Portrait of an Intellectual Jazzman
  • Atlantic 1241
    Atlantic 1241
  • DeeGee 78 rpm (3805)
    DeeGee 78 rpm (3805)

Bill Russo

Portrait of an Intellectual Jazzman

Fresh Sound Records

Personnel:
Bill Russo (tb, arr), Gail Brockman, Johnny Howell, Porky Panico, Dave Mulholland (tp), Bill Porter, Tommy Shepard, Earl Hoffman (tb), Phillip Farkas, Frank Brouk (flh), Larry Molinelli (fl), Kenny Mann, Bill Trujillo, Sandy Mosse, Vito Price (ts), Dan Handby (bs), Lloyd Lifton, Eddie Baker (p), Bob Leshner, Earl Bakus (g), Max Wayne, Israel Crosby (b), Mickey Simonetta (d), Shelby Davis (vcl)

Reference: FSRCD 527

Bar code: 8427328605274

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In the late Forties trombonist and composer Bill Russo, a young and prominent disciple of Lennie Tristano, was already leading his own experimental studio bands in Chicago. He always composed with a concern for jazz, and did much in the field of advanced orchestral writing, finally rising to fame when successful bandleader Stan Kenton hired him in early 1950. He became one of Kentons most brilliant orchestra arrangers, but decided to return to his hometown in 1955 to continue writing and conducting. He proved to be an extraordinarily well-informed individual in diverse areas, with the felicitously stimulating personality of one who is always an intellectual but never an intellectual snob. He worked in the jazz and classical fields and, in his opinion, a good symphony musician could play really swinging jazz if it was properly written. And he brought a much needed insistence on integrity to the music. This CD compiles the most important of his early works, including The World of Alcina, a ballet score in five dances which Russo defined as a piece written in terms of my background in jazz.



01. An Esthete On Clark Street (Russo) 2:58
02. S'posin' (Denniker-Razaf) 2:18
03. Cathy (Russo) 2:40
04. Cookie (Russo) 2:39
05. Ennui (Russo) 3:36
06. Gloomy Sunday (Lewis-Seress 3:19
07. Vignette (Russo) 3:07
08. Strange Fruit (Holiday) 2:48
09. I Can't Get Started (Gershwin-Duke) 3:02
10. My Man (Yvain-Pollock) 2:35
11. Under The Greenwood Tree (Mulvihill) 2:32
12. The First Saturday In May (Russo) 2:54
13. Speculum (Russo) 2:50
14. Bill's Blues (Russo) 3:29
15. L'affaire Bugs (Baker) 2:29
16. For My Sister (Russo) 2:59
17. First Dance: Solo of Girl (Russo) 3:28
18. Second Dance: Solo of Boy (Russo) 2:48
19. Third Dance: Chorus and Solo of Girl (Russo) 3:18
20. Fourth Dance: Duet for Boy and Girl (Russo) 4:30
21. Fifth Dance: Chorus, Solo of Boy, Solo of Girl, Ensemble (Russo) 4:17

Album details

Sources:
Tracks #1-8, from 10" LP "A Recital of New American Music" (Dee Gee 1001)
Tracks #9-10, from 78rpm "Shelby Davis" (Dee Gee 3805)
Tracks #11-21, from 12" LP "The World of Alcina" (Atlantic 1241)

Sessions recorded in Chicago between 1951 and 1956

Produced for CD release by Jordi Pujol
Price:

9,95 €  (tax incl.)

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