Sal Salvador Quintet – December 24 1953
Blue Note Biography of Sal Salvador
https://www.bluenote.com/artist/sal-salvador/
A versatile guitarist and onetime head of the guitar department at the University of Bridgeport, Sal Salvador was a capable soloist and accompanist whose single-string style, shaped by his early interest in the music of Charlie Christian, was augmented by extensive studies of guitar technique. Salvador’s years of research, playing, and analysis eventually led to his writing guitar methodology books, among them Sal Salvador’s Chord Method for Guitar and Sal Salvador’s Single String Studies for Guitar in the ’50s and ’60s. He became interested in jazz during his teens, and began playing professionally in Springfield, MA, in 1945. He worked with Terry Gibbs and Mundell Lowe in New York at the end of the ’40s, then joined Stan Kenton’s orchestra in 1952. Salvador worked with Kenton until the end of 1953, and appeared on the New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm album. He led bebop bands featuring Eddie Costa and Phil Woods. Salvador was featured in the film Jazz on a Summer’s Day and headed a big band in the late ’50s and early ’60s. He worked in a guitar duo with Alan Hanlon in the early ’70s, and began recording again as a leader later in the decade. He re-formed his big band in the ’80s, and was named to his position at the University of Bridgeport. Salvador led recordings for Blue Note (1953), Capitol, Bethlehem, Decca, Jazz Unlimited, Dauntless (1963), Bee Hive, GP, and Stash; he died September 22, 1999, at the age of 73.
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| Sal Salvador with Frank Socolow Photo by Francis Wolff |
Bill Coss: Sal Salvador Quintet Liner Notes – BLP 5035 – March 1954
SAL SALVADOR, whose name suggests an Argentinian city and gauchos and Latin rhythms is, to the detriment of romance but for the betterment of jazz, far removed from all these things. Quite unromantically, he was born in Monson, Massachusetts in 1925 and spent most of his growing years in Stafford Springs, Connecticut.
And, as if preserving the New Englandish simplicity of his life's story, Sal cant recall any particular reason for his general interest in music or his particular interest in the guitar. It happened almost by accident, he explains. "Dad had taken a few lessons on the guitar at one time, and there was an instrument lying around the house, so I picked it up and began playing."
Unlike most of today's jazz musicians, Sal hardly noticed jazz as a form until he was twenty years old. About that time, he heard Charlie Christian records, which were the first indication that he had had of the guitar's possibilities. And, because he was listening to Christian at such a late date, he also began to pay some attention at about the same time to Dizzy and Bird; all three, exerting a great deal of influence on Sal, who has never studied formally, supplying him with a running leap into modern music.
He began his professional career in 1945, playing with local bands in and around Springfield, Mass. and came to New York four years later where he played with many groups until 1952, when he left the city to join Stan Kenton with whom he remained until December, 1953. From what lies between these covers, one can assume that Kenton's loss is our gain.
For here is the structure within which Sal functions best. And he is ably assisted, whether by quintet or quartet. Pianist Johnny Williams, an ex-Getz sideman, is a stand-out. His is a sparkling and swinging style which shows fine structural development. Jimmy Campbell, a steady and inventive drummer, and Kenny O'Brien, whose bass had been the steadiest of anchors for many combos, complete the rhythm section. Swinging tenorist Frank Sokolov, who used to play with such groups as Chubby Jackson's, makes the fifth man on the quintet sides.
Here, in these first records which Sal has done under his own name, he finds the opportunity to exhibit three sides of his musical personality. As he sums them up, they are: "To swing, to play simply and to pick tunes carefully,"
And all six sides contain these three qualities, plus a sense of overall continuity which makes each tune more than just a casual run-down. This is perhaps most clear in the quartet performances which, because of the intimate relatlonships between only four instruments, seem more free, more simple and more complete. This is a far departure from his days with Stan Kenton where he attempted more complex approaches; among others, Invention for Guitar and Trumpet which he recorded with the band.
Gone with the Wind has warmth coupled with drive; an unusual combination, but done with, and because of, delicacy and relaxation. This Can't Be Love is, as are all these tunes, an attractive standard, made more attractive here by the momentum which the group maintains while, eve where, giving a feeling of lightness. Too Marvelous or Words shows the lilting quality of Sal's guitar, the range of sounds that he produces with the instrument. After You've Gone, for all Its old age, is made pre here with the added attraction of a cute, from-the-land-of-dixie ending.
My Old Flame is a particular favorite of mine and the quartet plays it with a brilliance and insinuating lilt which is hard to resist. This side, more than any other, shows Sal's penchant for the simple and direct, both in the introduction of the melody and In its development. Get Happy is the second quartet offering and, at a faster tempo than Flame, it still exhibits those qualities of fleetness which make this album such pleasurable listening.
This, then, is Sal Salvador, entering a new phase in his musical development. Here is a preview of what Sal is doing now, with more than one suggestion of things to come from his subtle and selective mind and fingers.
Down Beat 7 April 1954 Volume 21 Issue 7
The former Kenton guitarist in his first records under his own name, Johnny Williams is on piano;
Kenny O'Brien, bass; Jimmy Campbell, drums; and tenor Frank Socolow is added on four. Sal plays pleasantly and is backed by a highly competent rhythm section. Socolow is professional but is stylistically pallid. And so frankly, is Salvador. Sal does nothing wrong, but on records he lacks the individuating temperament of a Kessel, Farlow, Wayne, or Raney.
Most interesting soloist is former Getz sideman, Johnny Williams, who has refreshingly unpredictable imagination and a good beat. Despite the siren song of the notes, I found this set pretty dull, except for Johnny. And why, pray tell, is "warmth coupled with drive" an "unusual combination"? That's what the best of jazz always combines; trouble with this collection is that it's amblingly lukewarm. (Blue Note BI.P 5035)
Frank Socolow, tenor sax; Johnny Williams, piano; Sal Salvador, guitar; Kenny O'Brien, bass; Jimmy Campbell, drums
Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, December 24, 1953
BN536-2, Gone With The Wind, Blue Note BLP 5035
BN537-2, Too Marvelous For Words, Blue Note BLP 5035
BN538-0, This Can't Be Love, Blue Note BLP 5035
BN539-1, After You've Gone, Blue Note BLP 5035
BN540-1, My Old Flame, Blue Note BLP 5035
BN541-3, Get Happy, Blue Note BLP 5035
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