Recently Listening - Perry Robinson: Funk Dumpling

Reissued by Fresh Sound, Funk Dumpling (recorded in 1962 for Savoy) was Perry Robinson's debut recording as a leader.
From the little I've heard of Perry Robinson in the past, this album is more conventional yet still personal. Alongside Robinson's bold and distinctive clarinet playing are a young Kenny Barron and the formidable bass and drum pairing of Henry Grimes and Paul Motian. Although Robinson is the dominant soloist the album still has a very unified band sound and individually everyone contributes. Composition duties are split between Robinson and Grimes. It's a very well rounded album with an upbeat and joyful swinging feel plus some lovely ballad work too. The playing sounded surprisingly fresh to my ears and I couldn't help but feel that Robinson has been short changed in the canon of jazz clarinetists. If I had one, I wouldn't hesitate adding this to a "must hear" list of clarinet recordings. A gem and highly recommended - check it out!

Ornette Coleman's Something Else!!!! Reviewed by Art Farmer

Lately I've been working on some of Ornette's melodies - "Peace," "Broadway Blues," "Feet Music" and "Lonely Woman." The most recent has been "The Blessing" and I've enjoyed revisiting his earliest album which I hadn't listened to in a while. Something Else!!!! The Music of Ornette Coleman was compiled from three recording sessions in 1958 (February 10 & 22 and March 24). Here's Art Farmer's review from the July 1959 issue of The Jazz Review. It's great to read one of Coleman's contemporaries thoughts on his work.

The Jazz Review is well worth checking out and thanks to Jazz Studies Online, PDFs of the magazine are available.
More vintage magazine articles can be found here.

Sonny Stitt & Stan Getz in Down Beat

I thought a double-header was appropriate on the birthday of these two saxophonists - Sonny Stitt (b.1924) and Stan Getz (b.1927). The Stitt feature (Down Beat, May 14, 1959) covers the influence of Bird, his favourite saxophonists, rock'n'roll, European audiences and touring as single. In the Blindfold Test (Down Beat, February 27, 1964) Getz listens to John Coltrane, Tubby Hays, Sal Nistico, Sonny Rollins, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Yound and Al & Zoot.
(Click on the picture to view full article as pdf). More vintage magazine articles can be found here.