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| Wess Point - The Commodore Recordings |
| Frank Wess |
spanyol
első megjelenés éve: 2007 |
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| (2007)
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CD |
| 4.845 Ft
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| 1. | Wess Point
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| 2. | Some Other Spring
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| 3. | Mishawaka
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| 4. | Flute Song
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| 5. | Basie Ain't Here
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| 6. | Basie Ain't Here [Alternate Take]
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| 7. | You're My Thrill
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| 8. | Frankosis
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| 9. | Pretty Eyes
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| 10. | Wess of the Moon
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| 11. | I'll Be Around
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| 12. | Danny's Delight
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| 13. | Romance
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| 14. | All My Life
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| 15. | Frankly the Blues
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| 16. | Bitty Ditty [*]
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| 17. | Elusive [*]
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Jazz
Frank Wess - Flute, Sax (Tenor)
Benny Powell - Trombone
Charles Mingus - Bass
Henry Coker - Trombone
Jimmy Jones - Piano
Joe Wilder - Trumpet
Jordi Pujol - Reissue Producer
Kenny Clarke - Drums
Leonard Feather - Producer, Liner Notes
Oscar Pettiford - Bass
Osie Johnson - Drums
Thad Jones - Trumpet
Urbie Green - Trombone
FRANK WESS QUINTET (1-4): Henry Coker, trombone; Frank Wess, tenor sax & flute; Jimmy Jones, piano; Oscar Pettiford, bass; Osie Johnson, drums
New York, May 8, 1954
(5-8): Same, but Benny Powell, trombone, replaces Coker
FRANK WESS SEXTET (9-11): Joe Wilder, trumpet; Henry Coker, trombone; Frank Wess, tenor sax & flute; Jimmy Jones, piano; Oscar Pettiford, bass; Osie Johnson, drums
New York, August 12, 1954
(12-15): Same, but Urbie Green, trombone, replaces Coker
THAD JONES QUINTET (16-17): Thad Jones, trumpet; Frank Wess, tenor sax; Hank Jones, piano; Charles Mingus, bass; Kenny Clarke, drums
New York, August 11, 1954
Frank Wess, a first-class multi-reedman, arranger, composer and notable soloist in Count Basie's great 50s big band, is the protagonist of this special compilation of his complete 1954 sessions for Commodore, his first as a leader. Inspired by both Ben Webster and, particularly, Lester Young, he shows in these swinging New York quintet-sextet recordings his light yet full-bodied sound, backed by such exceptional jazzmen as Henry Coker, Urbie Green, Joe Wilder and Oscar Pettiford. As a bonus, Bitty Ditty and Elusive, two equally engaging tracks he recorded for Debut the same year, under the leadership of trumpeter Thad Jones, are included. Especially noteworthy on these tunes - and on the session as a whole - is his great solo work on tenor saxophone.
The Commodore record label was known for its recordings of the early period jazz pioneers up to bebop, and not necessarily the modernists. Frank Wess was one of those post-bop players, coming out of the Count Basie Orchestra, who eventually made his mark as a premier individualist tenor saxophonist and a seminal jazz flutist stepping away from the swing and big band sound. These small group sessions by Wess give proof positive that he was ready to step out as not only a leader and budding composer (he wrote six of these tracks), but to assert himself as a giant of jazz in his own right. Considering the dates of these recordings, 1954, it could easily be said he was ahead of his time. There are four quintet dates with Wess and trombonist Henry Coker -- "Wess Point" barely stating a melody prior to solos, "Some Other Spring" showcasing the sleek tenor of Wess, "Mishawaka" a Charlie Parker flavored hard swinger with the horns in unison, and modal hints rhythmically propping up Coker's singing 'bone during "Flute Song." The next four have trombonist Benny Powell in for Coker and follow slightly different textures. "Basie Ain't Here," like "West Point" is a jam with an alternate take tacked on, pianist Jimmy Jones and Wess on flute duet for the standard "You're My Thrill," while the longer "Frankosis" is a fine swing number. The band expands to a sextet for another four cuts, returning Coker for one, and Urbie Green for the other three, as well as adding trumpeter Joe Wilder throughout. These pieces are not as distinguished, though they have individual bright moments. "Pretty Eyes" features a more soulful Wess on tenor, "Wess of the Moon" has brief Latin flourishes from drummer Osie Johnson, the flute vibrato on the bop modified standard "Romance" stands out, and the sweeter side of Wess is pronounced during the slower "All My Life." In most instances Wess leads and the other horns play quiet background harmonies. Not all of this music is from Commodore, as the final two tracks are from the Thad Jones quintet recordings for the Debut label, run by Charles Mingus. Thad Jones' trumpet, Hank Jones on piano, the bass playing of Mingus, Kenny Clarke's drumming, and Wess on tenor whip through the definitive hard bop composition of Thad Jones' "Bitty Ditty," and the harder bopping, quick and lithe "Elusive." Frank Wess made many recordings later on for the Savoy label, especially with fellow Basie-ite Frank Foster, with modern big bands, as a then premier flutist (most notably the Progressive label classic Flute Juice) and with the New York Jazz Quartet as its sole lead instrument. These sessions foreshadow all of the great work Wess would do from then on, and has to be considered a classic in his solid discography. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide
Frank Wess
Active Decades: '40s, '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and '00s
Born: Jan 04, 1922 in Kansas City, MO
Genre: Jazz
One of the first major jazz flutists, Frank Wess has also been a top Lester Young-influenced tenorman, an expert first altoist, and an occasional composer/arranger -- certainly a valuable man to have around. Early on he toured with Blanche Calloway, served in the military, and had stints with Billy Eckstine Orchestra (1946), Eddie Heywood, Lucky Millinder, and R&B star Bull Moose Jackson. That was all just a prelude to Wess' important period with Count Basie's big band, from 1953-1964. His flute playing, so expertly utilized in Neal Hefti's arrangements, gave the Basie Orchestra a fresh new sound, and his cool-toned tenor contrasted well with the more passionate sound of fellow tenor Frank Foster; Wess also had opportunities to play alto with the classic big band. Since that time, Wess has freelanced in countless settings, playing with Clark Terry's big band, the New York Quartet (with Roland Hanna) during the second half of the 1970s, Dameronia (1981-1985), and Toshiko Akiyoshi's big band, and has also had occasional reunions with Frank Foster. Frank Wess has led sessions for Commodore (1954), Savoy, Prestige, Moodsville, Pablo (with Foster), Progressive, Uptown, Concord, and Town Crier.
---Scott Yanow, All Music Guide |
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