1954 - December 31

Leonard Feather – The Best From The West 

 

Leonard Feather: Liner Notes BLP 5069/BLP 5060 

THE COLLECTION of West Coast Jazz performances heard in these two LPs brings to Blue Note fans the first true use on records of that celebrated institution known as "The Blindfold Test". 

The blindfold test, as a system of assessing quality without prejudice, was first widely publicized in the early 1940s when it was adopted by a firm of cigarette manufacturers. Then, in 1946, this writer began a monthly series of aural blindfold tests in Metronome, the subjects being musical celebrities who listened to a variety of records and offered their opinions uncolored by any information about who was singing or playing. For the past four years the same series has been continued in Down Beat. But now the tables are turned. For years the musicians have entertained the fans by undergoing these tests; now it is their turn to blindfold the fans. 

The artists involved in these recordings are all celebrated for their musical talents and represent the cream of the jazz elite heard in California in recent years, Although most of them had no contractual commitments, several did, and for this reason it was decided to omit the names of the musicians altogether. Realizing that it would give the records a mysterious aspect to keep the names secret, we hit upon the idea of the Blindfold Test. 

We can, however, give you the following hints to help you in this unique guessing game: 

(1) All the music on both LPs was recorded during the winter of 1954-5 in Hollywood, Cal. 

(2) The music was recorded at three different sessions, using a total of twelve instruments, played by sixteen men and a girl. 

(3) None of the musicians made his record debut on these sessions. In fact, most of them had recorded frequently before, and many are closely associated with that disarmingly amorphous entity known as "West Coast Jazz". 

(4) The musicians who composed the original material for these sessions did not necessarily take part as instrumentalists. 

(5) All seventeen musicians can be heard if you listen to the three numbers entitled The Blindfold Test (actually three different themes all based on the traditional twelve-bar blues format). 

(6) All the musicians can be heard on either side of either record. 

BLP 5059 starts by setting a gay, light mood with a delightful theme typical of what has come to be known as the West Coast jazz sound (largely through the efforts of Shorty Rogers of Great Barrington, Mass.). Santa Anita is also noteworthy for its 36-bar chorus, for some fine alto work, and a trumpet that combines the warmth of the swing era with modern phrasing and ideas. 

Santa Monica is a minor theme, played in unison, with the baritone sax chorus outstanding in a series of interesting solos. The first Blindfold Test, with a catchy motif that dips down an octave and curves up a tenth, gives six soloists a chance — including some "fours" by the rhythm section. The soloists trade "fours" with the drummer in the fast-moving Culver City, in which the switch from B Flat to A Flat in bars 5 and 6 of the opening theme is the element that gives it such unusual charm. On the next blindfold test item Shorty added some canon and counterpoint to a line I had sketched out during the session; guitar, clarinet, alto, piano, flute, bass all take solos. Hooray for Hollywood goes at a racehorse clip in displaying both invention and virtuosity on the part of the pianist, alto man, trombonist and drummer (with the superb bassist riding through it all at an eager four-to-the-bar). 

BLP 5060 opens with John Graas' interesting original score, which struck us as Van Nuys Indeed! and thus earned the punning title. Here's Pete (meaning composer Rugolo) is noteworthy for the flutist, who takes the lead in outlining the theme, then soars off on a solo flight. The trumpet's comments in the closing choruses add a happy, humorous touch to the musically excellent Blindfold Test that follows. Burbank Bounce, written by Marty Paich, is one of the most swinging of the whole set of performances, with fleet solos by three horns and the pianist. 

A muted trumpet provides a feeling of quiet intensity on Arcadia, last of the six originals on these sessions that were named for towns around Los Angeles. Alto, trombone and piano also contributed handsomely here. To end the set, a ballad note is struck via the pretty tune of the '40s, No Love, No Nothing, with guitar, piano and clarinet in the restrained solo roles. 

All in all, we feel, and trust you'll agree, this was a wailing set of performances. The only question, the question we're sure you'll have a lot of fun trying to solve, is just this: 

Who's wailing? 

