Charlie Ventura With Mary Ann Mccall - Another Evening With Charlie Ventura And Mary Ann Mccall

Styles: Vocal, Hard Bop
Year: 1954
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:09
Size: 93,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:43) 1. Soft Touch
(4:07) 2. We'll Be Together Again (Voc)
(3:30) 3. There'll Be Some Changes Made (Voc)
(2:48) 4. The Breeze And I
(3:16) 5. Charlie's Venture
(3:06) 6. Swingin' On A Star
(7:36) 7. It Don't Mean A Thing
(2:49) 8. Deep Purple
(3:14) 9. Jersey Bounce
(2:28) 10. Lover
(3:28) 11. Yesterdays

Tenor man Charlie Ventura was was a prominent fixture on the jazz scene during his era. Born Charles Venturo he was one of thirteen children from a musical family who went on to become a jazz legend, and was named “Number One Tenor Saxophonist” by Down Beat Magazine in 1945. In the summer of 1942, Charlie got a call at his day job at the Philadelphia Navy yard to join Gene Krupa's band. Unwilling to relinquish the security of a paycheck, he turned them down. Then came the second phone call and before long, Charlie was on the road with the band becoming a featured soloist, along with trumpet star, Roy Eldridge and singer Anita O'Day. Throughout the forties, fifties and sixties, Charlie Ventura and Gene Krupa made music history together as America's leading jazz greats. Ventura was one of the first jazz musicians to make the transition from swing to be-bop. In 1946, he formed his own “Bop for the People” band, playing a commercially-oriented form of be-bop. Continuing to play with The Gene Krupa Trio, he cut “Dark Eyes,” which led to over a dozen released albums, including “Charlie Ventura With Special Guest Charlie Parker”(1949) “Bop For The People”(1949-53) and “Charlie Ventura And His Orchestra.”(1954-55) Many fans will remember the succession of great jazz groups, fronted by Charlie, that appeared at The Open House nightclub he owned in Lindenwold, New Jersey. Playing Las Vegas with Jackie Gleason, and Atlantic City, New York and Philadelphia, Charlie Ventura was the consummate jazzman. “Jazz is maturing and maturity carries responsibilities. I feel that I'm supposed to make people laugh, make them cry, make them day dream and give them some excitement,” Charlie explained. His lifetime of musical achievement ended in January, 1992, but his legacy to the world of jazz lives on. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/charlie-ventura

Personnel: Vocals – Mary Ann McCall; Saxophone – Charlie Ventura; Bass – Bob Carter; Drums – Sonny Igoe; Piano – Dave McKenna

Another Evening With Charlie Ventura And Mary Ann Mccall

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Charlie Ventura With Mary Ann Mccall - An Evening With Charlie Ventura And Mary Ann Mccall

Styles: Vocal, Hard Bop
Year: 1954
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 27:22
Size: 63,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:14) 1. Charlie's Parley
(2:58) 2. Careless (Voc)
(5:42) 3. Get Happy
(3:13) 4. Sam And Don
(3:23) 5. Detour Ahead (Voc)
(3:53) 6. Basin Street Blues
(2:57) 7. Please Be Kind (Voc)

Mary Ann McCall was a fine singer who started out singing middle-of-the-road pop, yet grew as a well-respected jazz singer during her episodic career. She began as a singer and dancer with Buddy Morrow's Orchestra in her native Philadelphia and was with Tommy Dorsey briefly in 1938. McCall had her first stint with Woody Herman in 1939 and she was Charlie Barnet's vocalist during a period of time (1939-40) when his band was attracting attention. McCall then dropped out of music, but when she returned it was for a high-profile position with Woody Herman's First Herd in 1946 and Second Herd from 1947-50. McCall was married to Al Cohn for a time, had a solo career and sang with Charlie Ventura from 1954-55. She gradually faded away from the scene, singing in Detroit from 1958-60 and then moving to Los Angeles where she was active on a part-time basis. McCall re-emerged to sing and record with Jake Hanna in1976 and Nat Pierce in 1978, still sounding close to prime form. As a leader, McCall recorded four songs for Columbia in 1947, six for Discovery in 1948, four for Roost in 1950; she recorded albums for Regent in 1956, Jubilee in 1958 and Coral in 1959. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mary-ann-mccall-mn0000370718/biography

