ART PEPPER — Living Legend (1975-1989) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Art Pepper, one of the major bop altoists to emerge during the '50s, started his comeback with this excellent set, Living Legend. After 15 years filled with prison time and fighting drug addiction, Pepper was finally ready to return to jazz. Accompanied by three of his old friends (pianist Hampton Hawes, bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Shelly Manne), Pepper displays a more explorative and darker style than he had previously. He also shows a greater emotional depth in his improvisations and was open to some of the innovations of the avant-garde in his search for greater self-expression. Although this recording would be topped by the ones to come, the music (five Pepper originals and an intense version of "Here's That Rainy Day") is quite rewarding. Scott Yanow
Tracklist  :
1 Ophelia 7:51
 Art Pepper
2 Here's That Rainy Day 5:37
Written-By – Jimmy Van Heusen And Johnny Burke
3 What Laurie Likes 6:45
 Art Pepper
4 Mr. Yohe 7:10
 Art Pepper
5 Lost Life 5:52
 Art Pepper
6 Samba Mom-Mom (Original Take) 8:18
 Art Pepper
7 Samba Mom-Mom (Alternate Take) 6:59
 Art Pepper
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Art Pepper
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Shelly Manne
Piano – Hampton Hawes

BILL SMITH — Folk Jazz (1959-2003) RM | Original Jazz Classics Limited Edition Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

A record that could only have been made in the late '50s, 1959's Folk Jazz is a meeting of the two great collegiate crazes of the period, post-bebop modern jazz and traditional folk music. Clarinetist Bill Smith and a low-key piano-less trio ? Jim Hall on guitar, Monty Budwig on bass and the great Shelly Manne on drums ? take 10 songs from the folk tradition, strip them down to the bare essentials of melody and chord progressions and turn them into a Kind of Blue-like experiment in cool-toned modal jazz. Familiar standards like "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair" (which opens with an extended unaccompanied solo by Smith that's a marvel of economy) are presented in entirely new and fresh settings. Perhaps the best of the lot is an extended meditation on the spiritual "Go Down Moses" that turns the song from a gospel shout to an intimate whisper. The 2003 CD reissue adds two tracks, alternate takes of "Reuben, Reuben" and "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen." Stewart Mason
Tracklist :
1    A-Roving    4:12
 Traditional
2    Greensleeves    5:00
 Traditional
3    Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen    3:35
 Traditional
4    John Henry    4:18
 Traditional
5    Wayfaring Stranger    4:21
 Traditional
6    Three Blind Mice    3:27
 Traditional
7    Go Down, Moses    6:44
 Traditional
8        Blow The Man Down    3:34
 Traditional
9    Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair    4:10
 Traditional
10    Reuben, Reuben    3:30
 Traditional
11    Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen (Alt. Take 1)    5:50
 James Cox
12    Reuben, Reuben (Alt. Take 14)    3:49
 Traditional
Credits :
Bass – Monty Budwig
Clarinet, Arranged By, Adapted By – Bill Smith
Drums – Shelly Manne
Guitar – Jim Hall

HERB ELLIS TRIO — Sweet and Lovely (1984) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist  :
1    Bags Groove 4:49
Composed By – M.Jackson
2    Angel Eyes 4:32
Composed By – M.Dennis
3    Sweet And Lovely 5:19
Composed By – G.Arnheim, J.Lemare
4    Willow Weep For Me 5:48
Composed By – A.Ronell
5    What Is This Thing Called Love 4:34
Composed By – C. Porter
6    The Shadow Of Your Smile 5:34
Composed By – J.Mandel, P.F.Webster
7    Fred 3:16
Composed By – N.Hefti, C. Sammy
8    I Only Have Eyes For You 3:26
Composed By – A.Dubin, H.Warren
9    Gunk And Funk 5:17
Composed By – H.Ellis
Credits :
Herb Ellis - Guitar
Monty Budwig - Bass
Shelly Manne - Drums

