Requisites
Together Again!!!! ~ Teddy Edwards and Howard McGhee | By Eddie Carter
Teddy Edwards and Howard McGhee enter this morning’s spotlight with their excellent 1961 collaboration, Together Again!!!! (Contemporary Records M3588/S7588). The tenor saxophonist and trumpeter initially worked together from 1945 to 1947 when Edwards was a member of McGhee’s sextet. It’s their second collaboration since the Bebop era, but the first time the duo recorded together. The supporting cast is a magical rhythm section: Phineas Newborn Jr. on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums. My copy is the 1975 U.S. Stereo reissue, sharing the original catalog number.
The album opener is the title track, Together Again, by Teddy Edwards. The quintet begins the melody harmonizing in perfect agreement. Howard takes the wheel and cruises leisurely on the opening statement. Teddy wails with a vibrant voice in the following solo. Phineas heightens the excitement with an impressive reading; then Ray adds a brisk footnote leading to the theme’s return and summation. McGhee introduces You Stepped Out Of A Dream by Nacio Herb Brown and Gus Kahn on the muted trumpet. He showcases the horn’s warm, lyrical tone in a lighthearted setting during two solos. In between them, Edwards gives a charming reading that bounces along over the rhythm section.
Up There by Ray Brown opens briskly from the pianist’s introduction, which evolves into the ensemble’s aggressive theme. Teddy tackles the first solo with fleet agility, and then Howard flies swiftly in the second statement. Phineas swings with a vengeance until the group’s theme restatement and abrupt finish. Side Two begins with Perhaps by Charlie Parker, featuring McGhee on muted trumpet during the opening and closing chorus. Edwards builds the opening solo exquisitely. Newborn follows with an exceptional interpretation. McGhee opens the horn for a passionately nimble reading, and Ray delivers the exclamation point into the group’s exit.
Teddy and the trio have the honors next on Misty by Erroll Garner and Johnny Burke. The quartet starts with a bass and piano duet. Teddy and Ed join them for the song’s very pretty melody. Edwards is the song’s only soloist and delivers an intimately personal interpretation that, to these ears, is one of the album’s highlights. Sandy by Howard McGhee begins with the quintet’s energetic theme. Howard is off to a rousing start on the lead solo. Edwards follows him with a reading of confident assurance. Newborn goes for the jugular next with vigorous enthusiasm. Brown wraps up the solos with dazzling bass lines preceding the quintet’s return to take the song out.
Lester Koenig produced Together Again!!!!, and Roy DuNann was the recording engineer. The reissue sounds great and possesses a vibrant soundstage, allowing the musicians to emerge from your speakers into your listening room with superb fidelity! Throughout the album, the quintet demonstrates how good West Coast jazz could sound in the right hands. The music is great from start to finish, and the musicians complement each other skillfully. If you’re a fan of Cool Jazz or Post Bop, I invite you to consider Together Again!!!! by Teddy Edwards and Howard McGhee on your next record-shopping trip. It offers the opportunity to appreciate two jazz giants who, after an absence of sixteen years, prove that great music doesn’t have an expiration date and can provide listening pleasure endlessly!
~ You Stepped Out of a Dream, Misty – Source: JazzStandards.com
~ Perhaps – Source: Wikipedia.org
© 2023 by Edward Thomas Carter
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
George Andrew Tucker was born on December 10, 1927 in Palatka, Florida. He studied bass at the New York Conservatory of Modern Music in the late 1940s. Early in his career, he played with Earl Bostic, John Coltrane, and Jackie McLean. He worked in the house bands of several lauded New York jazz venues and played and recorded with Eric Dolphy, Clifford Jordan, Horace Parlan, Booker Ervin, Jerome Richardson, and Junior Mance during this time.
In 1958, he recorded with Melba Liston on her jazz classic Melba Liston and Her ‘Bones. 1960–61 saw him recording with Stanley Turrentine, Horace Parlan, Ervin, Dexter Gordon, and Shirley Scott. Over the next two years he toured and recorded with the trio of Dave Lambert, John Hendricks and Yolande Bavan. Near the end of his life Tucker recorded with Coleman Hawkins and Jaki Byard.
He recorded at total of fifty-eight albums as a sideman with Ted Curson, Walt Dickerson, Lou Donaldson, Booker Ervin, Curtis Fuller, Bennie Green, Slide Hampton, John Handy, Willis Jackson, Etta Jones, Gildo Mahones, Charles McPherson, Jackie McLean, Oliver Nelson, Dave Pike, Pony Poindexter, Sonny Red, Freddie Redd, Zoot Sims, Johnny “Hammond” Smith, Buddy Tate, Lucky Thompson, Jimmy Witherspoon and Jimmy Woods.
Double-bassist George Tucker transitioned from a cerebral hemorrhage while performing with guitarist Kenny Burrell on October 10, 1965 in New York City.
