Chewy - a recommendation - Pete Fountain Day!

[flat5]

Chewy (and other collectors) - a recommendation

Pete Fountain Day! I so much wish this record was available on CD. There was

more music recorded that day. It is in a university library in Louisiana.

The CD would be great. It is the best JAZZ record Pete Fountain ever released.

The concert date was October 24, 1959. Coral records CRL 57313

Pete Fountain, clarinet

Godfrey Hirsch, vibes

Merle Koch, piano

Don Bagley, bass

Jack Sperling, drums

When I was a kid learning to be a jazz clarinet player (1960) I had at least 14 Pete Fountain records. I still believe this is his best jazz record.

Why it was never released on CD? If I ever have the chance to speak to

Mr Fountain about this, I will.

The music is similar to a Benny Goodman quintet of 1958 (except much more drive than Benny at that time).

Of special interest is the wonderful drumming of Jack Sperling, one of my favorite drummers.

Notice how he shifts the "set" and the way he plays time behind each soloist.

His own solos are very technical, swinging, interesting and fairly unique.

You should have some Merle Koch in your collection!

Don Bagley is perfect and plays GOOD solos.

It was my turn to be passionate (without the caps) :-)

Edited February 25, 2010 by flat5

[Tjazz]

The dollar bins are pretty good. I've been able to buy every Pete Fountain LP for a dollar or less. Not sure BEAR FAMILY will ever do a complete box set of Pete Fountain. (or Mosaic) Maybe after the copyrights expire in Europe, we'll see some cheap CDs of Pete Fountain.

[AllenLowe]

Fountain isn't bad, but there is one riff he plays over and over which drives me up a wall - though I can't do notation on this post, it's almost exactly the same as the riff the Lovin' Spoonful use on the opening of Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind - Pete plays it several times in just about every song he does.

[Teasing the Korean]

Fountain isn't bad, but there is one riff he plays over and over which drives me up a wall - though I can't do notation on this post, it's almost exactly the same as the riff the Lovin' Spoonful use on the opening of Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind - Pete plays it several times in just about every song he does.

Do you mean the organ riff, with the V to VI to bVII notes over the root?

Edited February 26, 2010 by Teasing the Korean

[AllenLowe]

no, though he probably does that one to death, too. If you listen to the Spoonful tune, it's the first 8 notes of the intro -

[flat5]

This record is in a class by itself. It is not representative of his general releases.

You don't need to notate. Just give the notes.

For instance, sometimes he plays 8 6 -3 3 1 :-)

[AllenLowe]

all righty -

5 b5 4 b3 3 1 6 5

(1-6-5 descending at end)

Edited February 26, 2010 by AllenLowe

[jostber]

Fountain isn't bad, but there is one riff he plays over and over which drives me up a wall - though I can't do notation on this post, it's almost exactly the same as the riff the Lovin' Spoonful use on the opening of Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind - Pete plays it several times in just about every song he does.

Now, that's a pretty cool title for a song.

[flat5]

probably with a 1 at the end :-)

Stéphane Grappelli used to drive me crazy with his octave harmonics at the end of a phrase. Apparently I was not the only one because he stopped doing it so often near the end of his career.

Edited February 26, 2010 by flat5