JAZZ MISSION TO MOSCOW

MISSION TO MOSCOW

Everyone knows the storys of Benny Goodman’s trip to Moscow. They are many and pretty sad On their return home, Al Cohn rewrote  the arrangements and with most of the original Soviet trip band recorded Mission To Moscow—-sans Goodman

Phil Woods admirably plays the part of Benny Goodman.

In 1962 Benny Goodman had a historic visit to the Soviet Union, touring with a big band full of young all-stars. After the orchestra returned to the U.S., tenor saxophonist Al Cohn (who had not made the trip but did write some of Goodman's charts) put together an album (also released by Colpix) using many of the sidemen and paying tribute to the event. Strangely enough none of the six numbers are Cohn originals and he does not play on the record although he arranged all of the music. Of the six songs, "Mission to Moscow," "Let's Dance" and "Russian Lullaby" were part of Goodman's repertoire. Altoist Phil Woods effectively doubles on clarinet and other soloists include tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims, trumpeter Marky Markowitz and trombonist Willie Dennis. An interesting set of modern swing but this LP has been unfortunately long out-of-print.

• Al Cohn – arranger, conductor

• Markie Markowitz, Jimmy Maxwell – trumpet

• Willie Dennis – trombone

• Phil Woods – alto saxophone, clarinet

• Jerry Dodgion – alto saxophone, flute

• Zoot Sims – tenor saxophone

• Gene Allen – baritone saxophone

• Eddie Costa – piano

• Bill Crow – bass

• Mel Lewis – drums

ALI BELLO

Ali Bello - violin 

Birdland Big Band directed by Tommy Igoe | "On Fire”

Here’s something for you fiddle players out there, from Caracas

Ali Bello on violin As a guest w/ the Birdland Big Band directed by Tommy Igoe Birdland Jazz Club New York City "On Fire" January 2011

BILL BERRY

BILL BERRY

Hello Rev

Although a bit overlooked at the time (especially on the East Coast), Bill Berry's L.A. Big Band was one of the finest jazz orchestras of the mid- to late '70s. The all-star unit unfortunately recorded much too little, just one album for cornetist Berry's Beez label and this lone Concord set. The power and joyful swing of the all-star unit can certainly be heard on the latter, which was recorded at the 1976 Concord Jazz Festival. Solo space is allocated to Berry; trumpeters Jack Sheldon (who also sings "Tulip or Turnip"), Blue Mitchell, and Cat Anderson; trombonists Tricky Lofton, Jimmy Cleveland, and Britt Woodman; tenor saxophonists Richie Kamuca and Don Menza; and pianist Dave Frishberg, among others, and one should not overlook the lead alto work by Marshall Royal. This was certainly a remarkable unit. Berry modeled the band after Duke Ellington's and his rendition of "Cotton Tail" (with high note blasts in the "background" by Cat Anderson) is a classic. Highly recommended.

AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow

Monty Budwig

Bass

Frank Capp

Drums

Bill Berry

Performer, Primary Artist, Trumpet

Dave Frishberg

Piano

Lanny Morgan

Sax (Alto), Saxophone

Marshall Royal

Sax (Alto), Saxophone

Jack Nimitz

Sax (Baritone), Saxophone

Richie Kamuca

Sax (Tenor), Saxophone

Don Menza

Sax (Tenor), Saxophone

Jimmy Cleveland

Trombone

Tricky Lofton

Trombone

Benny Powell

Trombone

Britt Woodman

Trombone

Cat Anderson

Trumpet

Gene Coe

Trumpet

Gene Goe

Trumpet

Blue Mitchell

Trumpet

Jack Sheldon

Trumpet

WOODY HERMAN

WOODY HERMAN

GIANT STEPS

La Fiesta

Woody Herman always went out of his way during his long career to encourage younger players, often persuading them to write arrangements of recent tunes for his orchestra. On this recording one gets to hear his band interpret such selections as Chick Corea's "La Fiesta," Leon Russell's "A Song for You," "Freedom Jazz Dance," "A Child Is Born" and "Giant Steps"; what other bandleader from the '30s would have performed such modern material? With strong solo work from tenors Gregory Herbert and Frank Tiberi, trumpeter Bill Stapleton and Herman himself, this is an impressive effort.

AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow

Larry Pyatt, Gil Rathel, Walt Blanton, Bill Byrne (tp) Bill Stapleton (tp,flhrn,arr) Jim Pugh, Geoff Sharp (tb) Harold Garrett (btb) Woody Herman (cl,as,ss) Gregory Herbert (ts,pic,fl) Frank Tiberi, Steve Lederer (ts) Harry Kleintank (ts,bar) Andy Laverne (el-p) Joe Beck (g) Wayne Darling (el-b) Ed Soph (d) Ray Barretto (cga) Tony Klatka, Richard Evans, Alan Broadbent (arr)

MAYNARD FERGUSON

MAYNARD FERGUSON
MAYNARD 61

VINTAGE MAYNARD

This is the first Maynard album I ever owned and Ole was totally beyond my comprehension.

