Conte Candoli - Modern Sounds From The West

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:34
Size: 141,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:29) 1. The Blindfold Test No. 1
(3:42) 2. Culver City
(2:54) 3. Van Nuys Indeed
(3:56) 4. Burbank Bounce
(4:47) 5. Santa Monica
(4:07) 6. The Blindfold Test No. 2
(4:03) 7. Here's Pete
(3:59) 8. No Love, No Nothin'
(3:17) 9. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
(2:42) 10. Come Love
(2:55) 11. T.N.T.
(3:31) 12. Thank You, Judge
(4:32) 13. Santa Anita
(3:34) 14. Hooray For Hollywood
(4:30) 15. The Blindfold Test No. 3
(4:27) 16. Arcadia

Best-known as the trumpet section leader in Doc Severinsen's Tonight Show Band, Conte Candoli was a fine all-around jazz stylist most at home in the worlds of bop and West Coast cool jazz. Younger by four years than his similarly accomplished trumpet-playing brother Pete, Conte was born Secondo Candoli in Mishawaka, IN, on July 12, 1927. He first patterned himself after players like Harry James, Roy Eldridge, and Dizzy Gillespie, later discovering Miles Davis and Clifford Brown.

His first job came at age 16, when brother Pete recommended him for a summer gig with Woody Herman's Thundering Herd; after graduating high school, he joined full-time. He went on to play with several other bands, including Stan Kenton, whom he left in 1954 to form his own band. After leading some recording dates, he soon found a more comfortable existence, moving to Los Angeles and taking session jobs in between gigs with Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars.

After about four years, he left in 1960 to work with drummer Shelly Manne, while he and Pete both enjoyed top-dog status in the L.A. session community. In 1968, Candoli took a part-time gig with the Tonight Show Band and joined permanently in 1972, when the show officially moved to Burbank.

During the '70s, he was also a member of Supersax, among other L.A. all-star outfits, and also continued his periodic collaborations with his brother. Candoli retired from the Tonight Show along with Johnny Carson in 1992, and continued to play until a battle with cancer slowed his activities. Candoli died in a convalescent home on December 14, 2001.By Steve Huey https://www.allmusic.com/artist/conte-candoli-mn0000100990/biography

Personnel: Conte Candoli / trumpet; John Graas / flute; Charlie Mariano / alto sax; Marty Paich / piano; Monty Budwig / bass; Stan Levey / drums; Buddy Collette / alto sax, flute; Jimmy Giuffre / clarinet, tenor sax,bass sax; Gerald Wiggins / piano; Howard Roberts / guitar; Curtis Counce / bass; Hank Jones / piano; Barry Galbraith / guitar; Milt Hinton / bass; Osie Johnson / drums; Harry Edison / trumpet; Herb Geller / alto sax; Bob Enevoldsen / valve trombone, tenor sax; Lorraine Geller / piano; Joe Mondragon / bass

Modern Sounds From The West

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Art Pepper - Art Pepper + Eleven

Styles: Saxophone, Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:36
Size: 125,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:27)  1. Move
(3:24)  2. Groovin' High
(3:13)  3. Opus de Funk
(3:34)  4. 'Round Midnight
(3:00)  5. Four Brothers
(3:00)  6. Shaw 'Nuff
(2:46)  7. Bernie's Tune
(3:32)  8. Walkin' Shoes
(3:20)  9. Anthropology
(3:02) 10. Airegin
(5:17) 11. Walkin'
(3:24) 12. Donna Lee
(5:00) 13. Walkin' (alternate take 1)
(5:02) 14. Walkin' (alternate take 2)
(3:26) 15. Donna Lee (alternate take)

Only a handful of jazz recordings can be described as truly classic. Art Pepper + Eleven: Modern Jazz Classics is a member of that handful. Recorded between March and May 1959, + Eleven has the distinction of being excellent on multiple planes. One is Pepper himself. A journeyman multi-reedist who was already a veteran of big bands lead by Gus Arnheim, Benny Carter, and Stan Kenton, Pepper was reaching his first pinnacle as an artist when + Eleven was recorded. This recording falls chronologically between Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section (Contemporary CCD-7532-2) and Gettin' Together (Contemporary OJCCD-169-2) in the Contemporary catalog. This trilogy alone would have established Pepper's reputation as the finest post-Parker alto saxophonists, let alone all of his exceptional comeback recordings of the late '70s and early '80s that followed a decade of incarceration because of Pepper's well known heroin addiction. Pepper's tone during this period was dry ice-cool, very expressive and brilliant. A second source of excellence in this recording is the presence of the late Marty Paich as the arranger. It was a monumental task that Mr. Paich undertook to mold these often craggy bebop tunes into the engaging big band vehicles they became under his pen. 

Denzil Best's "Move" simply jumps from the speakers. It is comparable to Miles Davis 1949 Nonette recording of the same song, except that Paich and Pepper add a hard shine to the soft bop of the song. Paich's French Horns on Monk's "'Round Midnight" recalls both Gil Evans and Claude Thornhill before him, ensuring that lineage of thought remained intact. "Four Brothers," "Bernie's Tune," "Walkin' Shoes," and "Anthropology" are all treated as high art by artist, arranger and band alike. Speaking of the band, this is the third mark of excellence in this recording. A Who's Who of West Coast musicians, it is fairly easy to pick out Pete Condoli's and Smiling Jack Sheldon's trumpets or Bill Perkins's tenor saxophone. Russ Freeman provides the piano as he did on several other Pepper offerings. A Big Band in all but name, this group of musicians was as essential to the historic significance of this recording as the leader and arranger. This release of Art Pepper + Eleven: Modern Jazz Classics is part of Fantasy's effort to release remastered masterpieces from its vaults. All of the alternate takes are released, as they have a several earlier offerings. The sonics of this release are exceptional. The drums and bass are clear and apparent and the space around Pepper and the other soloists is well defined. ~ C.Michael Bailey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/art-pepper--eleven-modern-jazz-classics-art-pepper-contemporary-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php

Personnel: Art Pepper: Alto And Tenor Saxophones, Clarinet; Al Porcino, Jack Sheldon, Pete Candoli: Trumpet; Dick Nash: Trombone; Bob Enevoldsen: Tenor Saxophone, Valve Trombone; Vince De Rosa: French Horn; Charlie Kennedy, Bud Shank, Herb Geller: Alto Saxophone; Richie Kamuca, Bill Perkins: Tenor Saxophone; Med Flory: Baritone Saxophone; Russ Freeman: Piano; Joe Mondragon: Bass; Mel Lewis: Drums.

