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Avid Jazz here presents three classic Buck Clayton albums plus including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD. Buck Clayton first came to prominence when he joined Count Basie's orchestra in 1936 and henceforth grew in stature to become one of the pre-eminent trumpet players of his generation. For our three fine selections let's get a flavour of our hero and his music by quoting a few lines from the original sleeve notes of the albums. 'Songs for Swingers' .....................'all the writing is by Buck.........Buck's trumpet style is synonymous with good taste.........his arrangements which are lucid and direct and always so constructed as to permit swinging interpretations'. 'Buck Meets Ruby'.....................'although his technique and range are unlimited, Buck Clayton is one trumpet player who has performed with taste and warmth.........it's Ruby Braff's trumpet which gives this album that quality of excitement only rarely found in jam sessions'. 'Harry Edison Swings Buck Clayton'..................... 'Harry is playing with greater finesse and originality than in the Basie days .........The pairing of Harry and Buck brings back some of the happiest memories in Jazz'. The pluses include one LP side of 'Duke Ellington and The Buck Clayton All-Stars At Newport' recorded in 1956 as a result of Buck's best selling Columbia jam sessions leading to his invitation by Newport to put an all star band together .....................'these Clayton performances are different from his studio dates because of the greater heterogeneousness of this small ensemble ......... The Hawk (Coleman Hawkins) was in unusually strong form'............ and side one of 'The Newport All-Stars' recorded three years later in 1959. Buck is again invited to jam at Newport and here brings with him three veteran players for a unique marriage of styles. Buck and Vic Dickinson from the Count Basie Kansas City school and Pee Wee Russell and Bud Freeman from the Chicago gang..........'all are playing as great and as wonderful music as they have ever played in their long careers'. All three of our selections are hard to find on any format and have been digitally re-mastered for probably the finest ever sound quality!
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
At the centre of this double CD is the 'Songs for Swingers' session recorded by Columbia in 1958 and, apart from its appearance as part of a Mosaic box set, vitually unobtainable since its first release. It is one of Buck Clayton's very finest albums. His arrangements are excellent and his trumpet work quite superb. The entire front line are Basie alumni and, from having played together for many years, form a wonderfully integrated ensemble. Emmett Berry is an ideal trumpet partner to Buck. Dicky Wells plays some superb solos and Buddy Tate's tenor is continually inventive. Earl Warren's alto and clarinet are a delight. The rhythm section of Al Williams, Gene Ramey and Herbie Lovelle swings like mad and is never overpowering. This is, without doubt, one of the finest albums from the mainstream revival and an essential companion to Buck's better known 'Jam Session' dates.
The jam session tracks recorded 'live' at Newport in 1956, although not so outstanding, are thoroughly enjoyable. Clayton plays well, Coleman Hawkins is at his angular best, and J.J. Johnson's trombone thoroughly enjoyable. Dick Katz's piano is surprisingly inventive and Gus Johnson and Benny Moten, on drums and bass respectively, accompany well but are somewhat lacking in drive and fexibility.
The session with Ruby Braff is somewhat low key. It opens with a beautiful extended version of 'I Can't Get Started' where both trumpets play so inventively as to almost eradicate memories of Bunny Berigan's classic recording for Victor. The other tracks are pleasant but, ultimately, enjoyable rather than inspired. However Buddy Tate and Benny Morton play well and, even if the rhythm section sounds uninspired, this Vanguard album was well worth salvaging from the vaults.
The Verve album that pairs Buck with his old colleague from the Basie trumpet section - Harry Edison - is also a very relaxed one. They blend beautifully together and their solo work is never less than interesting. Jimmy Forrest on tenor is dependable rather than inspired and the rhythm section, which includes the ever dependable Freddie Green, swings effortlessly. The tunes, a mixture of standards and Edison originals, are all excellent but, overall, the album lacks the element of surprise and inspiration that makes 'Songs for Swingers' so outstanding.
The final tracks are taken from a George Wein session for Atlantic which find Clayton and Vic Dickenson paired with a number of Chicagoans including Bud Freeman and Pee Wee Russell. Pleasant enough music making but nobody sounds at ease and everybody has played much better elsewhere.
All in all, this is an excellent compilation and is thoroughly recommendable. Original sleeve notes are included and the remastering by Dave Bennett fully up to his excellent standard.
The jam session tracks recorded 'live' at Newport in 1956, although not so outstanding, are thoroughly enjoyable. Clayton plays well, Coleman Hawkins is at his angular best, and J.J. Johnson's trombone thoroughly enjoyable. Dick Katz's piano is surprisingly inventive and Gus Johnson and Benny Moten, on drums and bass respectively, accompany well but are somewhat lacking in drive and fexibility.
The session with Ruby Braff is somewhat low key. It opens with a beautiful extended version of 'I Can't Get Started' where both trumpets play so inventively as to almost eradicate memories of Bunny Berigan's classic recording for Victor. The other tracks are pleasant but, ultimately, enjoyable rather than inspired. However Buddy Tate and Benny Morton play well and, even if the rhythm section sounds uninspired, this Vanguard album was well worth salvaging from the vaults.
