The Nutty Squirrels - Bird Watching (Columbia, 1959)

[Teasing the Korean]

When we discuss all the classic jazz albums from 1959, we rarely mention Bird Watching by the Nutty Squirrels.  This is a quintessential be-bop album.  

The creative forces behind this combo were Sascha Burland And Don Elliott, who were New York jingle composers.  (My parents worked with them.) 

Thrill to the exciting modern jazz sounds and wild improvisations of the Nutty Squirrels! 

 

Edited June 22, 2019 by Teasing the Korean

[Big Beat Steve]

So this was NOT "the" Don Elliott (trumpet, mellophone and vibraphone player who was MUCH more than a "jingle composer")??

[JSngry]

Yes, it was.

[ghost of miles]

 

 

[Teasing the Korean]

4 hours ago, Big Beat Steve said:

So this was NOT "the" Don Elliott (trumpet, mellophone and vibraphone player who was MUCH more than a "jingle composer")??

Same guy!  I have him as a sideman on several records, and I also have his record where he is riding a Vespa in outer space!

[JSngry]

The Nutty Squirrels estan buscando Las Ardillas Locas:

 

Don Elliot knew how to get paid!

[Big Beat Steve]

9 hours ago, Teasing the Korean said:

Same guy!  I have him as a sideman on several records, and I also have his record where he is riding a Vespa in outer space!

So I figured. I was just alluding to your somewhat lightweight characterization of Elliott as a "New York jingle composer" which is a bit like describing John Coltrane as a Miles Davis (or better still, Johnny Hodges) sideman.

[Teasing the Korean]

14 hours ago, Big Beat Steve said:

So I figured. I was just alluding to your somewhat lightweight characterization of Elliott as a "New York jingle composer" which is a bit like describing John Coltrane as a Miles Davis (or better still, Johnny Hodges) sideman.

Perhaps my syntax was confusing.

What I was attempting to convey was that the Elliott and Burland partnership was almost exclusively focused on jingles.  They had a company together.  The Nutty Squirrels would have been an outlier.  

And incidentally, they both loved writing and recording jingles and took the work very seriously.  

Also, Sascha Burland released an LP on Riverside circa 1961 called Swingin' the Jingles, with arrangements based on some of the jingles he'd written.

On June 21, 2019 at 3:13 PM, ghost of miles said:

 

I have this album!  LOVE IT!

Edited June 22, 2019 by Teasing the Korean

[Brad]

Where’s Alvin and the Chipmunks? 

Edited June 22, 2019 by Brad

[felser]

@Teasing the Korean  Very interesting back story.  Thank you for sharing it.  The context added greatly to the thread.

[JSngry]

41 minutes ago, Brad said:

Where’s Alvin and the Chipmunks? 

They got eat up by grasshoppers.

 

Cannonball:

 

[jazztrain]