Senor Blues
Jazz For Play Girls
Supervision: Ozzie Cadena
Engineer: Rudy Van Gelder
Album Design: Portrait Productions
Savoy MG 12121
1958
Clyde Reasinger - Lead Trumpet
Joe Wilder - Jazz Trumpet
Bill Harris - Trombone (replaced by Billy Ver Planck on Du-Udah-Udah)
Phil Woods - Alto Sax
Seldon Powell - Tenor Sax
Gene Allen - Baritone Sax
Eddie Costa - Vibes and Piano
George Duvivier - Bass
Bobby Donaldson - Drums
On Play Girl Stroll Wilder is replaced by Phil Sunkel, Reasinger by Bernie Glow, Allen by Sol Schinger, Duvivier by Wendell Marshall and Donaldson by Gus Johnson
From the back cover: Notes About The Featured Soloists
Bill Harris (appears courtesy Fantasy Records). A major jazz star since the 1944 Woody Herman Herd he sparked with Chubby Jackson, Dave Tough, Flip Phillips, et al... he retired to club work in Miami in 1954. When he returned to Herman's 1956 band, the world jazz fans breathed a sigh of relief at his quoted Down Beat comment, "I'm looking forward to something exciting again." Born in 1916, he has appeared with the Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Charlie Ventura, Herman, Jazz At The Philharmonic bands and groups in that order, retiring from retirement to the Herman band again in 1956. One of the major innovators on his instrument, Harris ranks with Jack Teagarden in important trombonists. His highly individual "crying" style of wavering notes punctuated by short, choppy blasts and a burr-y tone is considered a turning point in the change to modern trombone. He has won many awards, including Down Beat's readers and Critics polls, Esquire's Gold Award, and the Metronome Award. Other than a brief appearance on an early Charlie Ventura combo date, this is his first appearance on Savoy Records. More to come.
Phil Wood. Much to his family's chagrin, Phil is the first professional musicians in his family. Born 1931 in Springfield, Mass. he is considered one of today's leading contenders for the alto sax crown of the last Charlie Parker. A great believer in jazz that has "some warmth as well as hard swing", Phil's introduction to jazz was through Parker's KOKOP. He's studied with Lennyie Tristano, at Juilliard, and Manhattan School of Music. A prolific recording artist during the past year, he has appeared with Herbie Mann and Eddie Costa and the Sahib Shihab bands on recent Savoy recordings.
Joe Wilder. The ex-Basie trumpeter is now active in pit orchestras and studio groups around New York. A versatile artist and lead man whose style crosses the bridge from swing to modern, Joe's first tone and impeccable performance record have made him a much sought after recording artist. Hear him at length on his own Savoy album Wilder 'N Wilder.
Eddie Costa. Selected New Star of the year by Down Beat's Critics, the alert young vibes and piano star was born in 1930. His jazz career centered around the New York Combo and included gigs with Tal Farlow, Don Elliot, Kai Winding, Sal Salvador, a John Mehegan Duo and others. He's appeared many times on Savoy on both instruments, most recently with Phil Woods and Herbie Mann on the Andre Hodeir's American Jazz Man Play, Andre Hodeir album.
Seldon Powell. One of the important tenor saxes on today's scene, he was born 1928 in Virginia. An advocate fluid style of tenor, he has an exciting attack that is much admired by the critics. A veteran of many bands and the Army, he is currently working out of New York City.
Also from the back cover: A nine man ball! Yes, that's the best way to describe the exciting occurrence in jazz captured in the enclosed album. Billy Ver Planck, versatile young trombonist-writer, has composed and arranged seven superb essays for jazz nonet that are sure to capture the vote of every jazz fan! Featuring the brilliant Bill Harris and Phil Woods, Seldon Powell, Eddie Costa, Joe Wilder and "a cast of thousands" as the ads say! Ver Planck and Ozzie Cadena, interpretation. Beginning with the sensuously rhythmic triplet-figured Silver opus Señor Blues, the leader's adept pen has given us a noteworthy arrangement that has captured the essence of Silver's original quintet performance while broadening the bass to utilize the full band range, and adding an almost "Indians are coming" harmonic fanfare treatment. Bill Harris cries, Joe Wilder growls and Phil Woods bites on their respective choruses. Play Girl Stroll is off and running with a riffed Basie sound. Harris pops off his solo in the grand old "Apple Honey" reminiscent style. He drives all the way through this trombone solo vehicle with Gus Johnson kicking the rhythm sectors mighty! On Aw C'mon Sugah, Ver Planck lays down a base melody that previously on his Savoy "Dancing Jazz" album with vibes voiced into the background. Bill Harris delivers a gentle nervous style against comping vibes and strong Duvivier bass walking. Eddie Costa's vibes chorus is easy and moving swing with cleanly plucked Bass release and a tune finish. Side B's Whoo-EE! is fast and swinging with a jumping ensemble sound. The track is Phil Wood's piece de resistance and, to this writer, is his finest extended solo of records to date! Phil jumps in with both feet and romps through the entire track. His usual Bird-like interpolations and semi-tortured tonal effect seem to take fire here in a great emotional outpouring. Fabulous! An abrupt "rumph" from Bobby Donaldson drops us right into the medium-tempoed Miss Spring Blues. An octave, spare-line piano chorus by Eddie Costa brings us to the stirring orchestral passage and into Phil Harris' preaching solo, Woods' bird lore, and then Joe Wilder's easy muted trumpet blues. Seldon Powell makes his first solo bid doing to a tenor what Harris did to the trombone, Costa's piano sparks the release and band goes home. Winds, the only pure ballad on the set, features some excellent scoring by Ver Planck. Using a flute-muted trumpet-clarinet major voice to express a beautiful melody, Bill Harris wisp in breathily choppy one sustained unison blends. Phil Woods appears in the unusual solo role of Clarinetist for a short bit, followed by the superb bass finger of George Duviver. Du-Udah-Udah, named for the sound, is a medium up thing that kindles sparks with Phil Woods' flash entry. Phil wails for a chorus, followed by Joe Wilder roaming in 8th notes in that pretty way of his on open horn. Seldon Powell rears his horn, accompanied by Eddie Costa's pulsing comping piano and Bill Ver Planck takes an unusual solo trombone chorus. It is his only solo effort, on the date. All in all... a stirring set by some outstanding soloists, performing in the intrinsically pure surroundings provided by Monsieur Ver Planck and his mighty pen. All hail the triumphant return of Bill Harris to the world jazz scene... his effort is supreme. Kudos to Phil Wood, one of today's leading young alto stars, and bouquets to the other soloists and bandsmen who made this date so memorable – H. Alan Stien.
From Billboard - April 7, 1958: In spite of the somewhat limiting title this is one of the most exciting albums of recent weeks. It features Bill Harris on trombone, Eddie Costa on piano, Phil Woods on alto, Joe Wilder on trumpet and Selden Powell on tenor, plus a number of other top musicians, playing seven originals all arranged by trombonist Bill Ver Planck. The material is imaginative, the arrangements are bright and the jazz is played with spirit. If exposed it should interest a lot of cool jazz fans.
Senor Blues
Play Girl Stroll
Aw, C'mon Sugah!
Whoo-EE!
Miss Spring Blues
Winds
Du-Udah-Udah
