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Backgrounder: Brazilian Jazz Quartet

Who were the musicians in the Brazilian Jazz Quartet? According to Wikipedia, the group featured José Ferreira Godinho Filho Casé" on alto saxophone, Moacyr Peixoto on piano, Luiz Chaves Oliveira da Paz Luiz Chaves" on bass and Rubens Alberto Barsotti Rubinho" on drums. The reason I pose the question is the remarkable similarity in tone between ...
Backgrounder: Sammy Sings, Laurindo Plays, 1966

One of Sammy Davis Jr.'s finest albums is Sammy Davis Jr. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays, an LP he recorded in June 1966 accompanied only by Brazilian guitarist Laurindo Almeida. Captured at United Recordings in Las Vegas and released on Reprise, the album of ballads allowed listeners to hear Sammy's voice exposed in an intimate, near-a ...
Backgrounder: Sonny Rollins Plus 4

The sound of the Clifford Brown-Max Roach Quintet on their studio recordings for EmArcy starting in 1954 was unmistakable. Trumpeter Brown's pointed and lyrical blowing combined with Roach's restless drums and the deliberate sound of Harold Land's tenor saxophone poured the foundation for a new daring and elegant form of hard bop. By 1956, tenor saxophonist ...
Backgrounder: Pepper Adams Quintet,' 1957

Stu Williamson was a gorgeous trumpeter and valve trombonist. His smooth tone and ease with which he played and soloed landed him in the Hollywood studios in the 1950s. Born in Brattleboro, Vt., Williamson moved to Los Angeles in 1949. Sadly, he struggled with drug addiction for much of his career. The younger brother of West ...
Backgrounders: Basie With Quincy and Hefti

In 1958, the French Vogue label put out a double LP in Europe entitled Count Basie Plays Quincy Jones & Neal Hefti. Essentially, it was a re-issue of two previous Roulette releases—Basie One More Time: Music From the Pen of Quincy Jones (1960) and Basie Plays Hefti (1958). Both are classics in the Basie canon and ...
Backgrounder: Barry Galbraith - Guitar and the Wind

Barry Galbraith was one of New York's busiest session jazz guitarists in the 1940s, '50s and '60s. Between 1941 and the late 1970s, he was on 620 recording dates, a staggering total. How many albums did he record as a leader under his name? Just one—Guitar and the Wind, for Decca. What a shame. His sole ...
Backgrounder: James Moody - Return From Overbrook

This James Moody CD came out in 1996 and covered two great albums by the saxophonist and flutist—Last Train From Overbrook (tracks #1-10; recorded in 1958) and Flute 'N' the Blues (tracks #11-20; recorded in 1956). Both were released on Chess's Argo label. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Moody, these two albums are ...
Backgrounder: Jones/Lewis - Consummation

Recorded over four sessions in January 1970 and released later that year, the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra's Consummation was one of the finest big band albums of the decade. A hit album and Grammy nominee, the LP's eight tracks were composed and arranged by Thad Jones. At the Grammy's the album lost out to Miles Davis's ...
Backgrounder: Tony Bennett - Movie Song Album

As we say goodbye to the late Tony Bennett, let's listen to one of his favorite Columbia albums—The Movie Song Album. Here's the song list as well as the arrangers and notable soloists: Song From The Oscar" (Maybe September) (arr,cond Johnny Mandel) (Lou Levy, piano) Girl Talk (arr,cond Neal Hefti) (Jimmy Rowles, piano) The Gentle Rain ...
Backgrounder: Lockjaw Davis - Lock, the Fox

Tenor saxophonist Eddie Lockjaw" Davis recorded two stupendous albums for RCA in 1966. The first was a sextet album called Lock, the Fox in June. The full album without ads surfaced on YouTube a year ago. The other, The Fox and the Hounds, was a big band album recorded in November. The band was essentially Basie's ...