Fraser MacPherson Live At The Planetarium

Fraser MacPherson is a Canadian jazz musician originally from Manitoba. He moved to British Columbia as a child, and eventually settled in Vancouver, which was to be his home. 

“Live At The Planetarium” was his first small group album as a leader. It is a trio recording, featuring guitarist Oliver Gannon and bassist Wyatt Ruther. Oliver Gannon was born in Ireland, but moved to Canada with his family in 1957 when he was 14 years old. In 1969, he moved to Vancouver, where he became a staple on the local jazz scene. In 1975, Oliver was asked to join a trio that Fraser wanted to form. The third member of the trio Wyatt Ruther was an American jazz musician who moved to Vancouver around 1973 or 74, and resided there until the mid 1980’s. During that time, he worked extensively with Fraser MacPherson (among others).

The album has an interesting history. It was originally recorded for broadcast on the French language CBC network. Fraser MacPherson then leased the master tapes, and released the performance on his own label, West End Records. Subsequent to that release, the album became known to the Concord Jazz label from California. That label was so impressed they offered to release the record themselves. According to the liner notes on the Concord release, Carl E. Jefferson, the President of Concord Jazz stated “This album by Fraser MacPherson was released in Canada with very limited distribution. It has been recorded extremely well, has superb musical quality and we are most delighted to release it on our label. If you are already a Concord Jazz fan, this will fit very nicely in your library”. High praise indeed. One technical note is that according to the fine print, this version of the record was remixed prior to Concord releasing it. 

The songs on this record are all well known jazz standards. There are seven tracks altogether, with three on side one and four on side two. Side one opens up with “Tangerine”, an established tune from 1941. This track is followed by “ I Cried For You (Now It’s Your Turn To Cry Over Me)", another chestnut, probably best known from the version recorded by Billie Holiday. The last song on side one is the Modern Jazz Quartet number “Django” (written by their pianist John Lewis in tribute to the legendary jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt). The trio takes it a relaxed tempo, leaving plenty of room for Oliver to solo. Side two features “I’m Gettin’ Sentimental Over You”, “L’il Darlin’”, “Lush Life” and “My Funny Valentine”. “Lush Life”, written by Billy Strayhorn is a beautiful ballad and without a doubt is the standout track on this side. Throughout the album, the trio play with taste and restraint, leaving space that accentuates the high quality of the musicianship on display. As indicated earlier, Concord felt so strongly about the excellence of this recording that they re-released it on their own imprint. Fraser MacPherson’s playing is relaxed and to these ears has a “West Coast” feel to it (not a surprise considering he was a Vancouverite). It would appear this was only ever released on vinyl, and there doesn't seem to be a no compact disc version. As I like to say, highly recommended.  

                         Rob McConnell & the Boss Brass

                                                                    Atras da Porta     

                                           

"Atras da Porta" was the 16th release by The Boss Brass. It was issued on the Canadian Innovation label. The album contained eight tracks in total. In addition to the high level of musicianship displayed by the 22 piece orchestra, this release is a bit unique in that five of the songs are from Latin American composers. The album was produced by Argentinian composer and producer Fernando Gelbard, who contributed his compositions “Flowers”, “Jo Jo’s Dance” and “Didi”. As far as arrangements are concerned, Rob McConnell arranged five of the tracks; “Easy To Love”, “Flowers”, “Autumn In New York”, “Didi” and “Bye Bye Blues”, two were arranged by Jorge Callandrelli; “Jo Jo’s Dance” and the title track “Atras da Porta” and Rick Wilkins arranged “Amor Ate O Fim”. As one would expect, all of the songs feature innovative and sophisticated arrangements, outstanding soloists (including Moe Koffman on alto sax, guitarist Ed Bickert, Guido Basso on flugelhorn and Eugene Amaro on tenor sax) and top flight ensemble playing. The opening track on the album is an outstanding version of Cole Porter’s “Easy To Love”, which is a real barn-burner featuring solos by Moe Koffman and Steve Wallace. In a catalogue of consistent excellence, it is hard to select one recording that stands out above the others. This one is certainly up there though. Highly recommended.   

 Cal Collins

 

Cincinnati To L.A.