Art Pepper + Eleven

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Barney Kessel - Modern Jazz Performances from Bizet's Carmen

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:34
Size: 100,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:51)  1. Swingin' The Toreador
(6:46)  2. Apadon The Edge Of Town
(4:03)  3. If You Dig Me
(5:00)  4. Free As A Bird
(3:15)  5. Viva El Toro!
(5:59)  6. Flowersville
(4:43)  7. Carmen's Cool
(3:58)  8. Like, There's No Place Like...
(3:56)  9. The Gypsy's Hip

This is an unusual set that has been reissued on CD. During an era when many Broadway and movie scores were recorded in jazz settings (thanks in part to the success of Shelly Manne's best-selling My Fair Lady album), guitarist Barney Kessel chose to interpret nine melodies from Bizet's opera Carmen. The guitarist is heard in three different settings: joined by five woodwinds and a rhythm section; with five jazz horns (including altoist Herb Geller and trumpeter Ray Linn) and a trio; and with vibraphonist Victor Feldman in a quintet. Kessel also wrote the arrangements, which pay tribute to the melodies while not being shy of swinging the themes. An interesting if not essential project. ~ Scott Yanow  

http://www.allmusic.com/album/modern-jazz-performances-from-bizets-carmen-mw0000207507

Personnel: Barney Kessel (guitar); Herb Geller (alto saxophone); Justin Gordon (tenor saxophone, flute, alto flute); Chuck Gentry (baritone saxophone); Ray Linn (trumpet); Harry Betts (trombone); Buddy Collette (flute, alto flute, clarinet); Bill Smith (clarinet, bass clarinet); Jules Jacob (clarinet, oboe); Pete Terry (bass clarinet, bassoon); Victor Feldman (vibraphone); Andre Previn (piano); Joe Mondragon (bass); Shelly Manne (drums).

Modern Jazz Performances from Bizet's Carmen

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Herb Geller - Heart to Love

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:04
Size: 183,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:17)  1. Blues in the Night
(3:07)  2. You'd Be so Nice to Come Home To
(5:28)  3. Crazy She Calls Me
(3:16)  4. I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling
(3:43)  5. Gin for Fuguehorns
(5:00)  6. Rockin' Chair
(5:18)  7. Heather on the Hill
(3:05)  8. If I Were a Bell
(4:25)  9. Owl Eyes
(4:59) 10. Come Rain or Come Shine
(4:34) 11. Tardy at Zardi's
(4:25) 12. Outpost Incident
(4:55) 13. Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
(3:49) 14. The Answer Man
(4:01) 15. Araphoe
(5:08) 16. Supper Time
(5:33) 17. Vone Mae
(2:53) 18. Two of a Kind

Herb Geller was a veteran of the Los Angeles jazz scene of the 1950s who played better than ever by the turn of the millennium. Geller played in 1946 with Joe Venuti's Orchestra, and in 1949 he traveled to New York to play with Claude Thornhill. In 1951 he moved back to L.A. and married the excellent bop pianist Lorraine Walsh. Geller was a fixture in L.A., playing with Billy May (1952), Maynard Ferguson, Shorty Rogers, Bill Holman, and Chet Baker, among others; jamming with Clifford Brown and Max Roach (1954); and leading a quartet that included his wife (1954-1955). Lorraine Geller's sudden death in 1958 eventually resulted in the altoist deciding to leave the country to escape his grief. He played with Benny Goodman off and on between 1958-1961, spent time in Brazil, and in 1962 moved to Berlin. Geller worked in German radio orchestras for 30 years, played in European big bands, and continued to grow as a musician, although he was pretty much forgotten in the U.S. From the early '90s into the 2000s, Herb Geller returned to the States on a more regular basis, and he recorded tributes to Al Cohn and Arthur Schwartz for Hep. Geller also recorded as a leader in the 1950s for EmArcy, Jubilee, and Atco, and in his later years for Enja, Fresh Sound, and VSOP. Herb Geller died in Hamburg, Germany on December 19, 2013; he was 85 years old. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/herb-geller-mn0000677067/biography

Heart to Love

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Jack Sheldon - Jack Sheldon & His All Stars

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:03
Size: 80.3 MB
Styles: West Coast jazz
Year: 1976/2001
Art: Front

[3:04] 1. Green Dolphin Street
[4:42] 2. I'm Also A Person
[3:30] 3. I Had The Craziest Dream
[3:43] 4. Arrivederci
[2:56] 5. Brown Cow
[3:21] 6. Anyhow
[3:24] 7. Julie Is Her Name
[3:44] 8. Aplomb
[2:56] 9. Sunset Eyes
[3:38] 10. J.S

Alto Saxophone – Art Pepper, Herb Geller, Lennie Niehaus; Piano – Paul Moer; Baritone Saxophone – Billy Root; Bass – Buddy Clark; Drums – Mel Lewis; French Horn – Vince De Rosa; Piano – Pete Jolly; Tenor Saxophone – Harold Land; Trumpet – Chet Baker, Conte Candoli, Jack Sheldon; Tuba – Red Callender; Valve Trombone – Stu Williamson.

