Harry Arnold + Big Band + Quincy Jones = Jazz!

 

Count 'Em

Harry Arnold + Big Band + Quincy Jones = Jazz!

Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden in March and April, 1958

Mercury Records SR80006

Personnel on tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 9:

Trumpets - Sixten Eriksson, Weine Renliden, Bengt-Arne Wallin and Arnold Johanson

Trombones - Ake Persson, Andreas Skjold, George Vernon and Gordon Ohlsson

Saxophones - Arne Domnerus, Rolf Backman, Bjarne Nerem, Rolf Blomquist and Rune Falk

Rhythm - Bengt Hallberg (piano), Lars Pettersson (bass) and Egil Johansen (drums)

Trumpeter Benny Bailey added on tracks 8 and 9

Personnel on remaining tracks:

Carl Henrik Noren replaces Blomquist; Johnny Eke replaces Rune Falk; Simon Brehm replaces Lars Pettersson; Rolf Berg, guitar, added.

From the back cover: When a Harry Arnold album was issued in this country in 1957 titled simply "The Mystery Band" it received uniformly good critical reviews, with guesses as to the band's identity ranging from Elliot Lawrence to Harry James to Nelson Riddle to Woody Herman.

Surprise was great when the writers were told this actually was a swinging group of Swedish musicians.

If you never did hear that one, be prepared for an even greater shock upon listening to this album.

One vital ingredient has been added to the band – the superb writing talents of Quincy Jones, the  young American composer-arranger who moved to Paris in 1957 and has made it his home.

The first man to admit that Quincy did much to fan the flames of this orchestra is Harry Arnold himself, who says that "as soon as Quincy gave the downbeat on the first number, astonishing things began to happen. The band played with more fire than it had ever showed before and it was indeed obvious that the temporary marriage between the tiny arranger and the roaring Swedish band was a happy one from the start."

Although some of the musicians were a bit uncertain at first as to how Jones wanted some of the passages phrased, they listened and learned fast.

The spirit, feel, and profound respect for the tradition in jazz is always deeply felt in everything Quincy does – in his composing, his arranging, and his general musical thinking. Although he is just 25 he has a full background in writing jazz, having contributed a good deal to the Lionel Hampton band during the two years he played in its trumpet section, then following that with writing innumerable scores for such recording groups as Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Pettiford, Art Farmer, Paul Quinichette, and his own big band. – Jack Tracy, Director EmArcy Jazz

Quincy's Home Again

The Midnight Sun Never Sets

Cherokee

Count' Em

Brief Encounter 

Room 608

Kinda Blue

Meet Benny Bailey

Doodlin'