(P.S. We're curious to see which of Blue Note's customers, long noted for their astute jazz tastes and discernment, can come up with a complete or at least partially correct If you'd care to satisfy our curiosity, send your list of guesses to Blue Note Records, 767 Lexington Avenue, New York 21.) 

LEONARD FEATHER 

Cover Design by JOHN HERMANSADER 

Metronome May 1955 

The first track has a swinging figure; more than I expected from the West Coast. This couldn't be typical. Harry Edison's trumpet isn't typical. Even the rhythm section keeps moving. I kept waiting for some cold, Pacific music. Piano comping (Lorraine Geller) is nice. Trumpet ideas are older style, but cooking.  

Monica has a nice figure. You expect a lot, and then you get let down right away by the baritone (Giuffre.) who seems hung with one idea. Trumpet and alto are cool, but I really like the trumpeter (Conte Condoli).  

The Test isn't as well recorded. Yes, the engineer brings that rating down, but it's a nice figure (Shorty) and I like the alto (Mariano). This isn't representative of the West; the piano has Milt Jackson's kind of feeling—he knows Horace Silver too.  

Culver has a cooking tempo, good Birdlike alto (Mariano, again), nice trumpet (Conte), but the French horn (John Graas) is weak on tone and ideas.  

Track five gets nice mood for the guitar solo. Tenor has shades of Lester. Good piano; John Lewis has an idol. And the flute is very effective. I keep expecting a chorus of girls on this last one. Can't imagine why they made it. Nothing happened except the tempo. The trombone is outstandingly weak (Enevoldsen). The alto has the best luck with the tempo. (Blue Note LP 5059) 

Down Beat 15 June 1955 Volume 22 Issue 12 

The second in the set of albums Leonard Feather cut on the coast for Blue Note a few months ago. There are two sides from three different sessions. The personnel for each brace is given on the envelope, except for The Blindfold, which is easy enough to figure out from what I’ve just said. Included are Harry Edison, Herb and Lorraine Geller, Bob Enevoldsen, Joe Mondragon, Larry Bunker, Conte Candoli, John Graas, Charlie Mariano, Marty Paich, Monty Budwig, Stan Levey, Buddy Collette, Jimmy Giuffre, Gerry Wiggins, Howard Roberts, and Curtis Counce. The level of blowing is crisp and high; the lines—by Graas, Rugolo, Feather-Rogers, Paich, and Feather—are generally interesting. One thing this series proves is that the enlivening Harry Edison should be included on more west coast dates. First rate recorded sound. (Blue Note LP 5060) 

Session Information 

Harry Edison, trumpet; Bob Enevoldsen, valve trombone, tenor sax; Herb Geller, alto sax; Lorraine Geller, piano; Joe Mondragon, bass; Larry Bunker, drums; Leonard Feather, director. 

Los Angeles, CA, December 31, 1954 

tk.1, Arcadia, Blue Note BLP 5060 

tk.2, Santa Anita, Blue Note BLP 5059 

tk.5, Hooray For Hollywood, Blue Note BLP 5059 

tk.7, The Blindfold Test No. 3, Blue Note BLP 5060 

 

Conte Candoli, trumpet; John Graas, French horn; Charlie Mariano, alto sax; Marty Paich, piano; Monty Budwig, bass; Stan Levey, drums; Leonard Feather, director. 

tk.10, Van Nuys Indeed, Blue Note BLP 5060 

tk.12, Burbank Bounce, Blue Note BLP 5060 

tk.17, Culver City, Blue Note BLP 5059 

tk.18, The Blindfold Test No. 1, Blue Note BLP 5059 

 

Conte Candoli, trumpet; Jimmy Giuffre, clarinet, tenor sax; Buddy Collette, alto sax, flute; Clyde Dunn, baritone sax; Gerald Wiggins, piano; Howard Roberts, guitar; Curtis Counce, bass; Stan Levey, drums; Leonard Feather, director. 

tk.23, Here's Pete, Blue Note BLP 5060 

tk.25, The Blindfold Test No. 2, Blue Note BLP 5059 

tk.30, Santa Monica, Blue Note BLP 5059 

tk.32, No Love, No Nothing, Blue Note BLP 5060