air. and ning Still 100 Percent There, He Says ;top- ippy Dankworth Glad To Hear Duke Sound «ter pet; By Leonard Feather uns. is an excuse for so much scoring on the Johnny Dankworth has made rapid I he scene. strides recently as a name in American Nevertheless, I feel that jazz is the record circles as a result of his con­ and only opening for a man to score in that tract with . Already his sort of way — certain little master­ acknowledged in England as that coun­ pieces. Jazz does a very great service try’s foremost jazz musician, he has res to people wh>> want to write that way, won the Melody Maker poll in three ind und I think it’s justified from that categories- alto saxophone, leader, and il point of view. I think there’s no open­ arranger. nc<* ing in the symphonic world or anywhere Johnny’s Blindfold Tent was con­ for guyi to score like that. Scoring was ducted during his recent brief visit to »g- very brilliant, and the record hung to­ New York. Following the usual pro­ to gether very well. Four stars. ns, cedure, he was given no information >k. whatever about the records played for 5. hill's Slues (Capital). him, either before or during the test. ey , trumpet; Bill Romo, ch arranger, trombone; Lennie Niebae«. ed Th« Records alto. Ie. I liked it very much. It’s the sort of r» I. Bad Shank. hustle Hop (Pacific Jazz). jazz that I think has a good is Bob Brookmoyor. tromben« balance of arrangement und playing. it I can’t identify it. The only person 1 liked the trumpet player particularly, I can identify would be Bob Rrook- though I liked all the soloists. >e meyer ) can’t identify the alto player. I should imagine the trumpet player He’s a white player and obviously has was Conte Candoli. The trombone play II a lot of admiration for Parker. Further er was Rill Russo or . The alto player could have been Konitz, »han that I can’t go. Jolinnj Dankworth I like the idea of the thing, because although the player didn’t have as I think strings should have been used 3. Auifraliau Jazz Quartet Loose Walk much presence in his sound as Konitz in the jazz sense, instead of the vocal- (Bethlehem). Dick Healey, flute: ir­ usually gets. Knowing what Kenton can hacking sense, n long while ago in rol Buddle, baMoon. do and has done, I won’t put it at the I azz. You’re certainly tying me up there. top of his sides. I’d say three. I’m not quite sure it was scored in At first I thought I recognized the lhe best possible way with strings. Hute; the only person 1 know who plays 4. Bett from tbo West. Santa Monica Sometimes the alto mixes too much with flute in jazz is . The other (Blue Note). Gerald Wiggles plane; the strings in the balance of the thing, instrument I would have said at first , guitar; Stag Lovey, the timber of the two—things got a was u bassoon, but I even had my drums; , bass; Costs little too much m common. But the doubts about that at times. Candoli, trumpet; Jimmy Giuffre. bar­ trombone against the strings I liked As for unusual instruments in jazz, itone. , alto. v^ry much. I also like the amount of I only think they should be used if they If that wasn’t n colored rhythm sec­ organization in it. justify theii presence by doing some­ tion, it was the best white rhythm sec­ I think there’s just enough to make thing that other instruments can’t do. tion I've ever heard, and if it was it interesting and not enough to crump That theme, I think, could have been mixed, I resign. the style for the musicians’ concern. It done just us well by two other horns. Trumpet player struck me us very also runs a nice length; 1 should im­ Maybe the only other justification much in the Clifford Brown tradition. agine it runs about four minutes, which would lie that the players were so great The baritone player I liked very much, is just enough to sustain the interest that they could really say something although I wouldn’t know who he was; instead of blowing and blowing. In on their instruments. Well, these guys I liked the way he played around with other words, really quite the sort of were fan players; 1 don’t think they his little ideas und worked on them. jazz that I like. 1 should give it four said anything that will register their Alto player? 1 couldn’t venture to guess stars. instruments into permanent recognition who he was. 1 wasn’t overwhelmed by in jazz. Rut 1 have nothing against un­ him. The guitar player might be Tai Farlow, might be Jimmy Raney. The 2. Ray Anthony. Sentimental Journey usual instruments—I think if Bird had pianist sounded like John Lewis used (Capitol). been a harmonica player, he would have made just as much an impact on to play a few years ago, and the rec­ Well, once again 1 have no idea of the jazz scene as he did being an alto ord swung from beginning to end. I’d the band there. It could be any one of player. It’s just that Bird had some­ give it four stars. a half-dozen bands, which isn’t saying thing to say as much as his instrument. u great deal for it as an identifiable I think two stars would be justifiable. 7. Woody Hermas. Ill Wind (Capitol). sound. I’ve juat got a suspicion that They certainly tried to say something, That must be Woody. Whether it’s whoever made that had an eye on sell­ which a lot of men don’t do. Maybe I’d Woody or not, I liked it. Woody has a ing the record as well as making good better give that one star. swinging and very enthusiastic band. music. I like 90 percent of what they put out. Perhaps more on the first thnn on 4. Nat Fierce. Cens fence (Vanguard). It’s the sort of band, full of fine mu­ the second. Sonny Truitt, composer, arranger. sicians, that we’d like to have over in I can’t really say a lot more for it. The thing suggests to me Brubeck, England. Full of team spirit, a con­ There were a couple of brass entries though I wouldn’t like to go a? far as scientiousness about what they’re doing that weren’t just as clean as I think to say it was. I thought it was very that I like very much. they ought to be; the recording was beautiful, the scoring was very fine. There? so many bands all over the good. This is not the sort of record I Maybe a point of issue is whether so world that the musicians don’t give would buy. One star. much scoring is desirable or if there two-bits what happens as long as, they

AUGUST 24. 1955 25