Personnel:
Bob Tulley (tp), Hall Daniels (tp, arr), Dick Nash (tb), Nash Maez, Zoot Sims (ts), Bob Gordon (bs), Hunky Page, Paul Atkerson (p), Tony Rizzi (g), Paul Binnings, Rolly Bundock (b), Hank Millo, Jack Sperling (d), Willie Maiden (arr)
Reference: FSRCD 1085
Bar code: 8427328610858
Fresh Sound Records presents:
Rare and Obscure Jazz Albums
A CD series created for the most discerning jazz collectors
· Hard to find albums in Collector's Edition
· 2 Original releases on 1 CD
· Original Cover Art, Liner Notes
· Complete Personnel Details
· Hi Fi Recordings
· Newly Remastered in 24-Bit
BOB TULLEY Quintet Featuring NASH MAEZ on Tenor Sax
Recorded in Hollywood in 1954, this album captures the fresh, hard-driving sound of the Bob Tulley Quintet, featuring tenor saxophonist Nash Maez. Praised for its originality and strong musical personality, the group delivers eight tracks marked by energy, confidence, and a modern approach to jazz. Distinctive arrangements by Willie Maiden transform a classic quintet lineup—trumpet, tenor sax, piano, bass, and drums—into something strikingly new. Performed by a young yet seasoned group active on the Los Angeles jazz scene, this release stands as a vivid example of inventive mid-century jazz and a promising moment in the musicians’ careers.
HALL DANIELS' Septet Featuring ZOOT SIMS on Tenor Sax
Trumpeter Hall Daniels leads a finely balanced septet of top West Coast musicians on this 1955 session, recorded in Hollywood. Free of rigid “East Coast Vs. West Coast” labels, the music stands out for its clarity, swing, and solid musical substance. Daniels, an accomplished studio arranger known for his work with Les Baxter, contributes two original compositions alongside fresh arrangements of familiar standards. The ensemble features outstanding soloists including Dick Nash on trombone, Zoot Sims on tenor sax, and Bob Gordon on baritone, supported by a tight and experienced rhythm section. This recording captures a moment when Los Angeles studio musicians combined technical excellence with modern jazz expression, marking an early and confident step by JUMP Records into the modern jazz field.
"I don’t know how Jordi Pujol of Fresh Sound Records in Barcelona does it, but he’s done it again. As part of his “Rare and Obscure Jazz Albums” series, he has just issued a superb two-fer.
This release shows yet again what a blessing Jordi has been, preserving the music’s expansive post-war catalog. Most other established U.S. labels have all but forgotten or ignored jazz beyond Miles, Duke and Louis.
The new single CD from Fresh Sound features the Bob Tulley Quintet and the Hall Daniels Septet. I’m not ashamed to admit that trumpeter Bob Tulley is new to me, probably because he recorded just one album—this one in 1954—and then disappeared.
The other LP on the CD is by trumpeter Hall Daniels, who I know having posted in the past on Nash-ville: Zoot Sims/Dick Nash Octet. What I didn’t know until now, however, is that these tracks were originally for a Daniels led date for a 10-inch LP. It was rebranded Zoot Sims/Dick Nash for its 12-inch re-release with alternate tracks. As we know, familiar names pull in more buyers.
Recorded for Skylark Records in Hollywood over two days in August 1954, the Bob Tulley Quintet featured Bob Tulley (tp), Nash Maez (ts), Hunky Page (p), Paul Binnings (b) and Hank Milo (d). What’s most interesting about the eight tracks is that they were arranged by Willie Maiden.
Maiden, of course, is best known for his playing and arranging for Maynard Ferguson’s big bands in the late 1950s and early ‘60s. His very first recording as an alto saxophonist was on Perez Prado’s 1955 LP The Voodoo Suite. Who was he sitting next to in the band? Nash Maez, also on alto.
Even more interesting for Ferguson fans is that Maiden’s arrangements of Jeepers Creepers and Imagination for Tulley sound almost like demos for his charts of the same songs on Ferguson’s Boy With Lots of Brass in 1957. While the Jeepers Creepers arrangement of the Ferguson album was originally credited to Al Cohn, my guess is that this was an error and that Maiden handled it given the Tulley tracks.
All of Maiden’s arrangements here are terrific. The same goes for the playing. Tulley had a West Coast meets Miles Davis style on trumpet, while Maez sails along on tenor like Bill Holman. According to the original liner notes, the entire quintet was working with Ferguson at the time on live dates. One big happy family.
Overall, the arrangements and playing are top-shelf examples of early West Coast jazz. That means lots of counterpoint and a laid back feel. You can really feel the warm, salty air coming off the Pacific and smell the ocean and pier pilings here. Given how good the album is, I can’t help but wonder why Tulley never recorded jazz again."
—Marc Myers (April 23, 2026)
https://www.jazzwax.com
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"The mid-1950s in California was a hotbed for the West Coast Cool tones that swept across America. But the sound didn't begin and end with Chet Baker and Shorty Rogers, as these two albums reissued by Fresh Sound Records attest.
Trumpeter Bob Tully teams up with Nash Maex/ts, Hunky Page/p, Paul Binnings/b and Hank Milo/dr for a mix of standards and originals on a hip session. The horns are rich on “Mood Indigo”, with Tully sounding sweet and clean for a lyrical “Skylark” and “Imagination”. I've never heard of tenor saxist Nash Maez before, but he's got the Stan Getz thing down like no one else, and blows with style on “Jeepers Creepers” and the bouncy “Midnight Romp”. Where have these guys been hiding?
Speaking of warm tenors, Zoot Sims joins in on trumpeter Hall Daniels album with some Hollywood all stars, including Dick Nash/tb, Bob Gordon/bars, Tony Rizzi/g, Paul Atkerson/p, Rolly Bundock/b and Jack Sperling/dr. The horns meld mellifluously on “The Way You Look Tonight” with Daniels blowing sweet brass on “You Don't Know What Love Is” and Sims cooing on the tenor for “Compatibility”. West Coast Warm."
—George W. Harris (April 13, 2026)
https://www.jazzweekly.com
