The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

Remaining hesitant to be in crowds of people without a mask, more and more people are unmasking while we are still in the pandemic. Legislators are speaking unmask rhetoric and otherwise responsible people are listening. This Jazz Voyager is listening to my conscience and protecting myself and those around me.

This week I have chosen another quartet recording by the New York Jazz Quartet, founded by pianist Roland Hanna. The first iteration of the group consisted of flautist Hubert Laws, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Billy Cobham. In 1974 the lineup changed to Frank Wess, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Ben Riley. Drummers Richie Pratt and Grady Tate also were enlisted to contribute their talents to the group at different times through the decade the band was together. The group recorded for the Inner City, Enja, Salvation and Sonet Records from 1972 to 1982

This album is the group’s fourth release, Blues For Sarka, recorded live on May 17, 1978 at The Domicile in Munich, West Germany. It was produced by Horst Weber and Matthias Winckelmann, recorded by Carlos Albrecht and released the same year on Enja Records. The cover photography was taken by Josef Werkmeister and the cover design was by Weber & Winckelmann

1. All Blues (Miles Davis) ~ 15:29
2. Rodney Round Robin ~ 5:44
3. I’ll Tell You Tonite (George Mraz) ~ 7:14
4. Blues for Sarka (George Mraz) ~ 7:11
5. Smelly Jelly Belly ~ 9:33

• Frank Wess ~ flute, tenor saxophone
• Roland Hanna ~ piano
• George Mraz ~ bass
• Grady Tate ~ drums

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Leroy Lovett was born on March 17, 1919 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and studied piano with Sophie Stokowski, the wife of Leopold Stokowski, from the age of four. He began composing early and went on to receive a bachelor’s degree from Temple University and then continued his studies at the Schillinger House of Music.

He led his own band in Philadelphia before settling in New York City in 1945. The move saw him arranging for Tiny Bradshaw and Luis Russell, and working with Noble Sissle, Lucky Millinder, and Mercer Ellington. During his period away from Duke Ellington, Leroy was in the band of Johnny Hodges and recorded with him until 1955. At the end of the 1950s, he was in the Cootie Williams band and the Cat Anderson band.

During the 1950s he was a music publisher, a record producer, and had a dance orchestra in Philadelphia. From 1959, he worked for Wynne Records, and from 1968 to 1973 for Motown Records. He was still active as a musician and arranger with the Melodymakers Orchestra, he also appeared with the Uni-Bigband of Halle.

He recorded two albums under his own name and also recorded with Al Sears, Harry Carney, Al Hibbler, Lawrence Brown, Billie Holiday, Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson, and Johnny Hodges.

Pianist and arranger Leroy Lovett, who also wrote music for film, transitioned on  December 9, 2013 in Chatsworth, California.

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

It is amazing but not surprising how people want to get back to the same old routine they were in before the pandemic instead of inventing themselves anew. As I move around my city I see more and more people not wearing masks in enclosed spaces. I am not surprised by the robotic sense of normalcy by society.

This week I have selected an album by the underrated and often unappreciated vocalist  Irene Kral. The younger sister of pianist Roy Kral, I discovered her towards the end of her career in 1977 when I heard her album Where Is Love. I was enamored by her voice and the quiet understatement of her singing. Unfortunately I never had the opportunity to hear her live as she transitioned the followin year in August.

The album I present today is her third studio session, Better Than Anything, recorded on June 17 & 18, 1963 at the World Pacific Studios in Los Angeles, California. It was produced by Joe Burnett, engineered by Richard Bock and released the same year on Äva Records and distributed by MGM. Making up the quartet with Irene is the Junior Mance Trio.

The cover design was by Richter & Mracky Design Associates, the photography by Fred Seligo and the liner notes were written by Tommy Wolf.

Track List | 29:24

1. Better Than Anything (David “Buck” Wheat, Bill Loughborough) ~ 2:21
2. The Touch Of Your Lips (Ray Noble) ~ 2:22
3. The Meaning of the Blues (Bobby Troup, Leah Worth) ~ 3:11
4. Rock Me To Sleep (Benny Carter, Paul Vandervoort II) ~ 2:20
5. No More (Tutti Camarata, Bob Russell) ~ 3:10
6. Passing By (Laurent Hess, Charles Trenet, Jack Lawrence) ~ 1:54
7. It’s a Wonderful World (Jan Savitt, Harold Adamson, Johnny Watson) ~ 2:34
8. This Is Always (Mack Gordon, Harry Warren) ~ 3:23
9. Just Friends (John Klenner, Sam M. Lewis) ~ 2:40
10. Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out to Dry (Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn) ~ 3:35
11. Nobody Else But Me (Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II) ~ 1:54

• Irene Kral ~ vocals
• Junior Mance ~ piano
• Bob Cranshaw ~ bass
• Mickey Roker ~ drums

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Donald Trenner was born in New Haven, Connecticut on March 10, 1927. He began his career playing with Ted Fio Rito from 1943 to 1945, and followed this with a slot in Buddy Morrow’s orchestra in 1947.

In the Fifties Donn worked with Charlie Barnet, Jerry Gray, Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, Georgie Auld, Jerry Fielding, Skinnay Ennis, Les Brown, Dick Haymes, Jack Jones, Lena Horne, Ann-Margret, Shirley MacLaine and Nancy Wilson. By 1957 he was playing with Oscar Pettiford and toured Europe the following year with Anita O’Day.

Entertaining the U.S. troops, Trenner toured with Bob Hope. In addition, he recorded with Tommy Dorsey, Vic Schoen, Howard McGhee, Frances Faye, Betty Roche, Nelson Riddle, Paul Broadnax, Dave Pell, Charles Mingus, and Ben Webster.

The 1960s saw him working as a studio musician, and leading The Steve Allen Show house band. He continued working in television throughout the 1970s and 80s. He led his own band, The Donn Trio with his first wife Helen Carr as the vocalist. Never  recording as a leader, pianist and arranger Donn Trenner transitioned on May 16, 2020.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Anat Fort was born March 8, 1970 near Tel Aviv, Israel. She studied music at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey and moved to New York City in 1996 to develop her skills in jazz improvisation under the guidance of pianist Paul Bley and study composition with Harold Seletsky before releasing her debut self-produced album Peel in 1999.

Signing with ECM Records, her first album A Long Story, released in 2007 arose from an association with drummer Paul Motian. This was followed by And If in 2010, the first album with her regular working group, the Anat Fort Trio.

Pianist and composer Anat Fort has recorded several acclaimed albums, has performed across Europe and the United States, and continues to pursue her jazz endeavors.

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