BARNEY KESSEL – Let's Cook! (1957-1999) RM | FLAC (tracks+cue) lossless

This is an excellent session from guitarist Barney Kessel. Kessel is matched with vibraphonist Victor Feldman, pianist Hampton Hawes, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and drummer Shelly Manne for a blues-with-a-bridge (the 11-minute "Let's Cook"), Vernon Duke's ballad "Time Remembered," and "Just in Time." The second half of the album has modernized versions of "Tiger Rag" and "Jersey Bounce" as played by the guitarist, tenor saxophonist Ben Webster, trombonist Frank Rosolino, pianist Jimmie Rowles, Vinnegar, and Manne. Throughout, Kessel keeps with the other all-stars, swinging hard while paying tribute to the legacy of Charlie Christian. Scott Yanow
Tracklist  :
1 Let's Cook 11:18
Written-By – Barney Kessel
2 Time Remembered 4:15
Written-By – Vernon Duke
3 Just In Time 4:57
Written-By – Adolph Green, Betty Comden, Jule Styne
4 Tiger Rag 9:45
Written-By – Original Dixieland Jazz Band
5 Jersey Bounce 9:30
Written-By – Bobby Plater, Buddy Feyne, Tiny Bradshaw
# 1-3 :
Bass – Leroy Vinnegar
Drums – Shelly Manne
Guitar – Barney Kessel
Piano – Hampton Hawes
Victor Feldman Vibraphone
# 4-5 :
Piano – Jimmy Rowles
Saxophone – Ben Webster
Trombone – Frank Rosolino
Guitar – Barney Kessel
Bass – Leroy Vinnegar
Drums – Shelly Manne

BUD SHANK | BILL PERKINS — Bud Shank and Bill Perkins (1998) MONO | Serie West Coast Classics | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Two of the stars of cool jazz, Bud Shank and Bill Perkins, are featured to various degrees throughout this session. Shank in the 1950s was practically the epitome of West Coast jazz. His cool tones on alto and his fluid flute were utilized on many dates; the main set here also finds him switching in spots to tenor and baritone. Perkins, always a versatile reed soloist, is best known for his tenor playing but during that date he also plays alto, and (on two versions of "Fluted Columns") there are some rare examples of his flute. Shank and Perkins team up quite effectively with pianist Hampton Hawes, bassist Red Mitchell, and drummer Mel Lewis for the May 2, 1955 session, which includes a trio feature for Hawes ("I Hear Music"). Four numbers from February 19, 1956 (with Shank on flute and alto, pianist Russ Freeman, bassist Carson Smith, drummer Shelly Manne, and, on "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?," Perkins on tenor) are actually from a session led by Freeman but never completed, and were only put out previously on samplers. "Angel Eyes" (by a quartet with Perkins and pianist Jimmy Rowles) is a leftover track from a later date, as is "Sonny Speaks," which showcases Rowles in a trio without Perkins. This set concludes with the one surviving number ("Ain't Got a Dime to My Name") surviving from a truncated Perkins quartet set from 1958. Taken as a whole, there are many rewarding solos to be heard by Shank, Perkins, and the piano players on these formerly rare selections, even if the collection falls short of being classic. Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits

JOE SAMPLE | RAY BROWN | SHELLY MANNE — The Three (1975-1978) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This Japanese East Wind LP (which was made available domestically on the now-defunct Inner City label) features pianist Joe Sample, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Shelly Manne exploring five jazz standards plus Sample's "Funky Blues" in purely straight-ahead fashion. One of Joe Sample's finest sessions as a leader, this obscure outing is highlighted by his renditions of Oliver Nelson's "Yearnin'," "On Green Dolphin Street" and "Manha Do Carnaval." Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits :

RAY BROWN — The Best Of The Concord Years (2002) 2xCD | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Ray Brown was in at the beginning of the Concord Jazz record label in the early '70s, and starting with Brown's Bag in 1975, he recorded a dozen albums as a leader for Concord before departing for Telarc Records in the early '90s. This two-disc compilation, with a running time of almost two hours and 20 minutes, presents 24 selections drawn from 19 Concord Jazz albums recorded between 1973 and 1993, including live performances at the Concord Jazz Festivals, recordings by Brown's trio and the L.A. 4, and a Brown duet with Jimmy Rowles, among other configurations. As a bass player, Brown only rarely solos, so one usually notices the horn players (Harry "Sweets" Edison, Red Holloway, Plas Johnson, Richie Kamuca, Blue Mitchell, Ralph Moore, and Bud Shank), the pianists (Monty Alexander, George Duke, Gene Harris, Art Hillery, and Rowles), or other frontline musicians (guitarists Laurindo Almeida, Herb Ellis, and Joe Pass, violinist John Frigo) before the rhythm section. But even when Brown isn't stepping out, he is maintaining the group's swing, along with drummers John Guerin, Jeff Hamilton, Jake Hanna, Gerryck King, Shelly Manne, Mickey Roker, and Jimmie Smith, and he also wrote a number of the tunes. Brown had done relatively few sessions as a leader in the 30 years of his career prior to his association with Concord, so, while the label owes him a lot, he also was enabled to flourish with the company in a way he had not before, and that is reflected in this well-chosen compilation. William Ruhlmann
Tracklist & Credits :

