In February 1943, bassist Oscar Pettiford joined Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie in a Chicago hotel room and jammed on Sweet Georgia Brown, which was captured on a private recording. This was before bebop was codified, and Parker and Gillespie were virtually unknown outside of the big bands they were in. By the end of 1943, Pettiford was in New York recording for Commodore behind tenor saxophone giant Coleman Hawkins.
Rolling forward, Pettiford would become bebop's first major bassist in New York clubs on 52nd Street. He also recorded early bebop with Dizzy Gillespie on the Manor label in January 1945 and led an 18-piece all-star session that month. Next he played and toured extensively with Duke Ellington until 1947, jumped to Woody Herman, and then was on his own by 1950, working with and leading a wide range of modernist ensembles and bands throughout the decade.
Perhaps Pettiford's crowning achievement was his orchestral recordings for Creed Taylor at ABC Paramount in 1956 and '57. There were two studio albums and some live material. The first recording, The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra In Hi-Fi, Vol. 1, in June 1956, featured Ernie Royal and Art Farmer (tp), Jimmy Cleveland (tb), Julius Watkins, David Amram (fhr), Gigi Gryce (as,arr), Lucky Thompson (ts,arr), Jerome Richardson (ts,fl), Danny Bank (bar), Tommy Flanagan (p), Oscar Pettiford (b) and Osie Johnson (d). Over the three sessions, Whitey Mitchell (b) and Janet Putnam (harp) were added on tracks and Dave Kurtzer replaced Danny Bank on baritone saxophone.
The second album, The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra In Hi-Fi, Vol. 2, recorded in August 1957, included Ray Copeland and Art Farmer (tp), Kenny Dorham (tp, replacing Copeland), Al Grey (tb), Julius Watkins and David Amram (fhr), Gigi Gryce (as,arr), Benny Golson (ts,arr), Jerome Richardson (ts,fl), Sahib Shihab (bar), Dick Katz (p), Betty Glamann (harp), Oscar Pettiford (b,cello), Whitey Mitchell (b) and Gus Johnson (d).
My Backgrounder this week is the Complete Oscar Pettiford Orchestra in Hi-Fi, including the live material at Birdland in March and June 1957. Lucky you! Go here...
Rolling forward, Pettiford would become bebop's first major bassist in New York clubs on 52nd Street. He also recorded early bebop with Dizzy Gillespie on the Manor label in January 1945 and led an 18-piece all-star session that month. Next he played and toured extensively with Duke Ellington until 1947, jumped to Woody Herman, and then was on his own by 1950, working with and leading a wide range of modernist ensembles and bands throughout the decade.
Perhaps Pettiford's crowning achievement was his orchestral recordings for Creed Taylor at ABC Paramount in 1956 and '57. There were two studio albums and some live material. The first recording, The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra In Hi-Fi, Vol. 1, in June 1956, featured Ernie Royal and Art Farmer (tp), Jimmy Cleveland (tb), Julius Watkins, David Amram (fhr), Gigi Gryce (as,arr), Lucky Thompson (ts,arr), Jerome Richardson (ts,fl), Danny Bank (bar), Tommy Flanagan (p), Oscar Pettiford (b) and Osie Johnson (d). Over the three sessions, Whitey Mitchell (b) and Janet Putnam (harp) were added on tracks and Dave Kurtzer replaced Danny Bank on baritone saxophone.
The second album, The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra In Hi-Fi, Vol. 2, recorded in August 1957, included Ray Copeland and Art Farmer (tp), Kenny Dorham (tp, replacing Copeland), Al Grey (tb), Julius Watkins and David Amram (fhr), Gigi Gryce (as,arr), Benny Golson (ts,arr), Jerome Richardson (ts,fl), Sahib Shihab (bar), Dick Katz (p), Betty Glamann (harp), Oscar Pettiford (b,cello), Whitey Mitchell (b) and Gus Johnson (d).
My Backgrounder this week is the Complete Oscar Pettiford Orchestra in Hi-Fi, including the live material at Birdland in March and June 1957. Lucky you! Go here...
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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