A Thousand And One Notes - John Scott Trotter

Autumn Nocturne

A Thousand And One Notes

John Scott Trotter

A World Of Stereo

Cover Photo by Phil March

Warner Bros. Records 1223

1958

From the back cover: If I may be pardoned a rather uninspired paraphrase of this album's title, may I say, I've spent a Thousand and One Nights with John. Seventeen or so years on the radio. Not to mention countless mornings and afternoons recording, extended tours, and camp shows. It's readily apparent then that I should know him rather well, and it's equally obvious that I must have great respect for his ability and his musical integrity. His impeccable taste. Really, I can think of so many times when he has rescued me from blaring gaffes and melodic cliches – when his choice of material, his arrangements, his use of voices and instruments meant the success of an album or a record. If I am able to distinguish the good from the bad, if I know anything about music at all, what little I know rubbed off Trotter onto me.

Looking back now one these seventeen years, I am vastly impressed with just how much John Scott Trotter has meant to my career, When I heard that he was doing an album, "A Thousand And One Notes," I was confident that he would do something very special, and I believe he has – because John doesn't go any other way.

Among this group of songs he's using here is some particularly well chosen material – a wide variety of beautiful things, with sharply contrasting treatments. Lots of musicianship here too – good men, which certainly doesn't surprise me. Fellas in the craft love to work under John's stick. They have tremendous respect for his talent and his ability, of course, and they appreciate his taste and discrimination, but I also like to think that they like the organization, the discipline that always prevails on a disk date with John. I don't mean that the atmosphere is stiff or formal. There are lots of laughs. John is a role-poly fella, you know, and such types generally have great good humor, as does John, but there are no monkeyshines, no shenanigans.

John comes to the date well prepared, everything is in orderly arrangement, and from the first downbeat to the final chord it's cool, shady and all down hill. In all the times that I've worked with John I have only heard him raise his voice once, an occasion when the trombone player showed up slightly sauced, and after taking his chair, instead of listening to John's instructions he was busy throwing wisecracks, asides, and soot voces around. Trotter froze him with a steely eye, rapped once with his stick, and said sharply, "Mr. Winslow." The date proceeded smoothly from then on to its conclusion.

When I first met John he was playing piano for the late Hal Kemp at the Manager Grill in New York. He was fresh out of North Carolina University, as were most of the personnel in the Kemp band, and his arrangements, notable for their staccato trumpet effects, were even then attracting considerable attention. The fact that he has come a long way since then, that he's risen to a top position in this business is not accidental. John has studied with some of the most important serious musicians in the country. He is intensely dedicated to the purpose of doing things that are fresh, inventive an musical honest. Many such things will be found in this fin album. – Bing Crosby

From Billboard - November 2, 1958: Charming picture of Trotter and kids listening to the "music" of  sea shells give this package nice display. Liner notes by Bing Crosby are also of interest. Package features lushly arranged instrumental treatments of widely contrasting oldies ranging from the haunting "Solitude" to the gay "Fiddle Faddle" and the hip-swinging "Tico Tico."

Fiddle Faddle

Adios

Sophisticated Lady

Sabre Dance

Blue Tango

Solitude 

Tico Tico

Gobelues

In An Eighteenths Century Drawing Room

Autumn Nocturne

Anna