Gene Estes - Westful: Jazz In Hollywood

GENE ESTES BAND
Westful: Jazz In Hollywod
1976
256+ VBR LAME mp3
Vinyl rip & scans from Nocturne NRS-701

Preview clip:
Big "P"
Besame Mucho


Although the name may not jump out at you right away, first-call LA percussionist Gene Estes has played a part in many classic recordings, including some of my best-loved soul faves like Willie Hutch's The Mack, Eddie Kendrick's The Hit Man (c/o Flabbergasted Vibes RIP) and Johnny Bristol's Feeling The Magic. He worked with practically every big name who recorded in LA for a major label during the 60s and 70s and appeared on dozens of albums spanning genres from jazz and soul to rock and country and almost everywhere in between. Counted among the "Important Records" to which he contributed are The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, Frank Zappa & The Mothers' Freak Out! and David Axelrod's Songs of Innocence as well as critically-acclaimed records by Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash, Nilsson and a host of others.

Brian Wilson w/ Gene Estes on the vibes in May 1967 from
Pop Surf Culture: Music Design Film and Fashion from the Bohemian Surf Era

OK, so he's also assisted corporate concoctions like Sonny & Cher, The Monkees, Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow, Eric Carmen, REO Speedwagon and many other mediocre MOR megastars but then that's LA session life for ya, ain't it? It's no wonder then that this obscure solo project, the culmination of a couple years spent jamming every Sunday night with other SoCal session stalwarts, is brimming with the energy of a joyful release from frustration and monotony. In the liner notes Estes describes their weekly rehearsals as not "trying to prove anything with writing or playing...it's just a matter of having a ball" and that pretty much says it all about the atmosphere here.

Besides a noticeable lack of bombast or breakneck tempos normally found on drummer-led big band dates, there's really not much in the way of surprises here - just the sound of some excellent musicians gelling together to get that swing and nailing their solos without melodrama or overwrought pyrotechnics. In fact, the entire affair actually sounds like a throwback that could have been recorded 15-20 years prior and as such, it's one of those rare jazz albums recorded in the 70s upon which Mr. Yanow and I can agree:

AMG Review
by Scott Yanow

Other than a very obscure early-'60s LP for the Carlton label, this album from 1976 was drummer Gene Estes' debut as a leader. For the only recording by Estes' rehearsal big band, the drummer contributed five of the nine selections and all of the arrangements. Among the all-star jazz and studio players heard from are saxophonists Med Flory and Tom Scott, trumpeter Conte Candoli, trombonists Herbie Harper and Bob Enevoldsen, pianist Joyce Collins and Gene's younger brother Alan Estes on vibes. The excellent music is essentially straight-ahead and has its exciting moments, although this LP may be difficult to locate.

Gene would maintain his roughly 16-year cycle and record another album as leader in 1993, when he returned with another equally anachronistic slice of jazz called On The Edge. There would be one further posthumous release, In A Sentimental Mood, which contained material recorded shortly before his passing in 1996.

Discography as Leader

1960 The Greatest Stereo Vibraphone in Recording History
[Carlton ST LP 12/25]

1976 Westful: Jazz In Hollywood
[Nocturne NRS-701] at Soundological

1993 On The Edge
[Progressive 7095] at Amazon

2000 In A Sentimental Mood
[Arbor ARB0101] at iTunes

Gene Estes - Drums
Med Flory - Sax
Tom Scott - Sax
Bob Hardaway - Sax
Jay Migliori - Sax
Bill Hood - Sax
Meyer Hirsch - Sax (7 & 8)
Ollie Mitchell - Trumpet
Ralph Osborn - Trumpet
Conte Candoli - Trumpet
Herbie Harper - Trombone
Bob Enevoldsen - Valve Trombone
Dick Leith - Bass Trombone
Joyce Collins - Piano
Alan Estes - Vibes
Jim Hughart - Bass


1 Sharly My Boy
2 All About Henry
3 Poca Nada
4 Big 'P'
5 Pot Luck
6 D.A.V.
7 Sweet Lump
8 Besame Mucho
9 Good-Bye


Ride off into the sunset with Gene Estes and Soundological in the comments.

