St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1951-11-09
RArlN 9 tn {
r { G Q R D s
THE INSTRUNIENTALs
By j. Henry Randall

lyrics attached. We would even
go so far at to say that many of
the lyrics we hear now do not
wholly jibe with the tune to which
they are mated.
For example, take the recent
hot item by Johnny Hodges-you
know it-CastIe Rock. The way
we see it, the Instrumental by Hold
ges far surpasses the Frank Sim
atra vocal version for its stimula-
ton of the imagination. The ly-
RIGS in the latter version were OBJ
Wously added as an afterthought
and a not so very good after
thought at that.
In the current crop of instru-
mentals. there are several discs
which bear out our contention.
One such pairs originals written
and performed by Duke Filing
ton and starring two of his newer
key sidemen (for that matter, the
Ellington crew is made up of
nothing but key men,.
On one side is Jungle" mood
item labelled A Gathering In a
Clearing. featuring William Cat"
Anderson at trumpet and Al
Sears on tenor sax. with choice
bits of the Ellington piano show
ing brilliantly. A very careful list
ening will disclose snatches of the
spiritual When the Saints Go
Marching In. Then there's that
undercurrent throbbing note ad-
ded in by Harry Carney at bari
tone sax.
The mate, Jumpin' Room Only,
is one of the all too-rare examples
of the Ellington piano. An up
tempo'd jamming riff, 1t spot
lights Duke with rhythm assist
only. This side reverses the usual
Ellington pattern of subordinating
his improvisation with his driving
style. Although these two sides
were originally waxed some time
ago, when Ellington and crew
were on the RCA Victor band
wagon, neither has been issued be-
fore .(Victor).
Expanding on the Ellington
conception of jazz are five other
discs, waxed by assorted groups
of musicians brom the Ellington
aggregation, only one of which
sports a vocal.
One such disc by the Coronets
pairs the Juan Tizol Caravan with
the Victor Herbert Indian Sum-
mer, featuring Willie Smith at
alto sax. On the former, Tizol, a
returnee to the Ellington outfit,
has a most exciting tram solo YER
sion Of his celebrated hot jazz
tune. The mate is cool, dreamy
and excellently conceived (Mer-
cerD.
Then there's Johnny Hodges ork
on a Hodges Ellington original
labelled Searsy's Blues. The new
est sound in jazz, or rather an off
shoot of the Ellington style. 1t is
replete with the Hodges distinc-
tive alto sax-isms. Other crew
members include Harold Baker,
trumpet; Harry Carney, barton
sax: AL Sears, tenor sax; Billy
Strayhorn, piano, and Oscar Pet
tford, bass.
The mate is sure-fire cool
lump item. Let the boomers DrOol
CMercer).
The Coronets directed by Billy
Strayhorn. get away nightly on
Paul Gonsalvez The Happening,
with Paul working up a frantic
pitch on tenor sax; and Night
Walk, a mood trumpet opus writ
ten and solo'd by William Cat"
Anderson (Mercer) p. Chubby
Kemp. erstwhile Ellington thrush
hops about in her best blues
bOogie style on Me and My Wig
and luke Box BOOgie. The instru-
mentation is provided by Her All
stars" which include Hodges,
Carney, Red Rodney, trumpet;
Pettiford, cello; Max Roach,
drums; Wendell Marshall, bass
and Edward Duke, plano tMer-
CerD.
Gene Ammons, rising in stature
as a tenor saxist. uses an instru-
mental-vOcal formula for his lat
est waxing. The Instrumental side
sports the name Of SirOccO, and is
a rather good example Of the Am
mons treatment Of a jazz item.
Flip is Fine and Foxy, an Am
Early composition, with
Sally Early doing the chirping
PRESTIGE.
Not to be forgotten in the in
strumental picture is Benny
King of Swing" Goodman who,
with current bandsmen, does a re-
Hval of the classic Fletcher Hen
derson 1910 arrangement Of
Wrapping II Up. AS Of old, Ben
ny's reed shines brilliantly, with
great work being done by Billy
Butterfield at trumpet. Mate is
the Nancy Reed vocal on a novelty
item, TOOdle ee-yO-dOO, with the
Goodman sextet knocking out the
pace. (ColUmbiaJ.
THE VOCALS
Something old, Something
new" is the phrase which best
describes the latest waxing by