Race Recording by Stan Bergstein

 

Race Recordings / Northville Downs

Race Recordings by Stan Bergstein

From Northville Downs

June 29, 1953

Winning Horse: The Explorer

Owner: Col. E. D. McQuown

Driver: Walt Dispannette

12-inch 78 rpm Acetate Disc

Jazz At The Bilmar - Arnie Mossler

 

Jazz At The Bilmar

Jazz At The Bilmar

With Arnie Mossler

And The Suncoast Dixielanders

Engineer: M. L. Emerman

Mastering: Jack Davis

Bilmar Records 6244

1968

Arnie Mossler - Cornet

Bern Yonker - Trombone

Wiffy Walter - Clarinet

Lee Lockwood - Piano

Red Seal - Bass

Sammy Fletcher - Drums

From the back cover: According to one of the latest international dictionaries, Dixieland music is "a style of Jazz, originating in New Orleans, played by a small group of instruments, marked by strongly accented 4-4 rhythm and vigorous, quasi-improvisational solos and ensembles."

According to avid Dixie fans from coast to coast who've visited the Beach Room of the Bilmar Beach Hotel in Treasure Island, Florida, Dixieland means only one thing: Arnie Mossler and his Suncoast Dixielanders.

The diminutive musician-artist-cartoonist leads one of the strongest aggregates of the nation's Dixie adherents through their paces as they alternately bounce, stomp, lilt and wail their way through a variety of tunes that many never knew existed but now will, never forget.

The cold style of a dictionary definition, however, leaves much to be desired. For Mossler and his merry men, Dixieland isn't an exclusive product of New Orleans. It's a rich blend of the best styles and tunes of that fabled Delta city and the more blatant, commanding style made famous in Chicago decades ago.

The blend of personnel, setting and style is unique. At the live session beside the sparkling Gulf of Mexico, the group plays to residents and vacationers from all parts of the nation. The Chicago based strains of Mossler's cornet are abetted by the strong New Orleans honed trombone of Vern Drapey Yonkers, the cosmopolitan clarinet of Wifty Walters, the solidly swinging piano of Lee Lockwood and the pulsating bass of Red Seal. Rounding out the artists and providing impetus is the exhilirating drum sound of Sammy Fletcher.

Mossler leads off Side I with musical introductions and, in the newest tradition, swings gently into the soft "Baby Won't You Please Come Home" featuring Yonkers who, as a disciple of the late Jack Teagarden, vocally recreates the magic atmosphere that Dixieland always brings.

From the soft touch, the group takes a deep breath and struts its way through the "Tailgate Ramble," followed closely by a novel ballad approach to the familiar "Jada," which is played in medley with another beautiful tune, "It's Wonderful."

The set roars out for a break with a rousing rendition of the "Washington & Lee Swing."

Side II swings into high gear with the "Wolverine Blues". The group takes a tour of Wolverine country at a rapid pace, then settles down into a smooth rendition of the old Armstrong favorite, "Sugar," featuring Mossler on the vocal.

The "Sugar," after setting a sweet mood, is suddenly spiced up as the group finds itself in "Jungle Town." A swift romp follows with the entire ensemble guiding the audience through everything from clarinet-studded palm trees to a solo bass safari through the palmetto bush.

"What's The Use" provides an ideal medium for self-expression in moderate Dixie tempo, leading the group to its bell-ringing finale "When The Saints Go Marching In."

The session, as alive as today, with personal introductions for each number by the rotund Mossler, represents telling evidence of the revival of a truly original American art form.

On Florida's Suncoast, a melting pot for people and musical tastes, the Suncoast Dixielanders represent, perhaps, the first stage of a revival of a stirring, happy, intelligible music that appeals to all age groups and knows no real geographical boundaries.

