Shorty Rogers & The Giants - You Shorty, Me Tarzan!

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:42
Size: 129,4 MB
Art: Front

( 3:25)  1. The Elephant Wail
( 1:40)  2. Los Barbaros
( 3:05)  3. Paradise Found
( 1:55)  4. Trapped
( 2:14)  5. Los Primitivos
( 3:24)  6. Oomgawa
(17:33)  7. Tarzanic Suite
( 3:19)  8. Mountain Greenery
( 4:57)  9. Martian Lullaby
( 4:08) 10. Bluesies
( 2:16) 11. Big Band Blues
( 1:15) 12. I Want To Be Happy
( 6:26) 13. The Three Little Bops

2010 release, the fourth installment in the Giant Steps label's series of classic recordings by legendary modernists Shorty Rogers & the Giants. Assembled is the rare percussive soundtrack to Tarzan the Ape Man that featured the likes of Bud Shank, Bob Cooper, Frank Rosolino and other famed West Coasters. Said Shorty: "At first, I was slightly apprehensive when MGM approached me to write and record the soundtrack for a Tarzan movie, but I needn't have concerned myself. They just said, make it exciting with plenty of drumming, and left me alone to get on with it. So I approached it as if I was really making a new Giants album, which is what it really was. I don't want to sound discourteous, but the album we made was much better that the actual movie". Also included is an equally rare 'live' appearance by the Big Band version of the Giants from an appearance on the TV show the Stars of Jazz. Giant Steps. ~Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/You-Shorty-Tarzan-Rogers-Giants/dp/B0032BVEIG

Personnel:  Trumpet, Conductor, Composed By – Shorty Rogers ;  Bass – Buddy Clark, Joe Mondragon ;  Drums – Carlos Rosario, Chach Gonzales, Chico Guerrero, Frank Capp, Modesto Duran ;  Piano – Pete Jolly ;  Saxophone – Bill Holman, Bill Hood, Bill Perkins, Bob Cooper, Bud Shank, Chuck Gentry;  Trombone – Bob Enevoldsen, Frank Rosolino, Harry Betts, Marshall Cram;  Trumpet – Al Porcino, Buddy Childers, Don Fagerquist, Ollie Mitchell

You Shorty, Me Tarzan!

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Shorty Rogers - The Swingin' Nutcracker

Styles: Swing
Year: 1960
Time: 39:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 90,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:34) 1. Like Nutty Overture (Finale)
(2:13) 2. China Where? (Tea Dance)
(4:05) 3. Overture For Shorty (Overture In Miniature)
(3:34) 4. A Nutty Marche (Marche)
(5:30) 5. Blue Reeds (Reed Flute Blues)
(3:02) 6. The Swingin' Plum Fairy (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
(3:06) 7. Snowball (Waltz Of The Snowflakes)
(2:47) 8. Six Pack (Trepak)
(3:30) 9. Flowers For The Cats (Waltz Of The Flowers)
(2:59) 10. Dance Expresso (Coffee)
(2:54) 11. Pass The Duke (Pas De Deux)

Once again, it's that time of year to announce my choice for induction into the JazzWax Vintage Holiday Album Hall of Fame. This year marks the Hall's 15th season and one of JazzWax's oldest traditions.

This year, let's welcome Shorty Rogers's The Swingin' Nutcracker, a hip and happening original interpretation of Tchaikovsky's music. You'll find the album here.

The Nutcracker Suite was first performed in 1892 as a two-act ballet choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. George Balanchine updated The Nutcracker in 1953, which had its premiere by the New York City Ballet on February 2, 1954, at Manhattan's City Center of Music and Drama.

CBS first televised Balanchine's Nutcracker, on Christmas Day of 1958. In 1959, the first stereo LP album set of the complete ballet, with Ernest Ansermet conducting the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, appeared on Decca Records in the U.K. and London Records in the U.S. The New York City Ballet moved to the New York State Theater at Lincoln Center when it opened in April 1964 and performed its first Nutcracker there on December 11, 1964.

Four years earlier, two major jazz bands recorded jazz versions of the Nutcracker. Why not, since by then Broadway musicals such as My Fair Lady, West Side Story and South Pacific were being given the jazz and big band treatment. On May 3, 1960 Shorty Rogers began recording his Nutcracker interpretation in Los Angeles for RCA. On May 26, Duke Ellington began recording his version for Columbia in New York. Billy Strayhorn wrote six of the arrangements and Ellington penned three. It's unclear whether Columbia had been tipped off about what Rogers was doing or whether the two labels' A&R chiefs had the same idea at the same time.

