Buddy Collette is my new discovery. Of course his name is not new for me.
I know his name for years and the first time when I listened to him was app 5 years ago when I bought Chico Hamilton's Mosaic set. To be honest, I didn’t like his playing so much in this set. I think Paul Horn who replaced him in this group sounds much better and (of course) also Dolphy who replaced Horn.
One of my last purchases was "A Tribute to Eric Dolphy: Joe Rosenberg's Affinity with Buddy Collette". Maybe the reason is that this session was recorded 35 years later but Collette sounds completely different: I think his sounds is better and he plays free, which I think is more suitable for him. His playing on * Fire Waltz* is amazing. Any other Buddy Collette recommendations? And what about Joe Rosenberg and Affinity? Are you familiar with their tribute to Ornette Coleman ?

A Tribute to Eric Dolphy

MAN OF MANY PARTS (contemporary)

There's a couple of old LPs on Mercury/Emarcy (I think) by an all-flautist group under the title 'Swinging Shepherds'. I have one of these LPs with an 'At the Movies' theme. I wasn't totally bowled over at last hearing but will give it a spin this weekend. Paul Horn is also in the lineup but not sure if any of these have been issued on CD.

The covers of these are sort of neat as they have Buddy and co. dressed in monk's shawls looking as if they are about to do a monastery gig !

Only Collette I have as a leader so far is a pretty rare vinyl-only (I think) recording from 1957 on Challenge called EVERYBODY'S BUDDY. I like this one a lot. In addition to Collette in great form, there's Howard Roberts on guitar and Gerry Wiggins on piano. This would make a nice Fresh Sound CD reissue (since it's unlikely anyone more "legit" is going to ever get around to reissuing it, certainlly in the U.S.). I'm looking forward to exploring more.

Good luck finding it, but if you do, grab THIS ONE.

Valuable and fascinating.

This one ain't too bad either, although it's tamer than I was expecting.

There's an album by Howard Rumsey and the Lighthouse All Stars from 1954 [Oboe/Flute] (took them a long time to think up the title I reckon ) which has just four tracks that include Buddy Collette but playing alto flute I think. Together with Bob Cooper on oboe and cor anglais - Bud Shank plays flute on the other tracks. Interesting stuff but not free if that's what you're looking for Bentsy.

Buddy can also be found on this obscure album.

What an incredible musician from head to toe, anything he touched and blew into.

I really like his work with Chico and all the OJC items I've heard! And that challenge lp. And a nice one on VSOP with Irene Krall. And. . . well he hasn't disappointed me YET! (Don't think he will).

You would think he was from Eastern Europe as little attention he gets!

I've seen him a couple of times at L.A. Duke Ellington Society events. He seems to be a true gentleman as well as a great musician. I think there's a cd available of him discussing the history of jazz in L.A.

up for this rare nugget.

Buddy Collette (alto, flute),
Oscar Valdambrini (trumpet),
Gianni Basso (tenor sax),
Renato Sellani (piano),
Giorgio Azzolini (bass),
Gianni Cazzola (drums).

Collette is great, but those Italians ain't nothing to sneeze at either. Azzolini is a beautiful bass player.

Three words....


Chico Hamilton, "Spectacular!"


one year-1955

don't know if it's been mentioned here, but buddy has an autobiography that i believe came out a few years ago.

thanks for the link , nice session

As I am sure many of you are aware Buddy Collette
had a major impact on Charles Mingus' development
in his early years in Los Angeles.

Mingus talks quite a bit about Buddy in his book
entitled "Beneath the Underdog". Unfortunately
I would say that the better part of discretion would
have dictated some of this discussion would have been
best left private. But then the author never did hold
anything back, did he????????

A fascinating read nonetheless. Some call it fact,
others see it as fiction. You be the judge............

Don

Borrowed this a few months back. It's an interesting read.

I first encountered him on the Conte Candoli lp "Little Band Big Jazz" at the beginning of the '60s.

I had some phone conversations with Mr. Collette while working on the Uptown Mingus project. He is a very bright, articulate, thoughtful man. I have nothing but warm thoughts about him.

The audio bio/interview is wonderful.

Thanks Buddy.