Jazz / Cool
Hal McKusick - Clarinet, Sax (Tenor), Sax (Alto)
Billy Byers - Trombone
Bob Weinstock - Supervisor
Bobby Scott - Arranger
Charlie Persip - Drums
Eddie Costa - Piano
Ira Gitler - Liner Notes
Paul Chambers - Bass
Phil DeLancie - Digital Remastering
Rudy Van Gelder - Engineer
Two talented but forgotten bop-based improvisers are featured on this quintet set: Hal McKusick (who switches between his Paul Desmond-inspired alto, tenor and cool-toned clarinet) and trombonist Billy Byers. Accompanied by pianist Eddie Costa, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Charlie Persip, the two horns get rare opportunities to stretch out on material ranging from "Saturday Night" and an early version of Dizzy Gillespie's "Con Alma" to "I'm Glad There Is You" and three McKusick originals. This obscure Prestige session (reissued on CD in the OJC series) should interest straightahead jazz fans. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Hal McKusick
Active Decades: '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s
Born: Jun 01, 1924 in Medford, MA
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Cool
A fine cool-toned altoist and an occasional clarinetist, Hal McKusick worked with the big bands of Les Brown, Woody Herman (1943), Boyd Raeburn (1944-1945), Alvino Rey (1946), Buddy Rich, and Claude Thornhill (1948-1949). In the 1950s, in addition to his work with Terry Gibbs and Elliot Lawrence, he was a busy and versatile studio musician. During 1955-1958, McKusick recorded nine albums of material as a leader for Jubilee, Bethlehem, Victor, Coral, New Jazz, Prestige, and Decca. Those small-group recordings, although basically cool bop, sometimes used very advanced arrangements, including charts by George Handy, Manny Albam, Gil Evans, Al Cohn, Jimmy Giuffre, and particularly George Russell.
---Scott Yanow, All Music Guide |
