BUDDY DeFRANCO – 1949-1952 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1445 (2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Hep Records' issue of Buddy DeFranco's recordings as a leader of both a quintet and an orchestra between 1949 and 1952 is a welcome one. The material on these 26 cuts is standard fare from the swing era, which was way over by 1949, but it proves that DeFranco knew how to lead a big band and swing hard as a soloist in a quintet setting -- especially with the company he kept. Some of his crew on these sides include Serge Chaloff, Teddy Charles, Teddy Kotick, Lee Konitz, Max Roach, Jimmy Raney, and Al Cohn, just to name a few. Arrangements for these tunes were done by DeFranco, George Russell, and Manny Albam, which gives the listener a taste of the varied sonic interests of the great clarinetist. The sound on these sides is a tiny bit thin, but that's a minor complaint. The material swings no matter the arrangement or the size of the band. This is an intimate look at an often overlooked jazz great.
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GEORGE AULD – 1945-1946 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1351 (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This second volume in the Classics Georgie Auld chronology presents all of his studio recordings made between May 24, 1945 and April 30, 1946. Auld's big band shared some stylistic qualities with Billy Eckstine's orchestra; both groups handled the innovations of bop with intelligence and creative precision. The first two tracks on this collection were originally issued on the Guild record label; the rest appeared on Musicraft. Georgie Auld, whose career at times paralleled that of Charlie Barnet, played soprano and alto in addition to his customary tenor saxophone; also like Barnet he was a capable vocalist. There are three examples of Auld's singing voice in this part of the chronology: he delivers a fine rendering of "I Don't Know Why" (once closely associated with Russ Columbo), a tidy take on "Route 66" that closely mimics the version recorded only six weeks earlier by Nat King Cole, and a boppish `big band update of "Honey," an attractive Richard Whiting melody dating from 1928. Nine tracks feature vocalist Lynne Stevens -- she is at her best on Ellington and Strayhorn's "Just A-Settin' and A-Rockin'" -- but the truly substantial element here is the band itself, a 17-piece ensemble working with arrangements penned by Budd Johnson, Tadd Dameron, Al Cohn, Franz Jackson and Neal Hefti. Auld also used Hugo Winterhalter's excellent arrangement of "Time on My Hands," apparently the same chart used by Count Basie in 1942. Note the presence of baritone saxophonist Serge Chaloff alongside Cohn and Auld in the reeds; that's Joe Albany and Stan Levey in the rhythm section. The vocal highlight of the whole album is Sarah Vaughan's lovely interpretation of "100 Years from Today," a Victor Young melody with words by Ned Washington published in 1933. Georgie Auld had a really fine big band from 1943-1946, and led an exceptional group during the year 1949. His early-'50s recordings sometimes involve group vocals or lounge atmosphere; by 1955 and 1956 he fronted a group known as the Hollywood All Stars, using arrangements by Billy May. Most of his music is worth the effort it takes to chase it down and soak it up. arwulf arwulf
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GEORGE AULD – 1946-1951 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1371 (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Volume three in the Classics Georgie Auld chronology opens with the last four sides he cut for the Musicraft label on June 14, 1946. The 16-piece big band had Neal Hefti in the trumpet section, Auld, Al Cohn and Serge Chaloff in the reeds, and vocalist Sarah Vaughan featured on "You're Blasé." While Hefti's two original compositions are pleasantly modern sounding, the true gem from this date was Budd Johnson's rock-solid "Canyon Passage." Changes in the postwar entertainment industry resulted in the dissolution and dispersal of many big bands. Auld threw in the towel and waited about two-and-a-half years before resuming his recording career on January 17, 1949. His new band had ten pieces, including trombonist Billy Byers, pianist Jimmy Rowles and drummer Alvin Stoller. Eight sides cut for the Discovery record label on this date and on March 21 used mostly Hal Vernon arrangements; Byers scored the charts for "Hollywood Bazaar" and "Mild and Mellow." (For a 100-percent satisfying example of Auld leading a ten-piece band similar to this one, seek out You Got Me Jumpin' (Sounds of Yesteryear 6680), recorded live at the Empire in Hollywood, CA, 1949.) The next leg of the chronology consists of nine titles recorded for the Royal Roost record label on January 24, 1951 by the Georgie Auld Quintet, with trombonist Frank Rosolino, pianist Lou Levy, bassist Max Bennett and drummer Tiny Kahn, whose eccentric opus "Seh! Seh!" is group participation bop; the band shouts the song's title at regular intervals as part of the melodic line. This little-known session hatched a veritable goldmine of cruising cookers and luscious ballads; "Taps Miller" and "New Airmail Special" are particularly piquant. arwulf arwulf
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COUNT BASIE AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1950-1951 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1228 (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Having weathered the same upheavals in the music business that knocked many other bandleaders right off of the scene, William "Count" Basie calmly persevered by recording with septets and octets, occasionally finding it possible to assemble the 16-piece orchestra that he loved to lead. The scaled-down ensembles heard on this disc were fortified with brilliant young players who were capable of swinging hard while expanding the music in new and exciting directions. The eight-piece group that recorded in February of 1950 -- this was Basie's last session for Victor -- served up a perfect blend of established styles and innovative ideas. "If You See My Baby" is a swinging recipe for instant gratification. "Sweets," arranged by Buck Clayton, features exceptionally fine muted trumpeting by Harry Edison. What really makes this session valuable, though, is the presence of tenor saxophonist Gene Ammons. His best moments come during "Rat Race," an upbeat cruise with a very modern introduction. After a powerful solo, he engages in a bit of tenor jousting with Georgie Auld. The anomaly here is "Solid As a Rock," a weird attempt at a love song sung by the Deep River Boys, a holdover vocal group from the early '40s. With "Neal's Deal," listeners officially encounter the Basie sound of the 1950s. This has a lot to do with Neal Hefti, whose spiffy melodies and clear, clean arrangements practically defined the new style that would become closely associated with the Basie bands. And it's got everything to do with the individuals who came in to work for the Count: Clark Terry, Buddy DeFranco, Serge Chaloff, Charlie Rouse and Buddy Rich, who comes across as emphatic but not too showy. This was a great little band. "The Golden Bullet" is a smoker. The instrumental version of "You're My Baby, You" sounds a lot like something out of Boyd Raeburn's book. Clark Terry does a fine job of singing smoothly on a second take, coolly pronouncing a line like "I could be your candied yam" as if it were the most natural thing in the world to say. In November of 1950 the plot thickened wonderfully when Wardell Gray joined the band, engaging in a lively chase with Terry and DeFranco on "Song of the Islands." Gray sounds magnificent on "I'm Confessin'" and "I'll Remember April." "These Foolish Things" is really gorgeous. As for the vintage material, "One O'Clock Jump" and "I Ain't Got Nobody" came out sounding stronger and better than ever. "Tootsie" is a wild offshoot of a much older idea, directly traceable back to the old "Boogie Woogie" record of 1936. In April of 1951, Basie was once again able to make records with a huge ensemble, coordinated by brassy arrangements. "Howzit" and "Nails" have that punchy quality associated with Buster Harding. "Little Pony," composed and arranged by Hefti, is deservedly famous as a blazing feature for the brilliantly inventive Gray. Tacked on to the end of this disc is a previously overlooked side from 1942, with Jimmy Rushing cutting in on Cab Calloway's rhetorical game of "spin the vernacular." arwulf arwulf