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. 

 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. 

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! 

Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood - Live From Madison Square Garden

                                                                

Live From Madison Square Garden is a double CD recording from Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood (there was also a DVD version) taken from a series of concerts they held in late February 2008, and released in 2009. Although they had collaborated in the mid 1960’s (prior to the formation of Cream and Traffic), they are best known for the band Blind Faith which they formed in 1969, a group that seemed to have great promise, yet only lasted a few months, including a single tour. Eric and Steve remained friends however, and performed together occasionally over the years. After a successful performance together at Eric’s 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival, they decided to perform together (with a band) at Madison Square Garden.

Several songs from the Blind Faith album were performed, along with selections from both Eric and Steve’s career’s. All of the involved musicians are in excellent form, and on the whole sound well rehearsed with all of the songs played enthusiastically. These shows were the first full Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood concerts in almost 40 years. To hear selections from their time together as Blind Faith played again live was something I really enjoyed, and one can’t help but wonder what might have happened if they had managed to stay together. As I like to say, highly recommended. 

Al Di Meola - Casino

 

I follow Mr. Di Meola of FaceBook, and he recently reminded us that this is the 45th anniversary of the release of the album "Casino". This is a record I have owned for well over 40 years, and it has provided me with many hours of listening pleasure. It has much to recommend it; Al's guitar playing is off the charts, the musicianship of all of the contributors is exemplary, the songs are real songs. and not just a "chops fest" for all concerned (in other words, musical). Mr. Di Meola also  produced and arranged the recoding. The sound is excellent and well balanced. I especially like the way the keyboards are included. Not only are they used for solos, the variety of sounds and textures that they provide are used to enrich the sound of the songs and provide harmonic structure. There is a strong latin (or Spanish) feel to much of the album, and we get to hear some of Al's tasteful classical guitar playing on a few tracks. The term "fusion" can sometimes have negative connotations, and I'm not sure I would classify this record under that genre, but if that is where it belongs, then is an example of that type of jazz as its best.     

Wynton Kelly Trio Wes Montgomery "Smokin' in Seattle"

            

“Smokin’ in Seattle” is the title of a 2017 release on the Resonance label of a pair of live performances featuring the Wynton Kelly Trio with Wes Montgomery. The recordings originated from the Penthouse, a jazz club in (naturally) Seattle. King FM, a local radio station, had an agreement with the club that they could broadcast a weekly radio show featuring live performances from the artists who were booked into the venue. According to the booklet accompanying the CD, the performance was captured using a four channel tube mixer and line amplifier, and four microphones. Jim Wilke, an employee of the radio station, who was the engineer who set up the equipment, indicated that he set the microphones on the stage, placed the mixer and amp on a table next to the stage and attached a telephone line connected back to the studio. He also said “It was a live mix with no EQ, no reverb, no compression and no rehearsal. Over 200 broadcast from the penthouse were aired live this way and simultaneously taped on the studio Ampex, as they were broadcast”. 

These particular shows occurred on April 14th and 26th, 1966. The broadcasts were from the first 30 minutes of each of the two shows. Wynton’s trio opened up, with Wes joining in after a couple of tunes. Wynton’s trio consisted of himself on piano, Jimmy Cobb on drums and Ron McClure on bass. The trio is in excellent form, and provide exemplary support for Wes, who is heard on 6 of the 10 tracks. The band really lets loose and the description in the title of “Smokin,” is no exaggeration when it comes to the music in this release. The sound is also excellent (kudos to the production and mastering crew at Resonance). 

Jazz fans are no doubt overjoyed at being to hear a historic (and high quality) performance from Wes and this trio, (which so perfectly supports him) which heretofore was unavailable. Thanks to Resonance for releasing this amazing gem. I would also add in passing that the CD incudes a very informative 40 page booklet with several interviews, including ones with two surviving band members; Jimmy Cobb and Ron McClure, and great period photos. As I am wont to say, highly recommended.