Requisites

Hear Ye!!!! Hear Ye!!!! ~ The Red Mitchell-Harold Land Quintet | By Eddie Carter

The simplest thing I can say about this morning’s choice from the library is it’s a first-rate West Coast Hard-Bop session. But rather than teasing you with a morsel or taste, I’ll attempt to deliver a full-balanced meal to nourish your jazz appetite. Hear Ye!!!! Hear Ye!!!! (Atlantic SD 1376) brings together two elite masters of this style; double-bassist, composer, lyricist, poet, Red Mitchell and composer, tenor saxophonist, Harold Land as co-leaders of a quintet consisting of Carmell Jones on trumpet; Frank Strazzeri on piano; and Leon Betties on drums.  My copy used in this report is the original 1962 US Mono release (1376).

Side One starts with Triplin’ Awhile, a midtempo tune by Land allowing everyone solo opportunities. It opens as a two-instrument dialogue between Harold and Red on the introduction before the ensemble adds to the conversation for the theme.  Land delivers the lead statement with a festive appeal perfectly suitable for dancing. The front line fills the gaps with a brief thematic interlude preceding Carmell’s response, a cheerfully bright performance with a good summer groove. Frank makes an intriguing examination next setting up a comfortable beat for Red who captures the soulful mood to perfection.  Leon takes the final spot on a feisty solo moving fluently towards a short coda.

The tempo moves upward for Rosie’s Spirit, the first of two Mitchell creations opening with the quintet’s vivaciously spirited theme.  Carmell leads off with an effervescent improvisation succeeded by Red’s sprightly statement of swift verses, then Harold seizes the opportunity for a short scorcher. Frank takes a furious flight on the next reading and Leon dives into a lively finale with a bristling passion ascending to a joyful climax.

The title tune, also by Mitchell, concludes the first side on a laid-back note beginning with an introduction by Harold and Red segueing into the quintet’s midtempo melody. Land opens with a bluesy, straightforward solo that’s neat and tidy, then Jones says plenty on the next performance with pinpoint accuracy. Strazzeri exhibits his strong chops on a frisky reading, and Mitchell makes a superb case as one of the best bassists in jazz on the closer.

Somara is from Carmell’s pen, opening Side Two on a brief introduction by the trio blossoming into a collective medium-fast melody.  Land launches the lead solo with high-octane velocity, then Mitchell tackles the second turn radiantly. Carmell cooks with ravenous energy next, followed by Strazzeri who’s on fire on the fourth reading.  Betties exchanges a concise reading of incandescent heat with both horns into the closing chorus.

Catacomb is the second Land original, slowing the speed to a moderate pace from the previous burner as evidenced on the ensemble’s melody.  Harold excels on the opening solo, blowing free and easy against the trio’s sterling groundwork. Red is confidently assertive and direct on the second reading with impeccable intonation, then Carmell melds each note of the third interpretation into a powerful work of inspired creativity. Frank follows, painting an aural picture of melodic emotion with rich and mellow hues.  Leon culminates with a brief presentation that holds together into the subtle climax.

The album wraps up with Frank Strazerri’s original, Pari Passu that fastens your seat belt and you take off on a thrill ride right from the start of a torrid introduction and theme in unison. Frank kicks off the first solo voraciously, then Carmell emits intense heat from his horn. Land comes in next with the ascending movement and violent fury of a twister or tornado.  Red and Leon both have brief words with the front line for a few radiant riffs before the ensemble’s closing chorus rings the curtain down on this very entertaining album.

The sound on Hear Ye!!!! Hear Ye!!!! is outstanding, capturing the vibrant tone and transparency of each instrument vividly, emerging from your speakers with breathtaking clarity. The quintet only remained together a short time, but the meeting that collectively brought them to record this album is one of the most enjoyable jazz LP’s I’ve heard and would enthusiastically recommend anyone audition.

The All Music review by noted author and historian, Scott Yanow states that “this is a fine effort from a group that deserved greater recognition at the time”. I couldn’t agree with him more and will only add that the verification of his statement can be found within the cover of Hear Ye!!!! Hear Ye!!!! by The Red Mitchell-Harold Land Quintet!

~ Excerpt by Scott Yanow – Source: AllMusic.com ~ I’m Old Fashioned, The Way I Feel – Source: Discogs.com

>~ © 2020 by Edward Thomas Carter

Hear Ye!!!! Hear Ye!!!! is an album by the Red Mitchell-Harold Land Quintet recorded in San Francisco, California on October 14th (tracks 1, 3 & 4) and December 13th (tracks 2, 5 & 6), 1961 and released on the Atlantic label in 1962.

