
Baritone Saxophone – Cecil Payne (tracks: 18 to 23), Cecil Scott (tracks: 11 to 13), Harry Carney (tracks: 5 to 6)
Bass – Al McKibbon (tracks: 7 to 13), Joe Shulman (tracks: 5 to 6), Milt Hinton (tracks: 22 to 23), Oscar Pettiford (tracks: 1 to 4, 18 to 21), Trigger Alpert (tracks: 16 to 17)
Clarinet – Eddie Barefield (tracks: 14 to 15)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Aaron Sachs (tracks: 5 to 6)
Directed By, Piano – Luther Henderson (tracks: 16 to 17)
Drums – Denzil Best (tracks: 1 to 4, 16 to 17), George Jones (tracks: 5 to 6), J.C. Heard (tracks: 7 to 13), Kansas Fields (tracks: 18 to 21), Kelly Martin (tracks: 22 to 23)
Guitar – Chuck Wayne (tracks: 1 to 4), Herman Mitchell (tracks: 16 to 17)
Piano – Billy Taylor (tracks: 22 to 23), Clyde Hart (tracks: 1 to 4), Jimmy Jones (tracks: 7 to 13), Kenny Drew (tracks: 18 to 21), Marty Napoleon (tracks: 5 to 6)
Tenor Saxophone – Budd Johnson, Charlie Singleton (tracks: 18 to 21)
Trombone – Dickie Harris (tracks: 7 to 10), Dicky Wells (tracks: 11 to 13), J.J. Johnson (tracks: 18 to 21), Trummy Young (tracks: 5 to 6)
Trumpet – Al Killian (tracks: 5 to 6), Little Benny Harris (tracks: 1 to 4), George Treadwell (tracks: 7 to 13), Howard McGhee (tracks: 18 to 21), Joe Newman (tracks: 22 to 23)