Classic Vanguard Small Group Swing Sessions Limited Edition Box Set (#280 – 7 CDs)

Classic Vanguard Small Group Swing Sessions
Limited Edition Box Set (#280 – 7 CDs)

Many of us know about Vanguard Records from their thoughtful and artistically satisfying recordings of roots music in folk, blues, country, and jazz idioms, in addition to several innovative voices in rock and popular music. But the label began life as the sister label to a company focused on Bach, as a way to release non-Bach classical discs.

Vanguard recorded their classical discs with a single, strategically-placed microphone. Hammond’s view was that the same discipline that produced superior sound on Vanguard’s classical recordings could benefit jazz as well. Taking the lead from his Vanguard label masters, Hammond’s choice to go with one mic was in some ways a throwback to the great recordings in the 1930s and 1940s before individual mic-ing was possible.

Top Names, Top Sound

Get ready for a wonderful experience of satisfying, intriguing, and compelling mainstream jazz.

You’ll hear stand-out recordings by Coleman Hawkins with the elegant pianist Sir Charles Thompson that show off the saxophone player’s late career mastery.

Then there’s pianist Bobby Henderson, who will be a wonderful discovery for many listeners. A musician often regarded as a potential successor to Fats Waller, Henderson had gone into artistic seclusion for more than 20 years before he was pulled out of retirement for his appearance at a session recorded with vocalist Joe Williams at Count Basie’s Lounge in Harlem.

Appearing as well is trombonist Vic Dickenson (teamed with his frequent collaborator clarinetist Edmond Hall), decades into his career at the time of the Vanguard sessions but still making everything swing.

Trumpeter Joe Newman gets his debut as a leader, and his energy, plus his calm command, makes it clear why he was so admired by, and spent so many years with, Basie. The set also features Buck Clayton, one of New York’s most in-demand jazz musicians for his sensitivity, polish and melodic clarity.

And the Jo Jones set from August,1955 turned out to be something unexpectedly special. Jones was teamed with other members of the Basie rhythm section for a date when out of nowhere, Basie walked in and sat in with his guys. Included as well are three sessions headlined by Jimmy Rushing, still possessing the power and joy that made him such a dynamic performer.

Majestic Magic From Ruby Braff

Some of the biggest delights for listeners will come from trumpeter Ruby Braff, whose work as a sideman and leader on “The Ruby Braff Special”, are exceptionally strong. In command of an incomparable new voice on trumpet and cornet, Braff was still a relatively new name, but he worked constantly in these years because he could play absolutely anything and did so with a glorious tone and melodic brilliance.

Here is a perfect insight into what some of the elder statemen and the new swing voices were accomplishing during the mid and late 1950s.

A musical galaxy of taste and execution includes support from Mathew Gee, Frank Wess, Frank Foster, Johnny Acea, Eddie Jones, Osie Johnson, Benny Morton, Buddy Tate, Jimmy Jones, Steve Jordan, Walter Page, Les Erskine, Sam Margolis, Nat Pierce, Benny Powell, Pete Brown, Gene Ramey, Earle Warren, Aaron Bell, Bobby Donaldson, Hank Jones, Kenny Burrell. Emmett Berry, Bennie Green, Lucky Thompson, Nat Pierce, Freddie Green, Pat Jenkins, Ben Richardson, Buddy Tate, Sammy Price, Lawrence Brown, Ruby Powell, Clarence Johnson, Marlowe Morris, and Roy Gaines.

The Mosaic Treatment

Among the 85 tracks — of which one is previously unissued — most have rarely been available on CD. These recordings have never sounded better – ever!

We had access to the original tape masters which were then professionally transferred and then sent to our master engineers over at Swan Studios to restore and have brought this music to a completely new life. Compare (if you’re lucky enough to own) the original LPs and hear the difference!

Our deluxe box set includes an exclusive booklet with essays on the history of Vanguard Records plus all the music, an extensive discography and revealing photos from the era.

As you no doubt know, our Mosaic sets are strictly limited as to how many we can press, as well as how long we are able to offer them for sale. Considering how long this music has been buried in the vault, and how unlikely it is that there will ever be an effort like Mosaic’s ever again, we urge you to order your set before they sell out.

