Four Horns And A Lush Life - Russ Garcia

 

Just One Of Those Things

Four Horns And A Lush Life

Russ Garcia and His Orchestra

Cover Design by Burt Goldblatt

Photography by Stan Levy

Engineer: Val Valentin

Bethlehem Records BCP-46

1956

Personnel:

Conductor - Russ Garcia - 

Trombone - Frank Rosolino, Herbie Harper, Tommy Pederson & Maynard Ferguson (Courtesy Emarcy Records)

Drums - Stan Levey

Bass - Red Mitchell

Piano - Marty Patch

Baritone Saxophon - Dick Houlgate

From the back cover: It is only in recent years that the theory of standard instrumentation for band of vocal has been shattered. Time was when musician and listener alike accepted the prevailing mode as the sacrosanct formula for organizing a successful musical aggregation.

Admittedly, economics were an important factor in forcing this condition on the music business, and even today makes its presence felt in the conventional, non-experimental dance units that dot the scene.

As in any art form, however, there emerges an element that denounces the norms of standard procedure, and suggests an experimental framework on which newer and greater presentations can be fashioned. Thus, in this LP, Bethlehem offers four trombones with support from a rhythm section and a baritone sax that validates the experimental cause.

This orchestral sound was first hear supporting Frances Faye on her initial Bethlehem LP (BCP-23). Then, as now, Russ Gracia was responsible for the distinctive arrangements that characterize this sound. Because it IS a different approach, it was concluded that the four "bones" should have an outing on their own with similar rhythm backing – only the guitar is absent – and a baritone sax added for support.

The trombone playing members of the group are the same men who worked on the Frances Faye date with great success. Slide trombones were in the hands of Herbie Harper, Tommy Pederson and Frank Rosolino, while Maynard Ferguson romped through the proceedings on valve trombone. Each member of this quartet has distinguished himself as an artist in brass, and their blended talents has produced a trombone choir that is unexcelled.

Three of the foremost rhythm men on the west coast were chosen for the date and come again turned in stellar performances. Marty Paich, who divides his musical week between playing and arranging, is heard on piano. Red Mitchell, a veritable giant in his division, is on bass, and the drummer is the every-dependable southpaw, Stan Levey. The baritone parts were neatly executed by Dick Houlgate.

Special mention must be given here to Russ Garcia who arranged and conducted the date. Russ has been in music for most of his working life and actually has sufficient work around the Hollywood movie studios to provide him with an ample income. Possibly the confining aspects of studio work have led him to seek more flexible outlets fo this "spare time" experiments. His first LP for Bethlehem (BCP-1040) which is entitled "Wigville" seems to bear out this point for it contains some compositions and arranging that are completely divorced from the average movie sound track.

Russ also has the happy faculty of giving new life to tunes that seem to be out of the jazz orbit as well as blending his cleanly written harmonics into the ballads selected. – Joe Quinn

I'll Never Forget What's Her Name (The Lo-est_)

But Beautiful

Dancing On The Ceiling

The Boy Next Door

Just One Of Those Things

Zigeuner

Limehouse Blues

Lush Life

Lover, Come Back To Me

Ramona

Someone To Watch Over Me

What Is This Thing Called Love