Although the liner notes to this album state that these two sessions were Jack Sheldon's first as a leader, he actually led two full sets for Jazz West during 1954 and 1956, plus three titles for Pacific Jazz in '55. However, this was the initial album to gain wide recognition and helped to introduce the L.A.-based trumpeter's talents to the East Coast. Five selections feature Sheldon with a ten-piece band arranged by Lennie Niehaus and some have spots for valve trombonist Stu Williamson, pianist Pete Jolly and baritonist Billy Root. The later session features the writing of Paul Moer and such fine soloists as trumpeter Chet Baker (in a rare sideman outing for another trumpeter), altoists Art Pepper and Herb Geller, tenorman Harold Land and valve trombonist Williamson. High-quality and consistently swinging West Coast jazz. ~Scott Yanow

Jack Sheldon & His All Stars mc
Jack Sheldon & His All Stars zippy

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Jimmy Rowles - Weather in a Jazz Vane

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:59
Size: 114,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:37)  1. The Wind And Rain In Your Hair
(2:56)  2. The Breeze And I
(2:45)  3. When The Sun Comes Out
(3:30)  4. Throwin' Stones At The Sun
(3:37)  5. Heat Wave
(4:18)  6. Let It Snow
(5:09)  7. Winter Weather
(4:42)  8. Some Other Spring
(5:11)  9. Too Hot For Words
(3:51) 10. Throwin' Stones At The Sun (Take 3)
(3:57) 11. Throwin' Stones At The Sun (Take 4)
(4:21) 12. Let It Snow (Take 3)

The focus is on Jimmy Rowles's piano throughout this relaxed and well-rounded reissue of an Andex session. Rowles is joined by trumpeter Lee Katzman, valve trombonist Bob Envoldsen, Bill Holman on tenor, altoist Herb Geller, bassist Monty Budwig and drummer Mel Lewis for renditions of nine superior standards, all of which have references to seasons, weather or the sun in their titles. Highlights include "With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair," "When the Sun Comes Out," "Some Other Spring" and Rowles's spontaneous vocal (his first on record) on "Too Hot for Words."~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/weather-in-a-jazz-vane-mw0000036696

Personnel: Jimmy Rowles (piano); Herb Geller (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); Bill Holman (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Lee Katzman (trumpet); Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone); Mel Lewis (drums).

Weather in a Jazz Vane

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Herb Geller - Herb Geller Plays

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:45
Size: 102.4 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1955/1997
Art: Front

[2:58] 1. Love Is Like A Turtle
[5:47] 2. Sweet Vinegar
[2:55] 3. Sleigh Ride
[2:52] 4. Silver Rain
[6:51] 5. Alone Together
[2:53] 6. Happy Go Lucky
[3:22] 7. Days I Never Knew
[3:29] 8. Domestic Harmony
[3:22] 9. Breaking Through The Sound Barrier
[2:44] 10. Kahagon
[3:21] 11. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
[4:05] 12. A Room With A View

Other than four titles from a year before, this LP contains altoist Herb Geller's first recordings as a leader. Cut during a period when Herb was based in Los Angeles and regularly working with his wife, the talented but short-lived pianist Lorraine Geller, the music also has either Curtis Counce or Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Lawrence Marable or Eldridge Freeman on drums. Herb Geller was already in his early prime and contributed six originals. The band also performs one of Lorraine's tunes, plus five standards, all in swinging and boppish style. This LP (which has not been reissued lately) is well worth searching for. ~Scott Yanow

Herb Geller Plays mc
Herb Geller Plays zippy

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Benny Goodman & Andre Previn - Happy Session

Styles: Clarinet And Piano Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:45
Size: 101,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:03)  1. Happy Session Blues
(4:26)  2. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
(4:51)  3. King and Me
(4:32)  4. Indian Summer
(3:29)  5. What A Diff'rence a Day Made
(2:51)  6. Batunga Train
(7:35)  7. Having A Ball
(3:27)  8. Clarinet a la King
(3:53)  9. Macedonia Lullaby
(3:34) 10. Diga Diga Doo

Recorded after Benny Goodman returned with his 1958 big band from a European tour that included an exuberant stint at the Brussels World Fair, this LP alternates between orchestra performances (the mostly newer compositions include four by a Yugoslavian composer, Bobby Gutesha) and Goodman features with his rhythm section, which co-stars Andre Previn's piano. BG dominates this album and is in excellent form. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/happy-session-mw0000414066

Personnel: Clarinet – Benny Goodman;  Bass – George Duvivier, Leroy Vinnegar, Milt Hinton;  Guitar – Barney Kessel, Turk Van Lake;  Piano – Andre Previn, Russ Freeman;  Saxophone – Babe Clark, Bob Wilber, Herb Geller, James Sands, Pepper Adams;  Trombone – Buster Cooper, Hale Rood, Rex Peer;
Trumpet – Allen Smith, Benny Ventura, Ermet Perry, John Frosk

Happy Session

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Rolf Kuhn - Big Band Connection

Styles: Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:14
Size: 127,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:16)  1. Sweet Georgia Brown
(4:40)  2. On Green Dolphin Street
(4:03)  3. Autumn Leaves
(3:40)  4. Get Me To The Church On Time
(4:00)  5. As The Lonely Years Went By
(4:38)  6. Satin Doll
(6:45)  7. Sister Sadie
(4:42)  8. Cabaret
(4:46)  9. Don't Be That Way
(7:44) 10. Stella By Starlight
(3:56) 11. Yesterdays

As noted in the brief liner notes, clarinetist Rolf Kuhn utilizes the same instrumentation on this CD as the 1938 Benny Goodman big band (except for the lack of a rhythm guitar), but the orchestra (arranged by Rob Pronk and Barry Ross) actually sounds much closer to Count Basie's in the 1960s than to Goodman's. Kuhn draws his players from The NDR Big Band. Unfortunately, except for short spots (most notably on "Sister Sadie"), little is heard from his sidemen except in anonymous ensembles; altoist Herb Geller pops up just twice while pianist Fritz Pauer and trombonist Joe Gallardo make stronger impressions. 

