Gerald Wilson

[jostber]

I have not heard anything of this artist:

http://www.nocturne.fr/produit.cfm?id_produit=7768

Any recommendations?

Edited January 13, 2008 by jostber

[BillF]

Los Angeles-based Gerald Wilson (b.1918) has had a long and distinguished career as a big band arranger and leader (as well as trumpeter) and is still active and recording at an advanced age. I have two albums by him, Moment of Truth (1962) and Portraits (1963), both of which I like very much. There are many, many other things to be said about the great Gerald Wilson and I'm sure other board members will oblige!

Edited January 13, 2008 by BillF

[sidewinder]

The Mosaic 'Complete Pacific Jazz Recordings' box should be first port of call. That one is a joy from beginning to end - and includes all of his 60s classics including 'Moment of Truth', 'Portraits', 'You Better Believe It' and 'The Golden Sword'. The later albums on there including 'Everywhere' and 'Eternal Equinox' capture the era well and have withstood the test of time I think.

The recordings from the 80s and 90s on Albert Marx's Discovery label (out of LA) are worth looking for in the racks - 'Lomelin', Jenna' and 'Calafia' are particularly recommended.

Check out also the very fine recent recordings - 'Theme For Monterey', 'State Street Sweet', 'New York, New Sound' and 'In My Time'. Full of good things.

[mikeweil]

That Classics CD is great - an important link from the swing to the bebop era in big band jazz. There is a first volume covering 1945-46 that's equally good.

[Teasing the Korean]

Portraits

The Golden Sword

Everywhere

These three are my favorites. I would pick up anything you can find by him on Pacific Jazz.

[Uncle Skid]

I really enjoy "In My Time"... more discussion here.

I also have the Mosaic, and have never warmed to much beyond the first two discs. But, those first two are wonderful!

Also, there are some great Wilson arrangements on the Carmell Jones Mosaic Select.

[BFrank]

The Mosaic box for SURE. As Skid said the first 2 disks are wonderful. The 3rd and 4th disks are mostly live, and are a lot of fun. Disk 5 is controversial in that there are a lot of big band interpretations of 60's pop/rock songs - not to everyone's taste.

I'll second "In My Time", too.

[Teasing the Korean]

Screw the Mosaic box. You can find the original albums for cheap prices, plus they have the original cover art.

[BFrank]

Where can you find the original albums?

"Portrait" is the only CD I've ever seen.

[Teasing the Korean]

Where can you find the original albums?

"Portrait" is the only CD I've ever seen.

I've NEVER had trouble finding the originals in three major US cities. They pop up for very reasonable prices, i.e. under 10 bucks and sometimes 5 bucks, in very clean shape. The practical side of me has often had to keep the obsessive side of me in check, when it was tempted over the years to pick up multiple copies of these.

Edited January 14, 2008 by Teasing the Korean

[Chuck Nessa]

The first one has never had a US issue on cd. Moment of Truth and Portraits have. I am certain TtK was speaking of vinyl.

I agree with Skid's post.

[Teasing the Korean]

Yes, I was talking about vinyl. Why buy an overpriced CD when you can buy a $2.99 LP?