Oliver Nelson and Leo Gooden

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

After-hours jazz clubs had a certain magic and nocturnal charm in the 1950s and '60s. They existed because in many cities, mainstream jazz clubs were regulated and had to issue last call around midnight. Musicians and audiences in the know would then head off to off-the-grid clubs with bottles stashed out of sight and plenty of great talent on makeshift stages. Many of these clubs operated in neighborhoods that the local police left alone. [Photo above by Bruce Davidson]

In St. Louis, Mo., when the clubs closed at 11 p.m., the jazz crowd drove 15 minutes over the Mississippi River to East St. Louis, Ill., a town packed with after-hours clubs. One of the most popular spots was Leo's Blue Note Club, at 4200 Missouri Ave. Leo was Leo Gooden, who in addition to owning the club was a vocalist and songwriter. He fronted a funky hard-bop, organ-and-horns quintet called Leo's Five, which served as the house band. [Photo above of East St. Louis historic district]

Gooden (above) also could sing. His pleading style was something of a cross between Jimmy Scott and Billie Holiday, only Gooden's sound was larger and less injured, emotionally. While he didn't always sing in key, Gooden must have been a hit with the ladies. He sounded as if he were singing down on one knee, asking for forgiveness.

Gooden was hugely supportive of the musicians who played at his club, and they loved him in return. By the early 1960s, when Leo launched his own label—L-G Records—arranger Oliver Nelson offered to record him with strings, one of Gooden's dreams. The album was entitled Leo Sings With Strings. As Nelson points out in the album's liner notes, Gooden had a unique singing style and phrasing that sounded as if he was always catching up to the rest of the band. Interestingly, Gooden's approach was perfectly suited to Nelson's arranging style, since Nelson, too, loved to linger behind the beat.

In 1963, Nelson (above) flew out to St. Louis to choose 12 songs with Gooden. Then he returned to New York to write the charts. When it was time to record, Gooden flew to New York, and the recording session was done on two dates at Fine Recording Bayside—C. Robert Fine's studio in Queens. The engineer on both dates was George Piros. 

Nelson assembled a crack orchestra—eight violins, two violas, two celli, four woodwinds, an organ, bass and drums. The musicians he selected were the cream of the studios at the time. [Photo above of the string section on Leo Sings with Strings by Chuck Stewart]

Here's the personnel, combined, for the two dates:

Strings—Harry Lookofsky (concertmaster), Milton Lomask, Paul Gershman, Sol Shapiro, Harry Glickman, Sylvan Shulman, Selwart Clarke, Raoul Poliakin, Arthur Granick, Alfred Brown, Charles McCracken, Peter Makas, Paul Winter, Leo Kruczek, George Ricci, Lewis Eley, Harold Coletta and Julius Held.

Woodwinds—Phil Bodner, Danny Bank, Jerome Richardson and Romeo Penque.

Rhythm section—Donald James (org), Milt Hinton and Joe Benjamin (b) and Osie Johnson (d).

What makes this album sensational and strangely addictive is Nelson's string writing. It's bold, dramatic and enveloping, forcing Gooden to open up and take chances. And he does. [Photo above of Oliver Nelson conducting the orchestra on a Leo Sings with Strings session by Chuck Stewart]

The tracks—Mood Tune (by Gooden), I Should Care, Pennies From Heaven, In My Solitude, In Other Words, Sophisticated Lady, Moon River, Poor Butterfly, They Wouldn't Believe Me, Would You (another original by Gooden), Midnight Sun and It's Magic.

As Nelson pointed out at the end of his liner notes, "For the role I played in this undertaking, I feel that this is some of my best string writing to date and that this showcase—Leo Gooden/Oliver Nelson—will cast an image much the same as Frank Sinatra/Nelson Riddle and Ray Charles/Quincy Jones, as another lesson in successful collaboration. [Photo above of Leo Gooden, right, with organist Donald James by Chuck Stewart]

I have to say that Nelson was right. The string writing is out of sight and everything about the recording is masterful. In a word, it's perfect. 

Now, a few notes that Tom Fine, C. Robert Fine's son, emailed earlier today:


"Fine Recording Bayside was the former Everest Records studio. My father bought the facility and equipment when Everest's parent company, Bellock Instruments, shuttered the record label in early 1961. The studio was unique because it had been outfitted for 35mm magnetic film master recording as well as tape. It had a big Westrex console in the control room, custom made for Everest. [Photo above of C. Robert Fine at the Bayside Westrex Console courtesy of Tom Fine]

"Leo Gooden's album was likely recorded live to 2-track stereo and full-track mono, given the time constraints described by Oliver Nelson in the liner notes. The engineer on this session, George Piros, was the head of disk-mastering at Fine Recording. In fact, George cut the master for the stereo version (tracks below). George was well-versed in fast jazz sessions recorded live to 2-track and mono. At the time of these sessions, he had already done a number of Mercury albums for Sarah Vaughan and other jazz and pop artists, working with Quincy Jones and Clyde Otis, among other producers. [Photo above of C. Robert Fine at the lathe, c. 1959, courtesy of Tom Fine]

"By the way, George (above) was my father's longest-serving and most loyal business colleague. They went back to Reeves Studios in the late '40's, and George was VP of my father's first studio, Fine Sound, and then also Fine Recording. George was head of mastering operations at both studios. George went on to become head of disc mastering for Atlantic Records. He retired from there in the early '80s and died soon afterward from diabetes.