Either way, both albums were released during the holiday season of 1960. Ellington's version became the bestseller while Rogers's languished and disappeared for decades. I've always preferred Rogers's version. His interpretive score is inventive, daring and packs lots of swinging punch. Ellington's, by contrast, is pretty, but for me, it's wooden and plods along. The only delights come from the soloists. Rogers's rendition, by contrast, engages and has a strong passing gear. [Photo above of Shorty Rogers] By Marc Myers
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/news/shorty-rogers-the-swingin-nutcracker/

The Swingin' Nutcracker

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Shorty Rogers - Short Stops

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1953
Time: 63:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 146,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:52) 1. Powder Puff
(2:42) 2. The Pesky Serpent
(3:27) 3. Bunny
(3:14) 4. Piroutte
(3:31) 5. Morpo
(3:20) 6. Diablo's Dance
(3:07) 7. Mambo Del Crow
(2:40) 8. Indian Club
(3:00) 9. Coop de Graas
(3:37) 10. Inifinity Promenade
(3:18) 11. Short Stop
(3:39) 12. Boar-Jibu
(3:28) 13. Contours
(3:26) 14. Tale Of An African Lobster
(3:31) 15. Chiquito Loco
(2:43) 16. Sweeheart Of Sigmund Freud
(2:54) 17. Blues For Brando
(2:40) 18. Chino
(3:20) 19. The Wild One (Hot Blood)
(3:12) 20. Windswept

This double LP offers listeners a strong introduction to the trumpet playing and arrangements of Shorty Rogers, but unfortunately it has gone out of print and was the first and last in its series. The 32 selections feature six different groups headed by Rogers during 1953-1954, ranging from an octet to a big band; all of the bands feature sidemen who essentially formed a who's who of West Coast jazz.

Among the other soloists are altoist Art Pepper; tenors Bill Holman, Bill Perkins, Zoot Sims, Bob Cooper, and Jimmy Giuffre; trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison; pianist Hampton Hawes; and altoists Herb Geller and Bud Shank. The majority of the selections are Rogers originals; there is music from the Marlon Brando film The Wild One and a Count Basie tribute set. Swinging and surprisingly fiery "cool jazz" that deserves to be reissued on CD in full. By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/short-stops-mw0000192401#review

Short Stops

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Shorty Rogers - Just A Few 1951 - 1956

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:55
Size: 185,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:03)  1. Moton Swing
(5:48)  2. Isn't It Romantic
(2:50)  3. Four Mothers
(5:33)  4. Dickie's Dream
(3:02)  5. Over The Rainbow
(6:13)  6. The Lady In Red
(4:16)  7. Just A Few
(6:15)  8. My Heart Stood Still
(5:23)  9. Blues Way Up There
(4:17) 10. Blues Way Down There
(4:23) 11. Easy
(5:02) 12. Not Really The Blues
(5:29) 13. Baklava Bridge
(7:25) 14. Clickin' With Clax
(4:49) 15. Twelfth Street Rag

The music of Shorty Rogers mixes an old-school swing vibe (thanks to a stint with Woody Herman's orchestra) and the subtle, Miles Davis-influenced sound of small-ensemble cool that was popular on the West Coast in the '50s and '60s. With his considerable skills as an arranger and a trumpeter, Rogers was one of the West Coast's true stars.  Just a Few: 1951-1956 collects some of Rogers's early recordings. While he was adept at interpreting standards and blues, Rogers was also a fine composer in his own right, and Just a Few features a handful of his first self-penned tunes, including the title track and "Baklava Bridge." As usual, Rogers's band is top notch, making this set a fine sampler not only of the band leader's early career, but of '50s West Coast jazz in general. https://www.allmusic.com/album/just-a-few-1951-1956-mw0000603209

Just A Few 1951 - 1956

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Shorty Rogers & Andre Previn - In Collaboration

Styles: Trumpet And Piano Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:53
Size: 140,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:37)  1. Heat Wave
(3:35)  2. Everything I’ve Got
(3:00)  3. It Only Happens When I Dance With You
(2:24)  4. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
(3:00)  5. General Cluster
(2:41)  6. 40º Below
(3:23)  7. Claudia
(3:22)  8. Some Antics
(2:26)  9. It’s Delovely
(2:45) 10. Porterhouse
(3:06) 11. You Do Something To Me
(2:16) 12. Call For Cole
(3:00) 13. Lullaby Of Birdland
(2:50) 14. You’re Driving Me Crazy
(3:25) 15. Tomorrow Mountain
(2:47) 16. Treat Me Rough
(2:33) 17. Mountain Greenery
(2:47) 18. You Took Advantage Of Me
(2:30) 19. Sidewalks Of Cuba
(3:23) 20. My Man’s Gone Now
(2:53) 21. Island In The West Indies

