Dave Rickert
July 2002

Combing the Catalog
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By David Rickert

Willow Weep For Me
Wes Montgomery
1965

The Verve label was responsible for the worst records of Wes Montgomery’s career once commercially-minded A&R men forced him to record pop-themed albums like Tequila and California Dreamin’. Fortunately, Willow Weep For Me, a companion to the excellent Smokin’ At the Half Note, features Montgomery in a live setting where he was free from meddling studio executives. Miles Davis’ rhythm section provides the firm support that one would expect and provides the setting for two classic performances: the Montgomery original “Four On Six” and a blistering “Impressions” that is easily one of the highlights of his career. However, the album was released after Montgomery’s death and for some reason, on four numbers an orchestra is overdubbed over the live recording. Why this was considered a good idea is anyone’s guess, but fortunately the charts are subtle enough to be unobtrusive (while still begging the question of why anyone bothered). At any rate, this is solid jazz guitar and the only problem is that on the ballads Montgomery’s guitar is so heavily reverbed it sounds like he was recorded through a fan. Wes responded to the commercial success of his Verve records by saying, “You should have heard me when I was really playing.” Fortunately, this session captures such a moment.

Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band Live at the Village Vanguard
Gerry Mulligan
1960

The Concert Jazz Band was Gerry Mulligan’s only extensive work leading a big band, and this disc of performances from the Village Vanguard are the best example of their work currently in print. Mulligan, a talented arranger, wisely stacked the deck with others similarly gifted such as Al Cohn and Bob Brookmeyer to create charts for the typical standards featured in any set by West Coast musicians. Much like in his celebrated quartet with Chet Baker, Mulligan dispenses with the piano, giving the rhythm chores solely to Mel Lewis and Bill Crow who ably deliver the goods. Mulligan gets the most time in the spotlight and, with a larger ensemble behind him, is given the support needed to deliver some invigorating solos. The quality of the recording is pristine, especially for a live recording, but a little bright; however, with ten horns and no piano, it probably couldn’t be helped One would expect with the talent present on the bandstand that the music would jump more, but often it sounds rigid and overly formal; perhaps the musicians had worked through these tunes so often that there was nothing left to discover. Nevertheless, anyone who has ever heard West Coast jazz before will not be surprised by this record which, if not innovative, is certainly enjoyable big band music.

Afro
Dizzy Gillespie
1954

Dizzy Gillespie was one of the first musicians to successfully fuse Afro-Cuban music with American jazz; Afro is one of the few album recorded entirely in this context and the only one currently in print. Gillespie used the exotic rhythms of several percussionists to provide his big band with a variety of interesting textures, and seems like a man gleefully attending a formal dinner in a pair of Bermuda shorts. Although Stan Kenton was following a similar course, Gillespie’s band was always a lot more fun to listen to; the clattering percussion and brash horn section fashion an atmosphere of fiery enthusiasm and swing that fits in perfectly with the warm climes of the tropics. On this session Chico O”Farrill composed a four part suite around Gillespie’s “Manteca”, already an Afro-Cuban tune in it’s own right. The remainder of the record focuses on the rhythm section with a pared-down ensemble and features well-known tunes fused with the Afro-Cuban rhythms. As one might suspect given the foreign color of both, “A Night In Tunisia” and “Caravan” sound perfectly at home in the context, and Gillespie solos with exuberance and nary a misstep. The trumpeter was always exploring new ways to broaden the context of the music he was playing; thus, bebop was born. However, Gillespie’s interest in the music of other cultures also provided satisfying results that, fortunately, are once again available.

Wes Montgomery-Willow Weep For Me
Tracks: Willow Weep For Me; Impressions; Portrait of Jennie; Surrey With the Fringe on Top; Oh! You Crazy Moon; Four on Six; Misty.
Personnel: Wes Montgomery-guitar; Wynton Kelly-piano; Paul Chambers-bass; Jimmy Cobb-drums; Claus Ogerman-orchestrations.

Gerry Mulligan-Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band Live at the Village Vanguard
Tracks: Blueport; Body and Soul; Black Nightgown; Come Rain or Come Shine; Lady Chatterly’s Mother; Let My People Be.
Personnel: Gerry Mulligan-baritone sax, piano; Mel Lewis-drums; Bill Crow-bass; Nick Travis, Clark Terry, Don Ferrara-trumpets; Bob Brookmeyer, Willie Dennis, Alan Ralph-trombones; Gene Quill-clarinet and alto sax; Bob Donovan-alto sax; Jim Reider-tenor sax; Gene Allen-baritone and bass clarinet.

Dizzy Gillespie-Afro
Tracks: Manteca Suite: Manteca Theme, Contraste, Jungla, Rhumba-Finale; A Night In Tunisia; Con Alma; Caravan.
Personnel: Lucky Thompson, Danny Bank, Hilton Jefferson, George Dorsey, Earl Mobley-saxophones; Dizzy Gillespie, James Nottingham, Ernie Royal, Quincy Jones-trumpets; J.J. Johnson, Leon Comegys, George Matthews-trombones; Ray Concepcion, Wade Legge-piano; Lewis Hackney, Robert Rodriguez-bass; Joe Mangual-bongos; Ubaldo Nieto-timbales; Candido Camero, Ramon Santanaria-congas.

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