Granz Displays Sharp Ear These Are Recently - Cut Record- Anti Their Personnels

Chicago, April 20, 1951 THE BLINDFOLD TEST Things To Come Granz Displays Sharp Ear These are recently - cut record- anti their personnels. Though not all jazz sides, many may be of interest to Down Beat readers beraum* of some of the sidemen in the groups. Sy LEONARD FEATHER Do not ask your dealer for them until you see by the Beat Because Nomian Granz uas the first non-musi- record review section that they arr cian ever to take the Blindfold Test, and because it available. to i 3/16/51). R*od»—Hyml* Schertser end priii is part of his business to be up-to-date on records CHARLIE BARNETS ORCHESTRA (Canl- Artie Drellinger* a string section* rhythm •nd the st} les of recording artists, it was difficult to tol, 3/5/51). Trumpet*—Johnny C*pola, —Teddy Wilson, piano* Hy White, guitar* grei ■elect items with which he would be unfamiliar. Carleton Me Booth, Dick Collins, and Al Del Simon* * trombones—-Ziggy Elmer, To circumvent this problem, ani at the same time Dave Wells, and Lou McCreery, saxes ■ make things extra tricky for Norman, I included Dick Meldonian, Reae Bloch, EZddie Wasser and man, Willis Holman, Bob Dawes and Cher* several sides that were recorded at concerts, mainly lie Barnet* rhythm —Claude Williamson, in other countries and on records that haven’t been piano* Ed Mihelieh, has*, and John Mark­ ROBERTA QUINLAN with GEORGE SI­ imit released here. ham, drams. RA VO’S ORCHESTRA (Merrary, 3/12/51). Cherokee; Rod akin Rhumba; Skyliner and Trumpet»—•Loui« Macri, Jimmy Maxwell, Norman proved to be the most articulate blind- Tennoaaoe Walla (For Fun). Tony Fa«o, and Joe Ferrante* trombone« tine foldee since Stan Kenton, though with very differ­ —Buddy Morrow and Lon MeCarity* sa*M ent results, as the following verbatim quotes illus­ MARY LOU WILLIAMS’ TRIO (Atlantia, —Bernie Kaufman, Jimmy Horvath, Art doul trate. 3/7/51). Mary Lou Williams, piano* Carl Drellinger, Hank Roa», and Danny Bank * Pruitt, baa«, and Bill Clark, drams. rhythm -Billy Rowland, piano* Terry Sny­ to V der, vibes* Art Ryerson, guitar* Jaek Lea- Pagliacei; Optas Z-2; Mary's IFultaf Tha berg, bass, and Charli* Perry, drama. Surrey with tha Fringe on Top; My Firat Date with You; *S* Wonderful; You're the Any Old Timo You Say; Do You Dig 1. It’s Roy, isn't it? It has that same breathless- John Paoli; I'll Ba Thore with Balla Or, Nob ness Roy sometimes has Piano sounds a little and Old Smokey. Nob like Teddy; ut least he stalls as calmly as Teddy usually plays. Tenor doesn't kill me at ill This «on; ter Bishop, piano* Ted Kotick, bass* Jo«e hav< sounds almost like some of the old stuff the Benny —Andy Ferretti, Bill Clarke, and Bart Wal­ Manguel, bongos* Luis Miranda, e*nga, end lace* trombones -Buddy Morrow and Art Roy Haynes, drum». grei Goodman groups used to do. Give it two or two and Manners* »axe»—Faul Ricei, Ted Compera, a half, for the trumpet player. end Alfie Evans* violin Florian Zabach* Tiro Tiro and three other «idee, titles rhythm—Phil Wall, piano* Allen Hanlon, withheld by request. tout guitar* Paul Prins, bass, and Herb Quigley, 2. This doesn’t move me at ali so far is it from ELMO TANNER with LEROY HOLMES* that Goodman Carnegie hall album? I never got a ORCHESTRA (MGM, 3/15/51). Mickey Me- Miekle, trumpet* Hymie Schertser, Jack Hat chance to hear those Either this was made at Fulton, Hank Rocs, and Artie Drellinger, a concert or the applause ’vas faked in. I have to reeds* Lou Stein, piano* Hy White, guitar * SLIM GAILLARD’S QUINTET (M«rmiry, jew< compare this with my stuff—you know, on an aver­ 3/5/51). Slim Gaillard, guitar and vocals* age tour we record maybe five whole concerts to Ernie Shepherd, bas« and vocal«* Pep* trar get only two albums of music. People may dislike Beeque, bongoa* Dick Hyman, piano, and Perdido intensely, but at least it succeeds in what Herb LaVell*, drama. Piai it set out to do. 1. Roy Eldridge. Undecided (Vogue). Eldridge, trumpet* Zoot Sumac Orooni; Laughing in Rhythm, and BILLY TAYLOR’S QUARTET (Atlantic, Fra Sima, tenor* Dick Hyman, piano* Ed Sbaugbneaay, drum«* Pierre Goof Ball Gussie. 