This is a really unusual and outstanding album. It presents two of the most celebrated and creative personalities of the Hollywood jazz and studio fields in collaboration. In the early Fifties, trumpeter, bandleader, composer and arranger Shorty Rogers was the head of the flourishing West Coast school of jazz, and André Previn was one of the most gifted pianists, conductors and composers of the scene; he wielded an awesome command of almost every kind of music. In addition to writing the challenging instrumental sides, they also wrote together the scores for André’s wife Betty Bennett, a respected well-known jazz & pop singer who never had had a chance to show how she really sanguntil Shorty’s Giants backed her, that is. 

Featuring: Shorty Rogers (tp), Milt Bernhart, Frank Rosolino (tb), Bud Shank (as, fl), Harry Klee (as), Bob Cooper (ts), Jimmy Giuffre (bars), André Previn (p), Al Hendrickson, Jack Marshall, Barney Kessel (g), Joe Mondragón, Curtis Counce, Ralph Peña (b).

In Collaboration

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Johnny Richards & His Orchestra - Softly... Wild... And Something Else!

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:57
Size: 185,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:04)  1. Waltz, Anyone?
(3:17)  2. For All We Know
(7:12)  3. Dimples
(5:06)  4. Band Aide
(6:27)  5. Turn Aboot
(4:12)  6. Burrito Borracho
(2:56)  7. Long Ago and Far Away
(5:46)  8. Aijalon
(2:42)  9. Walk Softly
(3:57) 10. Run Wild
(3:47) 11. The Way You Look Tonight
(4:01) 12. Laura
(4:53) 13. Tempest on the Charles
(3:06) 14. Sunday's Child
(2:17) 15. Alone Together
(4:06) 16. Three Cornered Cat
(3:42) 17. You Go to My Head
(6:18) 18. Yemaya

Johnny Richards was a man of convictions. Hearing the Richards aggregation, one can feel the leader's expansive expressiveness working. His main goal was the creation of interesting, stimulating music, not music of any particular kind. "We are an ORCHESTRA, not a band of sections; an organized orchestra of interested and interesting musicians who play a music of many dimensions and feelings." Richards once said: "Our music is ambitious. That explains why our instrumentation is not exactly standard. Although we are a jazz orchestra, this does not mean that other musical forms and rhythms cannot be incorporated into our music. After all, music is expressed in many languages. We should be aware and learn from that." https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/johnny-richards-albums/4073-softly-wild-and-something-else.html

Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Childers, Pete Candoli, Stu Williamson, Ray Copeland, Shorty Rogers (tp), Milt Bernhart, Frank Rosolino, Don Nelly, Jimmy Cleveland (tb), Julius Watkins, Vince De Rosa (Frh), Charlie Mariano, Gene Quill, Dave Schildkraut (as), Richie Kamuca, Frank Socolow (ts), Ronny Lang (bs), Marty Paich, John Knapp (p), Buddy Clark (b), Stan Levey, Ed Shaughnessy (d)

Softly... Wild... And Something Else!

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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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Bud Shank, Lou Levy - Jazz in Hollywood

Styles: Saxophone, Flute and Piano Jazz
Year: 1954
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:09
Size: 111,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:38)  1. Casa de Luz
(3:23)  2. Lotus Bud
(3:24)  3. Left Bank
(3:17)  4. Shank's Pranks
(4:13)  5. Jasmine
(4:16)  6. Just a Few
(2:17)  7. The Gentleman Is a Dope
(2:41)  8. Serenade in Blue
(3:03)  9. Woody'n You
(3:32) 10. Tres Palabras (Without You)
(3:36) 11. All the Things You Are
(2:26) 12. Tiny's Other Blues
(2:53) 13. Like Someone in Love
(3:23) 14. Bloo Denim

The two sessions included on this 1998 CD (both are also available as part of Fresh Sound's three-CD Complete Nocturne Recordings Vol. One) are unrelated. The first six selections feature one of the best of all the collaborations between altoist Bud Shank (doubling on alto flute) and trumpeter Shorty Rogers, in a quintet with pianist Jimmy Rowles, bassist Harry Babasin and drummer Roy Harte. The musicians play six of Rogers' originals, including "Casa De Luz" and the debut of "Lotus Bud." The second half of the CD is actually a trio set led by pianist Lou Levy and also including Babasin and drummer Larry Bunker. Levy is quite boppish and heard throughout in top form. Well worth picking up by collectors of 1950s straight-ahead jazz.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/jazz-in-hollywood-mw0000037062

