Oscar Pettiford - The Chronological Classics- 1954-1955 '2007

Tracks list

Tracklist

01. E Lag (Mulligan) 2:32
02. Rhumblues (Feather) 4:26
03. Sextette (Mulligan) 2:53
04. Edge of Love (Goode, Baker, Ables) 2:20
05. Cable Car (Pettiford) 2:17
06. Trictatism (Pettiford) 2:36
07. Rides Again (Pettiford) 2:29
08. The Golden Touch (Jones) 2:22
09. Jack the Bear (Ellington) 3:14
10. Tamalpais (Pettiford) 3:32
11. Chuckles (Terry) 2:41
12. Mood Indigo (Ellington, Mills, Bigard) 2:55
13. Time on My Hands (Youmans, Adamson, Gordon) 3:09
14. Swing Until the Girls Come Home (Pettiford) 3:53
15. Titoro (Taylor) 3:19
16. Scorpio (Williams) 3:43
17. Oscalypso (Pettiford) 2:05
18. Another One (Jones) 4:08
19. Bohemia After Dark (Pettiford) 5:32
20. Stardust (Carmichael, Parish) 3:29 [p & b only]
21. Don't Squawk (Pettiford) 4:14
22. Minor Seventh Heaven (Johnson) 3:55
23. Kamman A-Coming (Pettiford) 5:07 

During his short, prolific, and equally tempestuous career, bassist Oscar
Pettiford made potent modern jazz that stands the test of time, and is equal to
or as brilliant as any you can name. These reissues, mainly from Bethlehem label
recordings, showcase large ensembles and are a prelude to the orchestra
Pettiford would lead before his untimely death in a European bicycle accident in
1960. There is an octet and a nonet from the Bethlehem dates, quite different
and very strong. With trumpeters Clark Terry and Joe Wilder, trombonist Jimmy
Cleveland, alto saxophonist Dave Schildkraut, clarinetist Jimmy Hamilton, and
baritone saxophonist Danny Bank, Pettiford is able to use these members of Duke
Ellington's orchestra in a manner much like Duke. There's a jam for Hamilton on
Ellington's "Jack the Bear," Pettiford's reverent Jewish-sounding theme
"Tamalpais," Terry's hard bopper "Chuckles" with Bank taking the lead, a typical
"Mood Indigo" with Pettiford's walking bass up front in the mix, and a darker,
moodier "Time on My Hands." The effortlessness of the ensemble is easy to hear,
but does not really tell what Pettiford and his big band would do in the
not-too-distant future. The next nine tracks, with considerable help from alto
saxophonist and arranger Gigi Gryce, give definitive foreshadowing as to the
charts that set Pettiford's music in an advanced stance. With trumpeters Donald
Byrd and Ernie Royal, trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, multi-instrumentalist Jerome
Richardson, and Gryce, a higher bar is set from a harmonic standpoint. "Titoro"
is an outstanding merging of post-bop, Latin spice, and emerging progressive
modernism, topped off by a scintillating solo from pianist Don Abney. The trend
continues on the predatory ambush sounds of "Scorpio," the wild bird flute of
Richardson on "Oscalypso," the bluesy "Don't Squawk" (a change of pace and a
feature for Richardson again on flute), the happy chart "Kamman's A-Coming,"
Pettiford's cello feature "Another Seventh Heaven," and the famous bass-led
"Bohemia After Dark." All are stellar examples of things to come in the late
'50s. There are six quintet tracks with just French horn icon Julius Watkins and
tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse in the front line, ranging from the galloping
bop of Gerry Mulligan's "Sextette" to the well-known tuneful melody "Tricotism"
with horns comping over Pettiford's lead bassline, and the solid bop of "Cable
Car" and "Rides Again," both tunes that should be standards. The CD kicks off
with two tracks originally on the Swing label out of France, featuring pianist
Henri Renaud and a sextet with Max Roach on drums, guitarist Tal Farlow, tenor
saxophonist Al Cohn, and trombonist Kai Winding. These two tunes are from a
session documented on the previous Classics Pettiford reissue, 1951-1954:
another happy Mulligan bopper ("E Lag") and the Charlie Parker-like "Rhumblues"
(similar to "My Little Suede Shoes"). 1954-1955 is a must-have for mainstream
jazz fans, and a fully representative document of what Pettiford was capable of
as a player and leader.~ Michael G. Nastos



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