Rolf Kuhn is a talented bop-oriented soloist and has several fine solos, but overall these swinging renditions of tunes such as "Sweet Georgia Brown," "Autumn Leaves" and "Satin Doll" are very safe, middle-of-the-road and without any real surprises. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/big-band-connection-mw0000173586

Personnel: Rolf Kuhn (clarinet); Herb Geller (saxophone); Joe Gallardo (trombone); Fritz Pauer (piano); Ronnie Stephenson, Lennart Axelsson, Johannes Faber, NDR Big Band.

Big Band Connection

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Ray Brown - Bass Hit!

Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:38
Size: 124,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:04)  1. Blues For Sylvia
(4:00)  2. All Of You
(4:28)  3. Everything I Have Is Yours
(3:42)  4. Will You Still Be Mine
(4:52)  5. Little Toe
(4:46)  6. Alone Together
(2:30)  7. Solo For Unaccompanied Bass
(4:09)  8. My Foolish Heart
(5:36)  9. Blues For Lorraine
(2:50) 10. After You've Gone
(4:49) 11. After You've Gone (Complete Takle)
(3:01) 12. After You've Gone
(2:44) 13. After You've Gone (Complete Takle)

Since he played on some of the earliest Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker records in 1945, Brown is regarded as the father of modern bass playing. He made his name at that time with the groundbreaking role he played on Gillespie's One Bass Hit. He has been a leading virtuoso for half a century and his tone and dexterity are still something to wonder at, as was shown in an unforgettable master class that he gave to students for a BBC television broadcast. His "Solo for Unaccompanied Bass" here is another dazzling performance. Elsewhere, he's in an unusual setting before an all-star West Coast big band playing a set of arrangements by Marty Paich. Brown bites powerfully into his featured role, notably in an incredibly fast "After You've Gone," and he's helped by key soloists like trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison (reprising his role on Sinatra's albums) and clarinetist Jimmy Giuffre. If you're a bass player, be careful with this album. It might make you want to give up. ~ Steve Voce https://www.amazon.com/Bass-Hit-Ray-Brown/dp/B00000JNP2

Personnel: Ray Brown (bass); Marty Paich (arranger, conductor); Jack Dulong, Herb Geller (alto saxophone); Jimmy Giuffre (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Bill Holman (tenor saxophone); Harry "Sweets" Edison, Conrad Gozzo, Ray Linn, Pete Candoli (trumpet); Herbie Harper (trombone); Jimmie Rowles (piano); Herb Ellis (guitar); Mel Lewis, Alvin Stoller (drums).

Bass Hit!

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Anita O'Day - Jazz Round Midnight

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1997
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 55:27
Size: 92,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:40)  1. Angel Eyes
(4:03)  2. A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square
(3:38)  3. We'll be together again
(3:49)  4. I cover the waterfront
(2:56)  5. If the moon turns green
(3:10)  6. Early autumn
(3:06)  7. I'm not lonely
(3:02)  8. A lover is blue
(3:22)  9. Tenderly
(2:29) 10. I'm not supposed to be blue blues
(4:15) 11. You came a long way from St'Louis
(3:36) 12. Trac'lin light
(3:57) 13. Man with a horn
(3:55) 14. I can't get started
(2:57) 15. You don't know what love is
(3:24) 16. Crazy, he calls me

In keeping with the Jazz 'Round Midnight theme, this Anita O'Day sampler errs on the mellow side of things with 16 after-hours gems from the lady of bop vocal rhythm. For fans more interested in sampling all of O'Day's talents, though, there's such well-balanced Verve collection as Jazz Masters and Compact Jazz to check out. But, if your optimal inroad to jazz vocals is a smooth one, this disc with ballad highlights like "Man With a Horn," "I'm Not Lonely," and "Early Autumn" will make for ideal listening. And while O'Day is not the first word in jazz ballads (think June Christy or Ella Fitzgerald), her beguiling delivery along with the disc's wealth of top-notch charts and amazing cast of sidemen makes up for any lack of rarefied mood moments. Packed with gems from the singer's '50s and early-'60s prime, Jazz 'Round Midnight: Anita O'Day will make the familiarizing process as easy as sipping a glass of French red. ~ Stephen Cook http://www.allmusic.com/album/jazz-round-midnight-anita-oday-mw0000024656

Personnel: Anita O'Day (vocals); Herb Ellis, Howard Roberts , Al Hendrickson, Al Viola, Tal Farlow, Barney Kessel, Barry Galbraith (guitar); Corky Hale (harp); Lou Raderman, Dan Lube (violin); Virginia Majewski (viola); Walter Levinsky (clarinet, alto saxophone); Bud Shank (woodwinds, alto saxophone); Jimmy Giuffre (woodwinds, baritone saxophone); Alex Harding (woodwinds); Joe Maini (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Herb Geller, Lennie Niehaus, Phil Woods (alto saxophone); Georgie Auld, Jerome Richardson, Richie Kamuca, Zoot Sims, Bill Perkins, Bob Cooper (tenor saxophone); Chuck Gentry, Jack DuLong (baritone saxophone); Stu Williamson (trumpet, trombone); Conrad Gozzo , Conte Candoli, Phil Gilbert, Bill Catalano, John Anderson , Herb Pomeroy, Jack Sheldon, Jules Chaiken, Al Porcino, Pete Candoli, Ray Linn, Ray Triscari, Sam Noto, Lee Katzman (trumpet); Milt Bernhart, Richard Taylor "Dick" Nash , Lou McCreary, Frank Rosolino, George Roberts , Kent Larsen, Willie Dennis , Kenny Shroyer, Bob Enevoldsen, Archie LeCoque, Jim Amlotte, Lloyd Ulyate (trombone); Paul Smith (piano, celesta); Bud Lavin, Robert Corwin , Hank Jones , Jimmy Rowles, Lonnie Hewitt, Marty Paich, Oscar Peterson, Russ Freeman (piano); Larry Bunker (vibraphone, drums); Bob Brookmeyer, Cal Tjader (vibraphone); Johnny Rae, Mel Lewis, Alvin Stoller, John Poole (drums).