Maynard Ferguson led his finest orchestra during his period with Roulette; all of the excellent recordings have since been reissued on a ten-CD box set by Mosaic. For those Maynard fans who do not have the box, this single CD gives one some examples of his orchestra, reissuing the original Maynard '61 LP along with one selection ("Saturday Night") from Maynard '64 and adding two previously unissued performances. In addition to the leader/trumpeter, the main soloists are trombonist Slide Hampton, altoist Lanny Morgan, Joe Farrell on tenor and pianist Jaki Byard; trumpeters Rolf Ericson and Bill Berry are also heard on "Blues for Kapp," one of the CD's many highlights.

AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow

Maynard Ferguson (tp,v-tb,mel) Chet Ferretti, Rick Kiefer, Jerry Tyree (tp) Slide Hampton, Kenny Rupp (tb) Lanny Morgan (as) Joe Farrell (ts,sop,cl,fl) Willie Maiden (ts,cl,fl) Frank Hittner (bar) Jaki Byard (p) Charlie Saunders (b) Rufus Jones (d)

GERRY MULLIGAN

Gerry Mulligan And The Concert Jazz Band 

At The Village Vanguard

Blueport

This is my favorite of all the Mulligan Big Band recordings. Mulligan and Clark Terry are crazy great and if you listen to Mel Lewis during their trading solos  you can see why he is my all time favorite big band drummer

Clark Terry, Don Ferrara, Nick Travis (tp) Bob Brookmeyer (v-tb,arr) Willie Dennis (tb) Alan Raph (b-tb) Gene Quill (as,cl) Bob Donovan (as) Jim Reider (ts) Gerry Mulligan (bar,p-1) Gene Allen (bar,b-cl) Bill Crow (b) Mel Lewis (d) Al Cohn, Johnny Mandel (arr)

NEW STANDARD JAZZ ORCHESTRA

NEW STANDARD JAZZ ORCHESTRA
w Bob Mintzer

MULATU ASTATKE

Mulatu Astatke

Mulatu of Ethiopia (Full Album)

AllMusic Review by Richie Unterberge

Mulatu Astatqé (also sometimes spelled Mulatu Astatke, as he is on the liner notes to this release) might be most known to international audiences through his tracks on the excellent Ethiopiques CD anthology series of Ethiopian music. Long before those tracks were compiled for that series, however, he had an American release with this 1972 instrumental album, on which he's billed as "Mulatu of Ethiopia." Like much of the best of the circa-early-'70s contemporary Ethiopian music on Ethiopiques, it's a fine, at times captivating blend of late-'60s American soul and jazz with Ethiopian music, resulting in something not quite comparable to anything else. It is undeniably funky, with wah-wah guitar and organ aplenty. There's plenty of contemporary jazz in the arrangements, too, the sax runs sometimes showing the influence of the likes of John Coltrane. Yet there's a melancholy minor cast to the melodies that marks this off as something quite different, and the rhythms likewise have irregularities that are more African than American. The only major strike against the LP is its short running time, with the seven tracks adding up to a mere 26-and-a-half minutes or so.

WOODY HERMAN & TITO PUENTE

WOODY HERMAN

TITO PUENTE

Mambo Herd

A fun recording even though it has nothing to do with Woody’s band 

Tito Puente and Woody Herman teamed in 1958 for a mutually satisfying meeting in the same way that Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Machito found common ground in the late '40s. Puente's Latin rhythms and beats meshed with the swing and bebop of Herman's band on half of the disc's cuts, and the results were hot and delightful. With Puente heading the rhythm section and playing timbales, Robert Rodriguez on bass, and assorted percussion from Gilbert Lopez, Raymond Rodriquez, and Ray Barretto, the band stays locked into the Latin groove while the saxophonists and trumpeters weave in, out, and around the beat. There are also more conventional Herman swing numbers such as "Blue Station" and "Woodchopper's Ball," where the standard Herman stomping sound is in effect.

Major Holley

Bass

Robert Rodriguez

Bass

Woody Herman

Clarinet, Composer, Conductor, Leader, Performer, Primary Artist, Sax (Alto)

Tito Puente

Composer, Percussion, Performer, Primary Artist, Rhythm, Timbales, Tma

Al Cohn

Composer, Reeds, Sax (Tenor)

Ray Barretto

Congas

Jimmy Campbell

Drums

Gilbert Lopez

Percussion

Ray Rodriguez

Percussion

Al Planck

Piano

Paul Quinichette

Reeds, Sax (Tenor)

Danny Bank

Reeds

Sam Marowitz

Reeds

Pete Mondello

Reeds

Al Belletto

Sax (Baritone)

Marty Flax

Sax (Tenor)

Jay Migliori

Sax (Tenor)

Joe Romano

Sax (Tenor)

