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Charlie Mariano (1923-2009), a Boston native born to Italian immigrants, discovered his passion for jazz in the late 1930s after being inspired by Lester Young and Johnny Hodges. He quickly embraced the alto saxophone as his instrument and began jamming around Boston. Drafted in 1942, Mariano spent three years in an Army Air Corps band. Upon being discharged, he enrolled at Schillinger House to pursue his studies, but soon, influenced by the groundbreaking work of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, he also immersed himself in Boston's vibrant modern jazz scene of the late 1940s, joining Ray Borden's orchestra and also performing at venues such as Hi-Hat, Wally's Paradise, and Eddie Levine's club.
In 1949, Mariano became a key figure in Nat Pierce's band and recorded his first two sides as a leader on the local Motif label, showcasing his modern style, and although he gained some attention among jazz critics, Charlie was still relatively unknown outside of Boston.
It was not until he recorded the 10-inch album titled "The New Sounds from Boston" —which included trumpeter Joe Gordon— for the Prestige label in December 1951 that Mariano's talents as a composer, arranger, and soloist were introduced to jazz audiences across the country.
In 1953, he recorded four more excellent albums, with releases on Prestige, Fantasy, and two on the Imperial label, leading groups that included other Boston jazz legends such as Dick Twardzik, Herb Pomeroy, and Jaki Byard. Not content with being solely a performer, that year he co founded the Jazz Workshop, advocating for musical education and experimentation. In early January 1954, he embarked on a tour with Stan Kenton, eventually finding himself on the West Coast, where he spent the next four years actively participating in the thriving California jazz scene.
Under the title 'Boppin' in Boston', this compilation of recordings from 1947-1953 serves as a testament to the early years of Charlie Mariano's extensive career. Although he initially played too much like Bird to be regarded as individually distinctive, from 1951 Mariano began creating a distinct voice with his alto saxophone, combining the innovations of bebop language with his own unique style. His contributions to jazz, as a performer and educator, solidified his legacy as one of Boston's most celebrated and revered jazz musicians.
—Jordi Pujol
Tracklist
CD 1
01. What's New (Haggart-Burke) 2:44
02. Boppin' in Boston (Nat Pierce) 3:03
03. Is This the Thing? (Nat Pierce) 3:46
04. Body and Soul (Green-Sour-Heyman-Eyton) 3:45
05. Sheba (Charlie Mariano) 3:16
06. Babylon (Sonny Truit) 3:00
07. King Edward the Flatted Fifth (Chaloff-Burns) 2:55
08. It Might As Well Be Spring (Rodgers-Hammerstein II) 3:23
09. King for a Day (Fiorito-Lewis-Young) 2:39
10. Boston Uncommon [Master A] (Charlie Mariano) 2.10
11. Boston Uncommon [Master B] (Charlie Mariano) 2:09
12. The Wizard [Master A] (Charlie Mariano) 2:34
13. The Wizard [Master B] (Charlie Mariano) 2:32
14. Mariners (Charlie Mariano) 3:38
15. Tzoris (Charlie Mariano) 3:31
16. Autumn in New York (Vernon Duke) 3:48
17. Aviary (Charlie Mariano) 4:14
18. Bye, Bye, Blues (Hamm-Bennett-Lown-Gray) 4:46
19. Bess, You Is My Woman (G. & I. Gershwin) 3:51
20. Barsac (Charlie Mariano) 4:20
21. Stella by Starlight (Young-Washington) 3:44
22. I'm Old Fashioned (Kern-Mercer) 3:04
23. Erosong (Charlie Mariano) 3:45
CD 2
01. Come Rain or Come Shine (Arlen-Mercer) 4:16
02. My Friend Ethel (Sonny Truitt) 3:33
03. After Coffee (Sonny Truitt) 3:50
04. Trouble Is A Man (Alec Wilder) 2:45
05. Let's Get Away from it All (Dennis-Adair) 2:43
06. The Thrill Is Gone (Brown-Henderson) 2:34
07. The Nymph (Vince Guaraldi) 3:51
08. I've Told Every Little Star (Kern-Hammerstein II) 3:13
09. Diane's Melody (Jaki Byard) 3:20
10. Harangue (Herb Pomeroy) 2:48
11. Sweet and Lovely (Arnheim-Tobias) 3:56
12. Ryan's Love (Jack Crown) 2:33
13. This Is Heaven (Sherman Feller) 2:57
14. How About You? (Fred-Blane) 2:40
15. My Nancy (Charlie Mariano) 2:52
16. Jan (Jack Crown) 2:50
17. Chanticleer (Jack Crown) 2:57
18. Chopin Excerpts (DP, Adap. Charlie Mariano) 3:10
19. April Afternoon (Mariano-Pomeroy) 3:20
20. Chandra (Jaki Byard) 2:16
21. Sagapo (Jaki Byard) 2:35
22. When Your Lover Has Gone (E.A. Swan) 2:38
23. It's Magic (Styne-Cahn) 2:26
24. American Indian (Herb Pomeroy) 2:28
Album details
Sources CD 1:
Track #1, from the 78 rpm Crystal-Tone C521
Tracks #2-4, from Crystal-Tone unreleased recordings, issued on CD Hep 13
Tracks #5 & 6, from the 78 rpm Motif M004
Track #7, from 78 rpm Motif M002
Track #8, from the 78 rpm Motif M007
Track #9, from a Motif unreleased 78 rpm, issued on CD Hep 13
Tracks #10-17, from the 10" LP 'The New Sounds from Boston' (Prestige PRLP 130)
Tracks #18-23, from the 10" LP 'Charlie Mariano Boston All Stars' (Prestige PRLP 153)
Sources CD 2:
Tracks #1-8, from the 10" LP 'The Charlie Mariano Sextet' (Fantasy 3-10)
Tracks #9-16, from the 10" LP 'Charlie Mariano with his Jazz Group' (Imperial IM 3006)
Tracks #17-24, from the 10" LP 'Modern Saxophone Stylings' (Imperial IM 3007)
Personnel on CD 1:
Track #1: CHARLIE MARIANO, alto sax, with RAY BORDEN Big Band
Ray Borden, Gait Preddy, Bill Adams, Buddy Hartford, trumpets; Mert Goodspeed, Joe Fine, Joe Laconi, trombones; Charlie Mariano, Sebastian Giacco, alto saxes; Chuck Stentz, George Green, tenor saxes; Gordon Barrantine, baritone sax; Nat Pierce, piano; Steve Hester, guitar; Frank Vaccaro, bass; Joe McDonald, drums.