"George was one of the greatest disk-cutters. He did all of the original Mercury Living Presence stereo mastering, and the mono cuts before the stereo era. Among his superb cuts at Atlantic were the first U.S. editions of Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti and Houses of the Holy, plus a lot of the mid-'70s soul albums. He also was one of the engineers for Aretha Franklin's Amazing Grace double album and cut the original LPs."

Leo Gooden died in 1965, Oliver Nelson died in 1975 and C. Robert Fine died in 1982.

JazzWax tracks: Leo Gooden's Leo Sings With Strings has never been issued in the digital format and is available only on vinyl, selling currently at eBay for up to $50. Even on vinyl it's rare—so rare it isn't listed in Tom Lord's Jazz Discography (I sent it along to Tom Lord so he can update his database).

JazzWax clips: Worry not. I wasn't going to write at length about a such rare album and not provide you with a few tastes. Here's Mood Tune...

Mood Tune

Here's I Should Care...

I Should Care

And here's Pennies From Heaven...

Pennies from Heaven

A special thanks to Tom Fine.

Used with permission by Marc Myers

Oliver Nelson: Fantabulous

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

Oliver Nelson occupies an interesting space among jazz composers and arrangers in the 1960s. While not as well known as Quincy Jones, Lalo Schifrin or Claus Ogerman, Nelson is a favorite among those familiar with his music. Unlike many of his peers, Nelson specialized in explosive, blues-centric jazz compositions and charts that could wail and moan with the muscular drama of a film noir score. What's more, Nelson played tenor saxophone on many of his own sessions, giving the orchestra a firm spine and distinct mournful flavor.

Nelson had three careers during his upward trajectory. Though he began recording on R&B sessions for Louis Jordon in 1951, his first jazz leadership recording came in 1959 with Meet Oliver Nelson for Prestige's New Jazz label. A string of recordings for the label followed until 1960, when producer Creed Taylor hired him to record an orchestral album. The album—The Blues and hte Abstract Truth—was recorded in February 1961 and would become one of the six LPs Creed released at once when he launched his new Impulse label at ABC-Paramount.

The Blues and the Abstract Truth wasa tour de force of arranging and playing that kicked off the second phase of his career. After the album came out to sterling reviews, Nelson began recording at a ferocious pace in the early 1960s as a leader and a sideman. When Creed became head of Verve following the label's sale to MGM, he brought Nelson on to arrange a series of albums, including several by organist Jimmy Smith.

Among Nelson's many side projects during this period was Fantabulous for Argo Records. In December 1964, Nelson was in Chicago with 10 musicians to perform at a concert produced by Chicago radio host Daddy-O Daylie. While there, Nelson recorded for Argo, adding two local musicians to his lineup—Art Hoyle and Kenny Soderblom. The personnel on Fantabulous featured Art Hoyle and Snooky Young (tp); Ray Wiegand (tb); Tony Studd (b-tb); Phil Woods (cl,as); Bob Ashton (cl,ts); Kenny Soderblom (ts,fl); Oliver Nelson (ts,arr,cond); Jerome Richardson (bar,fl,alto-fl); Patti Bown (p); Ben Tucker (b) and Grady Tate (d).

What makes this album special are the heavyweight bluesy solos by pianist Patti Bown, alto saxophonist Phil Woods, flutist Jerome Richardson and Nelson's tenor sax. Nelson's writing is strong, complex and varied throughout but always swinging. It's cinematic but not Hollywood. More action TV than big screen. In this regard, the album is like a distant cousin of The Blues and the Abstract Truth, with Billy Taylor's A Bientot serving as the album's Stolen Moments. [Photo above of Phil Woods]

Nelson had plenty of gas in his tank but not much in the brakes department. He worked relentlessly, especially after moving out to Hollywood in 1967 (the third phase of his career), when he wrote for TV and the movies. Sadly, Nelson died of a heart attack in 1975 at age 43.

JazzWax tracks: You'll find Oliver Nelson's Fantabuloushere. If you want the full feel of Nelson's glorious orchestral music in the 1960s, you'll find Oliver Nelson: The Argo, Verve and Impulse Big Band Studio Sessions (six CDs) here. You better hurry, though. The Mosaic set is going fast.

JazzWax clips: Here's Take Me With You...

And here's A Bientot...

Used with permission by Marc Myers

Oliver Nelson - The Blues and the Abstract Truth

All tracks composed by Nelson.