It proves once again that music, as a means of communication, is the only one that doesn't need an interpreter. – ERIC MCFAIL, ST. PETERSBURG (FLA.) TIMES

Baby Won't You Please Come Home

Tailgate Ramble

Jada & It's Wonderful (medley)

Washington & Lee Swing

Wolverine Blues

Sugar

Jungle Town

What's The Use

When The Saints Go Marching In

Jay & Kai - J. J. Johnson / Kia Winding

 

Jay & Kai

Jay & Kai

J. J. Johnson / Kai Winding

Savoy MG-12010

1955

J. J. Johnson - Trombone

Kai Winding - Trombone

Billy Bauer - Guitar *

Charlie Mingus - Bass

Wally Cirillo - Piano **

Kenny Clarke - Drums

Ozzie Cadena

From the back cover: In Savoy's distinguished recording history, which precedes these notes by fifteen years, there have been many select moments when the all-elusive greatness of jazz has been captured, and, needless to say, the supervisors and directors here were quite proud of their achievements. These notable moments include, among others, the brilliant CHARLIE PARKER catalogue, the FATS NAVARRO sessions, the American debut of GEORGE SHEARING, the initial STAN GETZ recordings, ERROLL GARNER'S romps, and, of late, a marvelous PHIL URSO-BOB BROOKMEYER collaboration and a recent JOHNNY MEHEGAN pressing with CHUCK WAYNE. The list has been impressive; the finest artists have flourished under the Savoy aegis, and now we proudly offer to jazzdom another "great", in the fullest sense of the word's meaning.

Perhaps, as all things must have a prime cause, this album should be dedicated to its director, OZZIE CADENA, for certainly he, above all others, was the dominant force behind its formation. OZ is the newest and among the most "hip" A. & R. men in jazz today. As a former musician (piano and bass) he understands their dilemmas, the enigma of contribution and commercialism, and offers sympathetic assistance to the creative artist. It was he who first saw the potential of the groups assembled. OZ believed that in the search for "new" sounds, the trombone and guitar had been most overlooked, and resolved to do something about it. Not one, but two trombones were mentioned, and some guidnunc looked askance, but OZ repeated, "I can hear it, it'll be great." So, two trombones are heard. Then, the guitar was selected, omitting the standard piano, and eyebrows raised again. And again the same argument, "I can hear it." Finally, to compliment the group, the accepted bass and drums were added. After the group assembled and began to blow, we could all "hear it", and as Cadena predicted, "It's great."

Still further evidence of the Directors foresight can be found by scanning the personnel list:

Trombones: What, JOHNSON and WINDING in the same group? Yes, a record rarity indeed, listing the two foremost trombonists jazz has offered in the last decade. JAY and KAI are great friends, and welcomed the chance to play side-by-side, surely benefiting one another by the double advantage of combined talents. In describing these two peers, words seem to lack the power to convey their triumphs here but, as a sincere "fan" of both, I can truthfully say I've seldom heard them better.

Guitar: BILLY BAUER. For years the most trained ear and even the casual observer has been startled by the impeccable taste and beauty of BILLY's guitar, and both seem to agree his is the most mature guitar-voice to appear in jazz, comparable to the classicist Segovia. Suffice to say that BILLY maintains his apex-level here.

Bass: CHARLIE MINGUS. Anent MINGUS one thinks of a plexus of energy, his bristling activity, his wit, his sincerity, his ability and his genius. CHARLIE's work on this record demonstrates all these qualities, and his composition "REFLECTIONS," the most advanced structurally, marks his arrival as composer.

Drums: KENNY CLARKE. KENNY swings as though it were his own peculium, and on virtually all the numbers he acted as the fillip with the rest moving accordingly. Recognition has been long coming to "KLOOK" but his day arrived long after the "drum-clods" and "bombers" descended into the drummer's limbo.

Piano: WALLY CIRILLO. WALLY was one of the stars of a recent Jazz Workshop Concert, and very impressive with his melodic enterprise. As Commitments kept BAUER from the second session, this young pianist was selected, and he ably filled his role. WALLY's talent is evidenced in MINGUS' abstract work with its difficult piano part which WALLY sight-read, quite an achievement!

Of the themes employed, four are either originals or arrangements by J. J., "BERNIE'S TUNE," "LAMENT," "WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED LOVE" and "BLUES FOR TROMBONES;" two are WINDING expressions, "CO-OP" and "BLUES IN TWOS;" "THE MAJOR" is CIRILLO's and finally there is MINGUS' pensive abstraction, "REFLECTIONS." They are all played either with a happy zest, with excitement king for the moment, or with tender pathos. Overall the performances are outstanding contributions to our jazz culture, offered to those aware, the cogniscenti, who comprise the listening audience to music's most inspirational and eristic branch. – JACK MCKINNEY

Bernies Tune **

Lament *

Blues For Trombones *

The Major *

Co-op **

Reflections **

Blues In Twos **

What Is This Thing Called Love *

Queen Of Country Music - Kitty Wells

 

Slowly

Queen Of Country Music

Kitty Wells 

With The Jordanaires (courtesy of Capitol Records)

Decca Records DL 4197

1963

Moody River

What Am I Living For

Pick Me Up On Your Way Down

Slowly

Wooden Heart

Heart Over Mind

Ev'rybody's Somebody's Fool

Am I That Easy To Forget

One More Time

Hello Walls

Your Old Love Letters

A Fallen Star

Frankly Speaking - Frank Rosolino

 

Slan

Kenton Presents

Frankly Speaking!

