Dootsie's Picks

Bassist Curtis Counce enjoying the early morning sun in the summer of 1955. He was a frequent participant in many important West Coast recording sessions, including those he did with his own bands for Contemporary and Dootone. William Claxton photo

Maybe you know the recordings that were issued on the Dootone (or Dooto) Record label in Los Angeles during the 1950s? If you do, you probably know that much of the label's material featured comedians like Redd Foxx or second-tier doo-wop groups hoping for that pie-in-the-sky release that might chart and bring them a few months of fame. Groups like the Whippoorwills or the Medallions. One of Dootone's vocal quartets did eventually hit pay dirt. The Penguins scored a No. 1 hit with "Earth Angel."

But Dootone also recorded a few sides by some very fine jazz players. Chief among those was Dexter Gordon, who produced an excellent album for Dootone in 1955. The legendary jazz pianist Carl Perkins issued what would be his only LP as a leader on Dootone in 1956. Then there were the albums by the artists featured in this Gems posting.

Both Curtis Counce and Buddy Collette recorded for Dootone in 1958, releasing, respectively, "Exploring the Future" and "Buddy's Best." These albums featured the leaders fronting formidable hard bop quintets, including the stellar pianist Elmo Hope and tenor player Harold Land in Counce's band, and a rare appearance by trumpeter and future big band leader Gerald Wilson with Collette. Though the records were quite good, they didn't sell well and Dootone soon abandoned jazz for the more lucrative market of bawdy comedy. 

I've had all the Dootone jazz LPs, including the two by Buddy and Curtis, in my collection for many years. What I didn't know was that label owner Dootsie Williams sold his jazz material sometime in the late 1950s to another company, an outfit in Culver City named Bel Canto Records, and that Bel Canto had released additional material from the Counce and Collette dates. I only discovered this was so when I came upon the album offered here in a pile of yard sale cast-offs this past summer. The cover caught my eye, and I'm glad it did.

Dootsie Williams, label owner
and record producer, in 1956.

What we have here are more excellent performances by both bands. The Counce quintet features drummer Frank Butler on "Move" and gives Elmo Hope the lead on a trio selection – presumably written by the pianist – called "Head Gear." Collette uses "Bass Rock" as a feature for bassist Wilfred Middlebrooks and does some nice soloing along with Gerald Wilson on the other selections. 

For some reason, Bel Canto packaged this LP in a box. Why they went to the extra expense is beyond me, having to use cardboard inserts to fill out the additional space left by the single LP. They also pressed the album in deep blue vinyl, a nice touch visually, but of no practical benefit to the music. 

So here are some very rare sides by two West Coast stalwarts. The Counce side had some bothersome surface noise, but Gems has pretty much removed it. The rest of the LP had no noise issues, so you should be good to go. These files were generated right from the six-decades old vinyl, jazz fans. So enjoy!

Jazz on the Bounce
Buddy Collette/Curtis Counce
Bel Canto SR 1004
Curtis Counce, b; Harold Land, ts; Rolf Ericson, tp; Elmo Hope, p; Frank Butler, d.
Los Angeles, CA; April 1958

1. Move
2. Chasing the Bird
3. Head Gear (Hope?)

Buddy Collette, fl, cl, ts; Gerald Wilson, tp; Al Viola, g; Wilfred Middlebrook, b; Earl Palmer, d.
Los Angeles, CA; 1957

4. The Monster
5. Soft Touch
6. Bass Rock

Find it here: http://www.mediafire.com/file/8750pu76v7yljxj/Counce_Collette.rar

West Coast Showcase

Two of LA's finest working out at a Pacific Jazz recording date. Art Pepper and Bud Shank also moonlighted for Decca in 1957, under the direction of composer Howard Lucraft. William Claxton photo

Here's a recording I came across in the stacks a few months back that I realized I'd never listened to (got quite a few like that!). I'd judged it by its cover when I acquired it a few decades back, thinking it was just another attempt by a major label to sell "jazz" to a mainstream audience with syrupy arrangements and restrained soloists. Wrong.

Lucraft with Lady Day during her
appearance on his "Jazz Inter-

national" TV show.

I'd never heard of Howard Lucraft, the album's arranger, composer and anonymous guitarist, before finding this LP. Despite my initial misgivings, he turns out to be a musician of some stature, and a very fine arranger/composer in the mainstream modern jazz vernacular. He also was an accomplished journalist, writing for jazz pubs like Down Beat and Metronome, a correspondent for the London Daily Herald and host of his own jazz radio and TV shows. He was also a very fine photographer, mostly of other jazz players.

A renaissance man, in other words.

Born in London during the first world war, Lucraft arrived in Los Angeles in 1950 and decided to stay. He worked in the studios, wrote, composed, arranged, broadcasted and even played out a bit. In '54 he hooked up with Stan Kenton and formed "Jazz International," an organization that promoted America's classical music worldwide. He even found time to make a few records.

