The record changer (Feb-Dec 1948)

bop rhylhm (Continued from Page 13) ices of an extraordinary drummer. Properly balanced and disciplined it is productive of a light, spare sound and markedly polyrhythmic beat. The modern section is the most functional in jazz history. Duplication has been dispensed with and each instrument assigned a basic and essential function. The spirit of bebop jazz, contrary to many opinions, is one of simplification. Jazz has been stripped down to its most functional aspects. Bebop jazz attempts to build complex patterns within a simple structure and with the minimum of materials. Its best performances have been instrumented for trumpet, alto sax and three rhythm. Two lists of records are furnished for purposes of study and illustration. The first group lists the only five sides known to the writer where the rhythm is wholly typical and effective and where it is reproduced with fidelity. The problems of recording cymbals and controlling percussion dynamics in the studio remain technical obstacles asyet to be overcome. The second list offers illustrations of various styles. Few of these records are satisfactorily recorded from a rhythmic point of view, but careful listening on a good phonograph, preferably with a bass booster and reflex, will be rewarding once the objectives of bebop percussion are understood. Full personnels are available on the labels of the records themselves. Discography I Charlie Parker Quintet Savoy 597 Koko Savoy 573 Billie's Bounce Now's the Time Max Roach's work on Koko makes this side the Bible of bebop drummers. The other couplings reproduce the work of a great section at slower tempos. Contrary to some discographical information the pianist here is Dizzy Gillespie (who also plays the muted trumpet passages on Koko). Charlie Parker Quintet Dial 1021 Scrapple from the Apple The most satisfactory rhythm section beat and sound achieved by the writer in some fifteen recording sessions. Potter, Roach and Jordan in splendid form. Thelonious Monk Trio Bluenote 543 Well You Needn't Marvelous cymbal work and drive by Art Blakey, drummer of the famous Billie Eckstine band which included Gillespie, Parker, Gordon, Harris, Navarro, Webster, Ammonds, Stitt, Gray, Potter and Sarah Vaughan (a veritable Fletcher Henderson in our day!). Excellent balance and fidelity. Monk's playing falls midway between solo and section style. This record provides perfect accompaniment for home jamming. Discography II Drummers Max Roach See Discography I (Parker) Art Blakey See Discography I (Monk) Kenny Clark — Kenny Clark Swing 244 — Rue Chaptal Stan Levey — Tempo Jazz Men Dial 1001— Dynamo Denzil Best — Chubby Jackson Cupola — Dee Dee's Dance Jackie Mills — Dodo Marmarosa Atomic 225 — How High the Moon Roy Hall — Vivian Garry Sarco 1003 — Tonsilectomy Shadow Wilson — Tadd Dameron Bluenote 540 — The Squirrel Joe Harris — Ray Brown Savoy 976 — For Heckler's Only Don Lamond — Sonny Berman Dial 1006 — Curbstone Scuffle Tiny Kahn — Serge Chaloff Savoy 978 — Gabardine and Serge Irv Kluger — Dizzy Gillespie Manor 5000— Salt Peanuts (Not S. Manne) Roy Porter — Charlie Parker Dial 1003— Yardbird Suite Shelly Manne— The Poll Cats Atlantic 851 — S afrantic Cosy Cole — Dizzy Gillespie Guild 1001 — Groovin' High Sid Catlett — Dizzy Gillespie Musicraft 354 — Shaw Nuff Harold West — Charlie Parker Dial 1014— Bird's Nest J. C. Heard — Red Norvo Comet 7 — Congo Blues Specs Powell — Red Norvo Comet 6 — Hallelujah Bassists Ray Brown — Dodo Marmarosa Atomic 226 — Dodo's Blues Dizzy Gillespie Musicraft 404 — One Bass Hit Oscar Pettiford — Dizzy Gillespie