Jazz Articles

The Buddy Collette Big Band: Live at El Camino College

by Edward Blanco
September 21, 2006

On May 19, 1990, Buddy Collette assembled a twenty-piece big band for a one-night special performance at El Camino College in Torrance, California. Although it has taken over fifteen years to grace the airwaves for all to enjoy, it is well worth the wait. Though the master tapes were lost, producer David Keller fortunately kept a backup tape, from which this recording was made. Tenor and bandleader Buddy Collette no longer plays as a result of a 1998 stroke, and ...

The Buddy Collette Big Band: Live at El Camino College

by Jack Bowers
July 26, 2006

Another big band recording that was a long time coming but well worth the wait. Saxophonist Buddy Collette's twenty-member ensemble was taped in May 1990 during a concert at El Camino College in Torrance, California. The plan was to release the concert recording as an album, but as producer David Keller writes, “life intervened and the tapes lay neglected until a year ago. As it turns out, sound engineer Steve Barker's master tapes had been destroyed but Keller had kept ...

Richard Simon: Pacific Standard Time

by Jack Bowers
October 1, 2002

If one harbors any doubt that there is life after seventy (or even eighty!) — and an abundance of swinging Jazz to be produced by those who’ve reached those plateaus — he or she need only listen attentively to bassist Richard Simon’s Pacific Standard Time to erase any such misgivings. While Simon himself is a (relatively) young whippersnapper, his guests — guitarist Al Viola and reedman Sam Most — are eighty–three and seventy–one, respectively, and weren’t much younger when PST ...

Pacific Standard Time: Live!

by Dave Nathan
July 16, 2002

Bassist and chief proprietor of the UFO Bass label Richard Simon has gotten together with two major proponents and pioneers of their respective instruments. Along with the clarinet, Sam Most has been working the jazz flute scene since the 1950's. He goes flute on most of the cuts, but picks up the straight black stick for two tracks. Al Viola has been plying his guitar since the 1950's and has worked with performers running the spectrum of Frank Sinatra and ...

Richard Simon: Covering the Basses

by AAJ Staff
March 1, 1999

Here’s a concept album with a fun concept: a melodic bassist playing the compositions of other bassists. Richard Simon has surrounded himself with top West Coast talent (Buddy Collette, Al Viola, Art Hillery) and made a session that shows the group as well as his technique.

It’s a broad spotlight, and everybody gets to shine. Simon’s “Melatonin” uses the chords on “In a Mellow Tone”, and is a relaxed swinger of the old school. Collette struts his confident sax through ...

Buddy Collette: Jazz for Thousand Oaks

by AAJ Staff
March 1, 1999

Considering his importance, Buddy Collette should be better known than he is. He’s played with Mingus, Rosolino, Gerald Wilson, and (in his most famous gig) Chico Hamilton. He was a major part of the “West Coast Sound” during its heyday in the ‘Fifties, and played on many “woodwind jazz” dates for Contemporary Records. He also suggested to Eric Dolphy (his successor at Hamilton’s) to study the bass clarinet. Outstanding credentials, and still overlooked – but not by everybody. In 1996, ...