This album didn't set the world on fire, but it's a fine, swinging affair with very tasty performances from the cream of the West Coast crop in 1957. Present are Bud Shank, Art Pepper, Conte Condoli, Bob Cooper, Buddy Collette, Pete Jolly, Red Mitchell, Stan Levey, Mel Lewis and others. It's almost as though Lucraft and Decca hijacked a Pacific Jazz session for this date. While the results are somewhat less adventurous than a typical PJ recording, the performances are excellent, and Pete Jolly's accordion is an added treat. The guitarist isn't really John Doe, by the way – it's Lucraft himself. Chalk up another skill for the multi-talented Brit.

This gem required no cleaning of sound, so what you hear is pure vinyl – taken directly from the original, of course.

Showcase for Modern Jazz
Howard Lucraft & Outstanding West Coast Jazz Men
Decca DL 8679

Collective personnel: Conte Condoli, Stu Williamson, tp; Bud Shank, Buddy Collette, Art Pepper, Charlie Mariano, Bob Cooper, reeds; Frank Rosolino, tbn; Pete Jolly, Claude Williamson, p; Howard Lucraft, g; Red Mitchell, Monty Budwig, Leroy Vinnegar, b; Mel Lewis, Stan Levey, Shelly Manne, d. (see cover for specific personnel)
Los Angeles, CA; 1957

1. Blue Moon
2. I'll Never Say Never Again
3. California Zephyr (Lucraft)
4. I may Be Wrong
5. Larrissa (Lucraft)
6. Midnight Sun
7. Smog a la Mode (Lucraft)
8. Jazz for Gene (Lucraft)
9. Two Part Contention

Find it here: https://www.mediafire.com/?4cak9a0mfc0bncn

A Callender Date

Gone Garner: One of Erroll's classic trios, with Doc West on drums and the great George
"Red" Callender on bass, in a studio in Los Angeles around 1947.

One of the musicians whose records I have been especially looking for over the years is Red Callender. An early modernist on the bass, Red not only was a teacher and jazz pedagogist, but also a fine composer and arranger, a fact that is all but forgotten today. He was also one of the first contemporary players to take the tuba seriously as a solo vehicle.

Red Callender in the studio with
Shelly Manne, recording on tuba
for Contemporary Records.

Red was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1918 and grew up in New Jersey. In his teens, he hooked up with Louis Armstrong's big band and traveled west to L.A. There he put down roots, formed his own small band and went to work for the movie studios. In 1946, he had a small part in the "jazz" film, "New Orleans," with Armstrong, and then was in the rhythm section for "Jammin' the Blues." He made good money working for Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic and then joined Stan Kenton's orchestra in the early '60s. Along the way, he had many students, the most prominent being the formidable Charles Mingus. Mingus honored his mentor by giving him a spot in his big band at the 1964 Monterey Jazz Festival. Red's last recordings were done with clarinetist John Carter and the great flute player and composer, James Newton.

By my count, Red made three long-playing albums – two for Crown, and this one for Metrojazz. I have all three, but this one has the best sound, so it's the one I'll post here. I had it out because I did a birthday broadcast a week back for his 97th (he was born on March 6). The original compositions and arrangements are quite nice, and the playing is solid. But it's Red's tuba that is the real kick. He features it heavily (pun intended), and plays with real verve and style. It's hard to believe he was seriously blowing that behemoth way back in 1958 when these sides were recorded.

I can't remember where I got this LP, only that it was a long time ago. Its cover was in sorry shape, but the vinyl was clean, so was delighted to find it. I've played it many times on the radio, and now you can play it whenever you wish, too. As always, this rip comes directly from the original LP with only a minimal cleaning of the sound. A caveat, though: there are a few bleebles here and there on several tunes.

 


The Lowest 
The Music of Red Callender
Metrojazz E1007

Collective personnel (see cover for individual listings)
Gerald Wilson, tp; John Ewing, tbn; Buddy Collete, cl, ts, fl; Hymie Gunkler, as; Marty Berman, bar; Gerald Wiggins, Eddie Beal, p; Billy Bean, Bill Pittman, g; Red Callender, b, tuba; Red Mitchell, b; Bill Douglas, d.
Los Angeles, CA; 1958-59

1. Autumn in New York
2. Pickin', Pluckin', Whistlin' and Walkin'
3. The Lowest
4. Of Thee I sSing
5. Dedicated to the Blues
6. They Can't Take That Away from me
7. Five-Four Blues
8. Tea for Two
9. Another Blues
10. Volume, Too
11. I'll Be Around

Find it here: https://www.mediafire.com/?dfd5zeumfmtyk7p

Red as the junior member of the house band in "New Orleans." From left, Sid Catlett,
Mr. Callender, Charlie Beal, Louis Armstrong, Bud Scott, Kid Ory and Barney Bigard.