Playing the rare valve trombone, Bob Brookmeyer was one of the warmest brass players during the hard bop era. He was also known as a first class arranger, preferring understatement as opposed to the more aggressive style of the era. These eight albums show him in the glistening light in a wide variety of settings.
Starting in 1958, Brookmeyer plays trombone as well as a little piano on a cool-toned session with guitarists Jimmy Rainey and Jim Hall, as well as bassist Bill Crow and Basie alumnus Osie Johnson on drums for lightly swinging material like “Raney Day” and “Under The Lilacs”. Next year, Brookmeyer continues to play piano, joining up with likeminded Bill Evans along with Connie Kay/dr and Percy Heath/b from the Modern Jazz Quartet with some wonderful interplay between the two leaders on “The Way You Look Tonight” and a gorgeously subtle read of “As Time Goes By”. Brookmeyer gets ambitious with a semi-big band that produces a four movement “Blues Suite” with a team that features Al Cohn/ts, Gene Quill/as, Bill Barber/tub and Ernie Royal/tp. In 1960, Brookmeyer again forms a front line of the same instrument, but this time it’s the trombone, with Curtis Fuller as well as trumpeters Thad Jones with Joe Newman from Count Basie, the a pair of rhythm sections in Wynton Kelly-Paul Chambers-Paul Motian or Hank Jones-Ed Jones-Charlie Persip swinging on “Exactly Like You” and glowing for “You’re My Everything”. The same year he goes straight-ahead with Buddy Clark/b, Mel Lewis/dr and Jimmy Rowles/p for grooving “Hot and Cold Blues” and joyful “Sunny Side of the Street”.
1961 finds him with a big band, sharing arranging roles with Ralph Burns on standards such as “Caravan” and “Gloomy Sunday” as well as classy originals “Ho Hum” and “Days Gone By, Oh My!” A collection of samba classics are interpreted by Brookmeyer on trombone and piano along with Gary McFarland/vibe, Jim Hall-Jimmy Raney/g and percussionists Will Bobo, Carmen Costa and Jose Paulo on “A Felicidade” and the leader’s own “Blues Bossa Nova” . Last not least is a reunion with the mellifluous tenor of Stan Getz and a soon to become classic set of youngsters named Herbie Hancock/p, Gary Burton/vib, Ron Carter/b and Elvin Jones/dr for charming standards such as “Skylark” and “Misty” as well as sophisticated originals “The Wrinkle” and “Bracket”.
As you can see, each album was distinct and adventurous, which is what made Brookmeyer in demand on a wide range of sounds. Check this guy out.