Tracks | 52:41

1. Triplin’ Awhile (Harold Land) – 7:46
2. Rosie’s Spirit (Red Mitchell) – 5:26
3. Hear Ye! (Mitchell) – 6:54
4. Somara (Carmell Jones) – 6:42
5. Catacomb (Land) – 8:21
6. Pari Passu (Frank Strazzeri) – 4:55

• Red Mitchell – bass
• Harold Land – tenor saxophone
• Carmell Jones – trumpet
• Frank Strazzeri – piano
• Leon Petties – drums

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

The Quarantined Jazz Voyager wants you to be safe and encourages your diligence in staying healthy by not rushing to get back to normal. As we continue to practice social distancing by staying home, we can listen to great music and share that music with each other weekly to give you a little insight into the music choices during this sabbatical from jet setting investigations of jazz around the globe.

The world will be back and so will I. Until that outcome comes to fruition, this week’s entry is the 1965 album Angel Eyes by tenor saxophonist Gene Ammons.

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Requisites

Waltz For Debby ~ Bill Evans Trio | By Eddie Carter

By 1961, pianist Bill Evans not only had one of the best trios in the United States but one of the best groups in jazz with bassist Scott LaFaro who would replace Sam Jones and Paul Motion on drums.  Together, this threesome made four incredible albums for Riverside Records. Portrait in Jazz in 1960, Explorations in 1961, and two albums recorded in performance at The Village Vanguard, on June 25, 1961.  Sunday at The Village Vanguard released the same year and the subject of this morning’s discussion, Waltz For Debby (RLP 399/RS 9399) in 1962. These LP’s became a standard of excellence among other piano-bass-drums records that followed.  My copy used in this report is the 2000 Mono audiophile reissue (DIW-9011 – RLP-399) by DIW Records. This is the third Japanese pressing of Waltz For Debby, but the first Mono reissue manufactured by Victor Entertainment, Inc. The previous two albums released in 1975 and 1984 were both Stereo reissues by Victor Musical Industries, Inc.

The opening track, My Foolish Heart was written in 1949 by Ned Washington and Victor Young!  This timeless evergreen became a well-recorded jazz standard and was featured on the silver screen in the film dramatization, the same year.  The introduction is a suspenseful and ingeniously planned affair where the trio interacts beautifully so that no one voice dominates or falls subordinate to the others.  Bill is ideally suited to this serene standard as the song’s only soloist because he could create compelling improvisations in any context. Here, he crafts a stately delicate reading that unfolds its beauty gently.  Scott and Paul complement the pianist with a subtle expression of intimacy that’s beautiful and as lush as any I’ve heard.

Bill’s contribution to the album is the title tune, named for the pianist’s niece and one of two selections heard here that made their first appearance on the 1956 album, New Jazz Conceptions.  The introduction is a mild two instrument dialogue by Bill and Scott evolving into a midtempo theme treatment when Paul joins the conversation. Evans’ opening solo is a gorgeous tour-de-force surging with vibrant activity, then LaFaro gives a vigorous exercise on the closer delivered with the utmost assurance that’s impossible not to tap your foot to.

Detour Ahead by bassist and violinist, John Frigo, guitarist Herb Ellis, and pianist Lou Carter is a song that hasn’t lost its charm by being done too often.  This jazz standard was written in 1947 after all three musicians left The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra to form a trio, The Soft Winds. Bill masterfully negotiates the opening statement affectionately with skillfully paced cues of rich intonation.  Scott closes with an expressive reading that’s inexpressibly poignant and heartfelt into an elegant coda.

My Romance by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart was written in 1935 for the Broadway musical, Jumbo and also returns in the 1962 musical film, Billy Rose’s Jumbo.  This evergreen opens with a marvelous solo introduction by Evans, then LaFaro and Motion shine joining him for a midtempo theme treatment that doesn’t fail to please the audience and listener.  Bill’s opening solo is on point, emphasizing his remarkable technique and facility for complex melodic invention. Scott moves with supreme confidence and a lively rhythmic drive on the final reading propelled by the nostalgic reinforcement of the piano and drums until the blissful ending.

The opening notes of Some Other Time by Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green recall Evans’ and Paul Chambers’ introduction to Miles Davis’ Flamenco Sketches two years earlier on Kind of Blue.  This tune was written in 1944 and featured in the musical, On The Town. The pianist originally planned to record it on his 1958 album, Everybody Digs Bill Evans, but used another Bernstein, Comden, Green composition instead, Lucky To Be Me that’s also heard in the film.  The trio presents the melody with a collective warm glow, and Bill delivers a gentle tenderness and tranquility on the song’s only solo that’s bewitching. Scott and Paul add a lovingly subtle supplement that’s just the right touch culminating with a tender climax and warm response from the crowd.