OLIVER NELSON — Stolen Moments (1975-2015) RM | Serie East Wind Masters Collection 1000 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This LP contains Oliver Nelson's final recording as a leader, cut just seven months before his premature death. Happily Nelson (on alto) is well-featured with a nonet, playing four of his compositions (including "Stolen Moments" and "Yearnin'") along with versions of "St. Thomas," Neal Hefti's "Midnight Blue" and a very brief "Straight No Chaser." In addition to Nelson, the group includes trumpeter Bobby Bryant, Jerome Richardson on soprano and flute, three other saxophonists and keyboardist Mike Wofford. A fine finish to a much-too-brief life. Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits :

OLIVER NELSON — Sound Pieces (1966-1991) RM | GRP Presents The Legendary Masters Of Jazz | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Sound Pieces features Oliver Nelson in two very different settings. Although best-known as an altoist and a tenor saxophonist, Nelson sticks exclusively to soprano throughout the set. He leads a 20-piece big band on three of his compositions which, although interesting, are not overly memorable. Best are five other numbers (two of which were originally issued on the record Three Dimensions) that showcase Nelson's soprano playing with a quartet that includes pianist Steve Kuhn, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Grady Tate. Although one would not think of Nelson as a soprano stylist, his strong playing actually put him near the top of his field on such numbers as "The Shadow of Your Smile," "Straight No Chaser," and his own "Patterns."  Scott Yanow
Tracklist & Credits :

OLIVER NELSON — Skull Session (1975-2002) RM | RCA Victor Gold Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Skull Session is hardly up to snuff for the talented and overworked Nelson, who was busy scoring TV shows at the time. The title track is a fun little dabble in electronic funk, but the rest seems beneath Nelson's abilities, as it takes his signature sounds, adds disco, dumbs down the themes, and finishes it off with pedestrian solos from L.A. studio musicians. Douglas Payne  Tracklist & Credits :

BARNEY KESSEL — Barney Kessel Volume 1 : Easy Like (1956-2006) RM | MONO | APE (image+.cue), lossless

Other than four songs apiece released by Onyx and Verve, the CD reissue of Easy Like, Vol. 1 has guitarist Barney Kessel's first sessions as a leader, performances which launched his longtime association with the Contemporary label. Augmented by two "new" alternate takes, the set features Kessel in boppish form with quintets in 1953 and 1956 featuring, either Bud Shank or Buddy Collette doubling on flute and alto. Kessel shows off the influence of Charlie Christian throughout the performances, with the highlights including "Easy Like," "Lullaby of Birdland," "North of the Border," and the accurately titled "Salute to Charlie Christian." Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Easy Like 4:04
Barney Kessel
2 Tenderly 4:06
Walter Gross / Jack Lawrence
3 Lullaby of Birdland 3:16
George Shearing / George David Weiss
4 What Is There to Say? 3:10
Vernon Duke / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg
5 Bernardo 3:34
Barney Kessel
6 Vicky's Dream 2:37
Barney Kessel
7 Salute to Charlie Christian 2:52
Barney Kessel
8 That's All 3:18
Alan Brandt / Bob Haymes
9 I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart 4:12
Duke Ellington / Irving Mills / Henry Nemo / John Redmond
10 Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me) 3:41
Duke Ellington / Lee Gaines
11 April in Paris 3:00
Vernon Duke / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg
12 North of the Border 2:46
Barney Kessel
13 Easy Like 2:44
Barney Kessel
14 North of the Border 2:44
Barney Kessel
Credits :
Bass – Harry Babasin (tracks: 3 to 8, 10, 11), Red Mitchell (tracks: 1, 2, 9, 12 to 14 )
Drums – Shelly Manne
Flute, Alto Saxophone – Bud Shank (tracks: 3 to 8, 10, 11), Buddy Collette (tracks: 1, 2, 9, 12 to 14 )
Guitar – Barney Kessel
Piano – Arnold Ross (tracks: 3 to 8, 10, 11), Claude Williamson (tracks: 1, 2, 9, 12 to 14 )

CLIFFORD BROWN – Jazz Immortal (1960-2001) RVG Edition, Pacific Jazz Series | MONO | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Sextet. This album includes some takes and Brown material unavailable elsewhere. Ron Wynn  Tracklist + Credits :