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone, Flute – Bud Shank (tracks: 1 to 6);  Piano – Jimmy Rowles (tracks: 1 to 6), Lou Levy (tracks: 7 to 14);  Bass – Harry Babasin;  Drums – Larry Bunker (tracks: 7 to 14), Roy Harte (tracks: 1 to 6);  Flugelhorn – Shorty Rogers (tracks: 1 to 6)

Jazz in Hollywood

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Red Norvo - Just a Mood

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 1954
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:16
Size: 154,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:52)  1. Just a Mood
(7:23)  2. Easy on the Eye
(7:03)  3. The Night is Blue
(8:43)  4. Sunrise Blues
(3:11)  5. Blue Room
(3:28)  6. Blue Moon
(3:27)  7. Serenade in Blue
(2:55)  8. Blue Lou
(3:38)  9. Roses of Picardy
(3:48) 10. Rose Room
(3:43) 11. Blue Rose
(3:00) 12. Rose of the Rio Grande

Vibraphonist Red Norvo was among the most flexible of improvisers from his generation. On this Bluebird CD, Norvo is heard with three very different groups. He interacts with trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison, tenor saxophonist Ben Webster and pianist Jimmy Rowles in a swing-oriented sextet; their performances are highlighted by the memorable "Just a Mood." In addition, Norvo plays four songs that have the word "Blue" in their titles with a quintet that is an outgrowth of his trio of a few years earlier (this group consists of flutist Buddy Collette, guitarist Tal Farlow, Monty Budwig or Red Callender on bass and drummer Chico Hamilton) and four "Rose" songs with the who's who of West Coast Jazz: trumpeter Shorty Rogers, clarinetist Jimmy Giuffre, pianist Pete Jolly, Farlow, Callender and drummer Larry Bunker. No matter what the setting, Norvo fits in quite comfortably and the consistent high-quality of the formerly rare music makes this a highly recommended set to bop collectors.
~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/just-a-mood-mw0000188491      

Personnel: Red Norvo (xylophone, vibraphone); Ben Webster (tenor saxophone); Harry Edison, Shorty Rogers (trumpets); Buddy Collette (flute).

Just a Mood

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Lighthouse All Stars - Eight Brothers

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:54
Size: 160.0 MB
Styles: West Coast jazz
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[5:05] 1. Back To The Basie-Ics
[7:56] 2. Yesterday, Today And Forever
[5:24] 3. Unfinished Dream
[6:55] 4. Magic Man
[7:34] 5. Eight Brothers
[4:40] 6. Stray Horns
[6:49] 7. Like It Is
[6:11] 8. Battle Hymn Of The Republic
[4:35] 9. The Essence Of Tenderness
[6:33] 10. Double Trouble
[8:05] 11. No Additives, No Preservatives

Alto Saxophone – Bud Shank; Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Bill Perkins; Bass – Monty Budwig; Drums – Larance Marable; Piano – Pete Jolly; Tenor Saxophone – Bob Cooper; Trumpet – Conte Candoli; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Shorty Rogers. Recorded at Entourage Studios, North Hollywood, California 13/14th January 1992.

The title track of this album refers to the members of the Light House All Stars, men who have come through the jazz wars in Los Angeles to emerge at the peak of their abilities. This, one of two great Candid sets, features some of the true giants of West Coast Jazz. Compositions and arrangements by Shorty Rogers and Bud Shank, Conte Candoli, Bob Cooper et al are featured prominently. The Lighthouse was truly a coast jazz beacon, especially during the 1950s. It was one of those special places where the elements were right for creative magic and the memories and the music of the Lighthouse All Stars still hold generations enthralled.

Eight Brothers 

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Shorty Rogers - The Fourth Dimension In Sound

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:21
Size: 85.5 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 1961/2006
Art: Front

[3:38] 1. One O'clock Jump
[3:32] 2. Speak Low
[2:56] 3. Tonight
[4:49] 4. Lover
[4:07] 5. Marie
[2:51] 6. Kook-A-Ra-Cha Waltz
[3:16] 7. You're Just In Love
[2:42] 8. I'm Gettin Sentimental Over You
[3:04] 9. Stompin' At The Savoy
[3:08] 10. Baubles, Bangles & Beads
[3:14] 11. Taboo