Audio Clips

Swing Music was an expression of a new futuristic physics of motion that promised the lean velocity and organic perfection of a bird in flight. What the machine age had wrought in the realm of function, artists were now shaping into a series of self-consciously aerodynamic illusions that implied movement even when standing still. The sleek, legato flow of swing music was an independent but direct extension of that modernistic sensibility into music. – John McDonough

Sir Charles Thompson Sextet
Bop This

The friendship between trumpeter Joe Newman and pianist Sir Charles Thompson dates back to their shared tenures in the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and the Illinois Jacquet combo. Thompson hired Newman for the sessions he recorded for Apollo, and nearly 6 years later – almost to the day – the two friends recorded this date for Vanguard. Benny Powell was enlisted from Basie’s trombone section, with Kansas City stalwart Gene Ramey on bass and Osie Johnson on drums.

Thompson balances his affinities for swing and bop in compositions and solos. The first track Bop This has elements of both styles, which is evident in both the tune and the leader’s solo. Powell is sure and steady with the brisk pace. Newman sounds more focused here than he would be on his own date three months later. Near the end, the ensemble figures alternate with statements by drums, trumpet, and piano.

Vic Dickenson Septet
Everybody Loves My Baby

When Vic Dickenson returned to Brooklyn with the septet in late 1954, there were two new musicians, but only one player was replaced from the previous session. Shad Collins was now the band’s trumpeter, and the venerable Jo Jones replaced Erskine. Ruby Braff’s star had grown exponentially since the Dickenson septet date and he was now billed as a guest musician, appearing on two tracks. While Dickenson, Collins, Page and Jones did not play together as part of the Count Basie Orchestra, the spirit of that ensemble can be heard throughout this session.

Jones’ tom-toms open an intense version of Everybody Loves My Baby, Thompson starts each chorus with a quote from a swing anthem, It Don’t Mean A Thing in the first, and Sing, Sing, Sing in the second. Braff’s solo is a lyric gem, followed by Hall who plays softly but carries big swing. Collins tries the same tactic, but his mute obscures his volume. Dickenson has no such issues with his mutes and his confident solo stands out against the background riffs. Some more Basie licks from Thompson—with a quote from Tickle Toe added for good measure—leads into an exuberant ride-out chorus.

Sir Charles Thompson featuring Coleman Hawkins
It’s The Talk Of The Town

On September 22, 1933, the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra and its star tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins recorded a classic version of It’s The Talk Of The Town. The Hawkins solo on the middle chorus has been acknowledged as one of the saxophonist’s ballad masterpieces.

Hawkins returned to “Talk” several times in his career. The Vanguard version with Sir Charles Thompson’s band was his ninth recording of the song, and significantly, his second with Thompson. Thompson wrote a fine supporting arrangement for the Vanguard session, and the veteran saxophonist responded with a magnificent solo, that is thoughtful on the first chorus, and increasingly dramatic in the second. Unlike the 1945 Capitol version, there is no final cadenza, but Hawkins leads the band through a clever turnaround into the final eight bars. This track meets all the criteria for a “forgotten masterpiece”.

Jimmy Rushing And His All Stars
Evenin’

Most males who sang with swing era big bands were confined to ballads and novelties. Jimmy Rushing was a major exception. A distinctive blues shouter who was also skilled at singing swing standards and ballads.

The swinging version of Evenin’ features sharp ensemble episodes, a passionate Rushing vocal (with Tate and Johnson in full swing), a powerful alto saxophone solo from Powell, a fiery Berry statement, Tate’s expressive tenor, and a demonstrative Brown solo.

Jo Jones
Shoe Shine Boy

The Jo Jones Special is one of the best-known Vanguard jazz albums and part of its legendary status stems from the participation of a VIP in the studio.

In his memoir, Hammond spins the tale:
I loved the element of surprise, and it often worked well for me. “The Jo Jones Special” I did for Vanguard was a case in point. I had Jo, Freddie Green, and Walter Page, three-quarters of the old Basie rhythm section, plus Nat Pierce on piano, Emmett Berry on trumpet, Lucky Thompson on tenor, and Benny Green on trombone.

We recorded at the Masonic Temple, and things were going well, if not spectacularly, when in walked Basie. I had told him about the session, and invited him over for a listen, but it was all pretty casual, and I hadn’t thought for a minute he’d come.

