Home » Jazz Articles » Chubby Jackson: Chubby Takes Over

Chubby Jackson: Chubby Takes Over

By David Rickert
August 31, 2005
Sign in to view read count

For this 1958 recording Woody Herman stepped aside and let bassist Chubby Jackson have the reins of the band. This would have been any player's dream, for the Herd was stocked with talented players who grew up listening to the Four Brothers and bebop and could solo with the best of them. As a result, Herman's band was still capable of turning up the heat long after the height of the big band era, as his other releases for the Everest label attest.

It's a bit disappointing, then, that Chubby Takes Over isn't better than it is. By and large it's a pleasant album of serviceable and unspectacular big band recordings with a few nice solos from the likes of Al Cohn and Bob Brookmeyer. The problem is that everything is dispatched in the same medium tempo bounce and blasting brass that dominated big band music from the forties. Even the ballads are afraid to stay gentle, building to a dramatic climax. The pedestrian arrangements have a lot to do with it, but certainly a more varied program of tunes would have helped; quite a few songs are indistinguishable from each other.

It's not a bad effort by any means, but Chubby Takes Over isn't up to the standards of the Herd's other Everest work. As the cheerleader of the band, Jackson surely provided a lot of energy, but he needs some work on his play calling.

Track Listing

Loch Lamond; Blowin' Up A Storm; A Ballad for Jai; When the Saints Go Marching In; Oh Look at Me Now; Mt. Everest; Yes Indeed, It's Delovely; Cover the Earth With Your Loveliness, Alexander's Ragtime Band; Woodshed; Hail, Hail, The Herd's All Here.

Personnel

Chubby Jackson, Ernie Royal, Bob Brookmeyer, Al Cohn, Pete Mondello, Sam Most, Don Lamond, Marty Napoleon, and others.

Album information

Title: Chubby Takes Over | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Empire Musicwerks

Post a comment about this album

FOR THE LOVE OF JAZZ

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.