JazzWax

Backgrounder: Maynard Ferguson - Newport Message

Mosaic's set of complete Roulette recordings by the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra released in 1994 remains one of the legacy label's best boxes. I think I speak for many fans when I say I wish that Mosaic would reissue the set with a fresh remastering. Ferguson's work for Roulette was spectacular.

One of the finest Ferguson records released on Roulette and probably my favorite big band album of the 1950s is the trumpeter's A Message From Newport. Recorded in May 1958, the record featured a stunning band: Maynard Ferguson (tp,v-tb); Bill Chase, Clyde Reasinger and Tom Slaney (tp); Slide Hampton (tb,arr); Don Sebesky (tb,arr); Jimmy Ford (as); Carmen Leggio (ts); Willie Maiden (ts,arr); Jay Cameron (bar); John Bunch (p); Jimmy Rowser (b); Jake Hanna (d) and Bob Freedman (arr).

To read my interview with Bob Freedman, who arranged this album's And We Listened, go here.

Here's the complete A Message From Newport without ad interruptions...

Other ad-free Backgrounders in my series:

• Zoot Sims Plays Bossa Nova, go here.
• Lee Morgan: Lee-Way, go here.
• Bossa Nova for Swinging Lovers, go here.
• Leon Spencer: Louisiana Slim, go here.
• Bossa Nova Modern Quartet: Bossa Nova Jazz Samba, go here.
• Bill Evans & Luiz Eça: Piano Four Hands, go here.
• Ray Brown Trio: Don't Get Sassy, go here.
• Os Tatuis: Os Tatuis, go here.
• Waltel Branco: Mancini Tambem É Samba, go here.
• Jack Wilson Plays Brazilian Mancini, go here.
• Conjunto Copacabana Bossa: Bossa, go here.
• Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Swings Lightly, go here.
• Charles Earland: Charles Earland, go here.
• Kenny Burrell: Crash! w/ Jack McDuff, go here.
• Jack McDuff: The Heatin' System, go here.
• Horace Silver: Horace-Scope, go here.
• Antonio Carlos Jobim: Wave, go here.
• Sonny Stitt: Sonny Stitt Plays, go here.
• Sonny Stitt with Bennie Green: My Main Man, go here.
• Johnny Hodges and Earl Hines: Stride Right, go here.
• Lionel Hampton: Bossa Nova Jazz, go here.
• Johnny Hodges & Ben Webster: Cellar Session, go here.
• Bill Evans: Solo Sessions Vol. 1, go here.
• Frank Wess: Trombones & Flute, go here.
• Presenting the Buddy DeFranco & Tommy Gumina Quartet, go here.
• Ernest Ranglin: Wranglin', go here.
• Dave Pell Octet: Plays Rodgers & Hart, go here.
• Milt Buckner: Block Chords Parade, go here.
• Roberto Menescal: A Nova Bossa, go here.
• Count Basie: Have a Nice Day, go here.
• Freddie Green: Mr. Rhythm, go here.
• Leny Andrade: Leny Andrade, go here.
• Johnny Alf: Ele é Johnny Alf, go here.
• Dodo Marmarosa: Dodo's Back, go here.
• Freddie Redd: The Music From the Connection, go here.
• Nicola Stilo & Toninho Horta: Duets, go here.
• Urbie Green: Persuasive Trombone, go here.
• Johnny Richards: Something Else, go here.
• Wayne Shorter: JuJu, go here.
• Hampton Hawes: All Night Session!, go here.
• Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers, go here.
• Chet Baker: Pretty/Groovy, go here.
• Sonny Stitt: The Sensual Sound of Sonny Stitt, go here.
• Gil Mellé: New Faces, New Sounds, go here.
• Herbie Mann and Charlie Rouse: Just Wailin', go here.
• Bobby Hackett: Memorable & Mellow, go here.
• Tina Brooks: Back to the Tracks, go here.
• Sonny Rollins Plays for Bird, go here.
• Red Garland: A Garland of Red, go here.
• Grant Green: Gooden's Corner, go here.
• Eumir Deodato Plays Marcos Valle, go here.
• Horace Parlan; Movin' & Groovin', go here.
• Russ Garcia: Four Horns and a Lush Life, go here.
• Vic Lewis: Plays Bossa Nova at Home and Away, go here.
• Buddy Collette's Swinging Shepherds, go here.
• Dizzy Gillespie: Gillespiana, go here.
• Nelson Riddle: Communication, go here.
• Nelson Riddle: Changing Colors, go here.
• Elmo Hope: Complete Trios, 1953-1966, go here.
• Buddy Collette: Man of Many Parts, go here.
• The Herbie Mann-Sam Most Quintet, go here.
• Shorty Rogers: Cool and Crazy, go here.
• The Return of Art Pepper, go here.
• Benny Golson and the Philadelphians, go here.
• Moacir Santos: Coisas, go here.
• Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis: Lock, the Fox, go here.
• Tony Bennett: The Movie Song Album, go here.
• Thad Jones/Mel Lewis: Consummation, go here.
• James Moody: Return From Overbrook, go here.
• Barry Galbraith: Guitar and the Wind, go here.
• Count Basie: With Quincy Jones and Neal Hefti, go here.
• Johnny Richards: Walk Softly, Run Wild!, go here.
• Dave Pike: Bossa Nova Carnival, go here.
• Clare Fischer: Só Danço Samba, go here.
• Reggie Johnson: First Edition, go here.
• John Graas: French Horn Jazz, go here.
• Eddie Lockjaw Davis & Johnny Griffin: Tough Tenor Favorites, go here.
• Bill Perkins: Bossa Nova With Strings Attached, go here.
• Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, go here.
• Pepper Adams Quintet, go here.
• Sonny Rollins Plus 4, go here.
• Coleman Hawkins: Desafinado, go here.
• Sammy Davis Jr. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays, go here.
• Paul Quinichette: Moods, go here.
• Jimmy Forrest: Forrest Fire!, go here.
• Brazilian Jazz Quartet: Coffee and Jazz, go here.
• Art Blakey!!! Jazz Messengers!!!, go here.
• Sidney Bechet/Martial Solal, go here.
• John Carisi: The New Jazz Sound Of "Show Boat," go here.
• The Marty Paich Quartet, Featuring Art Pepper, go here.
• João Gilberto, 1998, go here.
• Bobby Timmons: Soul Time, go here.
• Gerry Mulligan: Jeru, go here.
• Ray Bryant: Alone With the Blues, go here.
• Leon Spencer Jr.: Bad Walking Woman, go here.
• Jimmy McGriff: Step 1, go here.
• Johnny "Hammond" Smith: Breakout, go here.
• Oliver Nelson: Taking Care of Business, go here.
• Quincy Jones: Americans in Paris, go here.
• Sonny Stitt: Tune-Up!, go here.
• Herbie Mann: Yardbird Suite, go here.
• Quincy Jones: Twilight Time, go here.
• Lou Levy Quartet: Jazz in Four Colors, go here.
• Johnny Alf: Rapaz de Bem, go here.
• Hank Mobley: Poppin', go here.
• Barney Kessel: Kessel's Kit, go here.
• Larry Young: Into Somethin', go here.
• Henry Mancini: The Jazz Sound From Peter Gunn, go here.
• Sonny Stitt: Night Crawler, go here.
• Maynard Ferguson: Around the Horn, go here.
• Frank Rosolino: Franky Speaking!, go here.
• Ben Webster: King of the Tenors, go here.
• Kenny Dorham: Una Mas, go here.
• Gigi Gryce: Nica's Tempo, go here.
• Charlie Parker With Strings: The Master Takes, go here.
• The Great Jazz Piano of Phineas Newborn Jr., go here.
• The Complete Chet Baker Sings, go here.
• Shorty Rogers Courts the Count, go here.
• Miles Ahead: Miles Davis +19, go here.
• Kenny Burrell, Jazzmen - Detroit, go here.
• Bill Watrous, In Love Again, go here.
• Gene Ammons, Boss Tenor, go here.
• Roy Eldridge: The Strolling Mr. Eldridge, go here.
• Clifford Brown and Max Roach with Sonny Rollins, go here.
• Fats Navarro: Nostalgia, go here.
• Hank Mobley: Hank Mobley Quintet, go here.
• Sandy Mosse: Relaxin' With..., go here.

