VERY SIMPLY! the Quintessential Roy Eldridge

DON'T MISS OUT on back issues The Quintessential Roy Eldridge of MR! by Nat Hentoff When jam sessions and after -hours Pass and drummer Eddie Locke -not jousts abounded, tales used to be told only contains more of Roy's intense of especially galvanic contests. As horn but also, as a rather rare bonus, when, late one night in Harlem in the his singing as well. Eldridge's vocals early 1940's, Dizzy Gillespie, having are an extension of his horn playing, failed many times to best Roy El- the phrasing being instrumental, and dridge (the flesh and symbol of swing - they are just as warm as his horn. The Just send $1.50 plus $.25 for era hot jazz trumpet) finally toppled playing and the singing reverberate postage and handling per issue that fiery master. The young bopper's with such an undiminished delight in to: Back Issues Dept. triumph gave heart to all the then be- the life of improvisatory music, even Modern Recording leaguered avant -gardists. If "Little after all these decades, that Norman 15 Columbus Circle Jazz" (as Roy was called) could fall, Granz may very well be right when he New York, N.Y. 10023 why then the walls of the city would says that Roy is the quintessential soon crumble. spirit of jazz. Eldridge, perhaps the fiercest Check box: #1 [ ] #2 L com- These recordings, like practically all petitor in the history of jazz, took the in the Pablo line, are engineered with Print name clearly: defeat hard but kept honing his skills, an admirable sensitivity to the need in playing his own way, refusing to adopt a jazz recording (any recording, for Name the musical linguistics of bop, and sur- that matter) for the kind of space -clar- vived. Once modern jazz had become ity which enables all the parts to be Address pervasively established, Eldridge sur- heard all the time. vived in a kind of twilight, like many Also on Pablo is a quite astonishing City swing players. An energetic devotee of 21- year -old trumpet player whom the work ethic, Roy always found jobs, State Zip Charles Mingus was one of the first to but he was out of fashion even though unearth. In Oscar Peterson & Jon his playing remained stingingly, crack - Faddis, the latter indicates he already lingly exciting -a full- throated lyri- has prodigious technique but also a VERY SIMPLY! cism powered by a lashing beat. lyrical sweep and a boldness of concep- Now, with Norman Granz back in tion that should insure a formidable the record business (the label is career. Currently, Faddis is more than Pablo), Eldridge, after fifteen years of somewhat influenced by Dizzy Gilles- The LOWEST prices extremely intermittent recording, is pie, but this will pass as he comes into abundantly featured in the Pablo cat- his own age; and perhaps one day, at around on all alogue. So far, the two sets sure to an after -hours tournament somewhere, become key additions to the Eldridge Faddis will do to Dizzy what Dizzy did DBX noise reduction canon are Oscar Peterson & Roy Eld- to Roy. And Dizzy too will more than ridge and Happy Time. The former survive. equipment, lone of a series in which necessarily re- limiters, sourceful trumpet players are paired with just piano) ROY and is an absorbing revel- ELDRIDGE: Oscar Peterson & noise meters. ation of the scope and depth of Eld- Roy Eldridge. [Norman Granz, pro- ridge's powers at the advanced age ducer; Ed Green, engineer; recorded (for a trumpet player) of sixty -four. at MGM Studios, Los Angeles, Cal.] Still rampant are his cockiness, wit, Pablo 2310 -739. Try us first! pungency of sound (whether open or muted) and that lithe, crisp beat. ROY ELDRIDGE: Happy Time. [Nor- We ship anywhere. There is, it should be noted, a long man Granz, producer; Bob Simpson, "Bad Hat Blues" (with Peterson on engineer; recorded at RCA Record- organ) that is one of the most grace- ing Studios, New York, N.Y.] Pablo ful, intimately ardent blues trumpet 2310 -746. performances in all of jazz literature. SOUND IDEAS Roy, soft, can be as shattering as Roy ROY ELDRIDGE: Oscar Peterson & 151 W. 46th St. riding thunderbolts. Jon Faddis. [Norman Granz, produc- Happy Times -on which Eldridge is er; Bob Simpson, engineer; recorded New York, N.Y. 10036 appreciatively accompanied by Peter- at RCA Recording Studios, New York, Pablo Tel: (212) 575- 171 I son, bassist Ray Brown, guitarist Joe N.Y.] 2310 -743. CIRCLE 23 ON READER SERVICE CARD 68 MODERN RECORDING .

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