Bill Watrous - Manhattan Wildlife Refuge + discog

Boomp3.com
Boomp3.com

BILL WATROUS
Manhattan Wildlife Refuge
1974

94.1 MB
256+ VBR LAME mp3
Vinyl rip & scans from Columbia KC 33090


Recently Dr. Johnny Fever over at everything is on the one posted a great LP by Curtis Fuller for the shad shack and made a comment about the rarity of albums led by trombonists (check out the Trombone Album Gallery and Funderbone for some lists). That was the impetus for dusting off this excellent effort by one of the world's best 'boners, Bill Watrous. In fact, he literally wrote the book on trombone playing. Well, two of 'em at least...

If you appreciated the Buddy Rich album posted prior to this on Soundological, you're gonna love this set since there's a lot of crossover between the two, and not only due to being recorded the same year in the same town. Among the synchronicity: Joe Beck plays guitar on both, Dean Pratt got his start with Buddy's band and spent the 70s revolving around several big band outfits (such as Buddy, Bill, Maynard Ferguson, Woody Herman, Clark Terry) as did Soph, Gauvin and Perkowsky, the latter of whom was not as active in the day but has recently recorded a handful of albums with Mike Longo (check never enough rhodes for all your Longo needs).

Beyond those big band regulars, you've also got some NY session men who often played on CTI and Kudu sides such as Gatchell and Wayne Andre, another T-Rex of the T-Bone and member of discojazz giants The Players Association. Last but not least, you've got Lagond who was one of Kid Creole's Coconuts. Oh, and kickass keyboardist Dick Hyman just kills it on this album, especially when he's rockin' the Moog..."Ayo" has one of the dopest monosynth solos I've heard in a jazz context!

I prefer this one over Roar of '74 since Bill's boyish laid-back and open vibe, focus on accessibility, superb soloing support from the crew and the lack of an egotistical taskmaster for a bandleader make it a much more enjoyable listening experience. Where Roar is more like a handful bennies washed down with a few rye and cokes and a half-pack of smokes, Manhattan Wildlife Refuge is a nice fat blunt enjoyed with some 12 year-old single-malt scotch.


AMG Review by Scott Yanow
Manhattan Wildlife Refuge and its follow-up, The Tiger of San Pedro, are the only two recordings of trombonist Bill Watrous' impressive big band of the mid-'70s. Watrous, who takes an uncharacteristically crazy cadenza on "Fourth Floor Walk-Up," is in top form on such numbers as Chick Corea's "Spain," "Dichotomy," and "Zip City." Among his more notable sidemen are trumpeter Danny Stiles, guitarist Joe Beck, and pianist Dick Hyman. Available on CD as of July 2007, this reissue has been well worth waiting for.


Bill Watrous - Trombone, Arranger, Producer
Dick Hyman - Synthesizer, Piano, Fender Rhodes
Joe Beck - Guitar
John David Miller - Bass
Ed Soph - Percussion, Drums
Danny Stiles - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Soloist
George Triffon - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Dean Pratt - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
John Gatchell - Trumpet
Alan Gauvin - Flute, Soprano Sax
Ed Xiques - Flute, Alto & Soprano Sax
Charles Lagond - Clarinet, Flute, Tenor Sax
Frank Perowsky - Clarinet, Flute, Soprano & Tenor Sax
Wayne Andre - Trombone
Joe Petrizzo - Trombone
Joe Randazzo - Trombone, Bass Trombone
Charles Small - Trombone


1 Spain
2 Sho
3 Dichotomy
4 Zip City
5 Fourth Floor Walk-Up
6 Dee Dee
7 Ayo


Here's Bill performing "Spain" at the Down Beat winner's poll TV special the following year with Chick, Hubert Laws, George Benson, Ron Carter and Lenny White (thanks for rectifying Hanimex!).

Bill's discog as band leader/front man:

196? In Love Again



196? Love Themes for The Underground, The Establishment
& Other Sub Cultures Not Yet Known