As was true of many records from the early 1960's, the emphasis on this out-of-print Lp (especially in the lengthy liner notes) is on the stereophonic sound rather than the music. Rogers (sticking to flugelhorn) leads a group that includes three reeds, trombonist Ken Shroyer, vibraphonist Emil Richards, pianist Pete Jolly, bassist Red Mitchell or Joe Mondragon on bass and drummer Shelly Manne. The music is better than the liner notes (which spend most of their time describing the sound) lets on but is not all that significant, emphasizing swing standards along with an occasional Latin novelty. ~Scott Yanow

The Fourth Dimension In Sound mc
The Fourth Dimension In Sound zippy

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Stan Kenton - Easy Go

Styles: Piano Jazz, Big Band 
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:17
Size: 142,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:09)  1. Easy Go
(3:15)  2. Love For Sale
(3:19)  3. Viva Prado
(2:56)  4. Something New (Sunset Tower)
(2:39)  5. Theme For Alto
(3:15)  6. Riff Rhapsody
(3:08)  7. Dynaflow
(3:13)  8. What's New
(3:04)  9. Jump For Joe
(2:42) 10. Night Watch
(2:44) 11. Francesca
(2:46) 12. Soliloquy
(2:50) 13. Lazy Daisy
(2:33) 14. Mambo Rhapsody
(3:10) 15. Riff Raff
(2:57) 16. Star Dust
(3:06) 17. Bags And Baggage
(2:54) 18. Bill's Blues
(3:26) 19. Cool Eyes
(3:04) 20. Beehive

Easy Go is a compilation of straight ahead charts recorded by the Kenton band in the years 1950-52 between tours of the Innovations Orchestra. While an artistic triumph, the Innovations Orchestra was not so successful financially, and Kenton had to record a number of albums devoted to just dance and swing tunes to recuperate his losses. Nevertheless, these recordings feature the Kenton band at its most swinging and most relaxed. And all the critics who have said that Kenton never swung need only listen to this CD to hear how wrong they've been over the years. What a collection of sidemen and arrangers. Stan Kenton, Pete Rugolo, Shorty Rogers, Gene Roland, Johnny Richards and Bill Russo all contributed charts. As an example of the range of jazz greats on this album, the trumpet section included Ray Wetzel, Buddy Childers, both Candoli brothers, Shorty Rogers, Al Porcino, and a young kid from Montreal named Maynard Ferguson. Most of the tunes included on Easy Go are long familiar to Kenton fans. Of all the great arrangers whose works appear on this CD, Shorty Roger's original tune "Viva Prado" and his rendition of the standard "What's New" stand out among the crowd. Another chart of special interest is William Russo's "Bill's Blues," one of the most swinging compositions ever penned by the most cerebral of the Kenton stable of composer/arrangers. Easy Go is a must for all Kenton fans and a good starting point for those who are new to the Creative World of Stan Kenton. ~ William Grinnm https://www.allaboutjazz.com/easy-go-stan-kenton-capitol-records-review-by-william-grim.php

Personnel: Stan Kenton, piano, arranger; Ruban McFall, trumpet; Dick Meldonian, sax; Clyde Reasinger,trumpet; George Roberts, trombone; Jimmy Salko, trumpet; Ray Wetzel, trumpet; Ralph Blaze, guitar; Al Porcino, trumpet; Johnny Halliburton, trombone; Dick Kenney, trombone; Paul Weigand, trombone; Don Dennis, trumpet; Bart Caldarell, sax; Jack Millman, trumpet; Mike Pacheco, timbales; Johnny Richards, arranger; Shorty Rogers, arranger, trumpet; Herbie Steward, sax; Milt Bernhart, trombone; Harry Betts, trombone; Bob Fitzpatrick, trombone; Bob Gioga, Sax; John Howell, trumpet; Laurindo Almeida, guitar; Eddie Bert, trombone; Conte Candoli, trumpet; Frank Capp, drums; Buddy Childers, trumpet; Eddie Gomez, maraccas; Herbie Harper, trombone; Bill Holman, Sax; Shelly Manne, drums; Art Pepper, sax; Bud Shank, sax; Don Bagley, bass; Pete Candoli, trumpet; John Graas, French horn; Lennie Niehaus, Sax; Gene Roland, arranger; Pete Rugolo, arranger; Bill Russo, arranger, trombone

Easy Go

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Various - Atlantic Jazz: West Coast

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:18
Size: 126.6 MB
Styles: Bop, West Coast jazz
Year: 1986/2005
Art: Front

