Monday 29 January 2024

 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.   

Friday 17 November 2023

 



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.      

Tuesday 17 October 2023

                                                     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.

   

Friday 4 August 2023

 



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.     

Saturday 29 July 2023

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. 



Sunday 11 June 2023

 Steely Dan Redux


Can’t Buy A Thrill 50th Anniversary Edition



                                                                            



The opening percussion sequence to “Do It Again”, the lead track on side one of Can’t Buy A Thrill, is unmistakeable and once heard, instantly transports the listener. It is the perfect introduction to the debut album from the band called Steely Dan.

It is a fact that Steely Dan was then a band. They even toured as such. In the following years, the membership dwindled until it was just Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. But to start, it was a group, although always firmly under the direction of Donald and Walter, its two protagonists. To these ears, the record is a textbook example of the songwriting craft and pop sensibilities they both had, (and were to continue to display so prominently) over the years. The acerbic yet slightly opaque lyrics, usually telling us the story from the point of view of the cynical also-ran. But there were some things that set this album apart from the ones that were to follow. This was the only Steely Dan to feature a lead singer other than Donald Fagen. David Palmer would sing lead on “Dirty Work” and “Brooklyn (Owes The Charmer Under Me)”, and sang with Donald on a couple of others. Additionally, drummer Jim Hodder took on lead vocal duties for “Midnite Cruiser”. The songs on “Can’t Buy A Thrill” seem a little more concise, and perhaps a bit less esoteric than later offerings. Steely Dan records such as “The Royal Scam” and “Aja” could be seen as a palette on which Donald and Walter would bring in various musicians (session and otherwise) to add that player’s particular talents and sound to a song. This recording was primarily (but not exclusively) a product of the musicians who at that time were part of Steely Dan. 

The 50th Anniversary edition was remastered by Bernie Grundman from the original analog tapes. The album is 180 gram vinyl and is being released on the Geffen label. I bought the record a couple of days ago, and have played it a bunch, and yeah, it sounds great. I can definitely hear Walter’s bass playing more clearly (always a plus), and everything just seems in better balance, with more clarity and definition. Elliot Randall’s solo on “Reelin’ In The Years” was probably my favourite part of the album when I first heard it, and the it sounds even better on the re-issue. As I am wont to say, highly recommended. 

Saturday 29 April 2023

Sonny Stitt



The Bubba's Sessions 


I know to some, Record Store Day is a gimmick, but I always thought it was a great idea. If you like vinyl (as I do), finding something unique that has been prepared for a limited release is exciting. While conducting a quick browse today at our local record store, I noticed this out of the corner of my eye. "The Bubba's Sessions" were famous tenor man Sonny Stitt's last live recordings, and come from his performances at Bubba's Jazz Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale Florida on Remembrance Day 1981. I don't have a lot of his recordings in my collection (I am fortunate enough to have a copy of Tune Up, considered perhaps his best outing), but I think this one is going to find a home on my turntable. Sonny is very capably supported on this date by Harry "Sweets" Edison on trumpet and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis on tenor. Sonny plays tenor on most of the numbers, but switches to alto for "What's New?" and "Old Folks". The rhythm section is Eddie Higgins on piano, Donn Mast on bass and Duffy Jackson on drums. There are a good variety of songs (jazz standards) spread over 11 tracks on 2 records. The crystal vinyl is also pretty cool!