Billy Byers

Trombone

Roger DeLillo

Trombone

Willie Dennis

Trombone

Bill Elton

Trombone

Jimmy Guinn

Trombone

Frank Rehak

Trombone

Bobby Clark

Trumpet

Al Forte

Trumpet

Steve Lipkins

Trumpet

Irvin "Marky" Markowitz

Trumpet

Hal Posey

Trumpet

Ernie Royal

Trumpet

Danny Stiles

Trumpet

Willie Thomas

Trumpet

Nick Travis

Trumpet

LOUIE BELLSON

LOUIE BELLSON

LIVE IN NEW YORK

At 71, Louie Bellson on this CD displays more energy than most drummers half his age. Bellson not only takes solos on more than half the selections (including a lengthy workout on "Santos"), but he composed all seven originals; the only surprise is that Bellson decided to let some of his musical friends (including Matt Catingub, Tommy Newsom, and Bob Florence) arrange the charts instead of writing them himself. With concise solos from such sidemen as trumpeters Marvin Stamm and Glenn Drewes, tenorman Ted Nash, altoists Joe Roccisano and Steve Wilson, and trombonist Keith O'Quinn, Bellson's music is given perfectly suitable interpretations. But just in case, the equally ageless flügelhornist Clark Terry (at 75) stars on two songs, including the exquisite ballad "Blow Your Horn." With Louie Bellson constantly driving the ensembles, this is a big band disc well worth acquiring.

AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow

Harvie Swartz

Bass

Louie Bellson

Composer, Drums, Performer, Piano, Primary Artist

Clark Terry

Flugelhorn, Guest Artist

Ted Nash

Guest Artist, Sax (Tenor)

Marvin Stamm

Guest Artist, Trumpet

Patricia Willard

Liner Notes

Derek Smith

Piano

John Snyder

Producer

Joe Roccisano

Sax (Alto)

Steve Wilson

Sax (Alto)

Jack Stuckey

Sax (Baritone)

Scott Robinson

Sax (Tenor)

Herb Besson

Trombone, Trombone (Bass)

Michael Davis

Trombone

Larry Farrell

Trombone

Keith O'Quinn

Trombone

Danny Cahn

Trumpet

Glenn Drewes

Trumpet

Robert Millikan

Trumpet

Daryl Shaw

Trumpet

Darryl Shawl

Trumpet

FRED HO

Fred Ho 
and the GREEN MONSTER BAND

Asian-American baritone saxophonist Fred Ho has been a champion of freedom and expressionism in modern creative jazz for some time. A continuing battle with cancer has inspired him to assemble the Green Monster Big Band, with reference to the famed left-field wall at Fenway Park in Boston, but more directly related to the huge sound and diverse ideas this juggernaut ensemble represents. Ho is influenced by the '60s big bands, television or movie themes, and the psychedelic rock he grew up with, all present on this ambitious program. He's recruited heavyweight peers like saxophonists Bobby Zankel, Jim Hobbs, Salim Washington, and Hafez Modirzadeh, trumpeter Stanton Davis and cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum, contrabass trombonist Earl McIntyre, bassist Wes Brown, electric guitarist Mary Halvorson, and pianist Art Hirahara, among others to execute his larger-than-life vision. In the extreme at nearly 40 minutes total, "The Struggle for a New World Suite" in seven movements evokes a ton of emotional and rhythmic discourse, starting out sounding like "Smoke on the Water," with curious under-the-surface moods, probing funk, nice jazz, swirling horns in odd meters, stealth or deliberate casts, a free piece subtitled "Guerillas Gone Wild," and ends in a tango inference. "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" is less pronounced but punchy in five parts, with English and Persian lyrics, and the kind of distant organ or large horn insurgency you'd expect in a jazz interpretation of the Iron Butterfly magnum opus. A short and delightful "Spiderman Theme" contrasts, but the remaining tracks "Liberation Genesis" and "Blues to the Freedom Fighters" show more of Ho's intertwining of his compositional concepts with the great ability of his sidemen to solo. There's so much music here that it staggers the imagination, but give it a try and don't be afraid of this green monster, as it's a fairly friendly one, if a bit imposing.
AllMusic Review by Michael G. Nastos

Fred Ho

Arranger, Composer, Liner Notes, Member of Attributed Artist, Primary Artist, Producer, Sax (Baritone), Saxophone, Soloist

Wes Brown

Bass (Acoustic), Bass (Electric), Member of Attributed Artist, Soloist

David Harris

Contrabass Trombone, Member of Attributed Artist, Soloist

Taylor Ho Bynum

Cornet, Member of Attributed Artist, Soloist

Carin Fortin

Design

Royal Hartigan

Drum Set, Member of Attributed Artist

Abraham Gomez-Delgado

Guest Artist, Soloist, Vocals

Joseph Yoon

Art Hirahara

Member of Attributed Artist, Piano, Soloist

Jim Hobbs

Member of Attributed Artist, Sax (Alto), Soloist

Bobby Zankel

Member of Attributed Artist, Sax (Alto), Soloist

Hafez Modirzadeh

Member of Attributed Artist, Sax (Tenor), Soloist

Salim Washington

Member of Attributed Artist, Sax (Tenor), Soloist

Richard Harper

Member of Attributed Artist, Soloist, Trombone

Bob Pilkington

Member of Attributed Artist, Soloist, Trombone

Marty Wehner

Member of Attributed Artist, Soloist, Trombone

Stanton Davis, Jr.

Member of Attributed Artist, Soloist, Trumpet