Perfection: Count Basie - 'Blues in My Heart' (1969)

One of Count Basie's most powerful arrangers was Chico O'Farrill. Born in Havana, O'Farrill's father was from Ireland and his mother was of German descent. Sent to a Georgia military school, O'Farrill learned to play trumpet. Back in Cuba in his late teens, he couldn't get enough of Havana's night life.

O'Farrill moved to New York in 1948 and became one of the fathers of Afro-Cuban jazz. He had a way of turning up the brass section's heat and producing exciting arrangements that were as explosive as they were seductive. His work for Benny Goodman's Capitol band in the late 1940s was terrific. For more on O'Farrill's arranging for producer Norman Granz in the late 1940s and early '50s, I highly recommend Cuban Blues: The Chico O'Farrill Sessions on Verve. For more, go here.

For Basie, O'Farrill arranged Basie Meets Bond (1965), a wonderfully inventive album that maximized the band while retaining Bond's cool persona; Basie's Beatles Bag (1966); Broadway Basie's Way (1966); Basie's in the Bag (1967); The Happiest Millionaires; Count Basie and His Orchestra (1967); Annual Report with the Mills Brothers; Standing Ovation (1969), on which he shared arranging credits with Sammy Nestico; Basic Basie (1969); and Count Basie and His Orchestra (1970).

Among them, my favorite is Basic Basie. Don't get me wrong, I love many of the others but this one is special. I first discovered it in 1972 as Evergreen, on Sonny Lester's Groove Merchant label. The album was so good I purchased a second one soon after. Despite the quality of my Dual turntable, I knew I was going to wear it out, and I did.