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Jimmy Owens was born December 9, 1943 in New York City, New York. In the 1960s, he was a member of the hybrid classical and rock band Ars Nova, and then became a member of the New York Jazz Sextet playing with at times were Sir Roland Hanna, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham, Benny Golson, Hubert Laws, and Tom McIntosh.
Between 1969 and 1972, Jimmy was a sideman on the David Frost Show under musical director Dr. Billy Taylor. During this stint he played alongside Frank Wess, Seldon Powell Barry Galbraith and Bob Cranshaw.
As an educator Jimmy is an active member of the jazz education community, sitting on the board of the Jazz Foundation of America and the Jazz Musicians’ Emergency Fund to help individual musicians.
Over the course of his career the trumpeter, composer, arranger, lecturer and music education consultant has performed and recorded as a leader and sideman with Lionel Hampton, Charles Mingus, Archie Shepp, Joe Zawinul, Gerald Wilson, Duke Ellington, Hank Crawford, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie and Herbie Mann among many others.
Trumpeter, composer, arranger and educator Jimmy Owens, who sits on the board of the Jazz Foundation of America, since 1969, he has led his own group, Jimmy Owens Plus.
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Allison Philips was born on December 8, 1991 in South Orange, New Jersey. She began playing the trumpet at the age of 9 and began performing regularly since she was fourteen. She went on to receive a BFA in Jazz Performance from the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music of New York City and a Masters in Jazz Performance at The Conservatorium Van Amsterdam in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
She has studied under several trumpet luminaries including Laurie Frink, Ingrid Jensen, Chris Jaudes, Tatum Greenblatt, Joe Magnarelli, Jimmy Owens, Ruud Breuls and Jan Oosthof.
From the traditional trio setting to genre-bending explorations via electronics, Allison is always searching for new ground. She has created her own trio, co-leads the DeiCont | Philips Collective, and both groups have toured domestically and throughout Europe and Canada.
She has performed with Sara McDonald’s “NY Chillharmonic”, The Chronometer’s Orchestra, Phil’s Music Lab, Charlie Rosen’s Broadway Bigband, the BVR Flamenco Orchestra, Zulema’s Mambo Queens, and many others.
Trumpeter, bandleader and educator Allison Philips continues to perform, record and tour.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Louis Leo Prima was born December 7, 1910 in New Orleans, Louisiana into a musical Italian American family. His mother, a music lover, made sure that each child played an instrument, assigning him the violin and started out playing at St. Ann’s Parish. His interest in jazz came when he heard black musicians, including Louis Armstrong at a time Italians and Blacks in New Orleans frequently socialized together in the same clubs and bars.
He practiced continuously on his worn-down cornet and formed a band in 1924 with his childhood friends, bassist Candy Candido, Irving Fazola on clarinet and drummer Johnny Viviano. Prima attended Jesuit High School but transferred to Warren Easton High in 1926. There he played with the Eastonites, the school band. The next year he partnered with fellow musician Frank Federico and they played in the French Quarter.
By 1928 his decision was made to become a professional musician. After finishing high school he joined the Ellis Stratako Orchestra in 1929 then the Joseph Cherniavsky Orchestrafollowed by a temporary job playing on the steamship Capital that docked on Canal Street. His first break was when Lou Forbes hired him for daily afternoon and early evening shows at The Saenger.
1934 saw him begin recording for the Brunswick label. He recorded That’s Where the South Begins, Long About Midnight, Jamaica Shout, and StarDust. Prima and his New Orleans Gang featured Frank Pinero playing piano, Jack Ryan bass, Garrett McAdams guitar, and Pee Wee Russell clarinet. at the Famous Door. HIs recordings from 1935 were a combination of Dixieland and swing. He and Russell recorded The Lady in Red, a national jukebox hit. They also recorded Chinatown, Chasing Shadows and Gypsy Tea Room.
Martha Raye played a role in Prima’s professional and personal life and with her got his first national debut on The Fleischman Hour. He recorded Sing, Sing , Sing in 1936, which subsequently became a hit for Benny Goodman. Moving to California he expanded his music, joining the movement for big bands and orchestras. However for him the configuration was not successful.
He returned to New York City in 1937 with his quintet at the Famous Door. Then on to Billy Rose’s Casa Mañana club in 1938, earning nearly a quarter million dollars throughout seven weeks. This led to an East Coast to mid-West tour. During the war years, Louis was experiencing great success regardless of anti-Italian sentiment. He would go on to have several big hits but by the end of the war years, the popularity of big band music was diminishing. By 1947 he was playing more jazzy versions of his music for the next decade and a half.
Trumpeter, singer, entertainer and bandleader Louis Prima suffered a heart attack in 1973. Two years later he was diagnosed with a brain stem tumor, suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, went into a coma following surgery and never recovered. He moved back to New Orleans and transitioned three years later on August 24, 1978 at 67 in his hometown.
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