The album closes, paying homage to Evans’ old boss Miles Davis with a scintillating rendition of Milestones, first performed by the trumpeter as the title tune of his 1958 album.  This jazz standard opens with a medium-fast introduction by the trio that shifts into uptempo for the melody.  Evans is extremely entertaining on the first solo, working efficiently to the sparkling groundwork of his bandmates.  The highlight though is the fireworks LaFaro creates on a marvelously energetic closer that’s a perfect finish to a phenomenal set and album.

Scott LaFaro was a gifted hard-bop bassist who was highly engaging.  He also added a dimension of artistic delicacy, maturity and meticulousness to the four albums he appeared as a member of The Bill Evans Trio.  LaFaro was considered one of the best musicians in jazz and was slated to do greater things in the years ahead. Sadly, that wouldn’t happen because just ten days after this recording was made, he would die in an automobile accident devastating Evans personally and the loss to jazz itself was incalculable.  The six selections on this LP were splendidly recorded originally by Dave Jones and the remastering by JVC Mastering Center for this reissue is extraordinary. Like its companion, Sunday at The Village Vanguard, Waltz For Debby is an evocative, riveting live performance that’s captured at its apex and a musical treat by The Bill Evans Trio that I strongly recommend auditioning and occupying a spot in your jazz library!

~ Everybody Digs Bill Evans (Riverside RLP 12-291/RLP 1129); Explorations (RLP 351/RLP 9351); Kind of Blue (Columbia CL 1355/CS 8163); Milestones (Columbia CL 1193/CS 9428); New Jazz Conceptions (RLP 12-223); Portrait in Jazz (RLP 12-315/RLP 1162); Sunday at The Village Vanguard (RLP-376/RLP 9376); Waltz For Debby (Riverside Original Recording Series SMJ-6118); (Riverside Jazz Golden 50 VIJ-113) – Source: Discogs.com

~ Detour Ahead, My Foolish Heart, My Romance, Some Other Time – Source: JazzStandards.com

~ Victor Entertainment, Inc. is the new name for Victor Musical Industries, Inc.

~ Jumbo, Billy Rose’s Jumbo, On The Town, Lucky To Be Me, The Soft Winds – Source: Wikipedia.org

© 2020 by Edward Thomas Carter

Waltz for Debby is a 1962 live album by jazz pianist and composer Bill Evans recorded June 21, 1961 at the Village Vanguard. It was released in early 1962.  The album was the fourth and final effort from the unit as bassist Scott LaFaro died in a car accident just ten days after this live date.

1. My Foolish Heart (Victor Young/Ned Washington) – 4:58
2. Waltz for Debby [Take 2] (Bill Evans/Gene Lees) – 7:00
3. Detour Ahead [Take 2] (Lou Carter, Herb Ellis, Johnny Frigo) – 7:37
4. My Romance [Take 1] (Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart) – 7:13
5. Some Other Time (Leonard Bernstein/Betty Comden/Adolph Green) – 5:11
6. Milestones (Miles Davis) – 6:30

• Bill Evans ~ piano
• Scott LaFaro ~ bass
• Paul Motian ~ drums

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

The Quarantined Jazz Voyager has but one desire and that is for you to be safe from this pandemic. If you must go out wear gloves and mask, distance yourself and return to your haven as quickly as possible. There are those who have family members they must care for, so travel is a necessity. I encourage your diligence in staying healthy from this virus.

There is no next stop for this voyager except my safe haven for the near future where I am quarantined until this pandemic is over. But what this jazz guy will do while at home, is listen to some great music and share that music with each of you weekly to give you a little insight into this voyager’s choices during this unprecedented sabbatical from jet setting investigations of jazz around the globe.

The world will be back to traveling and so will I. My album choice for this week’s listen is A Bluish Bag by Stanley Turrentine, released in 1967.

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Requisites

Manhattan Project is an album by Jamaican-born jazz trumpeter Dizzy Reece featuring performances recorded at Blue Rock Studio, N.Y.C. on January 17, 1978 and released on the Bee Hive label.

1. Con Man – 8:55
2. Manhattan Walk – 7:59
3. Yule On The Hudson – 9:05
4. Woody ‘n’ You (Dizzy Gillespie) – 13:20
5. One For Trane (Mickey Bass) – 7:57

• Dizzy Reece – trumpet
• Clifford Jordan – tenor saxophone
• Charles Davis – tenor saxophone
• Albert Dailey – piano
• Art Davis – bass
• Roy Haynes – drums

Manhattan Project ~ Dizzy Reece Sextet | By Eddie Carter

Submitted for your consideration now is an album by trumpet player Dizzy Reece. Manhattan Project (Bee Hive Records BH 7001) is the only album he recorded for the Evanston, Illinois label. Reece was born in Kingston Jamaica and attended the Alpha Boys School where he began playing the baritone sax before switching to the trumpet at the age of fourteen. It’s also during this time where he got his nickname Dizzy, which has nothing to do with Dizzy Gillespie. He became a professional musician by the age of sixteen and has played with some of the greatest jazz musicians in the United States, England, and France. On this date, he performs with an outstanding quintet; Charles Davis, and Clifford Jordan on tenor sax; Albert Dailey on piano; Art Davis on bass and Roy Haynes on drums. My copy used in this report is the 1978 Stereo album, the only release on LP.