Manor 5000— Bebop Boyd Raeburn Musicraft 489 — Interlude Eddie Safranski — Eddie Safranski Atlantic 851 — Bass Mood Red Callender — Lucky Thompson Victor 20-2504— Bop pin' the Blues Slam Stewart See drummers (Heard) Vic McMillan — Charlie Parker Dial 1002 — Night in Tunisia Al McKibbon — Coleman Hawkins Victor HJ-9 40-0131— Spotlite Chubby Jackson — Chubby Jackson Parlophone R 3071 — Mom Jackson Dingbod Kesterson — Howard McGhee Dial 1007— Bebop Nelson Boyd See drummers (Wilson) Gene Ramey See Discography I (Monk) Curly. Russell See Discography I (Parker, Savoy) Tommy Potter See Discography I (Parker, Dial) Vivian Garry — Vivian Garry Sarco 1001 — Hopscotch Harry Babison — Dodo Marmarosa Dial 1025— Lover (cello) Arnie Fischken — Lennie Tristano Disc 5500 — Speculation Curtis Counts — Lester Young Aladdin 128 — Jammin' with Lester Vernon Alley — Vernon Alley Pacific. . . .—Cool Cats Shifty Henry — Shifty Henry Venus B — 107 Voot Jimmy Butts — Sir Charles Apollo 757—Takin' Off Jimmy Stutz — Ray Linn Atomic 220 — East Side Jump John Simmons — Sir Charles Apollo 773— Mad Lad Phil Stevens — Ray Linn Encore 510 — Caravan Al Hall— Sonny Stitt Savoy 978 — Blues in Bebop Billy Taylor — Billy Taylor Keynote 615 — Night Wind Billy Hadnott — Harry Edison Aladdin 119 — I Blowed and Gone Pianists Buddy Powell — Rhythm piano style See drummers (Clark) Solo style See bassists (Hall) Dodo Marmarosa — Charlie Parker Dial 1012 — Relaxin' at Camarillo Joe Albany— Lester Young Aladdin 138 — Lester's Bebop Boogie Al Haig — Dizzy Gillespie Musicraft 404 — One Bass Hit John Lewis — Miles Davis Savoy 977— Little Willie Leaps Charles Thompson — Sir Charles Apollo 773 — Mad Lad Jimmy Bunn — Dexter Gordon Dial 1017 — The Chase Ed Finkel — Allan Eager Savoy 611 — Booby Hatch Pete Rugolo — Vido Musso Trilon 166 — Vido's Bop Vernon Biddle — Howard McGhee Melodise 1001— Night Mist George Handy See drummers (Roy Hall) Hank Jones •See drummers (Harris) Tadd Dameron See drummers (Wilson) Thelonius Monk See Discography I (Monk) also Coleman Hawkins — Joe Davis 8250 — Drifting on a Reed Dizzy Gillespie See Discography I (Parker, Savoy) Duke Jordan Se Discography I (Parker, Dial) Erroll Garner — Charlie Parker Dial 1014— Bird's Nest George Wallington See drummers (Tiny Kahn) Teddy Wilson See bassists (Stewart) Clyde Hart — Charlie Parker Savoy 567 — Red Cross Argonne Thorton — -Lester Young Aladdin 200 — One O'clock Jump Lennie Tristano See bassists (Fischken) Root and Traditional Styles, Sources Joe Jones — Count Basie Decca 1880 — Swinging the Blues Kansas City Six Keynote 1303 — Destination K C Cosy Cole — Cab Calloway Okeh 5467—Paradiddle (solo) Cosy Cole Guild 118 — Stompin at the Savoy (solo) Little Jazz Keynote 608—7 Want to Be Happy Kenny Clark — Charlie Christian Vox 302 — Charlie's Choice Max Roach — Coleman Hawkins Apollo 752 — Bu-dee-Daht Jimmy Blanton — Duke Ellington Columbia 35322 — Plucked Again Milt Hinton — Cab Calloway Okeh 6192 — Ebony Silhouette Count Basie See Joe Jones, above Charlie Christian See Kenny Clark, above The reader will observe that this article has concerned itself solely with the small band rhythm section. It is the writer's opinion that the contemporary percussion school has not yet solved all of the problems of swinging a large band. Large band bebop may well await the genius of another Jones. The present large bebop bands which do swing, notably that of Dizzy Gillespie, does so because all of its sections swing. The rhythm sections of Kenton, Hermon, Raeburn, Heath, Eckstine and even Gillespie still leave something to be desired. 28 THE RECORD CHANGER