DIZZY GILLESPIE — The Complete RCA Victor Recordings (1995) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although the sheer scope of this double-CD roundup of all of Dizzy's Victor sessions places it most obviously within the evolution of bebop, it is absolutely essential to Latin jazz collections as well. Here listeners find the discographical launching pad of Afro-Cuban jazz on December 22, 1947, when Cuban conguero Chano Pozo added his galvanic congas and bongos to Gillespie's big band for the first time on record. One can feel the explosive effect of Pozo's subdivisions of the beat, rhythmic incantations, and grooves on the band's bebop charts. Though the musicians' styles aren't much affected, and Pozo does most of the adapting to bebop rather than vice versa, the foundation has clearly shifted. Alas, aside from recorded live gigs, Pozo only made eight tracks with the band -- four on December 22 and four more eight days later, just before the second Musicians Union recording ban kicked in. Yet even after Pozo's murder the following year, Gillespie continued to expand his Latin experiments, using two Latin percussionists who brought more rhythmic variety to the sound of tunes like "Guarachi Guaro" (later popularized by Cal Tjader as "Soul Sauce") and even commercial ballads like "That Old Black Magic." The reprocessing of these recordings from late in the 78 rpm era through the CEDAR process sounds a bit harsh, though less so than most of RCA's earlier desecrations of vault material using NoNOISE. Even so, this remains the best way to acquire these seminal Latin jazz tracks. Richard S. Ginell   Tracklist + Credits :

DIZZY GILLESPIE – 1945 | The Classics Chronological Series – 888 (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Here's a case where strict adherence to a chronology bears fascinating fruit. Classics 888 focuses only upon January and February of 1945, a small chunk of time during which Dizzy sat in with certain wild bands and made his very first recordings as a leader. On January 9th, a number of musicians from different stylistic backgrounds showed up late to record with Oscar Pettiford, who eventually admitted that he hadn't any idea of what they were going to use for material. Pianist Clyde Hart offered to slap a few charts together on the spot. "Something for You," known elsewhere as "Max Is Making Wax," came out brisk and boppish with powerful blowing from Don Byas, Diz and swing trombonist Benny Morton, who seems to have worked extra hard to fit in with this fast crowd. "Worried Life Blues," composed by blues and boogie-woogie pianist Big Maceo Merriweather, featured vocalist Rubberlegs Williams, who growled, howled and occasionally barked in a way that brings to mind one of Fats Waller's favorite habitual exclamations: "Get away from here!" "Empty Bed Blues," while attributed to Oscar Pettiford, is clearly a Bessie Smith cover. Diz growls ominously with his horn behind the vocal. Retaining some of the players from the Pettiford group, Dizzy's Sextet sounded very well-organized by comparison. The trumpeter's handling of "I Can't Get Started" is breathtakingly beautiful. Tadd Dameron's irresistible "Good Bait" sounds as solid and immediate as the day it was made. In his autobiography, To Be or Not to Bop, Gillespie said he had "composed a fast thing, and just named it ""Be Bop"" later on...it didn't have a name before the record date." "Be Bop" is one brilliant and bracing piece of work, surprisingly put together. After ripping through a whole lot of wild changes, each player contributes a brief note or two for a composite coda. Before the month of January had ended, a famously weird session came together and then blew apart at the seams. Nominally led by Clyde Hart, it began with several vocals by a louder-than-ever Rubberlegs Williams. Apparently seeking to maintain his edge, the blues shouter consumed many cups of coffee, unaware of the fact that the caffeine in question had been steeply fortified with Benzedrine by the ever-resourceful Charlie Parker. At first, Legs sounded only marginally manic, humorously gruff in the throes of his boisterous R&B showmanship. By the time they got around to recording "That's the Blues," the singer must have been completely geeked, as he began his vocal at full intensity, with nowhere left to build to. Halfway through the record, his voice started to disintegrate as Legs approached the vocal intensity of Screamin' Jay Hawkins. Dizzy swears that Legs never drank or smoked, while Trummy Young insisted the singer was also full of whiskey, which would have mixed horribly with the amphetamine. In any case, after he passed into a state of chemically induced psychosis, Williams was led away and the ensemble magically re-grouped itself as James "Trummy" Young's All-Stars. The mood changed to a very hip level of calmness as Trummy sang pleasant melodies in a soft and friendly voice. The contrast between this and the previously hard-hitting rhythm and blues material -- recorded by all but one of the same musicians on the same day -- is astonishing, as is the interplay between Sarah Vaughan and Ben Webster on "All Too Soon," between Diz and Dexter Gordon on "Blue 'n Boogie" and most of all, between Bird and Diz. Cherish every nuance of these early recordings of "Groovin' High" and "All the Things You Are"; they are intimate works of great poetic depth, existing at the heart of these amazing collaborative friendships. arwulf arwulf         Tracklist + Credits :

