~:~i&.ore revi~ed by· Chris Albertson, Mike Bourne, Bill Cole, Alan Heineman, Wayne· :·•.Jones,:Larry. 'kart, Joe H. Klee, John Litweiler, John McDonough, Do~ Morgenstern, Don /Nefsen, Doug Rain.sey,Larry Ridley, Harvey Siders, Carol Sloane, and Jim Szantor . •dtc:vlews are: signed by. the writers. _._, ,_ .· .. recur· ,Ratings ·are:.*****excellent, * * ** very· good, * ** good, * * fair, * poor. Mo~t'recordings reviewed are. available for purchase through the down beat/RECORD CLUB. ·

solo and most effective is the exposed por­ spirit of the memorable organization are THE ALBERT tion (the longest) in which he reworks remarkably well recaptured, especially in THE ALBERT-Perception PLP 9: Pity The nearly identical phrases and improves the broiling Things To Come. The work Child; Things Ain't Easy; Cold 'n' Hard; Been So Good (For So Long)/prelude, main theme; them with an energy and purpose not often of the trumpet section, inspired by the Misery/prelude, main theme; Let It Fall. witnessed. His only accompaniment during leader's stratospheric flights, is something Personnel: Jay Silva, Richard Meisterman, trumpets; Jon Huston, trombone, trumpet; Mi­ the tour de force segment is hand-clapping, to hear, and Gil Fuller's vintage arrange­ chael Gibson. trombone; Frank Vicari, tenor and Vicari transcends this distraction and ment stands the test of time-no big band saxophone; Howard Wyeth, organ, piano; Wil­ liam Chelf, piano (track 3 only); Paul Dickier, converts it to his favor as only an expert has ever sounded more "modern". guitar; Paul Petrucelli, bass; Barry Lazarowitz, improviser can. The Things Are Here ,is a reworking of drums; Otis Smith, vocals, congas. The Albert's charts (by Huston, Wyeth, the same material, played inside out. It Rating:***½ features "free" duo improvisations by Diz Trends. Followers. Is it possible for a and Gibson) are fragmented but to a delighful end-there's breathing room and and Owens, Woods and Moody, Fuller and group to be musically valid while being McIntosh (or Kelly?), and Shihab and the latter to the former? If so, it's all a sense of suspension; in other words, Payne, perhaps a mite too short but excit­ predicated upon the trend itself being valid. cognac instead of grape soda and pretzels. ing, and makes for a fitting climax. And -rock, big-band rock, fusion or The ensemble is not always together, the free-form rock seems to be in favor these intonation is sometimes painful and it Between those two steamrollers plenty days-if only as a vast improvement over seems that the wrong trumpet player is of meat is sandwiched. Paul West, a ca­ their predecessors in the cash register realm playing lead or his chops were down on pable bassist, is no match for of American music. the date (or worn by repeated takes). The in One Bass Hit, but Dizzy and the caloric So perhaps it's proper to ask whether rhythm section is near-perfect for the trumpets sizzle. Mike Longo's Frisco, or not there would be The Albert if group's conception and vocalist Smith (who from Dizzy's contemporary small-group Mariachi Oud Bands were the rage. doubles congas) delivers his messages with repertoire, is highlighted by a Moody flute Chances are there would not. But as long admirable control. Though the group may solo, plus pleasant contributions by the as jugglers and magicians need not justify have had adequate rehearsal for this date, composer and the leader. their professional existences I'll gladly let I sense that an important prerequisite for Con Alma, the sole ballad, has prime musicians off the hook. Especially The a boss result-hard, steady playing on ac­ Dizzy and an interesting alto solo by Albert, for they have utilized The Trend tual gigs-has not been experienced. Since Woods, reminiscent of Eric Dolphy. Jef­ only as a jumping-off point and have no recording dates ( or background info) frey, I believe, is responsible for the tenor turned their back to hit-making, bubblegum appear, how much of a barometer of cur­ spot in Things To Come, strongly flavored formulae. rent Albert this LP is is unknown. (The by middle Coltrane. Otherwise, this