RCA Victor LPM 3137
A RCA Victor High Fidelity Recording
SIDE ONE:
1. Morpo
2. Bunny
3. Powder
4. Mambo Del. Crow
(Shorty Rogers)
SIDE TWO:
1. The Pesky Serpent
(James Giuffre)
2. Diablo's Dance
(Shorty Rogers)
3. Pirouette
(Shorty Rogers)
4. Indian Club
(James Giuffre)
Shorty Rogers and his Giants
E3VL - 4806
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Modern jazz is today in need of a leader, a fresh source of ideas and an inspirational fountainhead. Its present leaders will hold their positions only until new men are able to publicly prove themselves and their ideas in bidding for popular acclaim. In this album, RCA Victor is proud to present Shorty Rogers whose musical ideas are among the most potent in the present jazz movement. In order to let Shorty express these ideas his own way, he is given free rein as to composition, arrangement and choice of musicians.
Beginning his career with Red Norvo, who later became his brother-in-law, Shorty was later drafted into the Army where he played trumpet in numerous service bands. After his discharge, he joined the original Woody Herman Herd. In composing such great instrumentals as "Back Talk" and "Keen and Peachy" for the full Herd and the majority of numbers performed by the Woodchoppers, Shorty soon became a bulwark of the fabulous Woody Herman arranging staff. Later, with Stan Kenton, he scored brilliantly on trumpet and with such compositions as "Jambo" and "Jolly Rogers." At the moment he lives in Southern California where his time is divided between leading a jazz group, writing for films and teaching composition.
The members of Rogers' poll-winning ensemble are: Shelley Manne, drums; Joe Mondragon, bass; Hampton Hawes, piano; Art Salt, alto sax; Gene Englund, tuba; Milt Bernhart, trombone; Johnny Graas, French horn; and Jimmy Giuffre, tenor sax. Opening their collection is "Morpo," described by Shorty Rogers as having "that fundamental swing quality necessary to all jazz." This quality, said to be independent of rhythm, is illustrated by what is perhaps the first recorded jazz solo on French horn by Johnny Graas, followed by Bernhart, Salt, Shorty and an improbable quote by Hampton Hawes. "Bunny" musically incarnates a very real person with delicate and expressive solo work by Salt and Graas, steeped in a more contrapuntal idiom than is usual for jazz. "Powder Puff" is a Latin original by Shelley Manine who is known for his brilliant recordings; it features Shorty, Salt and Bernhart unto an incredible resolution of the number's final chord. During "Mambo del Crow" a very "hip" crow happened to fly into the studio where he participated as vocalist; the work features Milt Bernhart and Shelley Manne and proves rhythmically that jazz can borrow from Latin music to the enchancement of each.
"The Pesky Serpent" is a Jimmy Giuffre original arranged not unlike his great "Four Brothers," and featuring him along with Milt, Shorty, Hamp and Art. "Diablo's Dance" showcases the taut, crackling piano of Hamp Hawes in a Latin manner, complete with tambourine introduction by Shelley Manne. "Pirouette" is Rogers' graceful impression of a ballet which he once scored for a film, while the closing selection is another number by Giuffre entitled "Indian Club" which combines Indian and swing motifs in an exceptionally clever way.
- Paul Krupa and Jack Lewis
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Modern Favorites on RCA Victor Long Play:
NEW DIRECTIONS IN MUSIC
(The Sauter-Finegan Orchestra):
Doodletown Fifers; April in Paris; Midnight Sleighride; Rain; Azure-Te; Stop! Sit Down! Relax! Think!; Moonlight on the Ganges; When Hearts Are Young - LPM 3115
GENE NORMAN PRESENTS JUST JAZZ
(Famous Artists) - Take the "A" Train; Star Dust; Robbin's Nest; I'm in the Mood for Love; Undecided; Over the Rainbow; Oh! Lady Be Good; Hot Harmonica Boogie - LPM 3102
THIS IS OSCAR PETERSON - Sweet Georgia Brown; China Boy; Humorsque; Poor Butterfly; Honey-dripper; Sheik of Araby; I Got Rhythm; My Blue Heaven - LPT 3006
