I bet you didn’t know that back in the 1950s, Don Elliott was a consistent winner in Downbeat’s polls, under the category of “Miscellaneous Instruments” as he played the obscure mellophone along with vibes, trumpet and bongos. He also worked as a sideman for Paul Desmond and Quincy Jones for awhile, so he got the jazz pedigree. Before he became a successful producer, in the 1950s he teamed up with pianist Bob Corwin, bassist Ernie Furtado and drummer Jim Campbell, with this collection of studio and live recordings an impressive testimony.
On horn, Elliott is as warm and lyrical as vintage Chet Baker on the lovely “My Shining Hour” and able to show his muscles on the swinging “ I’ll Remember April”. The band does a number of tunes associated with Baker, so it’s fun to compare readings her of “I Remember You”, “Isn’t It Romantic”, and “Gone With The Wind” with Elliott in a photo finish with the better known Baker. His vibes on “But Not For Me” and “I’ll Remember April” are a crisp delight. Corwin is magnificent on piano, slinky on “Rico-Jico-Joe” and “It Could Happen To You”. Their concert sound is quite the hip thing, bouncing on “I Remember You” and ebullient on “ Moonlight In Vermont”. This band is going to make West Coast jazz fans think they found the Rosetta Stone.