thomastreichler

Eddie Condon All Stars: Discs I-IV

...I almost forgot the exciting rendition by Terry Gibbs and his Dream Band in 1959.

Speaking of Jay McShann, there is another fine version on "Paris All Star Blues" (Musicmasters).

Sent you a PM.

Sherrie Maricle and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra

Here are some versions I especially like (besides the several ones by Basie with his Old and New Testament Bands): - Buck Clayton Jam Session 1953 - Oscar Peterson on "Night Train" - Sonny Stitt with the Oscar Peterson Trio 1959 - Frankie Capp / Nat Pierce Juggernaut 1976 - Barney Kessel on "To Swing Or Not To Swing" (already mentioned) - Session At Midnight 1955 (All Star Session featuring Harry Edison, Shorty Sherock, Murray McEachern, Gus Bivona, Benny Carter, Willie Smith, Plas Johnson, Babe Russin, Jimmy Rowles)

Randy Sandke did at least three Bix tributes on cd: The Bix Beiderbecke Era (Nagel Heyer) on some of the selections he harmonized the original Bix solos for three trumpets/cornets - marvelous! Re-Discovering Louis And Bix (Nagel Heyer) The Bix Beiderbecke Centennial All Stars Celebrating Bix! (Arbors) all three albums are highly recommended!

Another nice album which puts Scott Hamilton into the company of other horn players is Benny Carter's "A Gentleman And His Music" (Concord). The personnel: Joe Wilder, Benny Carter, Scott Hamilton, Gene Harris, Ed Bickert, John Clayton, Jimmie Smith.

Toshiko Akiyoshi - Lew Tabackin Big Band: March Of The Tadpoles (RCA) Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra: Ten Gallon Shuffle (RCA)

You won't regret it, this is a fully satisfying set.

Count Basie: America's #1 Band (Columbia) disc 3 Fantastic!

There are many Scott Hamilton CD's I enjoy (Jazz Signatures is one that comes immediately to mind, as do Radio City and Red Door, and the one with Gene Harris.) I can't recall that he's made a poor CD though a couple have seemed a bit indifferent (Live in London). I agree with the point that it would be good to hear him as a soloist in some different settings, perhaps as the main soloist in a mini-big band or at least with two or three other horns. One good Hamilton Cd that comes to mind is "Groovin' High" with Spike Robinson and Ken Pepowski as front-line partners. I do think Scott often sounds inspired by the presence of another horn soloist. I have heard that Scott does not read music, which may account for the lack of these types of recordings and perhaps for the fact that he doesn't write much original material. (OTOH, I sometimes take it with a grain of salt when I read that a certain jazz musician doesn't read music. It was rumored that Art Pepper didn't read music. Yeah right, that's why he was able to play tough charts in bands like Stan Kenton, Shorty Rogers, Don Ellis and Buddy Rich). Early in his career Scott Hamilton did a couple of recordings with other horns (few of them are available on cd). The following come to mind: "Back To Back" 1978, "Scott's Buddy" 1980, both with Buddy Tate "Scoot Hamilton And Warren Vaché With Scott's Band In New York" 1978 "Skyscrapers" 1979, nice session with a line-up of Warren Vaché, George Masso, Hamilton, Harold Ashby and Joe Temperley and arrangements by Buck Clayton, Nat Pierce and George Masso, worth to be released on cd "Bob Wilber And The Scott Hamilton Quartet" 1977 two albums with the Concord Super Band: "In Tokyo" and "Concord Super Band 2" "Tour De Force" 1981 with Al Cohn and Buddy Tate Several albums with Ruby Braff: "First", "Sailboat In he Moonlight", "Ruby Braff And His New England Songhounds Vol. 1 & Vol. 2" "Ow!", "Take 8" 1987 with the Concord Jazz All Stars (W. Vaché, Dan Barrett, Red Holloway, Dave McKenna et al) "Sound Investment" 1987, with Flip Philips Zoot Sims "It Had To Be You" 1984 on Gemini and finally there is his recent collaboration with Harry Allen on "Heavy Juice" 2004

Ralph Moore is fine on Ray Brown's "Moore Makes 4" from 1991 on Concord. Completing the "4" are Gene Harris on piano and Jeff Hamilton on drums.

