The Dick Hyman Trio Swings

 

The Dick Hyman Trio Swings

The Dick Hyman Trio Swings

MGM Records E3280

1955

Dick Hyman - Organ & Piano

Eddie Safranski - Bass

Don Lamond - Drums

ABOUT DICK HYMAN Born in New York City 1927... Graduate Columbia College in 1948... Served in the Navy ... Studied with concert pianist Anton Rovinsky, with Teddy Wilson on jazz piano scholarship... Played New York jazz spots with Tony Scott, Lester Young, Flip Phillips... Joined Benny Goodman on European tour... Freelance radio-television work in New York with Alvy West, Milt DeLugg, etc.... Became M-G-M artist recording with trio... Currently NBC staff musician as pianist, organist, conductor of own shows... heard on many programs... Has accompanied and recorded with many singers, played under many conductors... Known as a versatile stylist... Also a composer and arranger... Compositions include off-B'way musi- cal comedy, instrumental pieces, background radio-tv music, etc.... Trio won Cashbox disk jockey polls 1954, 1955.

From the back cover: M-G-M presents in these recordings another facet in the many-sided musical personality of Dick Hyman, a young man who has nevertheless had the experience of a veteran in the musical world. The Dick Hyman Trio Swings is devoted to a kind of jazz that is good-humored and rhythmic, comprising many moods and tempos having as their common denominator that enduring quality which musicians simply call swinging. The talents of Dick Hyman as pianist and organist are integrated unusually closely with those of Eddie Safranski on bass and Don Lamond on drums to produce a feeling of warmth and movement not often encountered in recording studios. The sessions which produced these recordings document a long musical association of the members of the trio. Half of the selections feature Dick Hyman at the piano, the remainder playing Hammond organ. On the former, he demonstrates a sparkling, witty style, while the organ offerings are conclusive proof that in the proper hands this is a jazz instrument that needs no apologies.

About the selections

DANCING TAMBOURINE is a somewhat whimsical treatment of an old novelty favorite. It proves to be a workable vehicle for some in- teresting organ innovations including sections reminiscent of modern big band writing.

SLEEP is an attempt to produce the organ equivalent of a soloist backed by an orchestra. Moving at a bright tempo, the rhythm section sets an introduction, the band plays the first chorus, the soloist enters and plays in and out of the background figures of the brass section.

IF I HAD YOU is simply a tenor sax ballad solo, as converted to the organ keyboard. The entire piece is played as though the organ were a one-note-at-a-time instrument accompanied by a rhythm section.

WE'RE IN THE MONEY is a wry commentary on the old Depression tune featuring some odd high organ registration and a sudden shift into 6-4 time.

PLEASURE is an original composition of Dick Hyman which combines Don Lamond's Mediterranean drums with flute-like effects on the organ. The middle section is the swinging one; it is followed by a return to the exotic Latin rhythm of the beginning.

THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT is a possibly irreverent treatment of the original, containing a startling "solo" in Hammond sax registration and a humorous substitution in the melodic line.

LOVE IS THE SWEETEST THING finds Dick Hyman at the piano. The Ray Noble ballad is played with a slow beat. Notable is the integra- tion of the trio; the momentary pause of one beat in the midst of an improvised performance smacks of telepathy.

THOU SWELL (with Hyman at the piano) contains an eccentric arrangement of the fam- iliar melody which wanders far afield harmon- ically and rhythmically but returns to the fold at last.

ALL TOO SOON is a Duke Ellington ballad. The trio, with Dick Hyman playing piano, create a subdued mood.

TOPSY has long been a favorite of musicians. This version begins and ends with piano, bass, and drums nostalgically recreating the original walking tempo of the early swing era. In be- tween, Hyman plays some dramatic choruses.

(Lookie, Lookie, Lookie) HERE COMES COOKIE is an example of the way many tunes of the 30's lend themselves to modern treatment. Apparently the supply is inexhaustable. Featuring piano, the trio plays a medium swing tempo.

MARV is an original opus based on a six note scale. The figure thus derived moves lightly in the piano over Safranski's bass pattern, setting up a syncopation which is broken out of with exciting choruses