GIVING A JAZZ RECORD AS A GIFT by Eric Myers National Times, December 7, 1980 ______________________________________________________________ The National Times opera critic JOHN CARMODY, Sydney Morning Herald jazz critic ERIC MYERS and rock writer SHANE NICHOLS prepared this guide to records most likely to be gratefully received. They cover a range of tastes and should be available. ______________________________________________________________ f you are buying a jazz record as a gift, you should determine the style preferred. There are so many different, although related, idioms I congregating under the banner of "jazz" that it is rarely possible, these days, to buy a "jazz" album that suits all tastes. Duke Ellington At Fargo 1940 Live (Book Of The Month Records 305622). If the recipient likes big band jazz, you could do no better than the three-record set Duke Ellington At Fargo 1940 Live (Book Of The Month Records 305622). This was a performance at the Crystal Ballroom, Fargo, North Dakota, on 1 November 7, 1940. Many critics believe, with some justice, that this particular line-up of musicians was the greatest that Ellington ever assembled. This was a special performance - the first night Ray Nance played in the trumpet section, having just replaced Cootie Williams, who had left to join Benny Goodman. Rex Stewart is also in the section. The saxophones include Barney Bigard (clarinet), Johnny Hodges (alto) and Ben Webster (tenor) among others; Tricky Sam Nanton and Lawrence Brown are among the trombones; and the great Jimmy Blanton is on bass. It is a distinguished line-up, and the band roars through the Ellington repertoire with all the qualities that made it the greatest big band in jazz. The Complete Sidney Bechet, Volumes 1 and 2 (RCA VJL 20281). If your recipient is a devotee of New Orleans-style jazz, I would be tempted to give the two-record set The Complete Sidney Bechet, Volumes 1 and 2 (RCA VJL 20281). The two giants of New Orleans jazz, or "dixieland" as it became known when played by white musicians, I would say Louis Armstrong (trumpet) and Sidney Bechet (clarinet and soprano saxophone). While Armstrong became a celebrated figure, Bechet probably does not have the wider recognition. outside jazz buffs, that he deserves, as the first important saxophonist in jazz. On these records, his playing is so rich, passionate and swinging that he tends to dwarf his various sidemen who, incidentally, were mostly great names in jazz themselves. 2 Mike Nock Quartet, In Out And Around (Muse Records T1313) In the modern jazz area, an agreeable LP to consider is the Mike Nock Quartet's In Out And Around (Muse Records T1313), which represents the return to acoustic music that has taken place in jazz generally, following the excesses of "jazz/rock fusion" during the 1970s. Recorded in New York in 1978, this disc features Nock on piano, and Mike Brecker (tenor saxophone) who might be familiar to middle-of-the-road music fans through his appearances on the early records of Michael Franks. Here, he plays expressive and uncompromising tenor. George Mraz is on acoustic bass and Al Foster, best known for his work with the Sonny Rollins Quartet, is on drums. George Mraz is the bassist on this album… 3 Crossfire, East Of Where (EMI — 600072) If you are considering an album in the jazz/rock fusion area, the LP East Of Where (EMI — 600072) is a superb effort by Crossfire, the leading Australian group in this genre. The compositions, by pianist Michael J Kenny and guitarist Jim Kelly, are relatively complex; they may be difficult to appreciate on first hearing, but they mature beautifully the more this record is played. Michael Franks, One Bad Habit (Warner Bros BSK 3427) 4 For a vocal LP which has a mixture of jazz orientation and commercial appeal, try Michael Franks's latest LP One Bad Habit (Warner Bros BSK 3427). One of the great contemporary songwriters, Michael Franks's witty and cultivated lyrics are completely alive to the more subtle, intimate pleasures of life, and his recording sessions always include fine musicians. George Benson, Give Me The Night (Warner Bros H53453) Another great LP on the fringes of jazz is George Benson's Give Me The Night (Warner Bros H53453), which has the golden touch of the producer Quincy Jones. It includes a good dose of African-American "funk" music but, as a great jazz guitarist who made the transition to popular music, Benson's playing is underpinned by the jazz tradition, and he is a magnificent singer. _______________________________________________________________ Addendum: Eric Myers (National Times, Dec 7-13) regrets that he urged the buying of “Duke Ellington At Fargo 1940 Live” believing it to be available. The record is not freely available and Myers suggests as an alternative any of the 11 volumes of “The Complete Duke Ellington 1928 – 1938” (CBS S2VL88242). These records are distributed in Australia by Avan-Guard who say they are freely available. What's more, a 12th volume is about to be released. 5 .