One More Time - Gaslight Club - Sol Yaged

 

St. James Infirmary Blues

One More Time

Jack Bari Presents Sol Yaged and His Quartet

Live At The Gaslight Club

Recorded on location at The Gaslight Club, N.Y.

Engineer: Harry Hirsch of J.A.C. Recording Co.

Photos by V. Bench

Photos and Design by Jules Golden

Lane L.P. 154

1967

From the back cover: The Sol Yaged Trio became a quartet when Ray Nance joined the group in 1965, after more than twenty years with Duke Ellington. Leonard Feather, in the Encyclopedia of Jazz called him "...one of the most brilliant and versatile musicians in jazz." His brilliant trumpet style is especially evident on Nagasaki where his remarkable singing rhythms are also heard. His versatility is dramatically demonstrated when he changes to his violin and renders the best Autumn Leaves this listener has ever heard.

Sam Ulano has rightly been compared to a spark plug: the energy that gets things moving. One of his recent recordings, made with Tony Parenti's Trio, was given a five-star review in Down Beat Magazine, and was picked by John Wilson of the New York Times as one of the ten best jazz records of the year. Sam's spark on that record is readily recognizable, and you can hear that flashing sound on each song of this record. A great teacher of drummers and author of many definitive books on drumming, he is also a fine entertainer who will always bring down the house with his special pyrotechnics on the drums.

Dave Martin, whose fame as a composer and arranger is only exceeded by his ability as a pianist, completes the quartet. Listen to his left hand playing in St. Louis Blues and for a moment you believe you hear a quintet with a bassist. Closely associated with such jazz notables as Sy Oliver and Buck Clayton as pianist, we may sometimes forget that he wrote the wonderful score of Langston Hughe's play Simply Heavenly. His genius for creation is evident in his solos and accompaniments; his harmonies and chords, absolutely correct, are at the same time highly original.

You don't have to be a jazz buff to recognize the tunes on this record, or the special quality of Sol's fantastic wailing solo on Nagasaki; Ray Nance's vocal eminence on Winchester Cathedral; the time-prefect lead-in fills before each phrase that Sam Ulano registers; and Dave Martin's perfect time-keeping, sets and maintains the pace.

Thanks must go to Burton Browne, the originator of the Gaslight Clubs, who so wisely provided the perfect setting for such a perfect group. Vinnie Benich, the manager of the New York club and Jack Bari, host of the Speakeasy Room and producer of the record, aware of the underlying spirituality of such music, cater to maintaining a mood which helps the listener achieve the total experience that only jazz offers. – Bill Morrison & Marshall Brown.

Winchester Cathedral

Wolverine Blues

Autumn Leaves

St. James Infirmary Blues

Ain't Misbehavin'

Nagasaki

Crazy Rhythm 

St. Louis Blues

Hindustan