These are great albums. On "Plays Count Basie" Peterson is superb in emulgating Basie's conception of piano playing, and his interplay with Rich is a joy to listen to. "This One's For Basie" benefits from the great arrangements of Marty Paich as well as from the presence of topnotch soloists (Edison, Rosolino, Cooper, Rowles).

Al Grey is a swinging soloist with a big fat tone and a distinctive style. He was with the Basie Big Band 1957-61 and 1971-77; his solos with the band were consistently fine. Grey made two nice albums on Chiaroscuro, "New Al Grey Quintet" and "Fab!", both featuring his son Mike, also a capable trombonist, and the powerful drumming of Bobby Durham. Grey can also be heard to good advantage on Clark Terry's "What A Wonderful World" (Red Barron, 1993) and with J.J. Johnson on "Things Are Getting Better All The Time" (Pablo, 1983).

I would recommend the following: Fun Time, 1975 Basie Big Band (arr. Sammy Nestico), 1975 I Told You So (arr. Bill Holman), 1976 Prime Time (arr. Sammy Nestico), 1977 Live In Japan ‘78 On The Road, 1979

Well, if you like "Lockjaw", he was quite a bit with Basie in the 60s and early 70s. The Pablos signalled a return to straight ahead jazz after the pop excursions of the 60s. In a way they can be seen as more of the same, I suppose, but if one likes New Testament Basie, that is more of a good thing. And the sound is excellent on the Pablos too, superior to anything Basie had recorded before. The emphasis was on new charts by Sammy Nestico and others, and you get to hear Jimmy Forrest with the band in 1975-77, for example. By all means, get the earlier classic New Testament albums first, but if you after that want more, the Pablos should not be dismissed. (I'm talking about the big band albums here, the small groups were a different animal of course.) I agree, there is some great Basie on the 70's Pablo Big Band recordings (the 80's band I like less): Superb arrangements by Sammy Nestico and, on one album, by Bill Holman, great playing by Jimmy Forrest (as mentioned), Al Grey, Eric Dixon, Kenny Hing and Butch Miles, who was a perfect choice for the drum chair (a flashy and powerful drummer much in the vein of Sonny Payne).

Arguably the best of the sixties Verve albums is "On My Way And Shoutin' Again" (nice cover by the way) from 1962 with great fresh charts by Neal Hefti. I have that one on vinyl, but somehow missed the 2004 Japanese cd reissue and now it is oop.

I have these two albums from the second Verve period: "Basie Land" and "Lil' Ol' Groovemaker", the first being a Japanese reissue of a fine 1963 album featuring Billy Byers arrangements, the latter also from 1963 with charts by Quincy Jones. From this same period stems "Ella & Basie", a superb collaboration between the First Lady of Song and the Count which also benefits from great arrangements by Quincy Jones. Then there is "At the Sands", a live Reprise album from 1966, "Basie Straight Ahead", recorded 1968 and reissued on GRP Chessmates, and "Standing Ovation" (Dot), recorded 1969 live at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas, presenting the Basie Band in top form featuring Harry Edison, Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis and Harold Jones. All these albums are worthwhile.

The Hodges-set is an absolute must-have! Some of the best small group mainstream jazz ever recorded (I especially like the session where Hodges leads a mid-size band featuring Shorty Baker, Ben Webster, Jimmy Hamilton and the crack rhythm section of Jimmy Jones, Les Spann, Ray Brown and Jo Jones and the one with Ben Webster, Lou Levy, Herb Ellis, Wilfred Middlebrooks and Gus Johnson).

...and another one with Franco D'Andrea ("For Bix And Pops" on Philology) and then there is Warren Vaché and Bill Charlap: "2gether" on the German NagelHeyer label, a marvelous album.

Here you go:

This is a cornet: This is a fluegelhorn: This is a trumpet:

There are only two volumes of "Count On The Coast" on cd, plus "Basie's Golden 58". Maybe there were three lp-volumes?

As for live recordings of the New Testament Band, make sure to check out these: "Count On The Coast Vol. 1", "Count On The Coast Vol. 2", "Basie's Golden '58" (all on the now defunct Swedish Phontastic label); these albums show the New Testament Band in full flight recorded live 1958 in excellent stereo sound!