CHARLIE PARKER – 1947-1949 | The Chronogical Classics – 1113 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Between December 1947 and November 1949, Charlie Parker realized an incredibly diverse body of work that makes this third installment in the Classics Charlie Parker chronology a serious candidate for "most excellent all-around sampler of Charlie Parker's music." Here's Bird sitting in with a big band arranged by Neal Hefti. Here's Bird in a more intimate setting with Hank Jones, Ray Brown, and Shelly Manne. Here's Charlie Parker's All Stars, the band that played the Royal Roost during the autumn of 1948: Miles Davis, John Lewis, Curly Russell, and Max Roach. The session of September 18, 1948, was unusually fruitful. Each selection is strangely beautiful. "Parker's Mood" is Charlie Parker's ultimate statement on the blues, and should be used whenever someone needs a sample of this man's artistry. (See also Eddie Jefferson's vocal adaptation on James Moody's superb album Flute 'n the Blues.) The harmonically adventurous "Constellation" would reappear years later as Joseph Jarman's wonderfully liberating "Old Time South Side Street Dance." In December of 1948 (just days after Miles Davis quit the band) and January 1949, Charlie Parker sat in with Afro-Cuban mambo maestro Machito & His Orchestra. Two sessions from the spring of 1949 feature trumpeter Kenny Dorham and pianist Al Haig. This outstanding compilation closes with the first of the gorgeous and majestic Charlie Parker with Strings recordings. This is chamber music. "Just Friends" is best of all. If you listen to any of Bird's sessions with strings, let it be this one. arwulf arwulf    Tracklist :

JOE MARSALA – 1936-1942 | The Classics Chronological Series – 763 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

All 21 of clarinetist Joe Marsala's early recordings as a leader are on this enjoyable CD. An excellent swing clarinetist who was flexible enough to play hot on Dixieland records, Marsala's six sessions reflect his versatile musical tastes. Among his more celebrated sidemen on these formerly rare selections are trumpeters Marty Marsala (his brother), Pee Wee Erwin, Bill Coleman, and Max Kaminsky, trombonist George Brunies, altoist Pete Brown, violinist Ray Biondi, drummers Buddy Rich and Shelly Manne (both making their recording debuts), and several fine rhythm sections. Marsala's wife, Adele Girard, the first great jazz harpist, is notably added on 11 of the numbers. Her hot harp playing on "Bull's Eye" and "I Know That You Know" steals the show. Highly recommended. Scott Yanow
Tracklist + Credits :

CHARLIE VENTURA – 1947-1949 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1149 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The main reasons to investigate the recordings of Charlie Ventura are of course his wonderful handling of the tenor saxophone and the excellent ensembles he led. Ventura's recordings were predominately instrumental in 1945 and 1946. As the decade drew to a close, singers dominated the recording industry and many bandleaders chose to feature more and more of them. The third volume of the complete recordings of Charlie Ventura illustrates this process in high relief. Four sides recorded for the National label in September of 1947 spotlight the vocal talents of Buddy Stewart, an able crooner who sounded best when bop scatting like a third horn alongside Ventura and trombonist Kai Winding on "East of Suez" and the dynamic "Eleven Sixty," a masterpiece of high-energy bop that Ventura had recorded in March of 1947 as "Stop and Go." A stack of sides recorded in Chicago during October of 1948 packs a few surprises. Ventura switches to baritone sax on "If I Had You" and begins to feature vocalist Jackie Cain as a lone balladeer and in bop scat tandem with pianist Roy Kral. Their cutely hip, wordless passages closely emulate a widely imitated style of singing perfected by Babs Gonzales. As nice as the vocals are, one begins to relish the sax and trombone breaks, while the increasingly rare instrumental tracks ("Oh, Lady Be Good," "Sweet Georgia Brown," and a gorgeous treatment of "Once in a While") begin to feel like precious nuggets of unaffected inspiration. Three of the four titles recorded for Victor on January 6, 1949, showcase the increasingly popular Jackie & Roy in highly charged bop scat mode. The instrumental "Body and Soul" was Ventura's second recorded outing on baritone sax. A smoky, apparently live nightclub recording of "Fine and Dandy" captures the sound of Ventura's sextet at its most unrestrained and inspired, including fine solos by Bennie Green and trumpeter Conte Candoli. Contrary to what the enclosed discography says, Jackie & Roy do not sing on "Fine and Dandy." By April of 1949, Ventura's act had practically become the Jackie & Roy show, albeit with excellent instrumentation behind the singers. "Flamingo" achieves an interesting balance as the vocalists are mainly heard in the background during the introduction, as if to pave the way for the leader's passionate, sophisticated saxophone. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

