The record changer (Jan 1955-Dec 1957)

12 the hawk Hawkins f in flight: coleman Meet Dr. Foo/She's Funny That Way/When Day Is Done/Bouncing With Bean/Shiek of Araby/My Blue Heaven/Say It Isn't So/Spotlight/ Low Flame/Allen's Alley/Half Step Down, Please/Jumping For Jane An exciting, interesting, and valuable assemblage ol Coleman Hawkins items from various Victor, Bluebird, and HMV dates in 1939, 1940, 1946, and 1947. Hawkins' tenor sax work has supplied some of the most golden moments in jazz, and influenced numerous and diverse instrumentalists in all jazz styles for over thirty years. In short, the Hawk is a very significant figure, a man to be reckoned with. Most amazing has been the manner in which his sax style has, with very few modifications, accommodated the intense fundamentalists of traditional jazz, swing, and modern bopo-progressivism. While this twelve inch LP is in honor of the Hawk, it is also effectively very much in honor of Benny Carter, whose trumpet work on Day, Bean, Araby, Heaven is particularly superb. Not to be overlooked are trumpeters Charlie Shavers (Say, Spotlight, Flame, and Alley) and Fats Navarro, Navarro and trombonist J. J. Johnson make a distinguished appearance as pioneering new sounders on Half Step and Jane. With them in these two efforts is the fine and far out drumming of Max Roach and the not-atall-at-home-and-comfortable-but-we-try guitar and bass of Chuck Wayne and Jack Lesberg respectively. The Benny Carter sides are worth almost any price. Day is Done is a gem beyond compare. Danny Polo fans will be glad to know of his presence in the Carter-Hawkins group. (Victor LJM-1017) (R.L.T.) red onion jazz band Is It True What They Say About Dixie? /Susie/Yellow Dog Blues/Too Much Mustard/ Why Do I Love You? /Song of the Islands/Red Onion/Oriental Strut This the second record by the group, although the lineup has changed somewhat: Thompson, Muranyi, Ross, and Stanley are still on drums, clarinet, piano and tuba; in addition there are Jim Heanue on cornet, Mike Steig's banjo, and Dick Brady playing trombone. It is Brady who stands out all over this L.P. He was the newest member of the band, and simply wailed in his own way while the others toiled with "the right approach." Brady swings easily and musically. Heanue is one of those raw talents that' are about but are held back by inferior horns and poorly developed chops. His sense of time and phrasing, however, are excellent. Joe Muranyi seems to wander uneasily much of the time, floating abo_ve the trumpet with unresolved tentativencss. His intonation is occasionally questionable. He and Brady, however, supply the most' relaxed moments, especially on Song of the Islands and Is It True What They Say About Dixie? Bill Stanley is probably one of the most schooled tuba men to grace any "traditionalist" band. His is a musician's command, although there might be other brass bassists that would fit this group better. There is a general out-of-tuneness about The Red Ones on this record. The rhythm section doesn't appear to make all the same changes together, and often plods where it should swing. The Onions are (or were) after a band sound, which means they don't want to sound like just any dixieland band that takes ensembles, soloes, and out. One trouble, though, was that no one in the band has worked out interesting band material. The ironical result is that they sound best when they play strings of soloes between ensembles, except for the bits which are mostly picked up from other records.. Song of the Islands, however, in za.ti what this group might have been th more swinging and buoyant rhythm s tioi The record is certainly more interestir tha their first LP, perhaps because of H lue drive and the presence of Dick Brad in material is better too. These performances are, I think, average compared to those which itui traditional, revival, West Coast, Good im tuba-banjo, mouldy, anti-Eddie Cond< hi torically oriented, derivative. New C .'an two-beat, dixieland ragtime type bar . (Empirical EM-106) (R I) 1 One of the Most Important Books FOR BALLAD AND FOLK MUSIC ENTHUSIASTS AND SCHOLARS THE BALLAD BOOK By MacEdward Leach (Sec'y-Treasurer of The American Folklore Society) Published by Harper & Brothers Publishers This handsome volume is certain to rank as the definitive ballad anthology for years to come. It is easily the most comprehensive collection yet published, containing 370 English, Scottish, and American ballads, plus many variants, and Scandinavian analogs of the "international" ballads. The editing reflects the soundest modern scholarship and meticulous workmanship. Editorial apparatus includes an extensive study of the ballad as a literary form, notes on each ballad, a detailed bibliography, and a selected list of ballad recordings. Superbly Printed and Bound. ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY. Immediate Delivery Shipped Parcel Post Prepaid. $750 BOOK DEPARTMENT THE RECORD CHANGER 418 West 49 Street New York 19, New York