The Frank Rosolino Quintet

Originally recorded in Hollywood - May 4 and 5, 1955 (Capitol T6509)

Affinity AFF 69 (reissue)

1981

Frank Rosolino - Trombone

Charlie Mariano - Alto Saxophone

Walter Norris - Piano

Max Bennett - Bass

Stan Levey - Drums

From the back cover: "Frank Rosolino" wrote Will MacFarland in his original notes for the release of this LP in Capitol's 'Kenton Presents' series "the bouncing boy with the seemingly unmeltable trombone, bounces back with more of his happy music for people in love with good jazz". MacFarland went on to refer to the first of Frank's albums in the series, the one already released as Affinity AFF61 (although the Affinity LP contains two additional titles which were not present on the original Capitol disc). Although Frank was associated in many people's memories with Stan Kenton he was, in fact, an accomplished and experienced soloist years before he moved into the Kenton brass section in 1952.

Born in Detroit on August 20, 1926 Frank came from a musical family and sleeve-note writer Brian Davis gave a concise summary of Rosolino's early years on the back of Affinity AFF61. During the time he spent with the Gene Krupa Orchestra he made what was probably his first appearance on film. Universal-International made a 15-minute short feature on the band, directed by Will Cowan, and Frank was featured on Lemondrop, the camera's zoom lens closing in on the Rosolino mouth as it enunciated the scat vocal on George Wallington's tune.

But Frank's attachment to bebop was more than just a passing novelty attraction. His amazingly proficient technique on an instrument seldom associated with fast articulation sparked the marvelous Georgie Auld Quintet, a little band comprising Rosolino, Auld, pianist Lou Levy, bass player Max Bennett and the late Tiny Kahn as drummer and arranger. A nod in the direction of this splendid little unit occurs here with Taps Miller, one of the more popular numbers from the Auld Quintet book. It would be difficult to imagine Rosolino being a part of any musical organisation which did not allow his natural effervescence and ebullience to bubble through. Stan Kenton gave him plenty of chances to swing for Frank was a member of a particularly fine band which included men such as Richie Kamuca, Stan Levey, Bill Holman and Lee Konitz. In 1954 he made his first records for Stan's "Kenton Presents" series (Affinity AFF61), utilizing the talents of kindred spirits from the band, for the most part, including Sam Noto on trumpet, Charlie Mariano on alto, Curtis Counce on bass and drummer Stan Levey. Bill Holman provided the arrangements for that first LP and for this present "Frankly Speaking" album much the same format was used. Charlie Mariano, a man who at the time spoke the language of Charlie Parker with more clarity than almost any other saxophonist, was again present. Born in Boston in 1923 Charlie came up with the local bands before moving on to national fame and fortune. Stan Levey was one of the very first of the great bebop drummers; he worked with Dizzy Gillespie in 1944 ("Dizzy kept telling me to play like Shadow Wilson" Stan once told me; "I'd never even heard of Shadow Wilson in those days but I sure learned a lot from Dizzy".) Max Bennett was one of Rosolino's team-mates in the excellent Georgie Auld Quintet; he was born in Dex Moines, Iowa, in 1928 and worked with Herbie Fields, Auld, Terry Gibbs and Charlie Ventura before joining Stan Kenton in 1954. Walter Norris, from Little Rock (born there in December, 1931) is the man who played piano on Ornette Coleman's first LP but he has blossomed into a very personal soloist in his own right since working with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis band in the middle-seventies. All of the arrangements for "Frankly Speaking" were done by Bill Holman, with the exceptions of Slan and The missus, both the work of Charlie Mariano.

