Red Norvo in Hi-Fi

Vibraphonist Red Norvo had one of the longest careers among swing era musicians, beginning in Chicago with a group called The Collegians in 1925 and continuing until the mid-1980s when a stroke forced him into retirement. He died in 1999 at age 91.

Among the bands graced by Norvo's talents were those of Paul Whiteman, Benny Goodman, Charlie Barnet and Woody Herman. As well, Norvo led a popular big band of his own from 1936-1942, scoring two No. 1 hits in 1938, Please Be Kind and Says My Heart, both with vocals by Mildred Bailey.

In 1949, when Norvo ran into trouble forming a big band, he put together a trio with the novel combination of vibes, guitar, and bass.

Red Norvo in Hi-Fi (RCA Victor, 1958), a big band date, came just past the mid-point of his remarkable career. The LP featured vocals by Helen Humes on tunes like I Was Doing All Right, a Gershwin tune from 1937.

I Was Doing All Right



Red Norvo in Hi-Fi has not received a CD release and the download version is from the dub-it-quickly-from-vinyl Hallmark outfit. Unfortunately, used vinyl copies of this album are pricey.

Here's Red Norvo with a nine-piece group. Under a Blanket of Blue, released on a Capitol 78, was recorded in 1947, featuring Eddie Miller on tenor sax.

The Mastersounds - Swinging with the Mastersounds

Two of guitarist Wes Montgomery's brothers, Buddy (vibes) and Monk (bass), formed the easy listening bop aggregation The Mastersounds in 1957 with pianist Richie Crabtree and drummer Benny Barth.

The quartet was popular only for a relatively short time, recording 10 albums in four years, for World Pacific, Pacific Jazz and Fantasy, before breaking up in 1961. Today they are remembered primarily for their link to Wes Montgomery.

The Mastersounds were overshadowed by the similarly formatted and vastly more successful Modern Jazz Quartet. As well, the music of the Mastersounds really seemed more suitable for background listening than something to be savored and remembered.

Swinging with the Mastersounds (Fantasy, 1961) was one of the last studio recordings by the group. It was mainly a collection of standards in the quartet's usual laid back style. To promote the LP Fantasy issued a 45 single with severely truncated versions of two of the tracks -- Golden Earrings and I Could Write a Book.

On the LP Golden Earrings ran for almost 10 minutes. Below you can listen to the short version that radio DJs received.

Golden Earrings



Swinging with the Mastersounds has received at least two CD releases -- as a standalone album and combined with another Fantasy LP, A Date with the Mastersounds, on a two-on-one disc titled simply The Mastersounds.

Both CD releases are out of print, although copies of the one pictured above can be purchased cheaply through Amazon. Swinging with the Mastersounds is not available as a download.

Here's the Gershwin tune Somebody Loves Me, from the 1959 World Pacific LP The Mastersounds in Concert.

Freddie McCoy - Beans & Greens

Vibraphonist Freddie McCoy was firmly in the soul-jazz camp in the handful of recordings he made for Prestige and Cobblestone between 1963 and 1971. McCoy disappeared from the music scene after the latter label folded and he passed away in 2009.

The LP Beans & Greens was recorded in 1967 and below you can listen to the title track Beans 'N Greens. And yes there is a difference in the spelling of the album and track titles. Note the addition of crowd noise, perhaps hoping to duplicate the success of Ramsey Lewis (The In Crowd, 1965), who recorded in a similar vein.

Beans 'N Greens



Personnel on the track besides McCoy included pianist Joanne Brackeen, Dave Blume on organ, Don Payne, bass guitar and Ray Lucas, drums. A couple of horn players and a guitarist were added on some of the other selections.

None of McCoy's recordings under his own name are available as downloads and only one album, Spider Man, has been released on CD -- and that's an expensive Japanese import.

Some of Freddie McCoy's work as a sideman with organist Johnny (Hammond) Smith is available as a download album, Jazz Essentials.

Here's another sample from the Beans & Greens album.

Milt Jackson & His Gold Medal Winners - Brother Jim (2nd post)

This 1986 album marked the end of Milt Jackson's contract with the Pablo label. The background of the album, as well as a different track, are available in this earlier post. Almost all of the previous information is still relevant.

This time around the track is Ill Wind, a tune which Harold Arlen composed (with lyrics by Ted Koehler) for a 1934 revue at the Cotton Club. The MP3 is taken from a cassette version of Jackson's album.

Ill Wind



Cheap copies of Brother Jim seem to have disappeared since my original post in June 2012. Expect to pay $15 and up for a used CD online. Used LPs appear to be only a couple of dollars cheaper. The album still is not available as a download.

From YouTube comes Harold Arlen himself singing and playing Ill Wind. No source or date is given.

Milt Jackson and the Hip String Quartet

Milt Jackson and the Hip String Quartet: That's not exactly a moniker that conjures up images of funk. But that's exactly what you get in this 1968 Verve release from vibraphonist Jackson and the four strings -- bassist Ron Carter, along with Sanford Allen on violin, Alfred Brown, viola and either Sidney Edwards, Ronald Lipscomb or Kermit Moore on cello. Granted the funk is on the easy side, but still...

Bags with Strings features a fine drum intro by Grady Tate. The MP3 is taken from the original vinyl LP.

Bags with Strings

The only digital release for this album came on an expensive Japanese CD, which is now out of print and seems to command about $80. Used vinyl copies start north of $20 online.

Below is a sample of Milt Jackson with a much larger string aggregation on a later release for Pablo.