EDDIE HEYWOOD – 1944 | The Classics Chronological Series – 947 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Tracklist :

STAN KENTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA - 1946 | The Classics Chronological Series – 949 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist:
1    All The Time 2:56
Vocals – Gene Howard
Written-By – Freed, Fain
2    That's The Least You Can Do 2:56
Vocals – Gene Howard
Written-By – Torme, Levinson
3    Intermission Riff 3:14
Written-By – Ray Wetzel
4    Four Months, Three Weeks, Two Days, One Hour Blues 3:02
Vocals – June Christy
Written-By – Torme, Levinson
5    Rika Jika Jack 3:00
Vocals – June Christy
Written-By – Dawson, Sullivan, Hagen
6    Artistry In Boogie 2:56
Written-By – Rugolo, Kenton
7    Come Back To Sorrento    3:03
Traditional
8    Ain't No Misery In Me 2:59
Vocals – June Christy
Written-By – Gene Roland
9    Artistry In Percussion 3:11
Written-By – Pete Rugolo
10    Safranski 3:06
Written-By – Pete Rugolo
11    Artistry In Bolero 3:02
Written-By – Raskin, Rugolo
12    It's A Pity To Say Goodnight 2:52
Vocals – June Christy
Written-By – Billy Reid
13    Willow Weep For Me 3:10
Vocals – June Christy
Written-By – Ann Ronnell
14    Fantasy 2:38
Written-By – Stan Kenton
15    Concerto To End All Concertos - Part 2 3:10
Written-By – Kenton
16    Concerto To End All Concertos - Part 1 3:06
Written-By – Stan Kenton
17    Collaboration 2:44
Written-By – Rugolo, Kenton
18    Don't Want That Man Around 2:54
Vocals – June Christy
Written-By – Rizzo, Braude, Volk
19    Opus In Pastels 2:48
Written-By – Stan Kenton

STAN KENTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA - 1947 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1011 (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Bucking the tide while beginning to surf on a wave of increasingly mannered modernity, Stan Kenton's orchestra maintained its popularity during the post-WWII decline of the big bands. Volume four in the Classics Stan Kenton chronology presents all of his Capitol recordings made between January 2 and September 24, 1947. June Christy continued to be the featured vocalist, often backed by Kenton's newly formed vocal group, the Pastels. Dave Lambert was the director of this ensemble and sang with them on at least the first three tracks heard here. Noteworthy instrumentalists present in Kenton's 19-piece band during 1947 were drummer Shelly Manne, trombonists Kai Winding and Eddie Bert, as well as saxophonists Vido Musso, Boots Mussulli and the largely unknown George Weidler, who demonstrated impressive skill and dexterity on the arresting "Elegy for Alto." Kenton, who is known to have been obsessed with the notion that he was "greater than Duke Ellington," had a penchant for emulating and (he thought) one-upping African-American musicians. This seems to have manifested itself in "Machito," a spiced up portrait devised by Pete Rugolo soon after Kenton's band shared the bill with Machito's Afro Cuban Salseros at a Town Hall concert in New York. Dizzy Gillespie had this to say about Kenton and the postwar big band scene: "By 1947, a lotta bands had begun to imitate our style of playing. And some of them, especially the white bands like Stan Kenton's, did better in America, commercially, than we could at that time with segregation. No one could take our style, but we had to stay in existence to keep the style alive. They had us so penned up within the concept of race that a colored big band wasn't all that economically feasible, unless you were playing and doing just what the people ordered." Living and working within this kind of a social environment, it is unfortunate that Stan Kenton sometimes exacerbated the problem by stating publicly that white jazz musicians were victims of racial discrimination! Sadly, this sort of twisted ignorant logic has survived into the 21st century. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :