Mosaic Select: Paul Chambers (MS-005)

His fruitful associations with Davis bandmates John Coltrane, Red Garland and Philly Joe Jones spread well beyond the confines of the quintet. In fact, the threesome of Coltrane, Chambers and Philly Joe formed the core for many great ‘50s projects, including the first three Chambers-led sessions.

CHAMBERS, TRANE & PHILLY JOE!

On March 2. 1956, just seven weeks shy of his twenty-first birthday, he made his first album as a leader for Aladdin’s Jazz West label while the Miles Davis Quintet was ensconced at Jazz City in Los Angeles. For Chambers’ Music, he used Coltrane, pianist Kenny Drew and Philly Joe. Two days before his April 22 birthday, Chambers, Coltrane, Jones, Curtis Fuller and Pepper Adams went into a Boston studio for the fledgling Transition label; of the three extended pieces made that day only “Trane’s Strain” was released at the time.

That September, Paul signed with Blue Note and recorded the compositionally-rich Whims Of Chambers with Donald Byrd, Coltrane, Kenny Burrell, Horace Silver and Jones. His next album Paul Chambers Quintet was a Detroit reunion with Byrd, Tommy Flanagan and Elvin Jones plus Chicagoan Clifford Jordan.

With his third Blue Note album Bass On Top, Chambers made a career masterpiece. With the sensitive, swinging support of Burrell, Hank Jones and Art Taylor, he moved the bass to the forefront in its role in the arrangements as well as solo space and proved himself to be consistently creative and exceptionally equipped. This set closes with two equally extraordinary duet tracks by Chambers and Art Blakey, made at the beginning of a Sonny Clark session. Chambers’s bowing on Irving Berlin and Cole Porter standards is astounding.

***PRODUCER'S NOTE***
I have a special fondness for the Transition session included in this set. “Trane’s Strain” was the sole item from this session issued on the label’s sampler in 1957. No leadership was indicated. Because of John Coltrane’s featured presence, the track generated lots of postulation about more material. Discographies generally listed this as the Paul Chambers Sextet, but it is just as likely that this was for an intended Pepper Adams-Curtis Fuller album listed a Transition pocket catalog.

Whatever the circumstances, I knew that Aflred Lion had purchased a healthy portion of the Transition catalog for Blue Note in 1958. During my first day of access to the Blue Note vaults Los Angeles in 1975, I stumbled over a large cardboard box which contained a stack of 10” tape reels; they were the purchased Transition masters. I pulled out three yellow 7” tape boxes with APR. 20 scribbled on the front in red grease pencil from the bottom of the box. Some sixth sense told me I had unissued Coltrane in my hands. I ran down the street to the studio and put on the first reel. Sure enough, this was the mystery session and it yielded two more lengthy performances.

This set also contains another odd early find in the Blue Note vaults. I was systematically going through every reel of every unissued session. When I put on the first reel of an unissued March 29, 1959 Sonny Clark session, which was ultimately released as My Conception, there was not a piano note to be heard. The first two takes were spectacular performances of I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm and What Is This Thing Called Love by what could be none other than Paul Chambers and Art Blakey. I never did find out why these came about (perhaps the rest of the band was late), but I’m glad they did. Few bassists in jazz created such a beautiful and in-tune sound with a bow. For me, these are highlights of Chambers’ considerable recorded output.
- Michael Cuscuna