1972 Bone Straight Ahead



1974 Manhattan Wildlife Refuge
at Soundological (mp3) and Call It Anything (FLAC)



1975 The Tiger of San Pedro
at Call It Anything (FLAC)



1979 Funk 'n' Fun



1979 Watrous In Hollywood



1980 I'll Play for you



1980 Coronary Trombossa
at andersonmark



1980 La Zorra



1982 Bill Watrous in London



1982 Roarin' Back into New York, New York



1984 Bill Watrous & Carl Fontana
at andersonmark



1986 Someplace Else



1987 Reflections
at chezmateo



1992 Bone-Ified
buy here



1993 Time for Love
buy here



1996 Space Available
buy here



2000 Live at the Blue Note Half Note
buy here



2003 Live
with the Temple Jazz Orchestra
buy here



2003 Living in the Moment
with The Gary Urwin Jazz Orchestra



2003 Mad to the Bone
with The Rob Stoneback Big Band



2004 Live In Living Comfort



2006 Kindred Spirits
with The Gary Urwin Jazz Orchestra



2007 Bill Watrous
(reissue of I'll Play For You)


NB: "buy here" links take you directly to artists' sites

While looking around for more BW just before posting, noticed that Call It Anything had posted this last year in FLAC format but if you're looking for mp3, Soundological has it HERE or HERE.

Buddy Rich - The Roar of '74

BUDDY RICH
The Roar Of '74
1974
256+ VBR LAME mp3
Vinyl rip & scans from Groove Merchant GM 528


Some big band bang for El Goog's new Groovy Merchant blog. Not much more to say on Buddy, what with him probably being the best-known drummer of the 20th Century. I hadn't seen this elsewhere when I originally threw it onto the "to do" pile a couple months ago but now, just before posting, I noticed the intrepid Simon had indeed found one on the blogosphere. However, that was a CD rip while this is taken from the original vinyl with the usual scans and tags you can expect in a Soundological package.

Lots of heavyweights on this one, especially in the rhythm section where King Crimson's Tony "Chapman Stickler" Levin is on bass side-by-side with jazz giant Joe Beck on guitar. Buddy's supported on beats by Duke Ellington drummer Sam Woodyard (who appeared most recently at Soundological on last month's Milt Buckner & Marcel Zanini post) and 70s session stalwart Jimmy Maeulen, both handling percussion duties.

AMG Review
by Scott Yanow

In late 1973, the Buddy Rich big band still featured the explosive drummer in prime, competitive form. The orchestra's key soloist during the era was Pat LaBarbera (doubling on tenor and soprano); guitarist Joe Beck also has a spot on "Big Mac." The charts (by Ernie Wilkins, John LaBarbera, Manny Albam, Greg Hopkins and Don Menza) for this album emphasize hard-driving swing, with the highlights including "Nuttville," "Senator Sam" and Menza's memorable "Time Check."

Buddy Rich - Drums
Charlie Davis - Trumpet
Larry Hall - Trumpet
Greg Hopkins - Trumpet (1)
John Hoffman - Trumpet (2)
Joe Romano - Alto Sax
Bob Martin - Alto Sax
Pat La Barbera - Tenor Sax (1,2,4,5,8) Soprano Sax (3,7)
Bob Crea - Tenor Sax (3,4,8)
John Laws - Baritone Sax
Al Kaplan - Trombone (8)
Keith O'Quinn - Trombone (2,8)
John Leys - Bass Trombone
Buddy Budson - Piano (1,6,7)
Joe Beck - Guitar (3)
Tony Levin - Bass
Jimmy Maeulen - Conga
Sam Woodyard - Percussion

Solo credits listed in brackets by track numbers


1 Nuttville
2 Kilimanjaro Cookout
3 Big Mac
4 Backwoods Sideman
5 Time Check
6 Prelude To A Kiss
7 Waltz Of The Mushroom Hunters
8 Senator Sam


Seeking that electric 70s swing sound? Soundological supplies it HERE or HERE.

Louie Bellson Big Band - Dynamite!

Boomp3.com

92 MB
256+ VBR LAME mp3
Vinyl rip & scans from Concord Jazz CJ-105


Here's the last installment in our initial "Give The Drummer Some!" triple-play feature on Soundological. It had been a while since I'd heard this LP but the mayor of Grooveville posted an hommage to him last month so I pulled it out again for a listen. Another smokin' big band session, this time in a live environment, with more of the usual high energy and technical prowess from Louie and his gang. There are a couple of ballads thrown in for contrast, with one dedicated specifically to Louie's pal Blue Mitchell who had passed away just weeks prior to this gig. For any serious drum solo fanatics out there, the last track has a five-minute solo by LB, something you won't hear often in his studio recordings.