 

While browsing through the local record store recently, I came across an album on the Concord label featuring a musician I didn’t immediately recognize. The artist was jazz guitarist Cal Collins, and the title of the record was “Cincinnati To L.A.” The recording was trio session with Monty Budwig on double bass and Jake Hanna on drums. I prefer smaller groups, and a trio setting with bass and drums is one of my favourites. I picked up the album, and put it on after I got home. I wasn’t disappointed. According to the album liner notes, which were written by Leonard Feather, Cal, who was born on May 5, 1933 grew up in what Cal described as a country and bluegrass atmosphere, in a household with mandolins, banjos and guitars. As a child, Cal played the mandolin. A little later on, he was exposed to Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian, and focused on jazz. After a stint in the Army, he decided to take on the challenge of making his living as a professional musician. He paid his dues, mainly working around Cincinnati, until in 1976, after a recommendation, he auditioned for Benny Goodman and was selected to become the guitarist in Benny’s group. While performing in California with Benny, he was offered an opportunity to record with Concord Records. 

“Cincinnati To L.A.” was Cal’s second record on Concord. The album has ten tracks, all of them jazz standards. The songs provide a variety of settings for the trio to shine, and of course lots of room to hear Cal’s very talented playing. The years of working in lounges I’m sure provided Cal with an impressive repertoire of material to work with, and on this record, we get to hear him in different settings. Of note, he is featured as the solo instrument on “If I Had You”. The group’s performance of “Willow Weep For Me” is also a highlight, emphasizing the bluesy aspect of the song. One of the things I found interesting about Cal was his choice of guitar; a Gretsch 6120 hollow-body, an instrument not normally associated with jazz. 

Unfortunately, very little of Cal Collin’s excellent recordings made the transition to compact disc, although there are some videos on YouTube. The album “Cincinnati To L.A.” was produced by Carl Jefferson of Concord Jazz, and was recorded in California. The catalogue number is CJ-59. I should mention that in his discography, Cal is noted as being a popular sideman, appearing on a variety of other Concord albums. As I like to say, highly recommended.   

 

André Previn and His Pals, Shelley Manne & Red Mitchell: “West Side Story” 

 The musicians on this recording are André Previn on piano, Shelley Manne on drums and Red Mitchell on bass.

André Previn was born in Berlin in either 1929 or 1930, and emigrated to America in 1938 with his family. While primarily known for his successful career in Hollywood where he composed, orchestrated and conducted film scores (he started at 17 years of age, and by the time he was 31 had been involved on upwards of thirty), his abilities as a jazz musician are sometimes overlooked. Which brings us to this record. The musical West Side Story (inspired by Romeo and Juliet) was composed by Leonard Bernstein. To quote the liner notes on the back of this album’s jacket, written by Lester Koenig (the founder of the jazz label Contemporary Records, on which the album being reviewed was released) “The music by Leonard Bernstein is an integral part of the total conception, its unconventional song structures and harmonic progressions are not the kind which would seem to lend themselves readily to modern jazz treatment. Yet, possibly because of the challenge provided by the Bernstein material, André Previn, Shelley Manne and Red Mitchell have improvised on it brilliantly, transforming it into one of their most imaginative show-jazz albums.” One of the things that I noticed when listening to the record was the detail and care given to how the songs were arranged, and the space between the instruments. André Previn constructed interesting musical alterations to the music in order for the trio to perform their version of the songs. While the musicianship of all three players is exemplary, as a bassist I will always been drawn to what is happening on the bottom end. Red is one of my favourite bassists, and on this recording you get to hear some outstanding playing from him. A jazz trio interpretation of a musical may not be to everyone’s taste, but this one is certainly a favourite of mine.      

                                                     Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot

                                                                            

For those unaware of who Tony Rice was, he was one of the most accomplished acoustic guitar players on the planet. He was greatly admired by his peers, and during his lengthy career he performed primarily as a Bluegrass artist, although his musical talents defied any type of categorization. 