is not All this serves as a prelude to my intro­ group, with all of the above personnel a soloists' band ( one could have wished for ductory description of this unheralded new except Vicari, backed James Moody on his more Moody, Fuller, and Owens), but group, and that is: Happiness is an ad­ recent LP on the same label, The Teachers, with Dizzy taking care of business, why venturous yet tasteful group which I refuse PLP 6, released shortly before this al­ worry? to categorize that features Frank Vicari. bum.) The sound is as good a live big-band Though not as exciting as Chase nor as The Albert did not knock me cold, in one as you're like1y to hear on record, gJ.ibly and tightly arranged and pro­ the final analysis, but I'm on the ropes and with beautifully clear highs and excellent grammed as others in the twilight zone I urge one and all to check out this em­ balance. Finch reveals himself to be a between pure jazz and pure rock, The bryonic first recording. Furthermore, I'll first-class big band drummer (with that Albert has, if anything, a fragile personal­ pay any price for their next offering­ characteristic Chinese cymbal sound re­ ity all its own that could magnetize 1f the especially if Frank Vicari is on it. quired by the lt;ader), and the sax section, zeitgeist were to become truly quality­ -Szantor anchored in two strong baritones, has an oriented. The group employs brass chorales, unusual dark color. The trumpets, how­ soft rock, churchy organ (more Gregorian ever, are it. I believe it's Paz in the lead chantish than greasy gospel), space, soul­ chair. ful but restrained vocals, and hard jazz If the big bands ever do come back in REUNION BIG BAND-MPS 15 207: Things spots handled mainly by Vicari. The former To. Come; One Bass Hit; Frisco; Con Alma; The force, and it becomes feasible for Dizzy to Maynard Ferguson (1963-65) and Woody Thmgs Are He!e; T_hem~ (Birks' Works). lead one permanently, it will be something .Personnel: G1llesp1e, Victor Paz, , Herman ( three tenures as lead tenorist Dizzy Reece, Stu Hamer, trumpets· Curtis Fuller to hear. Meanwhile, this is a nice keepsake since October, 1965) sideman dominates Tom McIntosh, Ted Kelly, tro:Ubones; Chri; for Stateside listeners who never got to Woods, alto saxophone; James Moody, tenor the album with his authoritative, un­ sax~phon~. flute; Ji'aul Jeffrey, tenor saxophone; hear this bunch in person. -Morgenstern clu!tered, and above all sensitive improvi­ Sa!11b Sh1hab, C~cd Pa_yne, baritone saxophones; ~1ke Longo, piano; Paul West, bass· Candy sal!ons. Fmch, drums. ' Vicari debuts on Cold. which contains Rating:**** a gassy organ intro and good horn writing Recorded in Berlin in the fall of 1968 throughout. The tenorist steps out with a this LP captures the big band assembled W<;>ODY-Cadet LPS-845: Blues in the Night; solo more multi-noted than is his wont A Tzme For Love; Smiling Phases; Saccharine especially for Dizzy's European tour of Sally: How Can I Be Sure; A Stone Called but some of the groovy characteristics of that year. By the time it hit in Berlin, the Person. his style (pithy phrases beginning on an Personnel: Rigby Powell. Forrest Buchtel. Tony band qad played concerts in seven coun­ Klatka, Tom Harrell, Bill Byrne, trumpets; Ira A-nat_ural above high C and staccato-legato tries and achieved the cohesion of a regu­ Nepus, ~urr Berg, Luten Taylor, trombones; phrasmg that communicates, to name a lar outfit. A pity it had to disband after Frank T1bert, Steve Lederer Sal Nistico tenor few) emerge and conquer. saxophones; Jim Thomas, baritone sa-x~phone; the tour. Al.an Broadbent, acoustic and electric piano; Been ~o Good, marred only by quasi­ The !woopening numbers are from the Mike Goodrick, guitar· Tom Azarello electric symphomc brass pretension (one of the bass; Evan Diner, drum;. , reperto1re of the great 1946-50 Gillespie No Rating group's recurring weaknesses), is about band (of which Kelly, Moody and Payne the best track. Vicari delivers his longest Woody Herman recorded for Cadet in were members). The unique sound and Chicago last July 29-30. I attended both