CLARK TERRY - Swahili / Plays the Arrangements of Quincy Jones
Phono 870236
1 -8 (1955)
Clark Terry (tpt); Limmy Cleveland (tb); Cecil Payne (bs); Horace Silver (p); Wendell Marshall (b); Oscar Pettiford (b, clo); Art Blakey (d); Quincy Jones (arr)
9 - 16 (1954)
Jimmy Hamilton (cl); Barry Galbraith (gt); Oscar Pettiford (b); Sidney Gross (Rhythm guitar); Osie Johnson (drs)
Two remarkable men have their names on this CD. Clark Terry made his debut as leader with ‘Swahili’. Already working with Ellington, he went on to lead his own groups and tour the world. His tone is unique and he introduced a bop sensibility into the Ellington band.in addition to gracing many of the compositions by Ellington and Strayhorn. Terry is unique. No one in jazz, before or since, has a sound anything like his. He has his own tone and his own rhythmic style. His contributions to 50s Ellingtonia are imperishable.
The other name is Quincy Jones. Wikipedia writes ‘Jones is a phenomenon an American record producer, conductor, arranger, composer, musician, television producer, film producer, instrumentalist, magazine founder, entertainment company executive, and humanitarian. His career spans six decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 28 Grammys,including a Grammy Legend Award in 1991’. In the early fifties Jones was just beginning and it was with Jazz that he began. His writing here does.not lead you to believe that he would be such a force in music for the next sixty years. The arrangements are sketchy, leaving plenty of room for Clark Terry to show his versatility.
Art Blakey is as forceful as ever relishing the rhythm on the title piece. Throughout he lifts the music and the musicians.
Jimmy Cleveland was overshadowed in the fifties by JJ Johnson and Frank Rosolino. On ‘Kitten’ he reminds us that he could be as fluent and fast as any of his contemporaries.
Tracks 9 to 16 (bonus tracks) are from a session that Terry was involved with in 1954. ‘Jimmy Hamilton and the New York Jazz Quintet’ was a very short lived group. Terry and Hamilton both Ellingtonians play well. Hamilton whose classical clarinet adorned many Ellington pieces demonstrates his technique. Oscar Pettiford graces all the tracks and reminds us what a great player he was. On the earlier tracks he even plays cello.
If you are interested in early Clark Terry this CD is essential but it is not a great CD, too much of the music is mundane and routine. All of them would go onto greater things.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
Phono 870236
1 -8 (1955)
Clark Terry (tpt); Limmy Cleveland (tb); Cecil Payne (bs); Horace Silver (p); Wendell Marshall (b); Oscar Pettiford (b, clo); Art Blakey (d); Quincy Jones (arr)
9 - 16 (1954)
Jimmy Hamilton (cl); Barry Galbraith (gt); Oscar Pettiford (b); Sidney Gross (Rhythm guitar); Osie Johnson (drs)
Two remarkable men have their names on this CD. Clark Terry made his debut as leader with ‘Swahili’. Already working with Ellington, he went on to lead his own groups and tour the world. His tone is unique and he introduced a bop sensibility into the Ellington band.in addition to gracing many of the compositions by Ellington and Strayhorn. Terry is unique. No one in jazz, before or since, has a sound anything like his. He has his own tone and his own rhythmic style. His contributions to 50s Ellingtonia are imperishable.
The other name is Quincy Jones. Wikipedia writes ‘Jones is a phenomenon an American record producer, conductor, arranger, composer, musician, television producer, film producer, instrumentalist, magazine founder, entertainment company executive, and humanitarian. His career spans six decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 28 Grammys,including a Grammy Legend Award in 1991’. In the early fifties Jones was just beginning and it was with Jazz that he began. His writing here does.not lead you to believe that he would be such a force in music for the next sixty years. The arrangements are sketchy, leaving plenty of room for Clark Terry to show his versatility.
Art Blakey is as forceful as ever relishing the rhythm on the title piece. Throughout he lifts the music and the musicians.
Jimmy Cleveland was overshadowed in the fifties by JJ Johnson and Frank Rosolino. On ‘Kitten’ he reminds us that he could be as fluent and fast as any of his contemporaries.
Tracks 9 to 16 (bonus tracks) are from a session that Terry was involved with in 1954. ‘Jimmy Hamilton and the New York Jazz Quintet’ was a very short lived group. Terry and Hamilton both Ellingtonians play well. Hamilton whose classical clarinet adorned many Ellington pieces demonstrates his technique. Oscar Pettiford graces all the tracks and reminds us what a great player he was. On the earlier tracks he even plays cello.
If you are interested in early Clark Terry this CD is essential but it is not a great CD, too much of the music is mundane and routine. All of them would go onto greater things.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
