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Tadd Dameron -- the composer, arranger, and pianist


Rooster_Ties

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OK, so a few months ago I stumbled into a free copy of the Jazz Heritage (JH) issue of "The Fabulous Fats Navarro", which really isn't like the other non-JH albums of the same name (near as I can tell), or maybe only partially so. The CD I have is nearly ALL Tadd Dameron compositions (save for one), and has the following...

26-Sep-47 -- takes plus alternates of The Chase, The Squirrel, Our Delight, and Dameronia - with Fats, Earnie Henry (as), Charlie Rouse (ts), Tadd, and the rest of a rhythm section. (produced by Alfred Lion)

18-Jan-49 -- Sid's Delight and Casbah - with Fats, Kai Winding (tb), Sahib Shihab (as), Dexter Gordon (ts), Cecil Payne (bs), Tadd, a rhythm section, two percussionists, and Rae Pearl on vocals (Casbah only). (produced by "Capitol Records" according to the JH issue.)

and 21-Apr-49 -- John's Delight, What's New (Haggart-Burke), Heaven's Doors are Wide Open, and Focus - with Miles Davis (no Fats), J.J. Johnson (tb), Benjamen Lundy (ts), Cecil Payne (bs), John Collins (g), Tadd, and rhythm section. (produced by "Capitol Records" according to the JH issue.)

Interestingly, the third date has John Collins on guitar, an instrument I'd not ever heard with Miles prior to Joe Beck in or around 1968.

As most of you know, I'm not really into be-bop a whole lot, but these Dameron tunes really have a LOT of harmonic twists to them, and I'm interested in hearing more of his work (especially his compositions and arrangements).

What are your personal "top 5" dates with or by Dameron, and by dates -- I guess I mean "top 5" CD's with Dameron dates (probably multiple dates per CD).

In other words, where do I go next??

I included "Tadd tunes" in the thread subtitle, in case there are any really good Dameron tribute dates out there -- feel free to include anything like that.

Edited by Rooster_Ties
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earlier guitar with

Miles is on some of the Bird Dial sessions... Top 1 would be a tie between Fontainebleau, it has prime Kenny Dorham on it among others, and the Dameron half of the Clifford Brown Memorial Prestige Album, nothing wrong with Mating Call ad the RIverside Big Band album either; easily overlooked is the Chet Baker/Richard Carpenter material on those three Fantasy CDs, (iirc Dameron actually "sold" Baker who was residing with him to Carpenter...), there's about 10 Dameron compositions in there, some not recorded elsewhere

Edited by Niko
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As most of you know, I'm not really into be-bop a whole lot, but these Dameron tunes really have a LOT of harmonic twists to them, and I'm interested in hearing more of his work (especially his compositions and arrangements).

Nothing better demonstrates the continuing relevance of Tadd than the Joe Lovano Nonet's 52nd Street Themes. Strongly recommended!

519BY52W7JL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

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Along with the sessions with Fats Navarro,

these Tadd Dameron CDs are all things I like.

Tadd Dameron with John Coltrane - Mating Call - Prestige

Tadd Dameron - Fountainbleau - Prestige

Tadd Dameron and His Orchestra - The Magic Touch - Riverside

Th following are tribute albums that are well worth checking out.

Dameronia - Soul Note

Dameronia - Look, Stop & Listen - Uptown

Tardo Hammar Trio - Look, Stop & Listen: The Music Of Tadd Dameron - Sharp 9

Barry Harris Trio -- Plays Tadd Dameron - Prevue

Continuum - Mad About Tadd : A Tribute To Tadd Dameron - Quicksilver

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Some choice Dameron charts on this LP as well...

c492547u867.jpg

CLIFFORD BROWN MEMORIAL (Prestige)

Also essential (and one of the best places to hear what Dameron was like as a player / accompanist)...

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FATS NAVARRO FEATURED WITH THE TADD DAMERON BAND

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Go for all the Thad you can get, he is one of my alltime favorites, I have all the ones that is mentioned here, try to find Dameronia on Soul Note, great album,

it's a tribute band started by Philly Jo, but not with him (he was dead)and replaced by Kenny Washington, it's a live concert from Paris.

Vic

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You can have the lion's share of Tadd as leader on just a handful of CDs:

-- the Fats Navarro disc you already have, where Tadd is really the leader

-- half the Prestige Clifford Brown Memorial Album

-- Fontainebleau

-- Mating Call

-- The Magic Touch

There ain't a whole lot more, sadly. The Fats Navarro collections on Savoy are a nice supplement.

Love his charts for Dizzy on RCA and Verve, and for Milt Jackson on Riverside too.

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  • 2 weeks later...

One of my favotite Dameron tunes; 'I Think I'll Go Away'. I only know the vocalversion of Kenny 'Pancho' Hagood. Are there other versions? 'Ladybird' is a favorite to.

For me is 'If You Could See Me Now' one of the most beatifull songs ever written...

He recorded some tunes with Babs Gonzales in the late '40s.

j.

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Go for all the Thad you can get, he is one of my alltime favorites, I have all the ones that is mentioned here, try to find Dameronia on Soul Note, great album,

it's a tribute band started by Philly Jo, but not with him (he was dead)and replaced by Kenny Washington, it's a live concert from Paris.

Vic

This is sound advice. I love Tadd and I would also go with Peter Friedman's suggestions on the reissue band, the Continuum Cd being extraordinaire.

I also love the Lovano Cd too.

I was really bummed a few years ago when I missed out on the Tadd biography. I tried for a long time to find but never could :(

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I think Nico nailed it.

Except he and everyone else here forgot this one, which to me is THE essential Dameron set to have (or the essential one besides "Fontainebleau" and the Clifford Brown "Memorial Album" and the various live sets from Fantasy and Boris Rose...)

41K6GABPEYL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

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There are so few Dameron recordings around that one might as well get them all.

So far nobody mentioned the live recordings with Navarro which have been reissued in several compilations, none of them complete. The best known may be this:

41CG67C16RL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Edited by mikeweil
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 There are so few Dameron recordings around that one might as well get them all.

So far nobody mentioned the live recordings with Navarro which have been reissued in several compilations, none of them complete. The best known may be this:

41CG67C16RL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

See post #5

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