The latest cache from Avid Records focuses on music from the days of “West Coast Cool.” The only problem is that all things California are not cool; there’s a lot of heat emanating from these sounds!
Manny Albam is probably the ringer of this set. He played baritone sax, but was better known for his charts that helped out music ranging from Kenton to Basie 
to Getz and Brookmeyer. This 2 disc set is really impressive. Big band charts from 55-56 include Brookmeyer/tb, Al Cohn/ts, Hank Jones/p, Freddie Green/g, Joe Newman/tp and Ernie Royal/tp just to give a tempting morsel. The band sizzles through “Swinging on a Star” and a clever read of “Diga Diga Doo.” A Drum Suite is six movements of Kentonesque swing with dashes of Basie, and it works amazingly well. Two Volumes of smaller group sessions from 1957 include Art Farmer/tp, Harry “Sweets” Edison/tp, Phil Woods/as, Zoot Sims/ts, Al Cohn/ts, Gerry Mulligan/bs and Shelly Manne/dr among others. The sounds are sleeker than the back of a ’49 Buick, mostly consisting of Albam originals such as “Blues From Neither Coast” but a clever take of “How Long Has This Been Going On” shows the genius of this guy. You’re gonna like it!
Bob Cooper was one of the busiest Hollywood session guys when he wasn’t at home with his wife June Christy. There is a 1957 session with him on his Getzian tenor as he shares the limelight with Victor Feldman/vib and Frank Rosolino/tb on a lovely “Day Dream” and a toe tapping “Somebody Loves Me.” The other 3 albums have him in more of a rococo mood; in 1954 he’s teaming up with Bud Shank, Howard Roberts and Shelley Man for some lithe reads of “She Didn’t Say Yes” and a fluffy “Polka Dots and Moonbeams.” Cooper tackles oboe and English horn with Shank on alto, tenor and flute along with Jimmy Guiffre/ts-cl-bs on velvety versions of “It’s De-Lovely” and “Round Midnight.” Cooper is on oboe and shank sticks to flute on florid takes of “In the Blue of the Evening” and “I Can’t Get Started.” Acoustic drapery abounds.
AH! Teddy Edwards! If he hadn’t have stayed in LA, he could have been as popular as contemporary Dexter Gordon. His tone is almost as large, yet Edwards has more dynamics and a more swinging attitude. These four albums are definitive Edwards. Two sessions with underrated pianist Joe Castro also includes drummer BillyHiggins, and the bopping is wonderful on “Scrapple From the Apple” and “the Sermon” as Edwards’ classic “Sunset Eyes” never sounded better. He teams up in ’61 with bopmeister Howard McGhee/tp, Ray Brown/b, Phineas Newborn/p and Ed Thigpen/dr for glorious reads of “You Stepped Out of A Dream” and “Sandy.” On “Misty for the ’61 session and during the quartet album the same year, Edwards’ tone is chocolate rich, as he glows on “Stairway to the Stars” and goes shadowy on “Laura.” The tenor never has sounded better!
Pianist Russ Freeman is best known for his role in the classic Chet Baker Quartet in the early to mid 50s. There are two albums from that period, both featuring Baker’s horn and not his voice. Songs like “Love Nest” and “Lush Life” from the ’56 session put to death the “lightweight” label that haunted Baker for so many years, while instrumental reads of “Long Ago And Far Away” and “The Thrill is Gone” are radiant. Freeman leads a trio in 1953 that includes Shelly Manne/dr and he flexes his muscles on “Bock’s Tops” and “Backfield In Motion.” A clever combo develops when Freeman teams up with Manne and fellow pianist Andre Previn for 176 ivories of joy on a swinging “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” as well as other themes from our National Pastime in “In the Cellar Blues” and “Safe At Home.” A home run!