Bones For The King - Dicky Wells

 

Hello, Smack

Bones For The King

Dicky Wells

Produced by Stanley Dance

Photography by Mike Youngman

Felsted Records SJA 2006 "Jazz Series"

1959

Side One Personnel 

New York, February 3, 1958

Dicky Wells - Trombone

Vic Dickenson, Benny Morton, George Matthews - Trombone

Skip Hall - Organ

Major Holley - Bass

Jo Jones - Drums

Side Two Personnel

New York, February 4, 1958

Dicky Wells - Trombone

Buck Clayton - Trumpet (courtesy of Columbia Records, Inc.)

Rudy Rutherford - Clarinet and Baritone Sax

Buddy Tate - Tenor and Baritone Saxes

Skip Hall - Piano

Everest Barksdage - Guitar

Major Holley - Bass

Jo Jones - Drums

From the back cover: Dicky Wells is one of the outstanding trombones in jazz. His strikingly individual style has been heard on records for more than three decades. These two sessions present him once more, after far too long an interval, as leader of groups of his own choosing.

The instrumentation of the first is unique in the annals of jazz: four trombones, organ, bass and drums. Dicky makes good use of this novel combination to produce some arresting sounds and tonal contrasts. The richly robust quality of the trombone quartet is set against a prominent bass part by Major Holley and discreet organ and drum roles, thus creating an unusual effect of massive mobility.

On the majestic "Bones For the King", a blues which Dicky wrote, arranged, and then dedicated to the late Tommy Dorsey, each of the four trombones takes a chorus solo, in the following order: George Matthews, Benny Morton, Dicky Wells, Vic Dickenson.

"Sweet Daddy Spo-de-o", also written and arranged by Dicky, is in altogether lighter vein, and is a kind of party piece for himself and Vic Dickenson. In the first of the vocal exchanges, Vic's is the opening voice; thereafter it is Dicky's. As Vic indicates at one point ("Watch your cues!"), the repartee is not always as written, and the leader's final shot obviously takes him off guard. They share the trombone solos, too, Vic taking the first and returning again for the third. Major Holley enters boldly into the spirit of the occasion, zestfully bowing the bass and humming in octave unison.

"You Took My Heart" was written and arranged by Skip Hall, whose organ playing is so effective throughout. Taken at a brisk, swinging tempo, the trombone solos are, in this order, by Dicky, Benny Morton, Vic Dickenson, and Dicky again. For his second solo, Dicky uses his beloved mute to produce one of the most distinctive of all jazz trombone sounds.

Impressive as are the solos found here, the splendour of the four trombones as an ensemble often eclipses them. Drummer Jo Jones, surveying the studio as he entered, exclaimed, "You've got a million-dollar trombone section here!" Certainly these are four of the most talented and experienced musicians on trombone in the field today.

George Matthews is a remarkable technician with a beautiful tone. Invaluable in any trombone section, he is a veteran with experience in the orchestras of Willie Bryant, Chick Webb and Count Basie, among others. Benny Morton's jazz background is even more extensive. He made his professional debut around 1924 and subsequently played in such bands as Fletcher Henderson's, Don Redman's and Count Basie's. Very gifted technically, Benny is much in demand for pit orchestras of Broadway shows and at the time of this session was with that of "Jamaica".

Vic Dickenson's popularity is such that he hardly needs any introduction. A tremendously versatile musician and one of the great trombone personalities, much of his early experience was gained in big bands like Claude Hopkins's, Benny Carter's and Count Basie's, but for nearly two decades he has worked with small groups and it is during this period that his reputation has grown so hugely and Justly.

Dicky Wells is perhaps best known for his work during the ten years he was a member of Count Basie's orchestra, but he has played with many other famous leaders since he made his New York debut with Charlie Johnson, among them being Luis Russell, Benny Carter, Fletcher Henderson, Teddy Hill and Earl Hines. His range and control are as impressive as ever today; his style is completely personal; and his conceptions are daringly imaginative, or humorous, according to his mood.

The band on the second side is of orthodox instrumentation and unites five alumni of the Count Basie orchestra in the persons of the leader, Buck Clayton, Buddy Tate, Rudy Rutherford and Jo Jones. The other three musicians, all members of the rhythm section, are equally at home in the rocking idiom favoured here.

"Hello, Smack!", written and arranged by Buddy Tate, is dedicated to the late Fletcher Henderson. Its gently relaxed spirit is very appropriate, and suggestive of the kind of atmosphere Smack loved. Everett Barksdale, formerly a member of Art Tatum's fast moving trio, sets the mood in his first guitar chorus, but the heart of the matter consists of two conversations between friends. The first is by Dicky and Buck Clayton. Dicky takes a 12-bar chorus, then Buck, then Dicky again, and then Buck again, and finally they dialogue together through two choruses. The whole exchange is extremely relaxed and it would perhaps not be presumptuous to claim, on the strength of this performance, that Dicky and Buck together present one of the most perfectly matched pairings of jazz talent extant. Rudy Rutherford and Buddy Tate then repeat the same procedure on clarinet and tenor respectively. The ease, simplicity and splendid timing, innate in Buddy's style, have seldom been heard to better advantage.

"Come and Get It" is a slow blues written and arranged by Dicky. Everett Barksdale, Skip Hall, Buck Clayton and Buddy Tate each have two choruses solo, but the highlight of this moving performance is the trombone solo against stop chords. This device is seldom used nowadays, but it remains wonderfully effective when the soloist has Dicky's assurance and ability. Tone and blues feeling are particularly memorable here.

"Stan's Dance", the creation of Buck Clayton, is taken at a suitably rustic tempo and features a series of inspiriting solos. An eldritch shriek in the last ensemble chorus may be interpreted as an instrumental commentary on the inelegance of the dancing.

In conclusion, those who have read "Jazz: Its Evolution and Essence" may well wonder whether there is not now a need for André Hodeir to re-write the last paragraph of his chapter on Dicky Wells. – STANLEY DANCE. Felsted Records, London, 1958

Bones For The King

Sweet Daddy Spo-de-o

You Took My Heart

Hello, Smack (Dedicated to the late Fletcher Henderson)

Come And Get It

Stan's Dance