JATP - Jazz At The Philharmonic 1958-1960: Live in Paris
Fremaux & Associes FA5632
COLLECTIVE PERSONNEL :
ROY ELDRIDGE, DIZZY GILLESPIE (TP) ; J.J. JOHNSON (TB) ; BENNY CARTER, SONNY STITT (AS) ; COLEMAN HAWKINS, DON BYAS, STAN GETZ (TS) ; LOU LEVY, VIC FELDMAN (P) ; HERB ELLIS (G) ; MAX BENNETT, SAM JONES, RAY BROWN (B) ; JO JONES, GUS JOHNSON, LOUIS HAYES (DM) ; SHELLY MANNE & HIS MEN, STAN GETZ QUARTET, DIZZY GILLESPIE QUINTET
APRIL 30 1958 - FEBRUARY 23, MARCH 31, NOVEMBER 25 1960.
Sneered at by critics and loved by audiences, JATP was a kind of jazz circus consisting of great jazz players that toured the world. Impresario Norman Granz set the whole organisation up in the nineteen forties to promote jazz in the way that classical music was presented: in concert halls. Granz raised the profile of the music; fought racism; lifted musicians out of poverty or restrictive, unsympathetic contracts and provided them with good incomes and regular work either with the touring shows or from one of his jazz labels such as Clef, Verve or Pablo. From the start, in the forties, he would not allow his artists to appear before segregated audiences.
In retrospect, it can be seen that the influence of Granz was almost wholly good. His taste was middle of road, preferred Coleman Hawkins but also employed John Coltrane. The JATP packages were almost all recorded and so will be valuable resources to anyone who wants to study the jazz of the period. In the early days of JATP Granz liked to set up jam sessions and encourage the musicians to compete with one another. He also liked musicians to have the opportunity to play ballads as well as faster pieces.
These concerts are all recorded in Paris. CD1 is dominated by Coleman Hawkins and Roy Eldridge. It is a typical JATP concert with a fast jam session take on ‘Idaho’ and two ballad medleys enabling everyone present to show off their lyrical side.
CD2 features Shelly Manne’s group with trumpeter Joe Gordon and tenorist Richie Kamuca. The Stan Getz Quartet plays for the second part of the disc. This was Granz acknowledging the influence of West Coast Jazz.
Shelly Manne has driven big bands but he always seem to enjoy the small groups and this one was excellent. Kamuca has a beautiful sound obviously influenced by Lester Young. His solos are lessons in good taste and effortless artistry. Kamuca did not record vast amounts so what is here is valuable, His solo on ‘Yesterdays’ is well recorded , powerful and very moving, Joe Gordon’s playing is lithe and imaginative. ‘Vamp’s Blues’ is particularly effective. Gordon’s solo is fierce and well constructed. Manne’s inventive drumming has a kind of perfection to it throughout as does Russ Freeman’s piano. This group’s playing is so fresh and inventive that it is easily the best work on the three discs.
CD3 presents Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz. Gillespie dominates the disc. His trumpet playing at that time was both mature and technically astounding. Gillespie has a stand-out solo on ‘Bernie’s Tune’. JATP music was often described as formulaic. Sometime it was, but often a soloist could be inspired as Gillespie was on this evening. JJ Johnson is present on some of the tracks displaying his phenomenal technique. The latter part of disc is taken up by Lalo Schifrin’s ‘Gillespiana Suite’. Gillespie’s working band was brought on for this.
There you have it! Something for everyone!. The enthusiastic French audiences sound as though they enjoyed the evenings. Anyone who has an interest in the development of jazz would enjoy it too.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
Fremaux & Associes FA5632
COLLECTIVE PERSONNEL :
ROY ELDRIDGE, DIZZY GILLESPIE (TP) ; J.J. JOHNSON (TB) ; BENNY CARTER, SONNY STITT (AS) ; COLEMAN HAWKINS, DON BYAS, STAN GETZ (TS) ; LOU LEVY, VIC FELDMAN (P) ; HERB ELLIS (G) ; MAX BENNETT, SAM JONES, RAY BROWN (B) ; JO JONES, GUS JOHNSON, LOUIS HAYES (DM) ; SHELLY MANNE & HIS MEN, STAN GETZ QUARTET, DIZZY GILLESPIE QUINTET
APRIL 30 1958 - FEBRUARY 23, MARCH 31, NOVEMBER 25 1960.
Sneered at by critics and loved by audiences, JATP was a kind of jazz circus consisting of great jazz players that toured the world. Impresario Norman Granz set the whole organisation up in the nineteen forties to promote jazz in the way that classical music was presented: in concert halls. Granz raised the profile of the music; fought racism; lifted musicians out of poverty or restrictive, unsympathetic contracts and provided them with good incomes and regular work either with the touring shows or from one of his jazz labels such as Clef, Verve or Pablo. From the start, in the forties, he would not allow his artists to appear before segregated audiences.
In retrospect, it can be seen that the influence of Granz was almost wholly good. His taste was middle of road, preferred Coleman Hawkins but also employed John Coltrane. The JATP packages were almost all recorded and so will be valuable resources to anyone who wants to study the jazz of the period. In the early days of JATP Granz liked to set up jam sessions and encourage the musicians to compete with one another. He also liked musicians to have the opportunity to play ballads as well as faster pieces.
These concerts are all recorded in Paris. CD1 is dominated by Coleman Hawkins and Roy Eldridge. It is a typical JATP concert with a fast jam session take on ‘Idaho’ and two ballad medleys enabling everyone present to show off their lyrical side.
CD2 features Shelly Manne’s group with trumpeter Joe Gordon and tenorist Richie Kamuca. The Stan Getz Quartet plays for the second part of the disc. This was Granz acknowledging the influence of West Coast Jazz.
Shelly Manne has driven big bands but he always seem to enjoy the small groups and this one was excellent. Kamuca has a beautiful sound obviously influenced by Lester Young. His solos are lessons in good taste and effortless artistry. Kamuca did not record vast amounts so what is here is valuable, His solo on ‘Yesterdays’ is well recorded , powerful and very moving, Joe Gordon’s playing is lithe and imaginative. ‘Vamp’s Blues’ is particularly effective. Gordon’s solo is fierce and well constructed. Manne’s inventive drumming has a kind of perfection to it throughout as does Russ Freeman’s piano. This group’s playing is so fresh and inventive that it is easily the best work on the three discs.
CD3 presents Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz. Gillespie dominates the disc. His trumpet playing at that time was both mature and technically astounding. Gillespie has a stand-out solo on ‘Bernie’s Tune’. JATP music was often described as formulaic. Sometime it was, but often a soloist could be inspired as Gillespie was on this evening. JJ Johnson is present on some of the tracks displaying his phenomenal technique. The latter part of disc is taken up by Lalo Schifrin’s ‘Gillespiana Suite’. Gillespie’s working band was brought on for this.
There you have it! Something for everyone!. The enthusiastic French audiences sound as though they enjoyed the evenings. Anyone who has an interest in the development of jazz would enjoy it too.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