"Stolen Moments"
"Hoe-Down" 
"Cascades"
"Yearnin'" 
"Butch and Butch" 
"Teenie's Blues" 

Performers

Oliver Nelson — alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
Eric Dolphy — flute, alto saxophone
George Barrow — baritone saxophone
Freddie Hubbard — trumpet
Bill Evans — piano
Paul Chambers — bass
Roy Haynes — drums

Released August 1961
Recorded February 23, 1961
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs
Genre Progressive jazz
Post-bop

Label Impulse! A-5
Producer Creed Taylor

Red Garland + Oliver Nelson

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

Back in March 1961, saxophonist Oliver Nelson [pictured above] teamed with pianist Red Garland for the first time. Five tracks were recorded with Richard Williams on trumpet, Peck Morrison on bass and Charlie Persip on drums. The session would be the only time Nelson and Garland recorded together—an odd and unfortunate circumstance.

What's even stranger is that the five tracks were never issued on a single album. Instead, two of the recordings came out years later on Soul Burnin', which gathered  orphaned Garland tracks recorded in 1960 and '61, while the other three songs didn't surface until Prestige releasedRediscovered Masters Vol. 2 in the '70s.

The songs recorded by this unusual quintet offer a smart spread: On Green Dolphin Street, If You Could See Me Now,Soft Winds, Avalon and Skinny's Blues. The first two wound up on Soul Burnin' while the others became part of the vault dive for Rediscovered Masters Vol. 2.

Given the spirited quality of Garland's [pictured above] swinging attack and Nelson's Coltrane-like heat on alto and tenor sax, one can only speculate why a proper "Red Meets Oliver" album was never issued. The cumulative length of the tracks totals just over 37 minutes—hardly in excess of the standard jazz album at the time. Perhaps they planned to return to the studio to record additional tracks or takes but couldn't fulfill the obligation due to any number of reasons.  

On paper, reuniting wouldn't seem to have been a problem. Both Nelson and Garland [pictured above] had extended gaps between their discographies—with Nelson not recording until Duke Ellington's Paris Blues in May and Garland's hiatus lasting until Bright and Breezy in July. But both musicians likely had tour obligations, or one or more of the date's sidemen may not have been available for additional session work.

If the problem was audio issues, certainly tape edits could have resolved them. By 1961, tape editing with a razor blade, steady hand and careful ear was common practice in studios. Or perhaps the fact that the horns solo for brief spells while the trio dominates on either end and in the middle of songs was viewed as uneven in review.

Or maybe too much Garland was already in the can and slated for release. Or, given that the location of the date says "New York" instead of "Englewood Cliffs, N.J.," perhaps the city engineer wasn't as skilled as Rudy Van Gelder to make the cuts or wasn't trusted to do so expertly. Rudy did tell me, however, that most of the Prestige dates that say "New York" were actually cut at his place. [Pictured above: Oliver Nelson]

I reached out to fellow blogger, author and jazz gentlemanDoug Ramsey, who wrote the original liner notes toRediscovered Masters.Doug also said he was puzzled by the outcome of the 1961 session but sent along part of his notes...

"The March 1961 session was Red's only encounter with the late Oliver Nelson. He had heard Nelson with Louis Jordan's big band in 1950 but had never played with him. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Nelson didn't often take part in jam sessions and didn't hang out at musicians' bars like Jim and Andy's. Garland recalls being impressed with Nelson's businesslike approach to the date and with his playing. [Photo of Red Garland above at San Francisco's Keystone Kornerin the late '70s by Brian McMillen]


'He was a perfect gentleman and a great musician, a by-the-book musician, very correct, and I'm sorry I didn't get to know him better. The other horn was 'Notes,' Richard Williams, a beauty. He has control of his instrument, good ideas, a big fat sound. A lot of guys never get the credit that's due them, and 'Notes' is one of the unfortunate ones.'"

Long-time Prestige producer and radio host Bob Porter weighed in...

"Red signed with Jazzland following the March 1961 session. He only recorded for Prestige
on one other occasion—October 9, 1962. As for Oliver, he was working a quintet with Joe Newman about that time but he was moving away from being a soloist to being a writer.

"His first big band LP (Afro-American Sketches) began in September 1961, and he was also writing strings for Etta Jones in July 1961.

  
"The Soul Burnin' album wasn’t issued until 1963. There was a ton of Red Garland in the can, as you note. By the time I arrived at Prestige in 1968 ,there was still a ton left. On my watch, Red Garland Revisited, The P.C. Bluesand It’s A Blue World were issued. More came out during the Fantasy era.

"Red was recorded with Paul Chambers and Art Taylor in a trio and with Ray Barretto in a quartet (the best-selling sound), as a soloist and with horns. If anything, he was recorded too often, but Bob Weinstock & Esmond Edwards both dug him."  

It's a shame Red Garland and Oliver Nelson didn't record together again. What is evident is the sumptuous quality of the music preserved here and how provocative the two sounded squaring off.

JazzWax tracks: You can find Red Garland's Soul Burnin'here and Rediscovered Masters Vol. 2 here. Both are frightfully expensive and may be available online at eBay or at download sites for less.

JazzWax clip: To give you a taste, here's If You Could See Me Now with Oliver Nelson on alto sax and Richard Williams on trumpet, from March 1961...
Used with permission by Marc Myers

Oliver Nelson tenor solo bearing the harmonic marks of Garland's good friend and frequent Prestige colleague John Coltrane. Nelson plays alto sax, and Williams open horn, on "If You Could See Me Now."