Best known for his work with Charles Mingus in the 1960s, alto saxist Charlie Mariano was one of the proto-boppers, but instead of trying to sound like Charlie Parker, he leaned towards the lilting tone of Lester Young. That combination of Basie and bop is what makes this two disc set so irresistible.
Not only that, but Mariano had the idea before Miles Davis (it appears) of adding large textures to the harmonies and rhythms of bebop, pre-dating “Birth Of The Cool” by a few months. In 1949, he teams up with pianist Nat Pierce (after a one-off with the Ray Borden Orchestra) with a rhythm section of Joe McDonald-Pete DeRosa/dr, Frank Vaccaro-Frank Gallagher/b and a mix and match of reeds and horns, including Serge Chaloff/barsax for some swinging and bopping pieces like “Sheba” and “Boppin’ In Boston”, with Mariano’s tone swooning on “Body and Soul” and “It Might As Well Be Spring”.
For 1951-3 he brings in Sonny Truitt/tb, Joe Gordon/tp, Roy Frazee-Dick Twardzik/p and some extra horns and rhythm for some classy pieces like “Boston Uncommon” and a drop dead gorgeous “Autumn IN New Your”, while standards “Stella By Starlight” and “I’m Old Fashioned” have aged amazingly well.
A sextet with Sonny Truitt/tb, Dick Collins/tp, Vernon Alley/b, Joe McDonald/dr and Richard Wyands/p, Mariano gets nice and bluesy on “The Thrill Is Gone” and “Come Rain oR Come Shine”. With Herb Pomeroy/tp and Jaki Byard/p backed by Jack Carter/b and Peter Littman/dr, Mariano focuses on the Byard compositions “Diane’s Melody” and “Chandra” while “How About You” sparkles. The 23 page booklet has copious notes and session information. Here’s a guy that you may have missed the first time around, since there was a surfeit of alto saxists post Bird. Not so today, so go back a few years to appreciate what an alto used to do.