Jazz Round Midnight

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Jan Lundgren - Stockholm Get-Together!

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:37
Size: 155,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:16)  1. Conception
(5:32)  2. Born To Be Blue
(5:40)  3. Jan's Idea
(6:08)  4. When You're Not Here
(5:43)  5. Bankin' On Bank
(4:42)  6. Emily
(5:41)  7. Triste
(5:53)  8. Easy To Love
(5:03)  9. Tickletoe
(5:38) 10. 'Round Midnight
(4:51) 11. Landscape
(5:27) 12. Blues For Jordi

Although veteran American altoist Herb Geller is the main star of this set (and is featured on every selection), Stockholm Get-Together! is most significant in introducing the playing of Swedish pianist Jan Lundgren to the greater jazz world. Lundgren has no difficulty on the faster pieces and he shows plenty of feeling on the ballads. Geller, who moved to Europe in the early '60s, became obscure in the U.S. but played very regularly in the decades since he left and has become a giant of the alto, even better than he was in the 1950s. With bassist Lars Lundstrom and drummer Anders Langerlöf providing fine backup, Geller and Lundgren make for a highly complementary team on seven jazz standards and five group originals. This set is easily recommended as proof that Herb Geller was very much in his prime in the 1990s, and that Jan Lundgren was an up-and-coming modern mainstream pianist. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/stockholm-get-together!-mw0000416069

Personnel: Jan Lundgren (piano); Herb Geller (alto saxophone);  Lars Lundstrom (bass);  Anders Langerlöf  (drums).

Stockholm Get-Together!

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Dinah Washington - Sings The Standards

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:23
Size: 119.9 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[2:08] 1. I Left My Heart In San Francisco
[2:04] 2. Baby Won't You Please Come Home
[2:17] 3. Call Me Irresponsible
[3:11] 4. For All We Know
[3:30] 5. The Man That Got Away
[2:26] 6. Fly Me To The Moon
[2:52] 7. Coquette
[2:15] 8. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
[4:05] 9. There Must Be A Way
[2:38] 10. Let Me Be The First To Know
[2:31] 11. Destination Moon
[2:44] 12. You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You
[2:30] 13. Red Sails In The Sunset
[2:59] 14. Lover Man
[2:53] 15. I'll Be Around
[3:07] 16. Say It Isn't So
[2:04] 17. What Kind Of Fool Am I
[3:27] 18. These Foolish Things
[2:31] 19. Don't Say Nothing At All

Creating yet another series to justify reissuing material from its vaults, this Verve Jazz Masters entry raids albums Dinah Washington recorded for the Mercury label from 1952 through 1958. This is the second Dinah Washington compilation in this series. Although advertised as an album of standards, Washington avoids making these tunes come across as the romantic warhorses most of them are. Rather, her gospel-inspired voice conveys the song's message with a blues, funky tinge that always distinguished her from the rest of the crowd since she began her career at the age of 15. On these tracks, Washington is joined by the crème de la crème of jazz musicians who were part of the Mercury stable during these years. While some of the arrangements were not all that creative, Washington's inimitable style and the playing of her fellow musicians make up for any shortcomings. "I'll Remember April" is an 11-plus minute jam session spotlighting solos by Clifford Brown, Harold Land, Herb Geller, and Junior Mance (or Richie Powell). Washington swings hard on "They Didn't Believe Me" in front of a big band led by Quincy Jones and then goes sentimental on "You Go to My Head" before seguing into a second chorus behind a Latin beat. On the latter track Washington and the unknown group backing her is energized by the urging of a live audience. There's more Latin on "I've Got You Under My Skin" built around the trumpet trio of Clifford Brown, Clark Terry, and Maynard Ferguson. (The liner notes listing of personnel for this track are incorrect). While the album has several excellent instrumental solos, none is better than Rick Henderson's extended alto sax work on "Blue Skies." There's a relaxed traditional jazz atmosphere underlying "All of Me" with Washington chatting away in the background during solos by vibist Terry Gibbs and trombonist Urbie Green. Whatever style or beat, each tune is delivered by Washington's instantly recognizable penetrating but tender voice, buttressed by her consistently precise enunciation. This more than an hour long album is a worthy tribute to the one of a kind vocal skills of Dinah Washington. ~Dave Nathan

Sings The Standards

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Herb Geller Quartet - You're Looking At Me

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:19
Size: 150,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:02)  1. Summer Night
(5:10)  2. Detour Ahead
(4:11)  3. Changes
(4:43)  4. You're Looking At Me
(5:32)  5. Lullaby In Rhythm
(4:09)  6. Orson
(3:42)  7. 9:20 Special
(5:10)  8. Restless
(4:55)  9. Ill Wind
(4:07) 10. All Through the Night
(4:44) 11. The Josephine Baker Suite: The Legend
(4:39) 12. The Josephine Baker Suite: A Bitter Dream
(5:45) 13. The Josephine Baker Suite: Too Little Time
(4:25) 14. The Josephine Baker Suite: I'll Be Back!

For this 1997 recording, the underrated but great altoist Herb Geller doubles on soprano quite effectively and is joined by pianist Jan Lundgren, bassist Dave Carpenter and drummer Joe Labarbera. While Carpenter and Labarbera are fairly well-known players who are rated highly for their versatility and ability to sound tasteful and swinging no matter what the setting, Lundgren may be a new name to some. A virtuosic pianist from Sweden who appeared with increasing regularity in Los Angeles in the late 1990s, Lundgren can play in several styles, although here he mostly sticks to modern bop. 

