Search - Cy Touff & Richie Quintet Kamuca & Octet :: Primitive Cats

West Coast Jazz Gem

Jazzcat | Genoa, Italy Italy | 08/13/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"5 palms, 5 waves, 5 convertibles, 5 bikini beauties, 5 stars for this exceptional album from the West Coast Fifties. I couldn't imagine this album could be this fun, this good even if the simple name of Richie Kamuca on the cover, one of the most underrated sax players in the whole history of Jazz, should tell me something. This album is a collaboration between him and Cy Touff an obscure musician (to me at least) who used to play the "bass trumpet" an instrument that sound similar to a trombone, but with a trumpet attack. Cy with Richie was part of the Herman Herd. The album comprehends two sessions recorded one day apart in December 1955. The first session (the first five tunes) is a quintet date where the marvel duo met Pete Jolly (piano), Leroy Vinnegar (bass), Chuck Flores (drums). The second an octet date (octet was way popular in those days in California, do you remember the Dave Pell's Octet for example?) with Cy, Richie and Russ Freeman (piano, Leroy Vinnegar (Bass), Chuck Flores (drums), Matt Utal alto and baritone sax, Harry Edison and Conrad Gozzo trumpets. The very beautiful arrangements are from Johnny Mandel. The first part of the cd, the first session, is a perfect West Coast session that you really would like to own. That swinging irresistible happy west coast jazz a la Lennie Niehaus - Frank Rosolino - Bill Holman etc etc (a lot of V.S.O.P., Mode and Tampa albums from the fifties share this sound). The music is well organized, the parts extremely beautiful, the overall sound delightful and the solos pearls of beauty. The music is on the medium fast side generally speaking, with a deep swing throughout. The Octet date is of course slightly different, but not much I have to say. To sound is fuller thanks to the bigger line up, but the scope of the music it's not different. Swing is the thing here, we're not in the "third stream interpretation by west coast musicians" here. We're deep rooted in the Jazz mainstream but with still the West Coast approach clearly evident. Interesesting the comparison you may do with the tunes "A smooth one" which it appeares here in two versions, one by the quintet and one by the octet. Uh, Harry Edison produced himself in some wonderful solos during the octet date, what an exceptional musician he was!! In the end a cd that I strongly recommend to all West Coast Jazz fans (but to Jazz fans in general). You REALLY won't be disappointed. It's absolutly a splendid disc."