The Best Of Bostic

Flamingo

The Best Of Bostic
King Records, Inc. - Cincinnati, Ohio
395-500

From the back cover: A name that has always been high on the list of great jazz musicians of our era is the King Of The Alto Sax, Earl Bostic.

Although Earl has been recording for the past ten years, his true genius was not recognized by the general public until fairly recently.

Earl was born in Toledo, Ohio. Becoming interested in music through a friend of his who played in a local orchestra, Earl started playing in the high school band at Booker T. Washington High School in Toledo, and that is the start of what is to become a fabulous musical career. Earl attended Xavier University in New Orleans and most of his musical knowledge was taught to him by a nun there.

Besides being recognized as to top alto man in the music world, Earl is quite an arranger as well as composer. He made his first musical arrangement in high school on "St. Louis Blues" by humming the parts and writing them down. He has composed many of his recorded hits and also such tunes as "Let Me Off Uptown," "The Major And The Minor" and "Brooklyn Bridge" that were recorded by his fellow musicians and became big successes.

Earl has played with many great bands – Don Redman, Cab Calloway and Lionel Hampton to name a few. Before forming his present small combo, Bostic did arranging for Louis Prima for over six years, Lionel Hampton for two years and Jack Teagarden for one year. He made his first recording in 1942 with The Lionel Hampton Sextext where he played alongside such greats as Red Allen, J. C. Higginbotham, Sid Catlett, Teddy Wilson and the great Hamp.

Included in this first 12" long playing album by Earl Bostic are some of the biggest hit recordings that Earl has had released on single records. His rendition of "Flamingo" is recognized by the jazz purist, as well as the layman, as being one of the greatest arrangements of this particular standard. "Serenade," "I Can't Give You Anything Buy Love," "Always," "I'm Gettin' Sentimental Over You," all great standards, as well as some originals that Earl is so famous for – "What No Pearls," "Seven Steps," "Don't You Do It" – to name a few – are included here.

Flamingo
Always
Deep Purple
Smoke Rings
What No Perals
Jungle Drums
Serenade
I Can't Give You Anything But Love
Seven Steps
I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
Don't You Do It
Steamwhistle Jump