Urbane Jazz

Last updated
Urbane Jazz
Urbane Jazz.jpg
Studio album by Roy Eldridge and Benny Carter
Released 1955
Recorded March 21 & 23, 1955
Radio Recorders, Hollywood, CA
Genre Jazz
Label Verve
MGV 8202
Producer Norman Granz
Roy Eldridge chronology
Roy and Diz
(1954) Roy and Diz1954		Urbane Jazz
(1955)		 Swing Goes Dixie
(1956) Swing Goes Dixie1956
Benny Carter chronology
New Jazz Sounds
(1954) New Jazz Sounds1954		Urbane Jazz
(1955) String Module Error: Match not found1955		 Jazz Giant
(1958) Jazz Giant1958

Urbane Jazz is an album by American jazz trumpeter Roy Eldridge and saxophonist Benny Carter recorded in 1955 and released on the Verve label. [1] [2]

Roy Eldridge American trumpeter

David Roy Eldridge, nicknamed "Little Jazz", was an American jazz trumpet player. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos exhibiting a departure from the dominant style of jazz trumpet innovator Louis Armstrong, and his strong impact on Dizzy Gillespie mark him as one of the most influential musicians of the swing era and a precursor of bebop.

Benny Carter American musician

Bennett Lester Carter was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career in the 1920s he was a popular arranger, having written charts for Fletcher Henderson's big band that shaped the swing style. He had an unusually long career that lasted into the 1990s. During the 1980s and '90s, he was nominated for eight Grammy Awards, which included receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Verve Records American record label

Verve Records, also known as The Verve Music Group, founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue and includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Stan Getz and Billie Holiday, among others. It absorbed the catalogues of Granz's earlier labels, Clef Records, founded in 1946, Norgran Records, founded in 1953, and material previously licensed to Mercury Records.

Contents

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [3]

Allmusic awarded the album 4½ stars stating "This release features the swing-inflected trumpet of Roy Eldridge combined with the always cosmopolitan-sounding alto sax of the venerable Benny Carter. This combination was quite fortuitous because Eldridge took his main inspiration not from Louis Armstrong, but from saxophonists Carter and Coleman Hawkins, transposing that rapid arpeggio style and rich tone to his horn. This gave the trumpet player a keen awareness of harmony and unparalleled dexterity, especially in his solos". [3]

Louis Armstrong American jazz trumpeter, composer and singer

Louis Daniel Armstrong, nicknamed Satchmo, Satch, and Pops, was an American trumpeter, composer, vocalist and occasional actor who was one of the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades, from the 1920s to the 1960s, and different eras in the history of jazz. In 2017, he was inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.

Coleman Hawkins American jazz saxophonist

Coleman Randolph Hawkins, nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. One of the first prominent jazz musicians on his instrument, as Joachim E. Berendt explained: "there were some tenor players before him, but the instrument was not an acknowledged jazz horn". Hawkins biographer John Chilton described the prevalent styles of tenor saxophone solos prior to Hawkins as "mooing" and "rubbery belches." Hawkins cited as influences Happy Caldwell, Stump Evans, and Prince Robinson, although he was the first to tailor his method of improvisation to the saxophone rather than imitate the techniques of the clarinet. Hawkins' virtuosic, arpeggiated approach to improvisation, with his characteristic rich, emotional, loud, and vibrato-laden tonal style, was the main influence on a generation of tenor players that included Chu Berry, Charlie Barnet, Tex Beneke, Ben Webster, Vido Musso, Herschel Evans, Buddy Tate, and Don Byas, and through them the later tenormen, Arnett Cobb, Illinois Jacquet, Flip Phillips, Ike Quebec, Al Sears, Paul Gonsalves, and Lucky Thompson. While Hawkins became well known with swing music during the big band era, he had a role in the development of bebop in the 1940s.

Track listing

All compositions by Roy Eldridge except as indicated

  1. "I Still Love Him So" (Benny Carter) - 5:47
  2. "The Moon Is Low" (Arthur Freed, Nacio Herb Brown) – 6:07
  3. "I Missed My Hat" - 5:19
  4. "Ballad Medley: I Remember You/Chelsea Bridge/I've Got the World on a String" (Victor Schertzinger, Johnny Mercer/Billy Strayhorn/Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler) - 6:20
  5. "Polite Blues" - 8:36
  6. "Close Your Eyes" (Bernice Petkere) - 2:40
  7. "Where's Art" - 4:07
  8. "I Don't Know" - 4:37
  9. "Striding" - 4:37
  10. "Wailing" - 3:14

Personnel

John Simmons (musician) American jazz bassist

John Simmons was an American jazz bassist.

Alvin Stoller was an American jazz drummer. Though he seems to have been largely forgotten, he was held in high regard in the 1940s and 1950s. He was best known for playing drums on both Mitch Miller's recording of "The Yellow Rose of Texas" and Stan Freberg's parody of Miller's recording.

Related Research Articles

<i>Jazz at Santa Monica Civic 72</i> 1972 live album by Ella Fitzgerald

Jazz at Santa Monica '72 is a 1972 live album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, recorded at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium accompanied by a jazz trio led by the pianist Tommy Flanagan, and the Count Basie Orchestra.

