Swinging sounds in 3 forms from UK based reissue masters AVID…
Alto saxist Art Pepper had a multi-tiered career, with these sessions finding him in the halcyon days of his West Coast Cool tones. 1956’s Surf Ride with Angelenos Bobby Whitlock-Bob Mondragon/b, Jack Montrose/ts, Bobby White-Larry Bunker/p, Hampton Hawes-Claude Williamson/p sizzles with herbal finger snappers like “Art’s Oregano”, “Nutmeg” and classics like “The Way You Look Tonight” and “Tickle Toe”. Three years later, his truly apotheosis album Plus Eleven teams the lithe altoist with an all star cast directed by Marty Paich and including all stars ranging from Russ Freeman/p, Pete Candoli/tp, Herb Geller/as and Bill Perkins/tp for hard hitting takes of “Donna Lee” and an unforgettable “Four Brothers” with “Move” defining a breezy cruise on PCH. Next year’s Getting’ Together was with Miles Davis’ rhythm section of Paul Chambers/b, Wynton Kelly/p and Jimmy Cobb/b along with trumpeters Candoli and Monte Condole. Pepper plays impressive tenor sax and clarinet as well as the usual alto on bop standards like “Rhythm-A-Ning” and Pepper’s own ‘Diane”. Later in same year he shows no sign of his impending incarceration with an impressive outing with Jimmy Bond/b, Pete Jolly/p and Frank Butler/dr for impressively creative pieces like Ornette Coleman’s “Tears Inside” and the 5/4 blueser “Las Cuevas de Mario”. De riguer.
Often considered the “Singer’s Singer” of the Big Band Era, Jo Stafford was one of the few canaries to stake at a career on her own after the Swing Era. The Tommy Dorsey alumnus. The earliest date here is an impressive 1950 session of 12 ballads with Stafford supported by strings arranged by husband Paul Weston. She sounds gorgeous on the title tune “Autumn In New York” and dreamy for “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes. Three years later she handles traditional material such as “Red River Valley” and “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” and comes out convincing. In 1958, her Swinging Down Broadway ( a difficult reissue to find until now) has her in a jazz pop vein on ‘Old Devil Moon” and delivering an impressive read of Duke Ellington’s “I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good)”. Speaking of Ellington, Ducal alumni Ben Webster/ts, Ray Nance/tp, Harry Carney/bs and Johnny Hodges/as join up with Swingers Conte Candoli/tp, Russ Freeman/p and Mel Lewis-Shelly Manne for some Johnny Mandel charts for Stafford’s hippest outing as she gets down on classics like “Day Dream”, “Just Squeeze Me” and “Midnight Sun”. Timeless treasures.
Guitarist and vocalist Hank Thompson carried the Western Swing torch that was passed to him by Bob Wills. All these albums have some of the top Western Swingers from LA studios, including Billy Gray/g, Floyd White/stg, Bob Bain/g and Merle Travis/g. His 1956 debut mixes nifty novelties such as “Rub-A Dub-Dub”, with his laconic Mid-Western voice fitting perfectly on ballads like “Yesterday’s Girl” while guitarist Billy Raymond Carson burns on “John Henry”. 1958’s Dance Ranch is a hard hitting hoot, as the Brazos Valley Boys contribute four swinging instrumentals including Woody Herman’s “Woodchopper’s Ball” and Artie Shaw’s “Summit Ridge Drive”. Showing that he wasn’t a square, his best album Song For Rounders rocks with “Deep Elem” and the gritty “Little Blossom” and “Rovin’ Gambler”. Two years later, he shows no sign of letting up with a take of Merle Travis’ “Rockin’ In The Congo” and his own “Green Light” that make you wanna grab a partner. In 1961, he does some impressive covers of Jimmie Davis’ “I Dreamed Of An Old Love Affair”, Marty Robbins’ “Sing Me Something Sentimenal” and Floyd Tillman’s “I Gotta Have My Baby Back” as well as his own impressive danceable originals like “I Keep Meeting Girls Like You” while showing his ability to do ballads on “I’ll Be Around” and “My Old Flame”. Relentless pulsations.