His alert accompaniment behind Geller's solos and his own fresh improvisations uplift the music. The altoist interprets ten veteran songs, some of which (including "Summer Night," and the 1920s "Changes," Billy Strayhorn's "Orson," and "Restless," which is taken as a duet with Lundgren) are not performed that often. The final four numbers on the set are taken from Geller's musical depicting the life of Josephine Baker. The music on the latter cuts, which contains several strong melodies, easily fits into the 1950s/'60s bop style that is prevalent throughout this set. Highly recommended, and just one of several very rewarding Herb Geller dates from the 1990s. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/youre-looking-at-me-mw0000046297

Personnel:  Herb Geller – alto sax / soprano;  Jan Lundgren – piano;  Dave Carpenter – bass;  Joe Labarbera - drums

You're Looking At Me

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Herb Geller - To Benny And Johnny With Love From Herb Geller

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:22
Size: 152.0 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:53] 1. Key Largo
[5:33] 2. Warm Valley
[5:50] 3. Morning Glory
[4:47] 4. Johnny Come Lately
[4:16] 5. Souvenir
[5:18] 6. Only Trust Your Heart
[4:33] 7. I Did'nt Know About You
[2:33] 8. Dancers In Love
[5:46] 9. Isfahan
[2:00] 10. Twelve By Two For Squatty Roo
[6:12] 11. Lonely Woman
[4:38] 12. When Lights Are Low
[4:56] 13. Ballad For Very Tired And Very Sad Lotus-Eaters
[5:02] 14. Summer Serenade

Herb Geller's tribute cd to Johnny Hodges and Benny Carter. Herb Geller (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Herb Geller; Chuck Berghofer (double bass); Hod O'Brien (piano); Paul Kreibich (drums) To Benny and Johnny with Love from Herb Geller songs. Recording information: Entourage Studios, Hollywood, CA (06/16/2001/06/17/2001).

Herb Geller was born in Los Angeles on 2 November 1928. His first professional job was at an L.A. club called Mike Riley's Mad House in 1945. Thereafter he became part of veteran jazz fiddler Joe Venuti's band before finding himself in New York with the Claude Thornhill Band at a time when there was still an active jazz performing and recording scene. Here he met and married jazz pianist Lorraine Walsh. Then it was back west to be part of the expanding "west coast jazz" school in and around Los Angeles composed of Shorty Rogers, Art Pepper, Chet Baker, and Shelley Manne. Geller also played in an early edition of Maynard Ferguson's Orchestra. He and his wife Lorraine co-led a successful quartet until her tragic early death in 1958. This was a personal watershed and he left for a period of revaluation in Brazil before finally setting sail for Europe.

In 1962 he worked for the Berlin Radio Orchestra before securing a permanent post with the NDR Orchestra in Hamburg where he remained for over twenty five years. Financially this was good but the confines of a radio orchestra do not always allow freedom of expression. He had meantime remarried and settled in Hamburg. In 1990 he made his first jazz combo album since leaving the United States. He retired from the NDR Orchestra in 1993 and was free to undertake tours back in the U.S., Europe and the UK.

In recent times he has recorded with some younger musicians in his adopted city Hamburg (I'll Be Back CD 2074) and also in the U.S. he has recorded for VSOP, Fresh Sound, and "The Al Cohn Songbook" (HEP CD 2066). During a short tour of the U.K. in 1998 he encountered the fabulous Scots pianist Brian Kellock and the following year in London recorded an album with Kellock entitled "The Hollywood Portraits" (HEP CD 2078). This was a suite of original music celebrating some of Hollywood's legends such as Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Lana Turner, Ingrid Bergman and Greta Garbo.

As always Herb's playing combines the essence of Benny Carter's singing alto style plus the exciting departures originated by Charlie Parker. Herb is truly the last in the great tradition of jazz alto players who can also compose and whose knowledge of the structure of standards is second to none.

To Benny And Johnny With Love From Herb Geller

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Ray Brown - Ultimate

Styles: Bop, Mainstream jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:06
Size: 158,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:26)  1. Solo for Unaccompanied Bass
(3:52)  2. Tricotism
(3:15)  3. Tangerine
(3:51)  4. Much in Common
(3:55)  5. My One And Only Love
(5:31)  6. Bric-A-Brac
(4:26)  7. The Gravy Waltz
(3:28)  8. Gravy Blues
(3:38)  9. Will You Still Be Mine?
(5:32) 10. Lined With a Groove
(4:24) 11. Everything I have is Yours
(6:29) 12. Cool Walk
(6:15) 13. I Just Can't Fool Myself
(3:27) 14. Baubles, Bangles And Beads
(3:55) 15. All of You
(4:36) 16. (Back Home Again In) Indiana

Verve's Ultimate series unveils a new concept in the hackneyed concept of greatest-hits collections: Instead of compilation producers, these albums feature tracks selected by figures who either worked with or were influenced by the artists themselves. The results are much more than your average best-of compilations; they're closer to treatises on the immense influence that those artists exerted on generations to come, documenting exactly why they were special and deserve to be remembered. 

The Ultimate Ray Brown volume was compiled by Christian McBride, who concentrates on two of the greatest albums in Brown's discography: 1956's Bass Hit! (four tracks) and the Milt Jackson collaboration Much in Common (seven tracks). Though not quite an effective career overview, Ultimate Ray Brown does include many of the bassist's greatest moments on record. ~ John Bush  http://www.allmusic.com/album/ultimate-ray-brown-mw0000669651

Personnel: Ray Brown (cello); Herb Ellis, Kenny Burrell (guitar); Jerome Richardson (flute, baritone saxophone); Med Flory, Paul Horn, Bill Hood, Bob Cooper (woodwinds); Jack DuLong, Herb Geller, Seldon Powell, Yusef Lateef, Budd Johnson (alto saxophone); Conrad Gozzo , Don Fagerquist, Harry "Sweets" Edison , Jimmy Cleveland, Melba Liston, Paul Faulise, Britt Woodman (trumpet); Clark Terry, Ernie Royal, Joe Newman (cornet); Earle Warren, Harry Betts, Herbie Harper, Cannonball Adderley (trombone); Jack Cave (horns); Hank Jones , Jimmy Rowles, Tommy Flanagan (piano); Oscar Peterson (organ); Milt Jackson, Nat Adderley (vibraphone); Dick Shanahan, Albert "Tootie" Heath, Osie Johnson (drums).