[ 2:56] 1. Eddie Safranski - Sa-Frantic
[ 4:56] 2. Shorty Rogers - Not Really The Blues
[ 4:03] 3. Jack Montrose - Paradox
[ 5:52] 4. Conte Candoli - Cheremoya
[ 8:00] 5. Shorty Rogers - Martians Go Home
[ 3:57] 6. Jimmy Giuffre - The Song Is You
[11:27] 7. Jimmy Giuffre - Topsy
[ 7:44] 8. The Red Mitchell-Harold Land Quintet - Triplin' Awhile
[ 6:19] 9. Shelly Manne - You Name It

Part of Atlantic's by-genre-and-instrument jazz series, Atlantic Jazz: West Coast spotlights some of the giants from the land of the Central Avenue breakdown and fog-bound bridges. On the high-profile end, such stellar players and bandleaders as Shorty Rogers and Shelly Manne contribute tasty sides, while the obscure quotient is nicely covered by Eddie Safrinski. Taking up the middle ground, tenor saxophonist Jack Montrose, the duo of Harold Land and Red Mitchell, and Conte Candoli contribute fine cuts as well. Maybe not the best introduction to those West Coast jazz sounds, but a fine selection of sides all the same. ~Stephen Cook

Atlantic Jazz: West Coast

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Various - Atlantic Jazz: Best Of The '50s

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:19
Size: 156.4 MB
Styles: Bop, Soul-jazz, R&B, Vocal jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[ 4:36] 1. The Modern Jazz Quartet - Django
[ 2:48] 2. Chris Connor - All About Ronnie
[ 7:56] 3. Shorty Rogers - Martians Go Home
[ 6:45] 4. Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Evidence
[ 4:41] 5. Lavern Baker - Back Water Blues
[ 5:46] 6. John Coltrane - Cousin Mary
[ 3:32] 7. Jimmy Giuffre - The Train And The River
[ 7:16] 8. Big Joe Turner - Wee Baby Blues
[10:33] 9. Charles Mingus - Pithecanthropus Erectus
[ 5:21] 10. David Newman - Fathead
[ 5:21] 11. Lennie Tristano - You Go To My Head
[ 3:39] 12. Ray Charles - Come Rain Or Come Shine

Although there were plenty of early-'50s examples of Atlantic's commitment to jazz, the Ertegun brothers allegedly didn't get serious about establishing a full jazz line until 1955 when the twelve-inch LP was starting to take hold. Hence the half-decade span of this Rhino sampler that helped launch its repackaging of the Atlantic jazz caatalogue in 1993. In the space of one disc, Rhino touches upon most of the leading Atlantic jazz folk of the time, beginning with Shorty Rogers' inimitable "Martians Go Home" and running through to Chris Connor's live "All About Ronnie." Along the way, we hear samples of the MJQ (though there is no solo Milt Jackson), Art Blakey, LaVern Baker, John Coltrane ("Cousin Mary"), Jimmy Giuffre, Joe Turner, Charles Mingus, David "Fathead" Newman, Lennie Tristano, and some string-laden Ray Charles ("Come Rain Or Come Shine"). If quibble we must, there is nothing of the Dixieland resurgence that Atlantic was cultivating then, and most glaring of all, there is no Ornette Coleman, whose first two groundbreaking Atlantic albums were made in 1959. Otherwise casual jazz shoppers will find much to stimulate their appetites in this collection, better described as "best of the late-'50s." ~Richard S. Ginnell

Atlantic Jazz: Best Of The '50s

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Stan Getz - Opus De Bop

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:26
Size: 74.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Cool jazz
Year: 1977/2009
Art: Front

[2:33] 1. Opus De Bop
[2:46] 2. Running Water
[2:40] 3. Don't Worry 'bout Me
[2:45] 4. And The Angels Swing
[2:36] 5. Fool's Fancy
[2:59] 6. Bebop In Pastel
[2:56] 7. Bombay
[2:47] 8. Ray's Idea
[2:25] 9. Eb-Pob
[2:53] 10. Goin' To Minton's
[2:21] 11. Fat Girl
[2:38] 12. Ice Freezes Red

Some of tenor-saxophonist Stan Getz's earliest recordings are included on this well-conceived LP. Getz displays a harder sound than one might expect on sextet sides with trombonist Kai Winding and trumpeter Shorty Rogers from late 1945 and on four selections with a quartet from mid-1946. The final four selections (from May 1949) are more typical as Getz (along with fellow tenors Al Cohn and Zoot Sims) plays hard-swinging cool bop; the three tenors can barely be told apart. Bop collectors will want this interesting music. ~Scott Yanow

Opus De Bop

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Shorty Rogers & His Giants - Bossa Nova