An Evening With Charlie Ventura And Mary Ann Mccall

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Woody Herman - Keeper Of The Flame

Styles: Clarinet, Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:21
Size: 137,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:04)  1. That's Right
(2:52)  2. Lemon Drop
(3:14)  3. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
(3:07)  4. I Ain't Gettin' Any Younger
(3:12)  5. Early Autumn
(3:05)  6. More Than You Know
(3:03)  7. Keeper Of The Flame
(3:14)  8. The Crickets
(3:13)  9. More Moon
(3:11) 10. Detour Ahead
(3:12) 11. Jamaica Rhumba
(2:53) 12. Not Really The Blues
(2:57) 13. Tenderly
(2:42) 14. Lollipop
(2:37) 15. I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You
(3:13) 16. You've Got A Date with The Blues
(3:10) 17. Rhapsody In wood
(2:57) 18. The Great Lie
(3:14) 19. In The Beginning

Subtitled The Complete Capitol Recordings of the Four Brothers Band, this CD contains 19 selections from Herman's Second Herd, including three songs never before released. Top-heavy with major soloists (including trumpeters Red Rodney and Shorty Rogers; trombonist Bill Harris; tenors Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Stan Getz, and Gene Ammons; and vibraphonist Terry Gibbs; not to mention Herman himself), this boppish band may have cost the leader a small fortune but they created timeless music. Highlights include "Early Autumn" (a ballad performance that made Stan Getz a star), the riotous "Lemon Drop," and Gene Ammons' strong solo on "More Moon." 

~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/keeper-of-the-flame-the-complete-capitol-recordings-mw0000075785

Personnel:  Clarinet – Woody Herman;  Alto Saxophone – Sam Marowitz, Woody Herman;  Baritone Saxophone – Serge Chaloff;  Bass – Chubby Jackson (tracks: 1 to 7), Joe Mondragon (tracks: 13 to 19), Oscar Pettiford (tracks: 8 to 12);  Drums – Don Lamond (tracks: 1 to 7), Shelly Manne (tracks: 8 to 19);  Piano – Lou Levy;  Tenor Saxophone – Al Cohn (tracks: 1 to 7), Buddy Savitt (tracks: 8 to 19), Gene Ammons (tracks: 8 to 19), Jimmy Giuffre (tracks: 8 to 19), Stan Getz (tracks: 1 to 7), Zoot Sims (tracks: 1 to 7);  Trombone – Bart Varsalona (tracks: 8 to 19), Bill Harris, Bob Swift (tracks: 1 to 7), Earl Swope, Ollie Wilson ; Trumpet – Al Porcino (tracks: 8 to 19), Bernie Glow (tracks: 1 to 7), Charlie Walp (tracks: 8 to 19), Ernie Royal, Red Rodney (tracks: 1 to 7), Shorty Rogers, Stan Fishelson;  Vibraphone – Terry Gibbs (tracks: 1 to 7, 10 to 19);  Vocals – Mary Ann McCall (tracks: 1 to 9), Woody Herman

Keeper Of The Flame

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Mary Ann McCall - Melancholy Baby

Size: 82,8 MB
Time: 35:58
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1959/2010
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. My Melancholy Baby (3:20)
02. Melancholy Nights (3:07)
03. A Lover Is Blue (3:17)
04. Trouble Is A Man (2:32)
05. Blue (And Broken Hearted) (2:30)
06. The Thrill Is Gone (2:16)
07. Am I Blue (3:31)
08. My Old Flame (2:39)
09. Blue And Sentimental (3:11)
10. Sentimental And Melancholy (2:43)
11. Melancholy Mood (3:09)
12. Melancholy (Is A Friend Of Mine) (3:39)

