Urbie Green Septet - December 27 1953
Leonard Feather: Urbie Green: New Faces – New Sounds Liner Notes BLP 5036
URBAN GREEN, to give him the name bestowed on him when he was born Aug. 8, 1926, is among the newest and most promising products of that perennial cradle of musical talent, the Woody Herman orchestra. Like Bill Harris, who rose from an earlier Herman herd to international, poll-winning acclaim, he seems destined for great heights in the jazz firmament. (He acquired many new fans through an earlier Blue Note appearance with Gil Mellé on BLP 5033.)
Urbie, a barber's son from Mobile, Ala., was brought up in a bass-clef setting: two elder brothers preceded him in the trombone department. One of them, Jack, was Urbie's neighbor in the Herman brass section last year; the other, Al, is now a major in the Air Force, but musically Urbie swears he's the greatest.
After studying piano with his mother, Urbie took up the trombone at 12 and was playing with name bands such as Tommy Reynolds' and Bob Strong's by the time he was 16. Finishing his education in California, he combined the fife of a busy sideman in Jan Savitt's band with that of a student at Hollywood Professional School.
A couple of years with Frankie Carle followed — musically unrewarding years, though Urbie recalls with delight that a short, plunger-muted solo on a Carle disc brought him his first recognition in Down Beat. Next came a four-year tenure in the last of Gene Krupa's big bands, and then, in October 1950, the big break — a job with Woody, which in turn led to frequent solos on records, and to the fans' realization that a new star was rising.
The musical format established by Urbie for his debut on Blue Note as a recording bandleader is a simple one. From the Basie-like piano introduction and the bright, swinging theme with which his own Incubator kicks off the first side, you can immediately deduce that this will be modern but unpretentious music, comparable in the small-combo field with what Urbie's ex-boss Mr. Herman has accomplished among the big bands.
Surrounding Urbie is a group of soloists, most of them new to the Blue Note catalogue, all of them amply provided with an opportunity to display their ability at length here.
Doug Mettome, an outstanding trumpet man, has been heard on records with the Benny Goodman band and sextet of BC's 1949 bop-flirtation era; his horn has also seen service with Woody, Tommy Dorsey, Herbie Fields and other name bands. In this LP he displays an interesting second talent by producing a baritone horn, which makes its solo bow on the second chorus on Incubator, as well as in a four-bar-chase with Urbie on the fourth chorus.
On tenor Urbie used the relatively little known John Murtaugh, whose talents also extended to the provision of two original adaptations from well-known jazz chord sequences, making their rearranged appearances as La Salle and Johnbo Mambo. Completing the horns was a great young talent whose passing the jazz world mourned recently - Sam Staff, the Herman baritone sax ace. This was the 24-year-old youngster's last date; ten days after recording these sides with Urbie in New York, he passed away, a victim of Hodgkins' disease. His well-phrased, beatful work is well represented here, notably on the two Murtaugh arrangements.
As you might expect in view of Urbie's three swinging years with the Hermanites, a fine rhythm section came strolling through these Green pastures. Jimmy Lyon, the pianist, is a Benny Goodman alumnus whom you may also have heard on tour as June Christy's accompanist, or leading his own trio at the Blue Angel in New York. Dante Martucci worked with Barbara Carroll's trio, and drummer Jimmy Campbell, a former Ralph Flanagan sideman, has been heard on Blue Note on the Sal Salvador set (BLP 5035).
Aside from the titles mentioned above, Urbie's material includes a charming and familiar Latin theme, Dansero, and two great standards which Urbie and Jimmy Lyon have virtually to themselves: Skylark and Stairway to the Stars. The latter pair will show you all the principal virtues of Urbie's work — a great sense of continuity in his phrasing, a legato approach and tonal quality that at times suggest a modernized version of an earlier trombone pioneer, Jack Teagarden. Combining these assets with technical facility and perfect intonation, Urbie shows every indication that he is well on his way up the musical stairway to stardom.
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| December 1953 |
Down Beat 08 September 1954 Volume 21 Issue 18
Urbie’s first LP as a leader could have been better. Urbie himself deserves five stars, but some of his choice of tunes and of personnel were less than optimum. Doug Mettome (trumpet and baritone horn) has usually interesting conception, but his occasional uncertainty makes this listener nervous. I never know whether he’s going to make what he tries for, though he usually does. Tenor John Murtaugh is competent but undistinguished as a jazz soloist. The rhythm section (Jimmy Lyon, Dante Martucci, Jimmy Campbell) is adequate, but I’ve been spoiled by Silver, Heath, Clarke and Freeman, Mondragon, Manne so that this section seems lacking in vitality and sounds occasionally stiff by comparison. Pianist Lyon is lightly pleasant on his solo bits, however. One good choice was baritonist Sam Staff. Tragically this was his last record date—he died 10 days later at the age of 24 of Hodgkins’ disease.
Strongest parts of the LP are the two standards. The lines of Urbie’s Incubator and Murtaugh’s LaSalle are routine; Murtaugh’s Mambo has promise but isn’t developed structurally. Dansero is the weakest band. Recording quality is very good. That Gil Mellé cover is just plain awful. A hip visual sense is not a Blue Note strongpoint, but it’s the sound that counts and in that department, the label is doing very well indeed. Give credit again to Rudy Van Gelder. Leonard Feather, in his notes, points out perceptively that Green has “a great sense of continuity in his phrasing, a legato approach, and tonal quality that at times suggest a modernized version of an earlier trombone pioneer, Jack Teagarden. (Blue Note LP 5036)
Down Beat 14 July 1954 Volume 21 Issue 14
Urbie’s septet includes Doug Mettome (baritone horn and trumpet(, John Murtagh (tenor), Jimmy Lyon (piano), Dante Martucci (bass), Jimmy Campbell (drums), and this was the last date of the late Sam Staff (baritone sax). Skylark is another extended example of the warm and renewingly fresh conception of Green. Dansero is a rather innocuous Latin-American bit, livened by Urbie and Sam Staff with a tenor contribution by Murtagh. (Blue Note 1627)
Doug Mettome, trumpet, baritone horn; Urbie Green, trombone; John Murtaugh, tenor sax; Sam Staff, baritone sax; Jimmy Lyon, piano; Dante Martucci, bass; Jimmy Campbell, drums.
Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, December 27, 1953
BN543-0 (tk.1), Skylark, Blue Note 5036, BN 1627
BN544-2 (tk.3), Incubator, Blue Note 5036
BN545-2 (tk.3), Dansero, Blue Note 5036, BN 1627
BN546-2 (tk.6), Stairway To The Stars, Blue Note 5036
BN547-2 (tk.3), La Salle, Blue Note 5036
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