Recorded at Ace Recording Studios, Boston, December 1947
Tracks #2-4: CHARLIE MARIANO & NAT PIERCE Sextet
Gait Preddy, trumpet; Charlie Mariano, alto sax; Nat Pierce, piano; Steve Hester, guitar; Frank Vaccaro, bass; Joe McDonald, drums.
Recorded at Ace Recording Studios, Boston, January 1948
Tracks #5-6: CHARLIE MARIANO Octet
Don Stratton, trumpet; Mert Goodspeed, trombone; Charlie Mariano, alto sax; Randy Henderson, tenor sax; George Green, baritone sax; Nat Pierce, piano; Frank Gallaguer, bass; Joe McDonald, drums.
Recorded in Boston, March 25, 1949
Track #7: CHARLIE MARIANO with SERGE CHALOFF & RALPH BURNS Septet
Gait Preddy, trumpet; Mert Goodspeed, trombone; Charlie Mariano, alto sax; Serge Chaloff, baritone sax; Ralph Burns, piano, arranger; Frank Vaccaro, bass; Pete DeRosa, drums.
Recorded in Boston, July 7, 1949
Track #8: CHARLIE MARIANO with The NAT PIERCE Orchestra
Don Stratton, Roy Caton, Bud Wilson, Dud Harvey, trumpets; Bob Carr, Frank “Ace” Lane, Sonny Truitt, trombones; Charlie Mariano, Dave Chapman, alto saxes; Randy Henderson, Andie Pirie, tenor saxes; George Myers, baritone sax; Nat Pierce, piano; Frank Gallaguer, bass; Joe McDonald, drums.
Recorded in Boston, November 1950
Track #9: CHARLIE MARIANO & NAT PIERCE Sextet
Sonny Truitt, trombone; Charlie Mariano, alto sax; Nat Pierce, piano; Chet Kruley, guitar; Frank Gallagher, bass; Joe McDonald, drums.
Recorded in Boston, prob, late 1950
Tracks #10-14: CHARLIE MARIANO Octet
Joe Gordon, trumpet; Sonny Truitt, trombone; Charlie Mariano, alto sax; Jim Clark, tenor sax; George Myers, baritone sax; Roy Frazee, piano; Jack Lawlor, bass; Gene Glennon, drums.
Recorded in Boston, December 1951
Track #15: CHARLIE MARIANO Sextet
Joe Gordon, trumpet; Sonny Truitt, trombone, Charlie Mariano, alto sax; Roy Frazee, piano; Jack Lawlor, bass; Carl Goodwin, drums.
Recorded in December 1951
Track #16: CHARLIE MARIANO Quartet
Charlie Mariano, alto sax; Roy Frazee, piano; Jack Lawlor, bass; Carl Goodwin, drums.
Recorded in December 1951
Track #17: CHARLIE MARIANO Septet
Joe Gordon, trumpet; Sonny Truitt, trombone; Charlie Mariano, alto sax; Jim Clark, tenor sax; Dick Twardzik, piano; Jack Lawlor, bass; Carl Goodwin, drums.
Recorded in Boston, December 1951
Tracks #18-23: CHARLIE MARIANO Boston All Stars
Herb Pomeroy, trumpet; Charlie Mariano, alto sax; Dick Twardzik, piano, (tom-tom #20); Bernie Griggs, bass; Jimmy Weiner, drums.
Recorded in Boston, January 27, 1953
Personnel on CD 2:
Tracks #1-8: CHARLIE MARIANO Sextet
Dick Collins, trumpet; Sonny Truitt, trombone; Charlie Mariano, alto sax; Richard Wyands, piano; Vernon Alley, bass; Joe McDonald, drums.
Recorded in San Francisco, 1953
Tracks #9-24: CHARLIE MARIANO Quintet
Herb Pomeroy, trumpet; Charlie Mariano, alto sax; Jaki Byard, piano; Jack Carter, bass; Peter Littman, drums.
Recorded in Boston, November 1953
In memory of Charlie Mariano (1923-2009) and dedicated to his widow, Dorothee Zippel
Original recordings produced by Manny Koppelman (CD-1 #1-4), Reuben Moulds (CD-1 #5-9), Ira Gitler (CD-1 #10-23), Max & Sol Weiss (CD-2 #1-8), and Lew Chudd (CD-2 #9-24)
This CD compilation produced for CD release by Jordi Pujol
© 2024 by Fresh Sound Records
Mono · 24-Bit Digitally Remastered
Blue Moon Producciones Discograficas S.L.