<i>Count Basie at Newport</i> 1957 live album by Count Basie and his orchestra

Count Basie at Newport is a live album by jazz musician Count Basie and his orchestra. It was originally issued as Verve MGV 8243 and included only the tracks 1-7 and 13. Tracks 9-12 originally included in Count Basie & Joe Williams/Dizzy Gillespie & Mary Lou Williams at Newport.

<i>Side by Side</i> (Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges album) 1959 Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges album

Although it is billed as a Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges album, Side by Side is a 1959 album mostly under the leadership of Johnny Hodges, Duke Ellington's alto saxophonist for many years. Ellington only appears on three of this album's tracks. The album places Hodges at the fore, backing him with piano by Ellington or Billy Strayhorn and providing other accompaniment by well-known jazz figures like Ben Webster, Roy Eldridge, Harry "Sweets" Edison and Jo Jones. The album, a follow-up to the popular Back to Back: Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues, has remained perpetually in print.

<i>Krupa and Rich</i> album by Gene Krupa

Krupa and Rich is a 1956 studio album by jazz drummers Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich on Norman Granz' Clef Records label. Krupa and Rich play on two different tracks each and play together only on "Bernie's Tune". Krupa and Rich would record again for Verve Records, their album Burnin' Beat was released in 1962.

<i>Carter, Gillespie Inc.</i> 1976 studio album by Benny Carter and Dizzy Gillespie

Carter, Gillespie Inc. is an album by saxophonist Benny Carter and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie recorded in 1976 and released on the Pablo label.

<i>Newport Rebels</i> 1961 studio album by Jazz Artists Guild

Newport Rebels is an album by various artists released under the Jazz Artists Guild led by bassist Charles Mingus and drummer Max Roach, recorded in November 1960 and released on the Candid label.

<i>Jazz Giant</i> (Benny Carter album) 1958 studio album by Benny Carter

Jazz Giant is an album by saxophonist Benny Carter that was recorded in 1957 and 1958 and released by Contemporary Records.

<i>You and Lee</i> 1959 studio album by Lee Konitz

You and Lee is an album by American jazz saxophonist Lee Konitz which was released on the Verve label in 1959.

<i>More Hits of the 50s and 60s</i> 1963 studio album by Count Basie and His Orchestra

More Hits of the 50's and 60's is an album released by pianist and bandleader Count Basie and his orchestra featuring jazz versions of songs associated with the singer Frank Sinatra recorded in 1963. It was arranged by Billy Byers and was originally released on the Verve label.

<i>Swings the Thing</i> (Illinois Jacquet album) 1957 studio album by Illinois Jacquet

Swing's the Thing is an album by American jazz saxophonist Illinois Jacquet recorded in late 1956 and originally released on the Clef label.

<i>Rockin Chair</i> (Roy Eldridge album) 1955 studio album by Roy Eldridge

Rockin' Chair is an album by American jazz trumpeter Roy Eldridge recorded in 1951 and 1952 and originally released on the Clef label.

<i>New Jazz Sounds</i> 1955 studio album by Benny Carter with Dizzy Gillespie and Bill Harris

New Jazz Sounds is an album by American jazz saxophonist Benny Carter featuring trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and trombonist Bill Harris recorded in 1954 and originally released on the Norgran label.

<i>Swingin on the Town</i> 1960 studio album by Roy Eldridge

Swingin' on the Town is an album by American jazz trumpeter Roy Eldridge recorded in 1960 and released on the Verve label.

<i>Blues A-Plenty</i> 1958 studio album by Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra

Blues A-Plenty is an album recorded by American jazz saxophonist Johnny Hodges featuring performances recorded in 1958 and released on the Verve label.

<i>Not So Dukish</i> 1958 studio album by Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra

Not So Dukish is an album recorded by American jazz saxophonist Johnny Hodges featuring performances recorded in 1958 and released on the Verve label.

<i>Cosmopolite</i> (album) 1956 studio album by Benny Carter

Cosmopolite is an album by American jazz saxophonist Benny Carter recorded at three sessions between 1952 and 1954 and released by Norgran Records. The album features tracks that were released on the 10 inch LP The Urbane Mr. Carter.

<i>The Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Pete Brown, Jo Jones All Stars at Newport</i> 1957 live album by Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Pete Brown and Jo Jones

The Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Pete Brown, Jo Jones All Stars at Newport is a live album by Coleman Hawkins's All Stars with Roy Eldridge, Pete Brown and Jo Jones recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1957 and released on the Verve label.

<i>Hawkins! Eldridge! Hodges! Alive! At the Village Gate!</i> album

Hawkins! Eldridge! Hodges! Alive! At the Village Gate! is a live album by saxophonists Coleman Hawkins and Johnny Hodges with trumpeter Roy Eldridge which was recorded at the Village Gate in 1962 and released on the Verve label.

References

  1. ↑ Edwards, D. & Callahan, M. Verve Label Discography, accessed November 24, 2015
  2. ↑ Roy Eldridge Catalog accessed November 24, 2015
  3. 1 2 Nathan, Dave. The Urbane Jazz of Roy Eldridge – Review at AllMusic . Retrieved November 24, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.