Mary Ann McCall is best known for having sung with a few different versions of Woody Herman & His Orchestra. One of the best singers to emerge during the 1940s, McCall recorded several solo albums in the 1950s. On this unusual album, she performs a dozen songs with downbeat topics, five of which have "melancholy" in their song titles, including "My Melancholy Baby," "Sentimental and Melancholy," and "Melancholy Mood." McCall is heard throughout in prime voice, uplifting the lyrics so they don't sound so sad. She is accompanied by Johnny Richards' arrangements for three groups: a rhythm section; a group with eight cellos, flute, and trombone; and a big band that includes French horn, tuba, bass sax, and tympani. Virtually everything works, including fine versions of "Blue and Broken Hearted," "The Thrill Is Gone," and "Am I Blue." Well worth searching for. ~Review by Scott Yanow

Melancholy Baby

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Mary Ann McCall - Easy Living

Size: 82,4 MB
Time: 35:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1956/2001
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Shake Down The Stars (2:25)
02. You Can Depend On Me (2:58)
03. Easy Living (2:54)
04. Mean To Me (2:42)
05. In My Solitude (3:20)
06. I Thought About You (3:14)
07. Deep Purple (3:43)
08. Deed I Do (3:07)
09. It's You Or No One (3:35)
10. It's Been So Long (2:06)
11. Something I Dreamed Last Night (Bonus Track) (2:42)
12. It Must Be True (Bonus Track) (2:12)

Mary Ann McCall's lone Regent session captures the singer at her most potent. Created in collaboration with arranger Ernie Wilkins and a superlative backing band including Zoot Sims, Seldon Powell, and Kenny Clarke, Easy Living is painted in both bright pastels and haunting grays, capturing the romantic spectrum in toto. McCall is the rare singer who tackles upbeat love songs and melancholy ballads with equal aplomb. Her dusky voice communicates a strength and intelligence that lend gravitas and spark to even the slightest, most familiar lyrics. ~Review by Jason Ankeny

Easy Living

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Mary Ann McCall - Detour To The Moon

Size: 86,8 MB
Time: 36:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1958
Styles: Jazz: Vocals
Art: Front & Back (Vinyl)

01. Detour Ahead (2:43)
02. I Wished On The Moon (3:32)
03. The Moon Was Yellow (2:49)
04. Oh! You Crazy Moon (2:31)
05. Moonlight Becomes You (3:37)
06. Moonglow (2:22)
07. Shine On Harvest Moon (2:54)
08. Blue Moon (4:10)
09. East Of The Sun (2:36)
10. No Moon At All (3:49)
11. It's Only A Paper Moon (2:48)
12. Moon Country (2:43)

Strongly influenced by Billie Holiday and one of the better big band "girl" singers, Mary Ann McCall worked with outfits led by Charlie Barnet, Tommy Dorsey, Charlie Ventura, and Woody Herman. In 1950, the year she left Herman, she was voted best singer by several jazz magazines including DownBeat. At this stage of her career, her style took a decided turn toward jazz as she began singing with more of the top jazz performers of the day, including her husband, tenor saxophonist Al Cohn. Detour to the Moon captures McCall at her artistic peak. Performing in two different musical settings created by Teddy Charles, the musical director for the session, she works through a program of 12 tunes, all but one with the word "moon" in it. For six of the album's tracks the accompaniment was principally string -- cello, viola, bass and guitar -- along with Charles on vibes. This musical arrangement is especially compelling on "Moonlight Becomes You" and the title tune, "Detour Ahead." The violist is Walter Trampler, perhaps the leading performer on that instrument in the world at that particular time. For the other configuration, the backing was provided by a more traditional instrumental format, including Charles on vibes, Jimmy Raney on guitar, Mal Waldron on piano, and Oscar Pettiford on bass. This less somber mix goes well with such livelier tracks as "Shine on Harvest Moon" and "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)." Although McCall sang well into the '70s, she continued to be plagued by a significant addiction to drugs. Nonetheless, during the '50s she was among the top white female vocalists along with Chris Connor, June Christy, and Anita O'Day. It's criminal that this LP and her other major disc, Easy Living, where she's backed by a band headed by Ernie Wilkens, have not been transferred to CD. ~Review by Dave Nathan

Detour To The Moon

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