As Tom Lord's online Jazz Discography notes:

The album appears not only MPS but also on Groove Merchant GM2201 entitled "Evergreens"; this release is listed in Chris Sheridan's Basie discography as the first issue for this session. That's not accurate. Groove Merchant's founder Sonny Lester was the producer of the Basie session, but his oversight was for the MPS label, not Groove Merchant. Groove Merchant GM2201 was published in 1972, a year after the original release of MPS (G)15264, which was published in 1971.

The band: Gene Goe, Oscar Brashear and Sonny Cohn (tp); Waymon Reed (tp,flh); Frank Hooks, Melvin Wanzo and Grover Mitchell (tb); Bill Hughes (b-tb); Marshal Royal (as,cl); Bobby Plater (as,fl); Eric Dixon (ts,fl); Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (ts); Charlie Fowlkes (bar); Count Basie (p,org); Freddie Green (g); Norman Keenan (b,el-b); Harold Jones (d); Chico O'Farrill (arr) on all titles except Eric Dixon on I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You.

The album is perfect from start to finish. To give you a taste, here's Blues in My Heart...

And here's the full album's tracks with ads...

Other Perfection tracks in this ongoing series...

• Paul Desmond and Jim Hall: Any Other Time, go here.
• John Coltrane: You Say You Care, go here.
• Quincy Jones: Funk Junction, go here.
• Art Farmer's Work of Art, go here.
• Miles Davis: A Gal in Calico, go here.
• Gene Krupa: Mulligan Stew, go here.
• Dave Brubeck: The Duke, go here.
• Horace Silver: The Back Beat, go here.
• Horace Parlan: Up & Down, go here.
• Dexter Gordon: Society Red, go here.
• Barney Kessel: You Go to My Head, go here.
• Count Basie: Corner Pocket, go here.
• Herbie Mann: Manteca, go here.
• Donald Byrd: Bronze Dance, go here.
• George Shearing: I'll Be Around, go here.
• Ammmons & Stitt: You Talk That Talk, go here.

Crown Sessions: Buddy Collette & Teddy Edwards

The West Coast produced a sizable number of gifted jazz tenor saxophonists in the late 1940s and '50s who either were born there or settled there. Among them were Dexter Gordon, Wardell Gray, Bill Holman, Harold Land, Bill Perkins, Bob Cooper and Jack Montrose. Two other exceptional West Coasters were Buddy Collette and Teddy Edwards. A new album from Fresh Sound features both artists leading separate quartets for Crown Records.

Collette was an accomplished and prolific multi-instrumentalist who recorded as a leader and a sideman and appeared on many Hollywood pop recording sessions, including those by Frank Sinatra. Teddy Edwards also worked steadily, composed and was the first saxophonist in the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet in 1954. [Photo above of Buddy Collette]

What gave these two their "jump" were gigs in the mid- and late 1940s in R&B bands and orchestras and Los Angeles bebop groups. Many of the clubs on L.A.'s Central Avenue sought out players who could solo for extended periods and thrill audiences. [Photo above of Teddy Edwards]

Crown Records was a subsidiary of the Modern label run by Saul, Jules and Joe Bihari. Why did two superb players wind up on a budget label? Probably because the Bihari brothers let them record what they wanted. By the late 1950s, other labels were either pop-minded or jazz specialists run by founders with a vision and under pressure to turn a profit.

This album features both Collette and Edwards in a freewheeling jump-blues groove with a bop overlay. The music is superb all the way through. Uniting the musicians' Crown recordings on a single CD was very clever of Fresh Sound's Jordi Pujol.

The tracks:

1. What's Up?
2. Hideaway
3. Reunion
4. Joggin'
5. Evergreen
6. Bye Bye
7. The Groove
8. Lucky Me
9. Miss Beat
10. The Grind Part 1
11. The Grind Part 2
12. Across Town

(1-8) The Buddy Collette Quartet, with Buddy Collette (ts), Gerald Wiggins (p), Joe Comfort (b) and Bill Douglass (d)

(9-12) The Teddy Edwards Quartet, with Teddy Edwards (ts), Joe Castro (p), Leroy Vinnegar (b) and Billy Higgins (d)

As you listen, pay careful attention to the pianists—Wiggins and Castro. Both are superb here.

Buddy Collette died in 2010 at age 89; Teddy Edwards died in 2003 at age 78.

Note: To read Part 1 of my five-part interview with Buddy Collette, go here (a link to additional parts can be found above the red date at the top).

JazzWax tracks: You'll find Buddy Collette and Teddy Edwards Quartets: The Crown Sessions (Fresh Sound) here.

If you buy, don't forget to use the code (JAZZWAX_DISCOUNT) to cut your price by 8%.

JazzWax clips: Here's the Buddy Collette Quartet playing Hideaway...

Hideaway

And here's the Teddy Edwards Quartet playing Miss Beat...

Miss Beat