Cy Touff Quintet - Touff Assignment (1958) [vinyl-stereo]

 

Cy Touff throughout his career played the bass trumpet as a lead instrument in several small jazz ensembles, but unfortunately his discography as a leader is quite sparce. This LP, released on Argo records in 1958, seems to be his final recording as a leader. For this album he is joined by Sandy Mosse on tenor saxophone, and backed by a strong rhythm section that includes pianist Eddie Higgins, bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Marty Clausen. The compositions are a mixture of cool jazz originals by Al Cohn "Soulsville" & Cyril's Dream” and by Ernie Wilkins "Kissin' Cousins" & "Tough Touff". The remainder of the tunes performed are essentially well-known jazz standards including "Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now" and "I Let A Song Go Out of My Heart", plus swinging renderings of "How Long Has This Been Going On" and "The Lamp Is Low." Touff’s proficiency and skill on the bass trumpet is something that not many players afterwards have matched. Overall, the album is smooth from start to finish, one quibble is that it is too short. This rip is taken from the stereo version of the original Argo vinyl, Enjoy! 

Argo Records, LP 641-S, 1958
Recorded 28^th-29^th August, 1958 in Chicago, Illinois 

Musicians:
Cy Touff - Bass Trumpet
Sandy Mosse - Tenor Saxophone
Ed Higgins - Piano
Bob Cranshaw - Bass
Marty Clausen - Drums 

Tracks:
A1. Soulsville {Al Cohn} (3:17)
A2. Cyril's Dream {Al Cohn} (3:12)
A3. How Long Has This Been Going On {George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin} (3:39)
A4. Kissin' Cousins {Ernie Wilkins} (3:06)
B1. Keeping Out Of Mischief Now {Andy Razaf, Fats Waller} (3:53)
B2. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart {Ellington, Mills, Nemo, Redmond} (3:42)
B3. Lamp Is Low {Maurice Ravel, Peter DeRose, Bert Shefter} (2:42)
B4. Tough Touff {Ernie Wilkins} (5:34) 

Total Time: 29:05 

Credits:
Producer - Dave Usher
Recording Engineer - Malcolm Chisholm
Photography [Cover] - Don Bronstein
Mastering Engineer - Douglas Brand
Liner Notes - Ralph J. Gleason

Cy Touff Quintet - Touff Assignment (1958) [vinyl]

Cy Touff played the bass trumpet as a lead instrument in several small jazz ensembles, though this LP, made for Argo in 1958, seems to be his final recording as a leader. His instrument sounds much like Sandy Mosse's trombone, so it is somewhat easy to confuse their respective solos, unless one is paying close attention. The strong rhythm section includes pianist Eddie Higgins, bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Marty Clausen. The music is a mix of cool originals by Al Cohn ("Soulsville") and Ernie Wilkins ("Tough Touff"), along with classic jazz compositions ("Keepin' Out of Mischief Now" and "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart") plus swinging takes of standards such as "How Long Has This Been Going On" and "The Lamp Is Low." Touff continued to record on occasion as a sideman following this date. The only disappointing part of this release is the abbreviated total time of less than 28 minutes. Long out of print, the original issue will likely only be found in auction lists. ~ by Ken Dryden, AMG.

Argo Records, LP 641, 1959

Recorded 28^th-29^th August, 1958 in Chicago, Illinois

Musicians:

Cy Touff - Bass Trumpet

Sandy Mosse - Saxophone

Ed Higgins - Piano

Bob Cranshaw - Bass

Marty Clausen - Drums

Tracks:

A1. Soulsville {Al Cohn} (3:11)

A2. Cyril's Dream {Al Cohn} (3:07)

A3. How Long Has This Been Going On {George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin} (3:33)

A4. Kissin' Cousins {Ernie Wilkins} (3:01)

B1. Keeping Out Of Mischief Now {Andy Razaf, Fats Waller} (3:48)

B2. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart {Ellington, Mills, Nemo, Redmond} (3:35)

B3. Lamp Is Low {Peter DeRose, Bert Shefter} (2:38)

B4. Tough Touff {Ernie Wilkins} (5:27)

Credits:

Producer - Dave Usher

Recording Engineer - Malcolm Chisholm

Photography [Cover] - Don Bronstein

Liner Notes - Ralph J. Gleason

Notes:

Stereo Recording made on an Ampex-3005