Tony Fruscella - On Stage In New York (1953-59)

The music contained within this digital download is a compilation of tracks gleaned predominantly from a number of recorded sessions in New York by Tony Fruscella with the final two from a date in New Jersey. Essentially, very few recordings of this lyrical but tragic trumpeter exist and this collection is a great place to start to appreciate his expertise. Overall, this collection is an inspiring insight into one of America’s great lost trumpeters, enjoy! 

The Jazz Factory, 1999
Recorded 3rd August, 1959 (#1);
23rd January, 1955 (#2) at Birdland, New York City;
mid 1953 (#3,5-9) at The Open Door Club, Greenwich Village, New York City;
7th November, 1955 (#4) at Pithyan Temple, New York City;
November, 1959 (#10,11) at Ridgewood High School, New Jersey 

Personnel: 

#1:
Tony Fruscella - Trumpet
Bill Keck - Guitar
3rd August, 1955 or 1959 

#2:
Tony Fruscella - Trumpet
Stan Getz - Tenor Saxophone
Johnny Williams - Piano
Bill Anthony - Bass
Frank Isola - Drums
23rd January, 1955 at Birdland, New York City 

#3,5-9:
Tony Fruscella - Trumpet
Bill Triglia - Piano
Teddy Kotick - Bass
Art Mardigan - Drumsmid 1953 at The Open Door Club, Greenwich Village, New York City 

#4:
Tony Fruscella - Trumpet
Hank Jones - Piano
Wendell Marshall - Bass
Shadow Wilson - Drums
7th November, 1955 at Pithyan Temple, New York City 

#10,11:
Tony Fruscella - Trumpet
Stan Getz - Alto Saxophone
Bill Triglia - Piano
Bill Keck - Guitar
Paul Chambers - Bass
Roy Hall - Drums
November, 1955 or 1959 at Ridgewood High School, New Jersey 

Tracks:
01. Lover Man {Jimmy Davis, Roger "Ram" Ramirez, Jimmy Sherman} (3:27)
02. Pernod {Stan Getz} (4:38)
03. Imagination {Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen} (5:31)
04. Tony's Blues {Tony Fruscella} (5:13)
05. Donna {Jackie McLean} (5:18)
06. A Night In Tunisia {Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Paparelli} (8:35)
07. Bernie's Tune {Bernard Miller, Jerry Lieber, Mike Stoller} (8:58)
08. Sometimes I'm Happy {Vincent Youmans, Irving Caesar} (9:34)
09. Hachensack {Thelonious Monk} (10:19)
10. Night Train {Jimmy Forrest, Lewis Simpkins, Oscar Washington} (11:24)
11. Scrapple From The Apple {Charlie Parker} (13:12) 

Total Time: 01:26:09

Illinois Jacquet - Flying Home

Without a doubt, "The Kid" was one of the greatest sax players to ever breath life on this great Earth of ours.  His sound was gritty, raw and soulful but never without subtlety when required.  Indeed, his voice is instantly recognizable by jazz fans - "Flying Home" is quite possibly the most famous sax solo of all time.

This CD covers alot of ground while bringing you some of Jacquet's best cuts.  Bluebird  originally recorded all of these as 78's, and they have been expertly remastered here.  The recordings range in date from 1947 - 1967 and in location from Hollywood to NYC.  There are some personnel changes throughout the album, but certainly nothing to disappoint - Shadow Wilson to Jo Jones!!??!  Considering that this is technically a compilation, it plays incredibly well as an album.

And with that said, the band absolutely smokes.  It helps when each member is a seasoned pro - JJ Johnson, Leo Parker, Joe Newman, etc, etc.  It varies in size from track to track, but overall the idea is a "little big band".  One thing you will notice straight away is the weight that this band can produce.  Jacquet has basically put together a small group which can operate as a big band when called upon.  I love it.  And having dual trumpet players is one unique aspect to a band of this size.  The whole thing swings hard and is overall a definite shade of blue.  We are treated to all kinds of fun as the members all get to express themselves here, including Illinois' brother Russ who puts in some vocals on Try Me One More Time.

Flying Home is essentially a "Cole's Notes" of the impeccable Mosaic boxset which captured all of Jacquet's recordings from this period.  For those of you who are fortunate enough to have the boxset, this CD is probably not for you.  However for everybody else, including anybody looking to discover Illinois Jacquet, this album is an absolute gem.  I will include the AMG review which is glowing but curiously only scored the album a 3/5 stars.  I would say this set of classic tunes is without a doubt 4/5.  I have included all the scans and ripped the disc using EAC for 16/44.1 FLAC... enjoy!!!

This is a great selection of Jacquet's late-'40s/early-'50s work, hot on the heels of his success with Jazz At The Philharmonic and his tenure with the Lionel Hampton Band. There's lots of honking and squealing coupled to Jacquet's patented abrasive tone, one of the most exciting in jazz, heard to good effect on "Jet Propulsion." Jacquet's brother Russell vocalizes on "Try Me One More Time," making himself a worthy foil, and stalwarts like Leo Parker, Shadow Wilson and J.J. Johnson are counted up in the mix. The closing track is somewhat of a ringer; recorded live in 1967 at the Newport Folk Festival, it's a high voltage take on the the title cut with Illinois' old boss Hampton making a guest appearance. - Cub Koda/AMG

Bluebird / RCA 1992

1. Jet Propulsion 

2. Try Me One More Time 

3. Riffin' at 24th Street 

4. Symphony in Sid 

5. Jacquet for Jack the Bellboy 

6. Big Foot 

7. Black Velvet 

8. B-Yot 

9. Adam's Alley 

10. Hot Rod 

11. Flying Home