AMG Review by Scott Yanow

Recordings by Louie Bellson's various big bands tend to be a slight disappointment, full of fire and explosive moments but sometimes lacking in subtlety and surprises. This effort finds the classic drummer at the head of a 14-horn, 19-piece orchestra that is certainly full of power. Bellson, his tenor star Don Menza and altoist Matt Catingub wrote all of the six songs, and among the key soloists are Menza, Catingub, trumpeter Bobby Shew, altoist Dick Spencer and guitarist John Chiodini (featured on "Where Did You Go"). Nothing all that unusual occurs (although Don Menza's Sambandrea Swing" is exciting), but modern big-band fans will enjoy the effort.


Louis Bellson - Drums
Nelson Hatt - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Walt Johnson - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Ron King - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Bobby Shew - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
John Thomas - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Nick DiMaio - Trombone
Dana Hughes - Trombone
Alan Kaplan - Trombone
Bob Payne - Trombone
Dick Spencer - Clarinet, Flute, Piccolo, Saxophone
Matt Catingub - Clarinet, Flute, Sax (Alto)
Andrew MacKintosh - Sax (Baritone)
Gordon Goodwin - Sax (Tenor)
Don Menza - Sax (Tenor)
John Chiodini - Guitar
Frank Collett - Piano
John Williams Jr. - Bass
Jack Arnold - Percussion, Vibraphone


1 Sambandrea Swing
2 Deliverence
3 Concord Blues for Blue
4 Cinderella's Waltz
5 Where Did You Go?
6 Explosion


Louie's discography as bandleader on blogopolis:

1970 Soul on Top with James Brown at Always Come Correct

1975 The Louis Bellson Explosion

1978 Louie Bellson Jam

1978 Ecué Ritmos Cubanos with Walfredo de Los Reyes at never enough rhodes

1979 Dynamite!


Although the man has recorded over 60 albums as leader since 1954, I could only find a total of five floating around out there, three of which come courtesy of yours truly. If anyone out there has additions, then give the drummer some and leave them in the comments so I can update the post accordingly. I had a copy of Sunshine Rock as well but it has gone missing . Should it pop up, it'll find its way onto the blog but for now you can pick up your stick of TNT HERE or HERE.

Louie Bellson - Louie Bellson Jam

Boomp3.com
Boomp3.com

87.5 MB
256+ VBR LAME mp3
Vinyl rip & scans from Pablo 2310-838


Continuing with our "Give The Drummer Some!" feature on Louie Bellson, today we present a small combo setting featuring Blue Mitchell again as well as Pete Christlieb who (along with Don Menza) stood out with his reed work on the previous post, The Louis Bellson Explosion. Ironically, this LP has more of a big band feel in its arrangement even though there's not much in the way of straight-up swing. Louie always managed to procure the cream of the crop for his sessions and there are a couple of surprises in personnel here, namely microtone maven Emil Richards and old school guitar hero Bob Bain, the man responsible for the mean licks on Mancini's Peter Gunn. He's yet another of those characters whose work is indelibly imprinted on the popular psyche of Western Civilisation but remains almost completely unknown to the public at large.


Louis Bellson - Drums
Blue Mitchell - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Bob Bain - Guitar
Pete Christlieb - Sax
Gary Pratt - Bass
Emil Richards - Percussion, Conga, Gong, Bells, Vibraphone
Ross Tompkins - Piano, Fender Rhodes


1 Melody for Thelma
2 Stein on Vine
3 Shave Tail
4 Gonga Din
5 I Wonder Why
6 Ballad Medley: All the Way Home/Time to Ride a Moonbeam/Bye Bye to All
7 Blue Invasion
8 A Gush of Periwinkles


AMG Review by Scott Yanow

This CD reissue brings back one of Louie Bellson's better small-group dates for Pablo. In addition to the drummer/leader, his septet includes trumpeter Blue Mitchell (still in good form on one of his last recordings), the underrated but great tenor Pete Christlieb, pianist Ross Tompkins, guitarist Bob Bain, bassist Gary Pratt and percussionist Emil Richards. Most intriguing about the date (which mostly sticks to group originals) is that there is a three-song ballad medley comprised not of standards but of Bellson tunes. "Shave Tail" (an older song co-composed by Bellson and Charlie Shavers) is a highlight.

Even the CD reissues from '94 and '95 are OOP but you can jam some more with Louie HERE or HERE.