Dave Rickert
February 2002

Combing the Catalog
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By David Rickert

Although the cool jazz movement only lasted for a brief period of time, it nevertheless produced some of jazz’s finest works. These two reissues from Verve are solid documents from this spirited movement.

Recorded Fall 1961
Stan Getz/Bob Brookmeyer
1961/2002

Stan Getz never seemed to do his best work when there were other horns involved, possibly because the tenorman (a notoriously difficult person to work with) had problems checking his ego at the door. Fortunately in Bob Brookmeyer he found a talent with whom he felt comfortable sharing the spotlight and who could also provide a few originals to showcase the stomping tenorman’s melodic gifts.

“I Should Care” seems tailor-made for Getz, whose romantic lyricism on ballads is without peer; Brookmeyer contributes some fine playing as well on an instrument not traditionally associated with beautiful phrasing. Brookmeyer certainly earns his keep as well by providing two other originals that fit in comfortably with standards like “Nice Work If You Can Get It” and “Love Jumped Out” that are the meat and potatoes of any Getz record. Everything is taken at a relaxed pace with Getz and Brookmeyer graciously sharing the spotlight and the rhythm section providing able support (Haynes in particular seems to be enjoying himself).

That this session was cut around the same time as the masterpiece Focus suggests that Getz was looking to do something more traditional on the side; this CD ultimately proves once again that it’s difficult to find a lackluster Stan Getz recording. This quintet stayed together for a while, but despite the fact that everyone contributed equally to achieve the cohesion of the group, Getz later gave them all their walking papers, claiming that they were starting to outplay him every night. Once again, ladies and gentlemen, the ego has landed.

You ‘n’ Me
Al Cohn/Zoot Sims
1960/2002

Al Cohn and Zoot Sims always did their best work together as a team, a fact that renders their work apart as somewhat inconsequential. Perhaps no horns every fused together as well as these two, Sims providing the dry gin and Cohn adding the sweet vermouth in an impressive display of effortless blowing with a relentless sense of swing. The tight head arrangements here are a marvel, as is the way they trade licks back and forth, swapping musical ideas like kids with baseball cards. Listen to the last track to see what these two are all about; a duet for the two horns where one solos while the other vamps, they never run out of interesting variations on the basic concept.

On the rest, the rhythm section seems positively invigorated; Mose Allison, whose work as a pianist is often overshadowed by his work as a vocalist, seems energized by the enthusiasm of the leaders. Major Holley, on the other hand, comes out front and center on “Angel Eyes”, a truly weird vocal and bowed bass rendition that allows Cohn and Sims the opportunity to dust off their clarinets. The session is bolstered by a spirit of wit with style; even “I’ll Remember April” gets a kick in the pants with a snappy tempo.

Cool jazz often gets criticized for being too studied and sophisticated; this session proves that many of them were capable of swinging just as hard as the rest. Not bad for a couple of guys who look like they work in a physics lab.

Stan Getz/Bob Brookmeyer-Recorded Fall 1961
Tracks: Minuet Circa ’61; Who Could Care; Nice Work If You Can Get It; Thump, Thump, Thump; A Nightingale Sang in Berkely Square, Love Jumped Out.
Personnel: Stan Getz-tenor sax; Bob Brookmeyer-valve trombone; Steve Kuhn-piano; John Neves-bass; Roy Haynes-drums.

Al Cohn/Zoot Sims-You ‘n’ Me
Tracks: The Note; You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To; You ‘n’ Me; On the Alamo; The Opener; Angel Eyes; Awfully Lovely; Love For Sale; Improvisation For Unaccompanied Saxophones.
Personnel: Al Cohn, Zoot Sims-tenor sax, clarinet; Mose Allison-piano, Major Holley-bass, Osie Johnson-drums.

Verve on the web: http://www.verveinteractive.com