Ultimate

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Herb Geller - That Geller Feller

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:03
Size: 80,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:54)  1. S'pacific View
(5:40)  2. Jitterbug Waltz
(6:15)  3. The Fruit
(4:40)  4. Here's What I'm Here For
(4:39)  5. Marable Eyes
(3:40)  6. An Air for the Heir
(4:12)  7. Melrose and Sam

Herb Geller was a veteran of the Los Angeles jazz scene of the 1950s who played better than ever by the turn of the millennium. Geller played in 1946 with Joe Venuti's Orchestra, and in 1949 he traveled to New York to play with Claude Thornhill. In 1951 he moved back to L.A. and married the excellent bop pianist Lorraine Walsh. Geller was a fixture in L.A., playing with Billy May (1952), Maynard Ferguson, Shorty Rogers, Bill Holman, and Chet Baker, among others; jamming with Clifford Brown and Max Roach (1954); and leading a quartet that included his wife (1954-1955). Lorraine Geller's sudden death in 1958 eventually resulted in the altoist deciding to leave the country to escape his grief. 

He played with Benny Goodman off and on between 1958-1961, spent time in Brazil, and in 1962 moved to Berlin. Geller worked in German radio orchestras for 30 years, played in European big bands, and continued to grow as a musician, although he was pretty much forgotten in the U.S. From the early '90s into the 2000s, Herb Geller returned to the States on a more regular basis, and he recorded tributes to Al Cohn and Arthur Schwartz for Hep. Geller also recorded as a leader in the 1950s for EmArcy, Jubilee, and Atco, and in his later years for Enja, Fresh Sound, and VSOP. Herb Geller died in Hamburg, Germany on December 19, 2013; he was 85 years old. ~ Bio Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/herb-geller-mn0000677067/biography

Personnel: Herb Geller (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Harold Land (tenor saxophone); Kenny Dorham (trumpet); Lou Levy (piano); Larance Marable (drums).

That Geller Feller

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Herb Geller - All Right With Me

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:09
Size: 178.9 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[4:57] 1. Come Rain Or Come Shine
[3:05] 2. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[5:25] 3. Crazy He Calls Me
[3:13] 4. I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling
[3:40] 5. Gin For Flugelhorns
[4:56] 6. Rockin' Chair
[5:15] 7. The Heather On The Hill
[3:01] 8. If I Were A Bell
[4:21] 9. Owl Eyes
[5:13] 10. Blues In The Night
[4:32] 11. Tardi At Zardi's
[4:21] 12. Outpost Incident
[4:52] 13. Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered
[2:50] 14. Two Of A Kind
[3:58] 15. Arapahoe
[5:05] 16. Suppertime
[5:29] 17. Vone Mae
[3:46] 18. The Answer Man

After he heard a performance by Benny Carter when Geller was 14, he decided to become a professional musician. Carter and Hodges were his early models, their influences soon leavened by the impact of Charlie Parker. Geller worked with a cross section of the major players in Los Angeles, recording copiously with, among others, Bill Holman, Shorty Rogers, Andre Previn, Quincy Jones and Chet Baker. He recorded three albums as a leader for Emarcy Records at a time when the label was riding high in the jazz world and was on hundreds of albums in the fifties. Among them, he recorded with Dinah Washington, Max Roach, Clifford Brown, Bill Holman, Clark Terry, Maynard Ferguson and Kenny Drew. Geller said in a recent conversation that of the thirty or so albums he recorded under his own name his favorite was You’re Looking At Me. That 1997 Fresh Sound CD had a rhythm section of the young Swedish pianist Jan Lundgren and two Los Angeles stalwarts, the late bassist Dave Carpenter and drummer Joe LaBarbera. Lundgren became one of Geller’s favorite collaborators.

All Right With Me

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Ray Brown - The Man: Complete Recordings 1946-1959 (2-Disc Set)

Ray Brown had not reached his 19th birthday when he arrived in New York in 1945 and made an immediate impact as a member of the Dizzy Gillespie Quintet. The following year he was part of the memorable Gillespie big band that included James Moody, John Lewis, and Kenny Clarke. More or less simultaneously, Brown and the late Oscar Pettiford became the first significant representatives of the bass in the bebop revolution’s first generation. The second stage of his career as a nationally known artist lasted from 1948 to 1951, when his own trio accompanied Ella Fitzgerald (then Mrs. Brown). The third, of course, began in 1951, when his alliance with Oscar Peterson turned out to be one of the happiest and most durable in modern jazz. This set contains all the recordings he did as a leader, from his early be-bop days in the Forties, to the late Fifties, when every jazz poll considered him the top bass player in the field.

