Long before fame with E.T, Star Wars, Raiders of The Lost Ark or any other hit movie, John T. Williams, America’s most famous composer and conductor, was a bona fide jazzer. This two disc collection puts together his earliest sessions, and I’m guaranteeing you that you will stump ANYONE on a blindfold test. This guy was a bopper!
He recorded in various combinations of bands, with even a pair of solo tunes (“Hello” and “Bess, Oh Where’s My Bess”) filled with beauty. His touch from his 1956 quartet sessions display a major influence from Bud Powell, as he is digging into versions of “The Most Beautiful Girl In The World” and “Caribe” with a 52nd Street Feel. The more romantic tunes, such as “Diane” or “Spring Is Here” have Williams adding paint brush strokes of blue to perfection, while the supporting cast of the likes of Howard Roberts/g, Joe Mondragon-Curtis Counce/b and Jack Sperling/dr giving a California Cool feel to the room.
However, what’s going to knock you out are Williams’ Septet and Octet sessions with the likes of Hollywood’s finest in Herb Gelleer/as, Buddy Collette-Richie Kamuca-Gene Cipriano/ts, Buddy Clark/b, Jerry Williams/dr, Marty Berman/bars and Bob Enevoldsen/tb sounding like the second coming of Birth Of The Cool on a collection of 1957 sessions. Yes, there are some quick in and out solos thrown in, but the nifty charts, clever harmonics and understated hipness of the whole thing as on ”I’ve Got The World On A String” and “Let’s Fall In Love” are indescribably fresh and fervent. Where have these been hiding, and why aren’t they used for a soundtrack somewhere?
A big band session with vocalist Johnny Desmond concludes with rich and romantic reads of “All Of You” and “Tenderly”, and the charts by Williams and Bill Holman are timeless. Forget The Boston Pops and Hollywood Bowl, when’s this guy hitting the local jazz dives?!?