Con Man, the first of three tunes from Reece’s pen starts Side One with a brief trio introduction that segues into the ensemble’s speedy theme.  Dizzy begins a lengthy performance that swings with limitless energy convincingly. Clifford and Charles take the reins next for two incendiary solos of intense heat.  Albert maintains the high-voltage current on the next reading with his fingers providing plenty of electricity. Roy adds a brisk footnote that glows brightly preceding the sextet’s lively closing chorus.  Dizzy’s Manhattan Walk takes the sextet on an adventurous evening stroll through the city with the group speaking in unison on the modal melody led by the front line. Reece goes first, haunting the streets like a restless spirit but with a hypnotic emotion that’s irresistibly seductive. Jordan gets the next turn, revealing his abundant lyricism and Dailey follows exhibiting formidable creativity preceding the ensemble continuing their walk down the street into the fadeout. The first side closes with the third Reece tune; Yule on The Hudson flies from the opening notes of the trio’s introduction with an astounding workout by Roy into the ensemble’s high-powered theme treatment. Dizzy takes his trumpet for a thrilling ride on the first solo; Clifford illuminates the next interpretation with some splendid work.  Charles takes over for a spirited presentation possessing equal amounts of speed and energy. Albert continues with an incisively, infectious exploration that takes hold of you and doesn’t let go. The front line reconvenes for an exciting conversation among themselves, then Roy joins them to wrap up the solos with a few final remarks of musical bliss before the climax.

The ageless jazz standard, Woody ‘n’ You by Dizzy Gillespie opens Side Two making a grand out-of-harmony ensemble entrance with Dizzy in front segueing into the familiar rapid melody pace. Reece takes off first with a supercharged solo establishing he’s in complete control of his instrument.  Clifford offers an exceptional display of his mastery on the tenor sax with a radiant reading. Charles gives a breathtaking performance next that travels to stratospheric heights. Albert gives a brilliant solo that’s extremely clever and inspired by Art’s bouncy bass and Roy’s impeccable timekeeping.  Dizzy launches his second reading like a rocket with an invigorating presentation, then shares the spotlight with Roy for a few red-hot exchanges into the out-of-step climax. One For Trane by bassist Mickey Bass is a blues dedicated to John Coltrane and the sextet turns the heat up on the uptempo theme collectively. Albert solos first, dispensing passionate fury that sinks its teeth into the opening statement with fiery intensity and joyous spontaneity.  Dizzy steps into the spotlight next with an exhilarating account illustrating his flawless technique and stylistic versatility. Charles charges into the third solo with cheerful optimism, then Clifford wails his behind off on the next scintillating performance. Albert has the final word on a vigorously energetic presentation culminating with the ensemble’s stunning finish.

Manhattan Project was produced by Jim Neumann, a noted jazz record producer, and the founder of Bee Hive Records, and Fred Norsworthy whose excellent work as an engineer and producer can also be found on jazz recordings for Black Lion Records, Interplay Records, Jazzbank, Muse Records, PJL, Storyville and Trip Jazz.  The album was pressed at Wakefield Manufacturing in Phoenix, Arizona. The lacquer was cut by Mastering engineer Brian Gardner who worked at Trident Studio in London, before working at Allen Zentz Mastering and Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood, California. He currently owns Brian Gardner Mastering and the listener can tell a lot of care went into making the best sounding record at the time.  Recording Note: To achieve a tight, cohesive sound, Dizzy removed some of the sound baffles in the studio. This creates a close blending of instruments not unlike some of the ’50s. The album has a superb soundstage throughout the treble, midrange and bass spectrum and delivers a crystal-clear sound of the instruments.

Dizzy Reece, now eighty-eight years young is still active as a musician and writer and has recorded albums for Blue Note, and other labels including Futura, Interplay Records, Jasmine, Jazz Vision, and New Jazz.  On this album, the leader and his colleagues serve up a Hard-Bop feast with lots of energy that’s put together very well and shows these guys have a perfect balance of technique, intellect, and emotion. If you’re a fan of jazz trumpet, I invite you to audition Manhattan Project for a spot in your library.  It’s a compelling album that’s sure to satisfy almost any jazz appetite by the other trumpeter named Dizzy whose recognition as a bandleader, composer, and gifted musician is long overdue.

Recording Note – Source: Album liner notes by Brian Davis Woody ‘n’ You – Source: JazzStandards.com, Wikipedia.org

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