Hi folks,
My other strong musical passion is for what's euphamistically called "west coast jazz" from the 1950's and early '60's. It was a style of jazz that was generally softer and "cooler" sounding than the "hard bop" sounds that were eminating primarily from the east coast and Chicago. It often times intersected with the so-called "third stream" experimentations of Jimmy Giuffre, Lee Konitz, Lennie Tristano, Gunther Schuller, and others (including, at times, Stan Kenton). The third streamers basically crossed "cool school" stylings with more classical forms and structures. Legends of west coast jazz include Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse Allstars; Shelly Manne And His Men (who played mostly at Shelly's Mannhole); Shorty Rogers and His Jazz Giants; The Marty Paich Dek-Tette; Art Pepper (alto sax); Bud Shank (alto sax); Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax), and many, many others. It also fostered the international career of trumpeter and singer Chet Baker. Many of these fine musicians came to the studios of L.A. after leaving the Stan Kenton and Woody Herman bands. One of today's leading survivors among those early west coast jazz legends is trumpeter, singer, and comdian, Jack Sheldon. As you'll see, I'm a huge fan of Jack Sheldon. While his voice has deepened and deteriorated slightly (he's 75, for god's sake), his trumpet soloing continues to improve. Anyway, here's a review that I just wrote at Amazon on his newest CD, "Listen Up".
Track Listings
1. Isfahan
2. So What
3. Night in Tunisia
4. The Shadow of Your Smile
5. Star Eyes
6. Lady Bird
7. Bernie's Tune
8. I Love You
9. All Blues
10. 'Round Midnight
Thank goodness for virtual record stores like Amazon. I'm so sick and tired of walking into CD shops that carry jazz, only to find rows and rows of Chet Baker and Miles Davis, but nothing - or next to nothing - on Jack Sheldon. Give me a break! Jack Sheldon is immediately identifiable from his first three or four notes on any given take. His sound is every bit as individual and characteristic as that of Chet, Miles, or Diz' even. This is a travesty, folks. Early in his career, Jack was overshadowed by the supposedly more sexy Chet Baker - the Chris Botti of his day. Yet, early Sheldon performances with The Curtis Counce Group; The Marty Paich Dek-Tette; Art Pepper, and the one disc that he made with Herbie Mann (with Mann playing an excellent bass clarinet exclusively), all show that he could easily hold his own against the highly tauted Baker. Granted, Chet Baker had a far more marketable singing voice. Anyway, after becoming an established "west coast" jazz musician - as opposed to Baker's fully international career - Jack Sheldon spent several decades playing in the house band on the Merv Griffin Show; often times playing the role of Merv's comic sidekick. Naturally, this lead many folks to conclude that he was no longer a serious jazzer. Well, I have news for those particular people: you couldn't possibly have been more wrong.
Sheldon's jazz chops never went away. And while his singing voice has deteriorated to some degree (he's 75!), his trumpet playing has simply gotten better and better. Today, at age 75, Jack Sheldon continues to study trumpet with Uan Racey. Nevery heard of Uan Racey? Well trust me, you've heard him play! Mr. Racey played top trumpet on a great number of big Hollywood movies - his most famous and recognizable solos being in the Jack Nicholson/Faye Dunnaway blockbuster that has spurred the entire neo-noir craze, "Chinatown". Remember him now? If you buy Jack Sheldon's latest CD, "Listen Up", you'll hear that Jack now plays with a similar sounding, broad and confident tone in his middle and upper registers as that of Uan Racey's. Yet, the trademark gentle, "foo-foo" style and tone to his low register is perfectly intact. In short, Jack's dynamic range and range of color has increased significantly. All of this wouldn't matter if it weren't also for the fact that he's a hell of an improviser - more like a composer on the spot than yet another trumpeter with a bag full of fast scales and screeching high notes. There's nothing generic about J.S.'s playing what-so-ever. I like to think of him as the Bill Evans of the trumpet. He's makes me think of the many excellent tenor sax players who didn't try to change the course of jazz history - people like Dexter Gordon, Teddy Edwards, and Benny Golson (who really should team up with J.S., before it's too late) - just to name a few. Need I heap on more platitudes?
"Listen Up" is excellent in every conceivable way, including the solid and imaginitive contributions from his California Cool Quartet. In fact, it's so good that you won't miss Jack's singing and/or off-color jokes (which I like); or regret the abscence of a good reed man. It also has great sound. "Listen Up" is one man's statement that's also just fun, musical, and enjoyable to listen to. Imagine that!