2/2O/S1). Billy Taylor, piano* John Col­ righ Stuff like that has to be at least exciting; it rep­ Miebelot, baas. Recorded in Pari», 1950. lin«, guitar* Al McKibbon, basa, and Shadow resents an excitement that I find totally lacking here .. . This doesn’t swing at all; I don’t know the solo­ Good Groove; Cuban Caper; N Aoi fa ists; they either couldn’t get with the rhytlun sectior Thora to Soyl; Somebody Loves Ma; If I or couldn’t get with themselves I thought I Hod You; Thon Swell; The Very Thought knew the tenor man but I got lost it could have anyway, the whole thing mish-mosh. I wouldn't buy it. Ño stars. CHESTRA (MGM, 3/2/51). French horns— Dirk Moore and William Sandburg* «axe» ■ 3. This is the Hampton thing with Johnny . . . Hymie Schertaer, Toot* Mondello, Al Klink, end Ben Harrod* violin* Leo Cruraek, Jack do, wait! I could’ve sworn I heard Carney in the Zade, Le* Bolo tine, Kurt Dieterle, Sylvan background. Maybe one of Duke’s later records. I Ki raener, and Joe Gomer* viola»- Howard don’t know the singer and don’t care f >r her . .. the STAN GETZ« QUARTET (Roost 3/1/51). Kaye and Henry Pelkine* relio Maurice Brown* rhythm-- -Ed Ryan, piano* Mundell recent Ellington sounds have been dispirited, lack Stan Geta, tenor* Horace Silver, piano* Joo Calloway, baas, and Walter Bolden, drums. Lowe, guitar* Ed Safranski, baca, and Bun the vigor cf the older band if this is Johnny, ny Shawker, drama. I’ve heard better, but the record a= a whole swings. ing slogans. What did progressive mean, anyway? My Prayer; Wonderful, 9 uan*t Hl; Deep Two and a half. Goodmat and Basie ana Ellington never needed a slogan. I’d hate to hen*' Kenton try to mess with BONNIE LAKE (JENNEY t with RUSS hey, that’s my kid, CASE’S ORCHESTRA (MGM, 3/12/51). some of the swinging bands at the Savoy. Duke Tony Faso, trumpet* Lou MeGarity, trom­ DAHL" ORCHESTRA (Colmubl., 3/1/511. Sonny Criss! I like him—too bad he doesn’t get a Ellington war the real pioneer in jazz concerts, and bone* Sid Cooper, flute* Artie Drollingor, Trombone» 1 ■George Arns and Jack Satter- brea» this must be from one of Gene’s concerts bas« clarinet* Milt Yaner, alto and clarinet * Seid* saxes-1 Bill Stegmeyer, Bernie Kauf« he can go into the Apollo or the Savoy and play a string section* Jack Russin, piano, Ed the same music he plays at a one-niter for dancing Safranski, bass; Mundell Lowe, guitar, end and at his concerts— things like Cotton Tail and Bunny Shawker, dram». McGhe. . . . One thing I’d have liked better, when Bountiful Madnesaf Bo Ono But Y*n| Scnny was taking it out, the others could have Ko-Ko are good anywhere. Hoppy Ending, and On tho Riviera. riffed behind him to build up the excitement. I With Stan it’s 20 men for dancing one year, 40 men for concert.-« the next. 1 guess next year he’ll WOODY HERM ASTS ORCHESTRA (MGM know the modern school doesn’t care to, but I would 3/14/51). Trumpet*—Doug Mettom*, Roy have motioned to them to do that. have___ to ______have __80 ____,___undthe year after that md Johnny Bello i Whoever this drummer was accented differently 160. If he or Pete have anything to say they can indell, Jerry Dorn, from the kind of drummer I like . . I like to hear say it just as well with 16 men. Give the record no xe«—Jack Dulong, a rhythm section build up behind a guy; here the stars, ■nd Woody Harman, elarl- Hulbert, baritonet Howard Bigg», Geno Ramey, base, end Al Taylor, fave McKenna, piano ; Red horns are swinging th«- rhythm section instead of Milt Larkin, vocal«. the other way around. If Dizzy or Bird played with 7. The trombone player’? all right . . . you know, and Sonny