It happened the night of November 12-13, 1956.

I’ve written elsewhere about the scourge of heroin in jazz. (I should immediately add that it was the policing and criminal sentences handed down to jazz drug users that hurt the music during its height, not just death or illness from using.)

Surely we’ve all wondered what musical landscapes Charlie Parker may have discovered had he reached the age of 35. I know you and I have discussed it at a party once, years ago.

Hampton was so cool and so busted

I’m listening to one of the great jazz quartets and one you may not be familiar with.

Hampton Hawes was one of the great pianists of the West Coast scene in the 1950s. It’s easy to focus on the legendary horn players: Art Pepper, Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Bud Shank, Jimmy Guiffre; but the keys had no shortage of heavyweights: Claire Fischer, Russ Freeman, Jimmy Rowles; and Hampton Hawes was right there with them.

I’m listening to Hawes’ All Night Sessions album (Contemporary, 1956).  

It was originally released as three albums. The title is accurate. All of the music, seventeen tracks, almost two hours of top-notch jazz, was recorded in a single night session in Los Angeles November 12-13, 1956. It’s not unusual for jazz groups to make maximum use of studio time and get as much onto tape as possible and maybe the fast pace led to the recordings a vibrancy that lifts each track. You need to get your hands on these recordings.

Jim could play that thing

Jim Hall had a large role to play in the greatness. To me, he’s one of the top 3 or 4 guitarists in jazz and I’ve written before about what a fan I am of his playing. (I remember having you over for coffee and going on about his trio recorded in Toronto). He’s masterful in his accompaniment and during his moments to shine.

Here’s the band:

Hampton Hawes - piano

Jim Hall - guitar

Red Mitchell - bass

Eldridge Freeman – drums

Red Mitchell's no slouch on the bass and as for Eldridge Freeman...I don't know him. Lays downs some nice brush strokes.

Why did I mention drugs? The jazz world lost Hampton for five years beginning in 1958 after he was convicted for heroin charges. He was later pardoned by John F. Kennedy, but that’s another story. What song to offer? Toss a coin really but how about Hampton’s Pulpit. You'll see what I mean about the fantastic interplay between Hampton and Jim.

Let’s talk soon. Rodney called me and you won’t believe what he told me.

Elmo and The Fox

love the cover design

Birthdays may be increasingly difficult to endure as one grows older - you know I speak the truth - but it does afford one the opportunity to ask for new jazz as a gift. Helping to lessen the blow from Time was Harold Land's The Fox (1959).

I have been somewhat familiar with Harold Land, mostly from the quartet he shared with Carmell Jones, but I'm not sure I truly heard him until this album. What drew me to this disc was the piano player: the great Elmo Jones (who fit that jazz stereotype of not receiving the acclaim he deserved during his lifetime) who was a marvellously inventive pianist who had great melodic skills who isn't afraid of dissonance when the mood should strike him (a touch of Thelonius in his playing...) and while I adore his trio recordings, I was eagerly anticipating listening to him playing in a quintet setting.



plaintive Elmo

Have a listen to the title track and you'll instantly understand why a fan of Elmo Hope would be drawn to The Fox. The rest of the band is delightful and wasn't that a great discovery on a birthday? There is always new jazz to discover and doesn't that make the world a better place? The band may not have names that you are familiar with, but they are worth a listen:

Harold Land: saxophone

Dupree Bolton: trumpet

Elmo Hope: piano

Herbie Lewis: bass

Frank Butler: drums

Dupree Bolton plays with fire. It is a shame that he had such drug problems as it would have been nice to hear more recordings from him. How many great jazz albums were never recorded due to musicians being locked away in prison or sanitariums due to drugs?




the great and obscure Dupree Bolton

Most of the players often worked with Curtis Counce, (who was a bass master that we haven't spoken of before, but we should! After all, one of his album titles is a classic: "You Get More Bounce With Curtis Counce" which also features Jack Sheldon, another all time favourite, on trumpet) who was part of that great West Coast scene of the late 1950s along with Gerry Mulligan, Shorty Rogers, Chet Baker, Bud Shank, Bob Cooper, Jimmy Giuffre and Bob Brookmeyer.

I highly recommend this album for those of you who like exciting uptempo jazz played by a top notch band. Enjoy!

Bud Shank and the Mamas & Papas

I have been listening to a lot of Bud Shank lately and why not? Summer is approaching, the sun is shining and surely that's a perfect time to listen to the cool sounds of Bud Shank on flute, alto sax, or occassionally tenor or baritone sax. Over the course of his career he played with many of the greats, especially those other west coast fellows including Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Art Pepper and Shorty Rogers.


What I didn't know, was that he did a lot of studio work in California during the 1960s. The bombshell is that he played that great flute line in 'California Dreaming'. I haven`t heard that song in years but I can still hum that wonderful solo.


I won`t post that song here since you can track that one down on your own.

Instead how about we listen to What'll I Do a great track he recorded with Bob Cooper. I mean, how often are you likely to hear the oboe in jazz? They were an amazing team and I highly recommend trackong down some of their recordings. In fact, Mosaic Records (are you getting tired of my talking about them yet?) put out a set of their recordings which has recently made the transition to a cheaper iTunes edition (called The Capitol Vault Series) and my friends, this music would make a fine soundtrack to your summer.

The Man With The Baritone

The Gerry Mulligan Quartet

It's hard to love the baritone saxophone - that ungainly twisted beast - but Gerry Mulligan, you got it going on, baby. 

Your piano-less quartet with Chet Baker on trumpet, the brilliant Chico Hamilton on drums and Bob Whitlock on bass is essential listening.

I am loving your California sound as I drive south through Thunder Bay on this cool spring afternoon.

What's Spinning Tonight

A lot of jazz heavyweights, Miles Davis among them, put down Chet Baker. They felt that he did not have the chops and was popular due to his good looks, coy vocals and for being white.

Say what they will, but Chet has something. On a night like this when our boy (who is almost two) had a few temper tantrums and my wife and I want to relax with a nice Australian red and read a bit (me a weighty French novel about an SS officer that angered many people a few years back, her a novel about an undercover PLO operative) Chet Baker's Paris Sessions are ideal.

great album, terrible colourization of photo

Sure, he was no match for Miles' virtuosity, but for chill music, Chet is tough to beat. I'll raise a glass to you, Chet!

Friends, have a listen to him playing one of his signature tunes 'Let's Get Lost'.  Enjoy!