The Verve album that pairs Buck with his old colleague from the Basie trumpet section - Harry Edison - is also a very relaxed one. They blend beautifully together and their solo work is never less than interesting. Jimmy Forrest on tenor is dependable rather than inspired and the rhythm section, which includes the ever dependable Freddie Green, swings effortlessly. The tunes, a mixture of standards and Edison originals, are all excellent but, overall, the album lacks the element of surprise and inspiration that makes 'Songs for Swingers' so outstanding.
The final tracks are taken from a George Wein session for Atlantic which find Clayton and Vic Dickenson paired with a number of Chicagoans including Bud Freeman and Pee Wee Russell. Pleasant enough music making but nobody sounds at ease and everybody has played much better elsewhere.
All in all, this is an excellent compilation and is thoroughly recommendable. Original sleeve notes are included and the remastering by Dave Bennett fully up to his excellent standard.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This 2-CD set features a 1954 Vanguard ten-incher "Buck Meets Ruby" (Braff), the first sides from two LPs, namely the 1956 Buck Clayton All-Stars at Newport and the 1959 Newport Jazz Festival All Stars, and two 1958 albums, Harry Edison Swings Buck Clayton & Vice Versa, and Songs for Swingers. This is a bit of a dog's breakfast, for reasons I'll come on to, but including the fact that it's rounded off with two half-albums rather than a fourth complete one.
Taking the albums in the order in which they occur, Songs for Swingers comprises four of Buck's compositions and four standards. The rhythm section is flawless, Emmett Berry shares trumpet duties with Buck, and Dickie Wells and Earl Warren complete the front line. There's plenty of good tight ensemble playing, but everyone gets an individual bite of the cherry. I particularly like the energetic treatment of "Sunday", a number first popularised by Paul Whiteman.
At the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival Buck teamed up with Coleman Hawkins and J. J. Johnson, and the three numbers from the album sound somewhat more impromptu, but the excitement of the live performance was well captured for posterity. The title in the tracklist refers erroneously to Duke Ellington, because the pianist is Dick Katz. The first CD closes with an extended rendition of "I Can't Get Started" from the Braff album, the remaining three tracks of which kick off the second CD. As mentioned in the liner note, the balance could have been better, but that doesn't detract from the quality of the playing.
Buck and Sweets Edison, his fellow trumpeter in the pre-war Basie band, teamed up in 1958, with a band that included Jimmy Forrest on tenor and Freddie Green on guitar (the latter mentioned in the original sleeve note but not credited in the line-up). It seems to me that this album should be down to Harry Edison rather than Buck Clayton, not just because he gets first billing, but also by virtue of the fact that he composed all four numbers on the first side. The second comprises a medley of four standards, on which the individual musicians seize the opportunity of extended solos. The four tracks from the 1959 Newport All Stars (recorded in Boston) suffer from occasional slight distortion. The Kansas City school was represented by Buck and Vic Dickenson, and Chicago in the persons of Pee Wee Russell and Bud Freeman.
These recordings by Buck Clayton's All-Star Groups show that jazz was very much alive in the fifties, defying rumours of its imminent demise. Despite its somewhat haphazard assembly, this compilation is eminently listenable, and will help meet the continuing demand for such music.
Taking the albums in the order in which they occur, Songs for Swingers comprises four of Buck's compositions and four standards. The rhythm section is flawless, Emmett Berry shares trumpet duties with Buck, and Dickie Wells and Earl Warren complete the front line. There's plenty of good tight ensemble playing, but everyone gets an individual bite of the cherry. I particularly like the energetic treatment of "Sunday", a number first popularised by Paul Whiteman.
At the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival Buck teamed up with Coleman Hawkins and J. J. Johnson, and the three numbers from the album sound somewhat more impromptu, but the excitement of the live performance was well captured for posterity. The title in the tracklist refers erroneously to Duke Ellington, because the pianist is Dick Katz. The first CD closes with an extended rendition of "I Can't Get Started" from the Braff album, the remaining three tracks of which kick off the second CD. As mentioned in the liner note, the balance could have been better, but that doesn't detract from the quality of the playing.
Buck and Sweets Edison, his fellow trumpeter in the pre-war Basie band, teamed up in 1958, with a band that included Jimmy Forrest on tenor and Freddie Green on guitar (the latter mentioned in the original sleeve note but not credited in the line-up). It seems to me that this album should be down to Harry Edison rather than Buck Clayton, not just because he gets first billing, but also by virtue of the fact that he composed all four numbers on the first side. The second comprises a medley of four standards, on which the individual musicians seize the opportunity of extended solos. The four tracks from the 1959 Newport All Stars (recorded in Boston) suffer from occasional slight distortion. The Kansas City school was represented by Buck and Vic Dickenson, and Chicago in the persons of Pee Wee Russell and Bud Freeman.
These recordings by Buck Clayton's All-Star Groups show that jazz was very much alive in the fifties, defying rumours of its imminent demise. Despite its somewhat haphazard assembly, this compilation is eminently listenable, and will help meet the continuing demand for such music.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
A bargain!! 2 CDs for under £5 recalling some of the best of mainstream jazz. The Buddy Tate group was greatly and rightly praised when it appeared as an LP. Ruby Braff rarely made a poor record nor did Harry Edison. Buck Clayton is not merely the link through the 2 CDs but is one of its stars.
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