120802bk Artie2 6/9/05 5:20 PM Page 8 The Naxos Historical labels aim to make available the greatest recordings of the history of recorded music, in the best and truest sound that contemporary technology can provide. To achieve this aim, Naxos has engaged a number of respected restorers who have the dedication, skill and experience to produce restorations that have set new standards in the field of historical recordings. Available in the Naxos Jazz Legends series … 8.120615 8.120744 8.120749 8.120750 8.120767 8.120768 These titles are not for retail sale in the USA 120802bk Artie2 6/9/05 5:20 PM Page 2 Tracks 10-11: Chuck Peterson, John Best, Bernie Tracks 15 & 17: Billy Butterrfield, trumpet; Artie ARTIE SHAW Vol.2 Privin, trumpets; George Arus, Les Jenkins, Shaw, clarinet; Johnny Guarnieri, harpsichord; Harry Rogers, trombones; Artie Shaw, clarinet; Al Hendrickson, electric guitar; Jud DeNaut, ‘Concertos for Clarinet’ Original Recordings 1937-1940 Les Robinson, Hank Freeman, alto sax; Tony bass; Nick Fatool, drums Of all of the stars of the Big Band Era, none was Benny Goodman of “Sing, Sing, Sing”, highlighted Pastor, Georgie Auld, tenor sax; Bob Kitsis, Track 16: Billy Butterfield, Jack Catchcart, less suited for success than Artie Shaw. A rugged by the tom-toms of Cliff Leeman (although Shaw piano; Al Avola, guitar; Sid Weiss, bass; George Wendt, trumpets; Jack Jenney, Vernon George Wettling, drums individualist, idealist, and elitist, Shaw was had shown that he favoured the clarinet/tom-tom Brown, trombones; Artie Shaw, clarinet; Bus jettisoned into the mainstream with his 1938 hit combination before Goodman and Gene Krupa Track 12: Chuck Peterson, John Best, Bernie Bassey, Neely Plumb, alto sax; Les Robinson, recording of Cole Porter’s “Begin the Beguine”, made it a trademark at Goodman’s legendary Privin, trumpets; George Arus, Les Jenkins, Jerry Jerome, tenor sax; E. Lamas, T. Boardman, which changed his life and eventually shortened 1938 Carnegie Hall jazz concert). Harry Rogers, trombones; Artie Shaw, clarinet; T. Klages, Bob Morrow, B. Bower, Al Beller, his career. The problem with Shaw was that he The two-part song simply called The Blues is Les Robinson, Hank Freeman, alto sax; Tony violins; A. Harshman, K. Collins, violas; F. had difficulty understanding that ‘music business’ in blues form as its title implies, but is really a Pastor, Georgie Auld, tenor sax; Bob Kitsis, Goerner, cello; Johnny Guarnieri, piano; Al contained two distinctively different words and he medium tempo boogie-woogie kicked off by John piano; Al Avola, guitar; Sid Weiss, bass; Buddy Hendrickson, electric guitar; Jud DeNaut, bass; spent much of his career trying to do one while Best’s growling trumpet intro. When Shaw comes Rich, drums Nick Fatool, drums fighting off the demands of the other. The songs in two choruses later, it is with a vengeance: Tracks 13-14: Charlie Margulis, Manny Klein, Track 18: Billy Butterfield, Jack Catchcart, in this compilation were recorded during the most virtuosic flurries of cascading notes that precedes George Thow, trumpets; Randall Miller, Bill George Wendt, trumpets; Jack Jenney, Vernon critical period in Shaw’s career, beginning in 1937 John Coltrane’s ‘sheets of sound’ by two decades. Rank, Babe Bowman, trombone; Artie Shaw, Brown, Ray Conniff, trombones; Artie Shaw, when his attempts at playing ‘symphonic swing’ Over the years, countless comparisons have been clarinet; Joe Krechter, bass clarinet; Blake clarinet; Bus Bassey, Neely Plumb, alto sax; Les (combining a jazz combo with a string section) made between the two kings of clarinet swing: Reynolds, Bud Carlton, Jack Stacey, alto sax; Robinson, Jerry Jerome, tenor sax; E. Lamas, T. failed and he gave in to commercial pressures by Goodman and Shaw, but while Benny often Dick Clark, tenor sax; Jack Cave, French horn; Boardman, T. Klages, Bob Morrow, B. Bower, reluctantly forming what he called ‘the loudest swung harder, Artie continually exhibited better Morton Ruderman, flute; Phil Nemoli, oboe; Al Beller, violins; A. Harshman, K. Collins, Mark Levant, Harry Bluestone, Peter Eisenberg, violas; F. Goerner, cello; Johnny Guarnieri, goddamn band in the world’. chops and did more imaginative things in his solos Robert Barene, Sid Brokaw, Dave Cracov, Alex piano; Al Hendrickson, electric guitar; Jud By July 1937 the strings were gone and, despite than Benny did. Law, Jerry Joyce, violins; David Sturkin, Stanley DeNaut, bass; Nick Fatool, drums its name, Art Shaw and his New Music (held over The underrated and inventive singer Leo Spiegelman, Jack Gray, violas; Irving Lipschultz, from his early sessions with the string ensemble) Watson solos on another Shaw original, Shoot Jules Tannenbaum, cellos; Stan Wrightsman, was just another swing band. But from the outset, The Likker To Me, John Boy from September piano; Bobby