One of my favourite recordings of his was his tribute to Gordon Lightfoot. Unlike most albums of this nature, the 17 tracks on this disc were culled from various recording sessions that Tony was involved in. In the liner notes Tony recalls his time with J. D. Crowe and the New South in the mid 1970's and the initial decision to cover one of Gordon's songs. That particular band was noted for its approach to bluegrass, and has been recognized as a revolutionary force in the "newgrass" movement as well as influencing mainstream country as well. According to Tony, the band was looking for material that would be different than the standard fare, and "it was when J.D. Crowe, Ricky Skaggs and I were together that the first Lightfoot tune happened. We did ""Ten Degrees and Getting Colder"". 

All of the songs included in this collection were recorded with intricate attention to detail. The acoustic instruments allow the listener to hear Gordon's songs performed with great care and attention, and with space and depth that allows the beauty of the melody and harmony to be front and centre. There are no lush string arrangements, orchestrations and vocal overdubs to crowd out the performance of the musicians.   

Tony Rice has gone on record as stating that Gordon Lightfoot was his favourite songwriter, and his appreciation for Gordon's talents is borne out by the reverence and interpretation of his songs on this recording. They never worked together, but had met, and as Tony puts it, "We've hung out a few times, had a good time". Perhaps the succinct and respectful acknowledgement comes from a quote from Gordon himself, as printed on the back of the disc. "...fantastic contemporary bluegrass renditions of these songs...the musicianship on the collection is marvellous, getting into some high profile instrumental work. Thank you, Tony". High praise indeed.

   

 

The Fraser MacPherson Quintet

“Jazz Prose”

This delightful record was a live recording from the Concord Pavilion at (naturally) Concord, California. Fraser, a tenor saxophone player from Vancouver BC, found a home on the Concord Jazz label, releasing a small number of albums there during his career. (It should be note that he has also released albums on other labels as well, but this article is about a Concord Jazz release).

The record features three Canadian jazz luminaries (Fraser himself, Ed Bickert and Steve Wallace) along with two well known American jazz musicians (Dave McKenna and Jake Hanna). For those not familiar with these artists, Ed is on guitar, Steve on double bass,  Dave on piano and Jake on drums). 

The music is classic Concord Jazz; inspired renditions of jazz standards both well known, and obscure. The quality of the recording is excellent, with a distinct balance between all of the instruments. Fraser’s style, based more on swing than bop, is reminiscent of a Zoot Sims, or more recently, a Scott Hamilton. Never in a hurry, he negotiates through melodies adroitly, and solos with aplomb. As an added treat, Ed is featured on “Happy Man” with Fraser laying out, and Dave displays his solo piano stylings on “I’ll Never Be The Same”. 

The recording took place in August of 1984 at the Concord Jazz Festival. As far as I can tell, this recording was only ever released on vinyl. I picked up my (used) copy at Alleycats Music and Art in Orillia. It can also be listened to on YouTube, although I’m not sure about other formats.     

Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen At Edwards Barn

  

"At Edwards Barn” is a live recording by a group headed by Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen. The venue is an event centre about two and a half hours north of Los Angeles that holds a couple hundred people. The concert was one of a series of annual benefit performances being held for a church. Firstly, the music is excellent. Chris and Herb have an extensive history of musical collaboration, especially with the very successful Desert Rose Band. Their voices blend effortlessly on the songs that were chosen for the concert. The selection of material includes some bluegrass (Ralph Stanley and the Louvin Brothers), some gospel (Our Saviour’s Hands) and selections from Chris’ time with the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers and the Desert Rose Band, among others. The performance is relaxed without being the least bit sloppy, and all of the musicians are at the top of their game. The ensemble is one of all acoustic instruments, with Bill Bryson on string bass, David Mansfield on fiddle and Larry Park on acoustic guitar. Chris sticks to mandolin and Herb mainly guitar, although he also picks up the banjo. It should be noted that although Chris and Herb are co-listed as the band leaders, this sounds like a real group effort, with attention paid to how the songs are arranged and the vocal harmonies are sung. Looking at the instrumentation, people would assume this is a bluegrass record, but it definitely isn’t. The vibe is much more laid back, with more of a string band feel. This is one of those instances where the right musicians all got together on the right night, and thankfully the decision was made to record an amazing performance. It is a testament to these players that notwithstanding all of the years they have spent in the music business, their love of music and the depth of their talent are really on display here. As I like to say, highly recommended.