Bill Holman has perfected the art of making a small band sound considerably larger than it actually is; in addition he is adept at devising useful bridge passages between solos which act as spring-boards. The opening Frenesi is taken up-tempo over a latin beat in the theme choruses. The first soloist is Mariano, who is Bird-like and exciting over Levey's sizzling cymbal before the leader takes off on two happy and extrovert choruses of his own. Rhythm rascals is the first of two Holman originals and is dedicated to the high spirits of the quintet members; note Norris's strong continuity with his right hand during his solo. Moonlight in Vermont has an unusual format and a 26-bar chorus (6-6-8-6); taken as a slow ballad, Holman's arrangement makes use of Max Bennett's arco bass as a third line in the theme statements. Rosolino's filigree phrasing is in contrast with Mariano's passionate and Parkerish half-chorus. The up- tempo The missus was Charlie Mariano's tribute to the wife who had produced three daughters for him. Charlie and Frank split a chorus before Norris takes a complete chorus of his own. There's no you is one of those neglected ballads, complete here in just two choruses. But in those two choruses Frank exhibits his complete command of his horn, using beautifully controlled smears of sound in the second chorus. Tadd Dameron's Our delight closes side one in vintage bebop style with fine solos from the front-line. The unison paraphrase of the original theme which forms the fourth chorus here is based on Dameron's own closing King fish is by Holman and should not be confused with a Quincy Jones tune of the same name. This was written originally for a Capitol album titled "Kenton Plays Holman" and for the quintet arrangement Bill was forced to drop one of the three lines which formed the theme statement for the big band. A unison figure boosts the soloists into flight and there are excellent choruses from piano, trombone, alto and bass.

In the light of the happiness which pervades every minute of the music to be heard here it is almost unbelievable that Frank Rosolino elected to put an end to his own life in a most bizarre and horrific fashion in November, 1978. We will never know what motivated his actions and those who knew him well were profoundly shocked. Let us not try to analyse those final hours. Let us instead revel in the joyful music of Frank Rosolino as represented on the enclosed record.

Alun Morgan

Frenesi (Dominguez, Charles, Russell)

The Rhythm Rascals (Holman)

Moonlight In Vermont (Suessdorf, Blackburn)

The Missus (Mariano)

There's No You (Hopper, Adair)

Our Delight (Dameron)

Now I Lay Me Down (to dream of you) (Howard, Ferrari)

Taps Miller (Basie, Russell)

Slan (Mariano)

Stairway To The Stars (Malneck, Signorelli, Parish)

The King Fish (Holman)

Frank Rosolino appears by courtesy of Capitol Records

Je Vous Aime - Francoise Hardy

Je Vous Aime

Je Vous Aime

Francoise Hardy

4 Corners Of The World

A Division of Kapp Records, Inc

Recorded in France

A Vogue P.I.P. Production

FCS-4238

1967

From the back cover: She must be doing something right.

For whatever Francoise Hardy turns her hand or her voice to seems to come up with "success" written all over it.

This album is a case in point.

You may marvel at the Hardy voice, so fresh and saucy... so soft and warm... so just right for the songs...

But as you marvel about the singing Miss Hardy, pause for a second to marvel at the writing Miss Hardy. For each of the even dozen songs in this sparkling album was written by her! And they span a wide range, indeed. From the triplets-and-backbeat of "ET MEME" to the snappish "JE VEUX QU'IL REVIENNE." Clear out to the old-fashioned, heart- throbby "L'AMOUR S'EN VA."

She sings...she writes...

And she acts! (Francoise Hardy is the wild one who swings out of a Riviera discotheque to follow the auto racer in the film "Grand Prix.") A glance at the cover photo indicates clearly that she can draw admiring glances wherever she goes. But Francoise who came to fame while studying at The Sorbonne is more than a good-looking, musically-talented girl who makes movies.

In the last analysis, you've got to listen to the lass. That's where it really happens. She makes magic because you can't see how beautiful she looks or how professionally she per- forms. You just hear her... and her songs.

And that's when she does something so right.

Take a perky young French miss who captures the brass of the young in her songs, adds a dash of the bittersweet and the romantic, then sings it all with the style of a true original ...and you have Francoise Hardy.

She must be doing something right.

Listen...

La Nuit Est Sur La Ville
Et Meme
Qui Aime-T-II Vraiment
Tu N'as Qu'un Mot a Dire
Saurais-Je
Je Veux Qu'II Revienne
Dans Le Monde Entier
Tu Ne Dis Rien
Comme Tant D'Autres
Je Pense A Lui
L'Amour S'en Va
Bien Longtemps