Fresh Sound Records, the label that has given us collection of music form B movies and undeservedly overlooked vocalists, has now expanded their horizons with a brand new mouth watering category of recordings. This latest set consists of albums made by musicians that made a living in the studio and got one or two chances on their own, or for some strange reason were simply overlooked.
There isn’t a single album here that isn’t essential for jazz fans. Each packet comes with (usually) a list of all of the musicians and some fantastic liner notes to give you some background to the featured artist. Sure, I’m going to review them, but the subtitle under each summary is “Go get it…NOW!”
Heinie Beau teams up with fellow Hollywood studio gents from a pair of 
1958 sessions that include the likes of Ted Nash/wwinds, Don Fagerquist/tp, Buddy Collette/wwinds, Red Mitchell-red Callender/b, Howard Roberts/g and Bill Richmond/dr on a collection of originals. These guys are just having too much fun as they give a Tiki Room treat of “The Gina Pastrami Cha Cha Cha” and cleverly bop on “Gullibles Travels”. They swing like Basie on “Under th eBlowtop” and bop with coolness for the fun “Scotland Yardbird” with a trip to noir alley on “In Your Private Eye”. Each of the song titles deserve to be put in the penitentiary.
Trombonist Milt Bernhart is best remembered for his classic solo on Frank Sinatra’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”. Here’ his teamed up in smaller groups from various 1958 sessions with the likes of red Mitchell/b, Mel Lewis-larry Bunker/dr, George Van Eps/g among others. There’s a five member brass section for a palpably rich “Valvitation Trombosis” and swinging “Marty’s Tune” while a duet between Bernhart and Mithcell give a gorgeous take of “I’m Beginning to See The Light”. Some strings give parlor textures to “Get Out Of Town” and a dainty “Balleta”. Fortified bones.
Trumpeter John Plonsky leads an NYC team through a mix of standards and originals in the California Cool style of Shorty Rogers and David Pell. The 1957 session includes a Chris Connor’d husky “But Not For Me” and a cozy “How About You”, with the team chicka booming on the hotcha “Blond Caboose”. Plonsky’s muted horn works on some Mulliganish charts with baritone saxist “Carl Janelli” on “The Lady Is a Tramp” and blows sweet open blues on “Laurel and Hardy”. Way Out East.
Pianist Herb Pilhofer records in the Nordic jazz crossroads of Minneapolis, MN on richly textured session from 1956 with a five member horn section teamed with Ted Hughart/b and Russ Moore/dr. The flutes give out a rich thoughtful bop on “Nicollet Avenue Breakdown” with cool reeds blowing in the wind for “Give Me The Simple Life”. French horns and trombones meld well on a misty take of “Django” and dave Karr’s baritone sax swings well for “Topsy”, with Pilhofer and Hughart giving a sleek pulse to “Bach’s Lunch”. Clear charts to follow.
Clarinetist Bob Keene has a rich and lower register Jimmy Giuffre/Woody Herman kind of sound, using Jack Montrose’s arrangements to West Coast Cool perfection with Hollywood studio studs Pepper Adams/bs, Red Norvo/vibe, Red Mitchell/b, Shelly Manne/dr and others on a mix of standards and originals. Keene is relaxed and sweet on “I Won’t Dance” and richly sophisticated on “Solo”. Adams’ baritone is molasses thick on “There’ll Never Be Another You” and joyful with Norvo’s vibes on “Can’t We Be Frineds” and “Let’s Fall In Love”. Rich blues abound on “A Lonesome Cup of Coffee” and the vibes are bouncy for “Soft Winds”. Breezy stories.
Trumpeter Lex Golden is found in his usual confines in Capitol Records back in 1957, but as a leader, with the likes of Abe Mostas/cl, Gen Cipriano/ts, Ray Sherman/p, Peter Carpenter/tb, Lester Pinter/ts and Richie Cornell for some vintage charts by the likes of Marty Paich. The ghost of Shorty Rogers abounds on the fun pieces like “Mule Train” and the bold “Lot’s O ‘Lex” with the team snapping like Basie on “Around The World”. Golden’s trumpet is hip an dmuted on “Sweet Sue” and glorious with a wide vibrato on a bel canto “Yesterdays”. A drive with the top down on PCH.
OK, you Stan Getz fans, get ready for an album that is the comfort food of all time, as Buddy Arnold shows he took his Getz pills on this mellifluous session from 1956 with a bopping team of Dick Sherman/tp, Gene Quill-Dave Schildkraut/as, Osie Johnson-Shadow Wilson/dr, Buddy Arnold/ts, Teddy Kotick/b and Frank Rehak/tb. The bands sounds like the second coming of the Four Brothers on “No Letter Today” and “It’s Sand Man” with the spirit of Count Basie present on “PU Stomp” and “Mobie Dick”. Arnold blows it cool and clean throughout, creating smoke rings on “Oedipus”. WHEW!
Vito Price also carries the Getz/Lester Young bug as he blows like a breeze off of Lake Michigan on this 1958 set of Chicago sessions that include Lou Levy/p, Freddie Green/g, and Gus Johnson/dr amont others. With Green’s patented pulse, the Price rolls in like a fog on “Time After Time” and “Beautiful Love”. In a session with a 6 man horn section, the team steam rolls on the bright “Swinging The LooP and glistens on “In A Mellow Tone” with Price being right on the swinging “Mousey’s Tune” and “Duddy”. As Lester Young used to say, “Nice Eyes”.
Last, but definitely NOT least, is this pair of albums of bossa nova from Rio De Janeiro/1962 that sounds like the love child of Tom Jobim. The first one, which sadly does not list the musicians in the “Brazilian All Star” band, is led by violinist Paulo Alencar, and is a sublime mix of Afro Cuban (as on the boppish “Zirguidum”), Horace Silver hard bop (“Adios America” and “Na Ha Razao”) and Getz/Gilberto (“Ideas” and “Bossa No. 2”). The unidentified tenor saxist has the Getz feel down to the bone, while the reeds sway to the Brazilian wind on “Why Do I Remember?” Ipanema ideas.
Joao Meirelles also plays a Getzian tenor sax, as well as flute, with a Brazilian small group that percolates with percussion from Amauri Rodriguez/perc and Jayme Storino/dr. Meirelles glides over the pulsations on “So Danco Samba” and the congas for “Se Teus Olhos Falassem” while his flute is sensuously sunny on “Solucao”. Afro Cuban adventures get bold on the simmering “Carnival Medly” and Silvio Lopez’s trumpet sashays along durin g “Batucada”. Where has this been my whole life?