Styles: Trumpet Jazz 
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:36
Size: 76,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:07)  1. Samba Do Lorinho
(2:17)  2. Chega De Saudade
(2:55)  3. Samba Triste
(2:55)  4. Samba De Uma Nota Só (One Note Samba)
(5:03)  5. Pão De Açucar (Sugar Loaf)
(4:05)  6. Samba Do Empashgi (Empashgi's Samba)
(3:04)  7. O Amore E A Rosa (Love Is A Rose)
(2:31)  8. Só Você (Only You)
(3:23)  9. Chora Tua Tristeza (Cry Your Sadness)
(1:48) 10. Só Um Amor (Only One Love)
(2:24) 11. O Menino Desce Do Morro (Little Brown Boy)

A fine middle-register trumpeter whose style seemed to practically define "cool jazz," Shorty Rogers was actually more significant for his arranging, both in jazz and in the movie studios. After gaining early experience with Will Bradley and Red Norvo and serving in the military, Rogers rose to fame as a member of Woody Herman's First and Second Herds (1945-1946 and 1947-1949), and somehow he managed to bring some swing to the Stan Kenton Innovations Orchestra (1950-1951), clearly enjoying writing for the stratospheric flights of Maynard Ferguson. After that association ran its course, Rogers settled in Los Angeles where he led his Giants (which ranged from a quintet to a nonet and a big band) on a series of rewarding West Coast jazz-styled recordings and wrote for the studios, helping greatly to bring jazz into the movies; his scores for The Wild One and The Man With the Golden Arm are particularly memorable. After 1962, Rogers stuck almost exclusively to writing for television and films, but in 1982 he began a comeback in jazz. Rogers reorganized and headed the Lighthouse All-Stars and, although his own playing was not quite as strong as previously, he remained a welcome presence both in clubs and recordings. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/shorty-rogers-mn0000028646/biography

Personnel: Shorty Rogers - trumpet and his Giants.

Bossa Nova

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Shorty Rogers and His Giants - Jazz Waltz

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:13
Size: 93,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:33)  1. I'm Gonna Go Fishin'
(5:27)  2. Greensleeves
(4:17)  3. Walk On The Wild Side
(2:57)  4. Witchcraft
(3:35)  5. Be As Children
(4:06)  6. Jazz Waltz
(4:41)  7. Echoes Of Harlem
(2:52)  8. A Taste Of Honey
(3:34)  9. Terrence's Farewell
(4:06) 10. The Streets Of Laredo

Shorty Rogers' Jazz Waltz is exactly that, an exploration of ten compositions played in waltz settings. Only these big-band charts are hardly the waltzes heard on Lawrence Welk's long-running television series. Rogers kicks off with a swinging number ("I'm Gonna Go Fishin'") written by Duke Ellington for the soundtrack to the film Anatomy of a Murder and featuring the leader's rich flügelhorn. The lyrical take of the centuries-old folk melody "Greensleeves" alternates between the tense rhythm section and Bud Shank's gorgeous flute solo. Rogers' delightful "Be as Children" almost sounds as if it was adapted from a gospel song. The brisk treatment of Ellington's "Echoes of Harlem," featuring Paul Horn on flute, is refreshing. Only Bobby Scott's "A Taste of Honey" is the least bit disappointing, simply because this arrangement isn't quite as adventurous as the rest of the album. Originally issued by Reprise in 1962 and out of print for decades, this album was finally reissued by Collectables in a compilation with another LP by Rogers, Bossa Nova. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/jazz-waltz/id205750825

Personnel: Shorty Rogers-trumpet and his Giants.

Jazz Waltz

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Shorty Rogers & His Giants - The Swinging Mr. Rogers

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:17
Size: 103.7 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz, West Coast jazz
Year: 1955/2006
Art: Front

[5:42] 1. Isn't It Romantic
[4:38] 2. Trickley Didlier
[6:29] 3. Oh Play That Thing
[4:56] 4. Not Really The Blues
[7:53] 5. Martians Go Home
[6:10] 6. My Heart Stood Still
[3:53] 7. Michele's Meditation
[5:32] 8. That's What I'm Talkin' 'bout

This Lp has one of trumpeter Shorty Rogers' finest small group sessions of the 1950's; fortunately the music has been reissued by Mosaic on CD in a box set. Rogers, Jimmy Giuffre (on clarinet, tenor and baritone), pianist Pete Jolly, bassist Curtis Counce and drummer Shelly Manne are the epitome of cool on a well-rounded and consistently interesting set. Highlights including "Isn't It Romantic," "Trickleydidlier," "Not Really The Blues" and Rogers' "hit" "Martians Go Home." ~Scott Yanow

The Swinging Mr. Rogers

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Lena Horne - Lena Goes Latin & Sings Your Requests

