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

Land of Folk

Mr. Land in action at an Emarcy session in Los Angeles with Clifford Brown and Max Roach. Photo by William Claxton

When I think of the great tenors of the 1950s, Rollins, Dexter Gordon and Coltrane immediately come to mind. Somehow, I always overlook Harold Land. His participation in the Max Roach/Clifford Brown quintet should at least earn him an honorable mention in any list of reed notables from that period. And his work with long-time partner, Bobby Hutcherson, extended his legacy well into the '70s and '80s. If you want proof, you only have to sample this offering.

Land came from Texas, but he made California his home. Even though he'd recorded as a leader in 1949 (for Savoy) and had his own group, he joined Max Roach's band in 1954. That led to national exposure, and though he was overshadowed by trumpet star Clifford Brown, he was generally regarded as an excellent hard bop soloist. He eventually left Roach before Brown's death in 1956 and gigged around Los Angeles, making numerous recordings for the Pacific Jazz, Jazzland and Contemporary labels. His work with Curtis Counce and with his own groups from the early '60s is some of his best.

Which leads us to the present download. Imperial was making jazz records on the West Coast at the time, notably with Sonny Criss, but they also got Harold Land into the studio for a few sessions. In 1963, college students were going gaga over the sounds of folk music (the Dave Brubeck craze had faded), and the A&R guys at Imperial hit upon a brilliant scheme to revive jazz's popularity on campus. They would assemble an excellent hard bop quintet and have the boys play ... folk songs. Yes, that's the hook.

It sounds like a recipe for some pretty lame music, right? Bad folk, worse jazz. Well, not so in this case. Don't let the selections put you off. "Jazz Impressions of Folk Music" is a superb album. The arrangements, which are uncredited, take these hoary melodies, deconstruct them and reassemble them into intelligent and hip vehicles for jazz blowing.

The brilliant trumpeter Carmell
Jones, ax in hand.

The standout soloist, aside from Land, is the trumpeter, Carmell Jones. Originally from Kansas City, Jones had to come Los Angeles only three years before this session, and had been working with numerous other West Coast bands. He was a featured soloist with the Gerald Wilson big band at the time, and his lines here are exceptional. Clifford Brown comes to mind. 

Harold himself demonstrates his complete mastery of the horn, evoking Sonny Rollins at times, and running the changes with the fluidity of Sonny Stitt. John Houston, on piano, is the least well known of these players, but he'd worked numerous sessions with, among others, John Coltrane. Jimmy Bond is a familiar figure from his many Pacific Jazz recording dates, and Mel "Lee" is perhaps better known as Mel Lewis. I don't need to tell you about him.

So here are eight folk chestnuts, transformed into jazz classics. I think I found this obscure album in a used record store many years ago, but it's in pristine shape so no cleaning of the sound was required. As always, the tunes are ripped right from the original vinyl. 

 

Jazz Impressions of Folk Music
Harold Land Quintet
Imperial LP-12247

Harold Land, ts; Carmell Jones, tp; John Houston, p; Jimmy Bond, b; Mel Lewis, d.
Los Angeles, CA; 1963

1. Tom Dooley
2. Scarlet Ribbons
3. Foggy Foggy Dew
4. Kisses Sweeter Than Wine
5. On Top of Old Smokey
6. Take This Hammer
7. Blue Tail Fly
8. Hava Nagila

Find it here: https://www.mediafire.com/?7chc11tpow4c5pp