So, what was more natural than for Basie to sit in? Nat moved out gracefully, and the Basie rhythm section, which had long gone its separate ways, was reunited. Not unexpectedly, a few of those choice Basie notes and the pace picked up. We did a “Shoe Shine Boy” and that was so good we made another [take]. And I was so pleased I kept them both on the record.

Emmett, Lucky, and Benny were blowing beautifully and the rhythm section swung lightly and delicately and yet so decisively. It was sheer delight. And one of the takes wound down with a few plink-plunks from Basie and a few rat-tats from Jo, Benny Green broke into a yuk-yuk-yuk laugh that was so infectious we kept it on the record, too.

The first take of Shoe Shine Boy swings with effortless joy. Basie jumps in with his unique combination of light touch and powerful swing. As the performance continues, listen to how Basie inspires the sidemen with his delightful comping. Green’s straight-ahead trombone solo creates a great contrast with Thompson’s complex approach, while Berry’s muted lines add a level of intensity.

Basie kicks off a chorus and a half of four bar exchanges with the horns. A half-chorus of piano serves as an out-chorus, but no one seems sure of the ending! Near the end of the coda, Page and Jones play over each other, which jumbles the form. The rough-and-tumble conclusion prompted Green’s hearty laugh.

Vanguard Jazz Showcase
John Hammond & The Solomon Brothers

John Hammond did not meet Seymour and Maynard Solomon until November 1953, but their parallel actions in the post-war era made it inevitable they would cross paths. Ironically, it was classical music that led them in similar directions, but jazz was the force that united them.

The Solomon brothers of New York City acquired a state-of-the-art tape recorder and started a company offering new recordings of the Bach cantatas. The Bach Guild label started in 1950, and a sister label, Vanguard, was added by the end of the year. Originally launched to issue non-Bach classical works and folk songs, Vanguard eventually became the parent company.

A 1951 Bach Guild recording of Bach’s Easter Oratorio, recorded with a single overhead microphone, presented an astonishingly rich aural soundscape with natural room echo and superb balance between the orchestra, chorus and soloists. All Seymour needed was a New York recording studio with similar acoustics and a few American artists to record.

Hammond, who had left Mercury at the end of 1952, spent most of 1953 writing occasional record reviews for the New York Times. In the November 22, 1953 issue, Hammond published a diatribe about the sorry state of jazz recordings. He blamed engineers, recording supervisors and musicians for “a triumph of conscientious distortion”, created by multi-microphone techniques.

“Although much fine jazz is being recorded today, mostly by the smaller companies, very little of it sounds as it should. There is an enormous opportunity for real high-fidelity disks of jazz and popular music. Just as English Decca and London led the way in the classical field with Full Frequency Range Recording the opportunities are enormous in the popular market.”

Soon after the article was published, the Solomons called Hammond with an offer to produce a new series of jazz recordings for Vanguard. With Hammond as his new ally, Seymour hung a single microphone 30 feet over the stage, and recorded the first Vanguard jazz session on December 29, 1953, just five weeks after the producer came aboard.

The new series was called the Vanguard Jazz Showcase, and the initial recordings carried a balanced soundscape with the instruments surrounded by natural echo emanating from the room’s wooden walls and floors. There was no blazing red light to signal a recording in process, and the take announcements were made quietly in the booth, unheard by the musicians. The bands were allowed to play any music they wanted, and the performances could extend up to 15 minutes—the time limit for one side of a 10″ LP.

The Vanguard Jazz Showcase operated from 1953 to 1958. The 13 CDs of music in Mosaic’s two box sets represent the highlights of the series. With the exception of isolated reissues, many of these albums have not been presented in their entirety since their original releases nearly 70 years ago. Vanguard issued some of the earliest recordings on 10″ LPs, and unlike other record companies of the time, they did not reissue and expand the albums when 12″ LPs became the standard.

These recordings are all the more precious because of their long absences from the catalog. In their day, these recordings—along with Norman Granz’s productions on Clef, Norgran and Verve—sparked a revival for mainstream jazz artists. Now that all of the musicians have passed on, these boxes act as a joyous celebration of their legacies. – Thomas Cunniffe, liner notes

Limited Edition: 5000
(#280- 7 CDs)

This set is strictly limited in its release and will someday be unavailable. Please don’t delay in ordering this comprehensive set of some of the music’s most reliably captivating artists.