Sound And Fury - Sid Bass

 

High On A Windy Hill

Sound And Fury

With Sid Bass and His Orchestra

Conducted by Sid Bass

Produced and Directed by Herman Diaz, Jr.

Recorded at Webster Hall, New York City, December 24 and 27, 1956 and February 18, 1957

Vik LX-1084

1957

From the back cover: Sid Bass' new Vin album – to paraphrase Shakespeare's famous lies from Macbeth – is a tale told by a master musician, "full of sound and fury," signifying the powerful force music has always been for god and evil.

Music has been irrevocably linked with emotions and the elements since the days of antiquity. Al great music is a "physical storm," and all the great composers were instinctively attuned to the universal rhythm of the spheres. Here Sid Bass brings the turbulence and excitement of modern jazz to the musical interpretations of  nature on a weather binge. His barometric range covers a variety of selections, including the sultry Bass original The Lightning And The Thunder, and interestingly understated version of the dramatic oldie High On A Windy Hill, and a refreshingly new treatment of the lovely standard Gone With The Wind.

Music many have the power to so the the savage beast, but it also has the power to evoke violent emotions, and Bass expresses the impact of such raging feelings with remarkable musical fidelity. The drum, for instance – a symbol of warfare since the Middle Ages – can whip entire tribes into uncontrollable primitive frenzies of emotion with its pulsating, hypnotic tempo.

Bass utilize the drum with striking effectiveness in this album. Its insistent, erotic beat sets the mood for his haunting Swamp Fire, Jungle Drums, Hawaiian War Chant and The Chant Of The Jungle. The drum also sparks Pickin' A Fight, a swingy spattune, and underscores the rhythmic agitation of Wild Ride (another Bass original), Power House and the title Sound And Fury. 

In addition to the exciting ensemble work of the orchestra, there are some sparkling solos sprinkled throughout these Sid Bass arrangements. Featured on The Lightning And The Thunder is an unabashed trombone solo by Urbie Green. The Bass original Pickin' A Fight forms a wild framework for the trumpet altercation between Charlie Shavers and Joe Wilder. And the swingin' rhythm  section composed of George Barnes on guitar, Osie Johnson on drums, Lou Stein on piano and Sandy Bloch on bass create a rhythmic excitement that is felt on every tune. – June Bundy (June Bundy has been one of The Billboard's ace reporters for many years.)

From Billboard - September 9, 1957: Title describes content perfectly. Bass has dealt with pretty much one mood, but still provides variety thru use of various agitated rhythms and sounds – all knowingly exploited in a manner to gas the hi-fi bugs. Some jazzmen are used provocatively – for example, the two trumpets of C. Shavers and J. Wilder in a stratospheric "battle." Includes such as "Power House," "Jungle Drums," and a good demo band in this title number.

Sound And Fury

Fightin' Josh

Hawaiian War Chant

High On A Windy Hill

Wild Ride

Power House

The Lightning And The Thunder

Swamp Fire

Gone With The Wind

Jungle Drums

Pickin' A Fight

The Chant Of The Jungle