Igo*, drama. Basie’s band, for instance, they’d be fantastic . . . I have a feeling ubout Dixieland that’s probably I don’t know this pianist, didn’t hear enough. Give different from w’hat people would expect. I just this three-point-nine; I want to reserve four stars say live and let live. I guess what they’re trying for son ethmg really perfect. to do here, they do well; they seem to have an en­ thusiasm that comes through on the record ... Two- 5. You're sure finding some stuff I never heard ... beat has a certain rigid drive, although I don’t JIM WYNN^ BAND (Metenry, 3/18/51, nothing happens here; the rhythm section sounds particularly like it, and this trombonist is pretty MARIAN MePARTEAND’s Ql INTI,I in Hollywood). Jim Wynn, bariton** Ed trumpet might have been Buck, facile. Maybe it rates about three -tars for Dixie, (King, 3/1S/51). Marin MePartlaad, pi­ Hale, alto, Eddie Davis, tenor* Googoo but I wouldn’t buy it. ano* Reinhart Eleen, harp* Bernard Green­ Hutchinson, trumpet* Zeil Kindred, piano* but I won’t hazard a guess. It sure is an advantage house, relio * Bob Carter, ham, and Don Snake Sims, drum« and vocal«, Buddy to a solo.si to have an established, identifiable style, Woodson, boss, end Charlie Narria, guitar. which nobody has hen there is no justification 8. That’s Benny’s sextet . . Benny gets most of Strange Love; Beat Coast Lover; Dog for putting nut side a like this. One and a half. the solo time, as usual, doesn't give any of the hoarse Biases, and Gnaaie, Guaalo, Guaslo. other guys enough time to build . . . Teddy on IOOTS THE1LEMANS’ I RIO (Rainbow, you know, I don’t p.ano, I guess, and maybe. Hamp—or maybe it’s from Swedish Metronome, 11/15/50, ia Kenton likes this! It must be that that new kid, Terry. All the men are good for —kholm). Toots Theilemán», harmonica, Monotony. If it isn’t called Monotmy it should be. Benny’:- style—h« ’s careful selecting hie men; ’ Take it off, J don’t have to hear the rest. You know, for what Benny'» putting down, that’s a I’ve been following the Kenton band for years, and rhythm section. I like the record. Three stars. the only thing I ever liked were Peanut Vendor, AON with SY OLIVER’S OR- Lovtr, How High, the Moon, and things like that Afterthoughts By Norman aa, 2/27/51). Tony Fa«n. . . . it’s a shame; this «ould have been a real Baker, Harry Terrill, Art Outside of the thing with Wardell and S 11 Holcomb, reeds i Billy band, but it failed because Stan read a wouldn’t have bought any of the sides you t Barksdale, guitar* Joo i or something. He had some wonderful for me The vocal spoiled the Ellington side d Jimmy Crawford. raw material, eager young musicians, and music; My idea of a four star record would be but as Stan is verbose, his band is the same way. anything by Tatum. Or any of Ella’s balla, If you have a musical idea to sell you sell it on give You Turrud the Tables on Me five stars its own merits, you don’t press-agent it with a lot a lot of Sarah’s things. And you know who of loud talk. very much? Maybe this’ll surprise you—Mt This band cheats; it use1- gimmicks and advertis- Whiting!

Red Ballard, alt*»— Gill take their quartet into the re­ Dent Eeki*«* rhythm— Stage Shows Out vamped American Legion club six Snow Holts Krupa o* AHen Ronas, guitar* nights •. . . Bumps Blackwell md Ni*k Fatool, drum« At Seattle Palomar brought his Black & Ta i review One-Niter In Iowa into the Orpheum theater March KINS’ ORCHESTRA (Dm Seattle — The Palomar theater Cedar Rapids, la.—Gene Krupa ^mpet*—Erakine Hawkin«, has ehanged its policy again. Now and his touring bandsmen got in­ Samuel L*w*, and Jam*« Illinois Jacquet went into the «—Ted DeaaaUn Robert they have decided “no more stage Black 4 Tan club March 16 for to town promptly on the mornin; eg* Matthew» * aeaea ■ shows” and canceled out Billy two weeks. He was followed by of their March 11 one-niter at Ton