Last year, Jazz Haus Records came across a cache of live recordings from various concerts in Germany, ranging from the late 40s to early 70s. These are the two of the latest gems from the mines, and you’ll definitely want them both, as they capture an era and attitude about the celebration of new music that should be an inspiration to all living music fans and students.
Duke Ellington and his orchestra are caught at one of their career zeniths here on a March 1967 concert in Stuttgart, Germany. They would soon be recording the classic album“…And His Mother Called Him Bill” as Ellington’s tribute to compatriot Billy Strayhorn who died that year. This 75 minute show has a few Strayhorn tunes, and instead of a dominance of Ellingtonian hits, it features some of the more obscure (and therefore more treasurable) material from Ellington’s pen. “La Plus Belle Africaine” is an eleven minute kaleidoscopic journey through various sonic textures and moods, with some incredible work by Cat Anderson and Harry Carney, as well as an incessant groove laid down by bassist John Lamb. Procope glows on “Swamp Goo” while Lawrence Brown churns butter on the thriving “Johnny Come Lately.”Arcane material like “Knob Hill,” Eggo” and “Kixx” feature that Mt Rushmore of a sax section (Gonsalves, Hodges, Carney, Procope, Hamilton) and they are here the standard by which all other melding reeds are measured. An extra treat is the return of pungent trumpeter Cootie Williams, and he joins the celebration with a beefy “Tutti For Cootie” and a stomping “Freakish Lights.” This disc is a MUST for fans of Ellington, Big Band, Jazz, and life itself.
Warm toned tenor saxist Zoot Sims’1958 gig in Baden-Baden isn’t too far behind, either. He’s featured with ex-pat Kenny Clarke/dr and essentially a collection of erudite and swinging locals, with pianist Hans Hammerschmid contributing a few of the charts. Sims locks horns with Hans Koller/as-ts-cl on a few of the tunes, with “All The Things You Are” and Sims’ own “Trottin’” grooving right along. Sims does some marvelous work on the rarely played licorice stick on “Minor Meeting for Two Clarinets.” Intriguing charts feature lovely flutes and textures on “Blue Light” and “Open Door” (which also has Zoot swingin’ on alto!) while Willie Dennis slides his trombone along on “These Foolish Things” and “I’ll Remember April.” Sims himself sounds lighter than air and his patented two beat swing is an anachronistic delight as on “Fallin’ in Love” , with the finger snapping “Alan’s Alley” sophisticatedly hip. A joy-when did the tenor stop sounding so happy?
Jazz Haus Records
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