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:08
Size: 119,9 MB
Art: Front

(1:54)  1. From This Moment On
(2:27)  2. Take Me
(2:44)  3. Night And Day
(2:43)  4. Old Devil Moon
(1:47)  5. More
(2:28)  6. My Blue Heaven
(3:37)  7. Cuckoo In The Clock
(2:23)  8. Meditation
(2:47)  9. By Myself
(2:24) 10. Island In The West Indies
(2:49) 11. Ours
(2:03) 12. Falling In Love With Love
(1:52) 13. He Loves Me
(2:44) 14. Every Little Bit Hurts
(3:22) 15. Stormy Weather
(2:25) 16. Poppa Don't Preach To Me
(2:58) 17. Honeysuckle Rose
(2:22) 18. The Lady Is A Tramp
(3:27) 19. Lover Man
(2:44) 20. Can't Help Lovin' That Man

In 1963, Lena Horne left a long association with RCA Victor Records and signed to the smaller Charter label, for which she recorded two albums, Goes Latin and Sings Your Requests. Those two albums are combined on this two-fer compilation. The first ten tracks, which comprised the original Goes Latin LP, were arranged by Shorty Rogers and conducted by Horne's husband, Lennie Hayton. In keeping with the title, the arrangements feature Latin percussion, with punchy big-band horn charts on top. Horne was no stranger to such material, at least in the diluted form heard here, having performed Latin-style arrangements in the movies and on Broadway, and in fact her lively, take-charge interpretations are well-suited to Rogers' arrangements, whether applied to a Cole Porter show tune or a more contemporary song such as the Mondo Cane movie theme "More" or Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Meditation." Sings Your Requests earned its title by featuring re-recordings of several songs long associated with Horne, including "Stormy Weather," "Honeysuckle Rose," "The Lady Is a Tramp," and "Can't Help Lovin' That Man." (All are songs she sang in the movies.) But the combination of the two albums onto one disc is justified by their similarity. The first four tracks of the second LP (tracks 11-14 here) are also Rogers arrangements conducted by Hayton, some of them with more Latin percussion, suggesting they came from the same sessions as those for the first LP. (The rest were arranged and conducted by Marty Paich.) Horne remains masterful on the familiar material, and she gives an excellent reading to the newly minted show tune "He Loves Me," a gender-switched version of the title song from the Broadway musical She Loves Me. Lena Horne may have fallen out of commercial favor on records by 1963, but these recordings demonstrate that she hadn't lost her appeal. ~ William Ruhlmann  http://www.allmusic.com/album/lena-goes-latin-sings-your-requests-mw0000649569

Personnel:  Lena Horne – vocals;  Lennie Hayton - arranger, conductor (#1-14);  Shorty Rogers - arranger (#1-14);  Marty Paich - arranger (#15-20)

Lena Goes Latin & Sings Your Requests

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Al Cohn & Shorty Rogers - East Coast - West Coast Scene

Styles: Saxophone And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1954
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:06
Size: 108,1 MB
Art: Front

( 6:48)  1. Inside Out
( 6:10)  2. Autumn Leaves
( 6:59)  3. Serenade For Kathy
(10:33)  4. Cool Sunshine
( 6:48)  5. Loki
( 9:44)  6. Elaine's lullaby

A classic session in the tried and true marketing style of "East Coast vs West Coast" jazz, with one side of tracks by a group led by Al Cohn, and featuring Gene Quill, Hal McKusick, and Joe Newman. The other side's got Shorty Rogers representin' on the West Coast, with Jimmy Giuffre, Zoot Sims, Bud Shank, and Shelly Manne. The album's a nice batch of tracks, in the tightly arranged style that characterizes many of these mid-50's RCA jazz sessions. However, since Cohn's measured playing could never really be taken for New York Hot, and since his longtime partner Zoot Sims is part of Rogers' West Coast group, it's hard to say that these sides are really any sort of true battle between the coasts. Instead, though, the tracks are nice and long, with more room for solos than usual, and titles that include "Loki", "Cool Sunshine", and "Inside Out". (Original pressing – in really nice shape overall! Cover is great, too – save for a tiny bit of laminate peeling near the opening.) https://www.dustygroove.com/item/506057

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Gene Quill, Hal McKusick;  Baritone Saxophone – Sol Schlinger;  Bass – Milt Hinton;  Drums – Osie Johnson;  Guitar – Billy Bauer;  Piano – Sanford Gold;  Saxophone – Al Cohn;  Trombone – Billy Byers, Eddie Bert;  Trumpet – Joe Newman, Shorty Rogers

East Coast - West Coast Scene

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