Some Of My Favorites - Dave Garroway

Hi-Fi Baby

Some Of My Favorites
Dave Garroway presents Matt Dennis and Red Norvo
RCA Victor LPM-1449
1957

Personnel:

Matt Dennis Orchestra:

Howard Roberts - Guitar
Clifford Hils - Bass
Alvin Stoller - Piano
Jimmy Rowles - Piano
Ted Nash - Sax
Don Fagerquist - Trumpet

Red Norvo Sextext:

Red Norvo - Vibes and Xylophone
Ben Webster - Sax
Harry "Sweets" Edison - Trumpet
Jimmy Rowles - Piano
Bob Carter - Bass
Bill Douglass - Drums

From the back cover: These superb pieces for Matt's voice are coupled with a series of blues numbers by the Red Norvo group. Certainly Norvo needs no introduction to anyone. He is a traditional jazz musician of the highest caliber, and for these recordings, has surrounded himself with some of the most competent sidemen of our time. Ben Webster on tenor sax and Harry "Sweets" Edison (both appear through the courtesy of Norman Granz) complement each other all the way through, and are supported with superb behind-the-scenes piano by Jimmy Rowles. Webster's choruses are all marked by a tremendous mastery of the horn that has been his trademark for many years. There is only one Ben Webster, and he demonstrates why on these sides.

All these blues are reminiscent of the after-hours jam sessions that went on in the forties but have disappeared in this day and age. The lush, flowing, reflective style of these musicians shows a logical progression of jazz in the traditional manner. It's as though Red said, "Now this is so, and this is so, and another thing is that this is so, too; and therefore, logically, this is so. Of course, looking at it another way, you could say it this way, and this way, and come out with still the same logical conclusions – like this..." each "this" in the above being a riff or phrase of music. Norvo's playing is, as always, utterly discreet without losing that basis of all jazz – the beat. – Dave Garroway

There's A Small Hotel - Matt Dennis
The Night Is Blue - Red Norvo
Lush Life - Matt Dennis
Easy On The Eye - Red Norvo
Just A Mood - Red Norvo
The End Of A Love Affair - Matt Dennis
Sunrise Blues - Red Norvo
Hi-Fi Baby - Matt Dennis