Sherwood, guitar; Jud DeNaut, the difference was the brilliance of Shaw’s clarinet 1937, Shaw’s last recording made for Brunswick. bass; Carl Maus, drums playing. After the conventional opening of Sweet By his next session (his first for RCA Victor), Shaw Adeline, Shaw’s horn emerges like a searchlight had dispensed with the name Art after a press out of the darkness. His interplay with vocalist agent told him that ‘Art Shaw’ sounded like a Tony Pastor shows Shaw’s facile ability to do just sneeze. From then on, it was Artie. about anything he wanted to on his clarinet. At the first Victor session, the old Rudolph Shaw’s jungle-esque composition Chant is Friml operetta favourite Indian Love Call had the reminiscent of Jimmy Mundy’s arrangement for misfortune of being paired with “Begin the Original monochrome photo of Artie Shaw from Michael Ochs Archives / Redferns 2 8.120802 8.120802 7 120802bk Artie2 6/9/05 5:20 PM Page 6 13. Frenesi 3:03 16. Star Dust 2:21 Beguine”, which quickly became one of the biggest equally individualistic and irascible as their leader. (Alberto Dominguez) (Hoagy Carmichael–Mitchell Parish) hits of the Swing Era. “Indian Love Call” proved With their arrival (first Auld and then Rich), Artie Shaw & His Orchestra Artie Shaw & His Orchestra Shaw’s orchestra capable of swinging as hard as Shaw’s rhythm became more insistent, the swing Victor 26542, mx PBS 042546-1 Victor 27230, mx PBS 055097-1 that of Goodman or any other band at that time, more apparent. Recorded 3 March 1940, Hollywood Recorded 7 October 1940, Hollywood with Tony Pastor’s gutty vocal driving the swing Shaw’s main complaint about the Swing Era, 14. Gloomy Sunday 3:40 17. Dr Livingstone, I Presume? 3:22 even harder. aside from calling jitterbugs ‘morons’, was that (Laszlo Javor–Rezso Seress–Sam M. Lewis) (Artie Shaw) Shaw’s first RCA session also saw the bands relied too much on riff tunes and pat call- Artie Shaw & His Orchestra; Artie Shaw & His Gramercy 5– introduction of Billie Holiday as his vocalist, a and-response arrangements. Though this is what Pauline Byrne, vocal Victor 27289, mx PBS 055195-1 brazen act for its time that raised eyebrows and made for great dancing, Shaw bristled at being Victor 26563, mx PBS 042548-1 Recorded 5 December 1940, Hollywood caused controversy wherever the band traveled. called a ‘dance band leader’ and continued to Recorded 3 March 1940, Hollywood 18. Concerto For Clarinet 9:20 Black performers had occasionally performed as stretch the limits of what conventions were in 15. Summit Ridge Drive 3:20 (Artie Shaw) instrumentalists with white bands, but few had the place during the Big Band Era. Rosalie was (Artie Shaw) Artie Shaw & His Orchestra gumption to feature one out front as a vocalist. another Cole Porter offering from a film of the Artie Shaw & His Gramercy 5– Victor 36385, mx PCS 055226-1, 055227-1 But riding high on the success of “Begin the same name while Pastel Blue (co-written by Shaw Victor 26763, mx PBS 055062-1 Recorded 17 December 1940, Hollywood Beguine”, Shaw now had the power to do with the great trumpet virtuoso Charlie Shavers) Recorded 3 September 1940, Hollywood Transfers & production: David Lennick anything he wanted, and what he wanted was the showed Shaw painting an Ellington-esque portrait Digital Restoration: Graham Newton best singer in the business at the time. Holiday with his band; its ending culminated by Artie rose to the occasion, her voice and style fully climbing the scale to a stratospheric high ‘C’ developed by now after a stint with Count Basie in (concert B-flat). Personnel 1937. Although her time with Shaw was brief, her One of Shaw’s most frenetic performances Tracks 1-2: John Best, Malcolm Crain, Tom di Tracks 6-7: Chuck Peterson, John Best, Claude vocal on Any Old Time is confident and self- comes on Traffic Jam, which is kicked off by Shaw Carlo, trumpets; Harry Rogers, George Arus, Bowen, trumpets; George Arus, Ted Vesley, assured; her years with Shaw would lead to glissing like an ambulance siren before shifting trombones; Artie Shaw, clarinet; Les Robinson, Harry Rogers, trombone; Artie Shaw, clarinet; greater stardom as a solo performer. into overdrive, propelled by Buddy Rich’s Harry Freeman, alto sax; Tony Pastor, Fred Les Robinson, Hank Freeman, alto sax; Tony Non-Stop Flight is one of Artie Shaw’s best supercharged drumming. Shouts from the Petry, tenor sax; Les Burness, piano; Al Avola, Pastor, Ronnie Perry, tenor sax; Les Burness, original compositions and along with Softly, As In normally reserved band show what the guitar; Ben Ginsberg, bass; Cliff Leeman, drums piano; Al Avola, guitar; Sid Weiss, bass; Cliff A Morning Sunrise, shows his ability to effortlessly combination of Shaw’s leadership and Rich’s Tracks 3-5: John Best, Malcolm Crain, Tom di Leeman, drums play in the highest register of the clarinet.