Here’s a box set that was made for fans of hard hitting swing. And, the best part is, you’ve probably never heard of this guy Andy Meyers or these recordings. Don’t let that dissuade you: trumpeter Andy Meyers was a swinging Dane, and he lead a band that imbibed from the waters of Ellington and Basie keeping their torches glowing in Scandinavia. His own band included impressive locals such as Jesper Thilo/ts, Jarn Jensen/p and John Darville/tb. His band was the go-to for ex-pats that would come visit, such as Ben Webster and Don Byas, while others by the likes of Roy Eldridge, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Vic Dickenson, Benny Carter, Charlie Shavers, Bill Coleman, JC Higgenbotham, Brew Moore and Buck Clayton would come by on their occasional tour of Europe. This 5 cd/1 dvd set consists of studio sessions, live gigs and private recordings of Meyers’ hot band along with the American guests, and the mix of rare glimpses of horn stars from the WWII era being captured in a casual environment from ’59-73 such as this is nothing less than revelatory.
Meyers’ orchestra is no slouch on its own terms, with Thilo’s tenor quite impressive and Hawkinsy on “Mood Indigo” whlie the whole band has a bluesy bop on “Bottoms Up.” When Coleman Hawkins shows up in ’62for “Honeysuckle Rose” and “(I’m Foolin’ Myself”) the locked horns of the two tenors is delicious. A 1965 Ben Webster growls like a lion on “Stompy Jones” and a smoking “The Jeep Is Jumpin'” and Dickenson in the same year gets the spotlight on a hip “Vic’s Spot.” Don Byas is captured in 1967 with a snappy “One O’Clock Jump”, and the seldom heard, recorded and appreciated Lester Young-influenced Brew Moore blows cool on “Alphonse & Gaston.” In 1973, Benny Carter, “Sweets” Edison and Webster join forces together for some friendly fireworks. Carter glows on “When Lights Are Low” and “I Can’t Get Started,” and Edison stretches out on “Hi’ Ya.” The DVD captures a sufficient number of these songs, and the only thing that’s missing is a postcard that reads “Wish You Were Here.”
Also included is a nifty 124 page book that lists all the musicians, dates and tracks. Most of the articles are in Danish, but the vintage photos and advertisements are a treat, and the Appendixes are in English, so it’s a nice companion.
It’s quite enlightening to see that the Europeans were beyond mere imitation of mainstream jazz, and serve as an inspiration to today’s artists to make them wonder where they made a wrong turn. Get this one while you can!
Sundance Music