Illinois Jacquet - The Chronological Classics: 1953-1955 '2007

Tracks list

Tracklist

01. Little Jeff (2:43)
02. Jacquet Jumps (1:51)
03. Blue Nocturne (3:09)
04. On Your Toes (3:20)
05. R.U. One (2:56)
06. Jatap Conga (2:56)
07. Its the Talk of the Town (3:30)
08. Heads (3:23)
09. Jacquets Dilemma (3:12)
10. Mambocito mio (2:54)
11. September Song (4:33)
12. Saph (2:44)
13. The Kid and the Brute (8:28)
14. I Wrote This for the Kid (11:55)
15. Love Is Here to Stay (4:31)
16. Empathy (4:45)
17. East of the Sun (4:45)
18. Cool Bill (5:46)

The mid-50s were a fruitful time for Illinois Jacquet, as he was about age 30. A
popular and distinctive tenor saxophone soloist who could easily fit into a
swing, big-band, bop, blues, or rhythm & blues context, he was also asserting
himself as a bandleader. These sessions, the fifth in a series of Classics label
reissues for Jacquet, are all originally from the Clef label and produced by
Norman Granz. Mostly done in New York City, they feature his five-years-older
brother, trumpeter Russell Jacquet, in a series of mid-sized ensembles that were
hype-dubbed an orchestra. As Jacquet was involved with Granz in his Jazz at the
Philharmonic traveling shows, these tunes naturally have a jam session feel. The
first eight tracks, from 1953, feature a dynamite rhythm session of pianist
Johnny Acea, bassist Al Lucas, and drummer Shadow Wilson. Trombonist Matthew Gee
and baritone saxophonist Cecil Payne round out the orchestra. Theres some
crazed, frantic bop on the Out of This World variation On Your Toes, the lithe
and fast hard bop with low-end bari and high-end brass of Jacquet Jumps and
Heads, the easy swing of Acea buoying Its the Talk of the Town, and the totally
bluesy counterpointed trumpet of Russell Jacquet as a foil for his brother
during R.U. One, minus Payne. Percussive tongue pops inspire the calypso beat of
the unusual, near-novelty item Jatap Conga. On the next four cuts, from 1954,
Leo Parker replaces Payne, and Osie Johnson is the drummer man. Conga legend
Chano Pozo joins in on the hot and joyous Mambocito Mio, with group vocals, and
theres the richly arranged Jacquets Dilemma and the famous ballad September
Song, where the tenor of Jacquet explores the deepest blue spectrum. Two more
cuts from 1954 team Ben Webster and Jacquets unison tenors with Pozo on the
Latinized bopper The Kid and the Brute and the follow-up slinky blues I Wrote
This for the Kid. The 1955 sessions are from Los Angeles with West Coasters
Gerald Wiggins and Carl Perkins playing organ and piano, respectively. This
combination breeds a neat energy, and with guitarist Irving Ashby, the band
takes a different tack. Trumpeter Harry Sweets Edison is the tenors foil,
sliding easily through Love Is Here to Stay and the ballad East of the Sun,
while swinging hard on the fun tune Empathy and doing the groove biscuit similar
to Let the Good Times Roll, here dubbed Cool Bill (perhaps for Bill Doggett),
minus Perkins. This short but potent time capsule in what must be considered the
near prime of Illinois Jacquet is as precious as mid-period straight-ahead jazz
gets, and is highly recommended.~Michael G. Nastos

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