Album: The Man: Complete Recordings 1946-1959 (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:53
Size: 134.8 MB
Styles: Bop, Mainstream jazz
Year: 2011

[2:56] 1. For Hecklers Only
[3:03] 2. Smokey Hollow Jump
[3:07] 3. Boppin' The Blues
[2:33] 4. Moody Speaks
[1:54] 5. Slow Down
[2:18] 6. Blue Lou
[3:34] 7. Song Of The Volga Boatmen
[4:51] 8. Little Toe
[3:59] 9. All Of You
[4:27] 10. Everything I Have Is Yours
[4:45] 11. Alone Together
[2:40] 12. After You've Gone
[3:42] 13. Will You Still Be Mine
[4:07] 14. My Foolish Heart
[0:19] 15. Bass Introduction
[4:41] 16. Blues For Sylvia
[2:59] 17. Blues For Lorraine
[0:21] 18. Bass Conclusion
[2:29] 19. Cat Without A Playmate

CD 1 Sources: Tracks #1-4 were originally issued on different Savoy 78 rpm discs: Savoy 976, MG 9012, MG 12110 & SJL 2225; Track #5 is a previously unreleased Clef recording; Tracks #6-7 from the 78 rpm Clef 8936; Tracks #8-11 & #13-19 from the 12" LP "Bass Hit!" (Verve MGV-8022); Track #12 not included on the previous album.

Personnel in CD 1: Tracks #1-4: Ray Brown Octet: Ray Brown (b), Izzie Goldberg (alias Dizzy Gillespie), Dave Burns (tp), John Brown (as), James Moody (ts), Milt Jackson (vib), Hank Jones (p) and Joe Harris (d). Recorded in New York, on September 25, 1946. Tracks #5-7: Ray Brown Trio: Ray Brown (b), Hank Jones (p) and Buddy Rich (d). Recorded in New York, April & July 1950. Tracks #8-12: Ray Brown Big Band: Ray Brown (b), Pete Candoli, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Ray Linn, Conrad Gozzo (tp), Herbie Harper (tb), Herb Geller, Jack Dulong (as), Bill Holman (ts), Jimmy Giuffre (cl, ts & bs), Jimmy Rowles (p), Herb Ellis (g) and Alvin Stoller (d). Marty Paich (arranger & conductor). Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California, on November 21, 1956. Tracks #13-18: Same personnel, but Conrad Gozzo (tp) and Mel Lewis (d), replaced Candoli and Stoller. Recorded at Radio Recorders, on November 3, 1956. Track #19: Ray Brown unaccompanied bass solo.
Recorded at Radio Recorders, on November 23, 1956.

The Man: Complete Recordings 1946-1959 (Disc 1)

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Album: The Man: Complete Recordings 1946-1959 (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:40
Size: 152.6 MB
Styles: Bop, Mainstream jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[12:06] 1. Body And Soul
[ 2:48] 2. Bass Ball
[ 5:30] 3. Bric-A-Brac
[ 6:37] 4. Upstairs Blues
[ 4:35] 5. (Back Home Again In) Indiana
[ 6:13] 6. The Nearness Of You
[ 8:03] 7. Take The A Train
[ 6:28] 8. Cool Walk
[ 8:58] 9. Jim
[ 5:18] 10. Mighty Cool Penthouse

CD 2 Sources: Track #1 originally issued on the 12" LP "Historic Jazz Concert At Music Inn" (Atlantic 1298); .Track #2 originally issued on the double 12" LP "The Playboy Jazz All Stars" (Playboy PB-1957): Tracks #3-9 from the 12" LP "This Is Ray Brown" (Verve MGV-8290): Track #10 originally issued on the 12" LP "The Playboy Jazz All Stars, Vol.3" (Playboy PB-1959).

Personnel in CD 2: Track #1: Ray Brown (b), Oscar Pettiford (cello), Herbie Mann (fl), Dick Katz (p) and Connie Kay (d). Recorded live at "Music Inn", Lenox, Massachussetts, on August 30, 1956. Track #2: Ray Brown Trio: Ray Brown (b), Herb Ellis (g) and Stan Levey (d). Recorded at Radio Recorders, on July 31, 1957; Tracks #3-9: Ray Brown Quintet: Ray Brown (b), Jerome Richardson (fl), Oscar Peterson (org, p on #5 & 7), Herb Ellis (g) and Osie Johnson (d). Recorded in New York, on February 27 & 28, 1958; Track #10: Ray Brown Trio: Ray Brown (b), Hank Jones (p) and Ed Thigpen (d). Recorded in New York, on July 10, 1959.

The Man: Complete Recordings 1946-1959 (Disc 2)

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Maynard Ferguson & His Birdland Dream Band - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:07
Size: 181.1 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Crossover jazz
Year: 1956/2011
Art: Front

[3:06] 1. The Wailing Boat
[4:02] 2. Somebody Wants Me Down There
[2:47] 3. Maynard The Fox
[4:09] 4. Blue Birdland
[3:13] 5. Great Guns
[3:15] 6. Lady Bug
[2:32] 7. More West
[3:48] 8. Still Water Stomp
[2:55] 9. That Jones Boy
[2:33] 10. Rosebud
[2:37] 11. Button Nose
[3:52] 12. Little Girl Kimbi
[3:35] 13. Straight Up
[3:02] 14. Cervezita
[3:27] 15. Mogo
[3:25] 16. Sleep Softly
[3:57] 17. Geller's Cellar
[2:41] 18. Free Lee
[2:58] 19. Say It With Trumpets
[4:20] 20. Everybody Moan
[2:37] 21. Tell Me Funky
[2:54] 22. You Said It
[3:47] 23. Early Hours
[3:24] 24. Nightmare

In 1956 Maynard Ferguson had the opportunity to put together a "dream band." Fortunately (in addition to a tour), the orchestra cut a pair of albums, most of which is included on this single CD. With arrangements from Al Cohn, Bob Brookmeyer, Jimmy Giuffre, Ernie Wilkins, Bill Holman, Marty Paich, Willie Maiden, Johnny Mandel, and Herb Geller, it is not too surprising that these charts sound both modern and quite exciting. In addition to Ferguson's high-note trumpet work, the main soloists are trombonist Jimmy Cleveland, altoist Herb Geller, and Al Cohn on tenor. Overall, this music serves a particularly strong start to Maynard Ferguson's career as a major bandleader. ~Scott Yanow

Maynard Ferguson & His Birdland Dream Band

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