Jazz potpourri

A quarter of a century ago, jazz lovers were surprised by the emergence of the Modern Jazz Quartet, one of the earliest groups to take jazz into the concert halls. The jazz fans' somewhat derisive attitudes began to vanish as they realized that the MJQ was a swinging, improvising band, true to the most basic qualities of jazz. The M,Y2 strutted and fretted its hour—a good, long one—and vanished. One of its great strengths was vibraphonist Milt Jackson, now of the quartet comprising "Quadrant" (Pablo 2310 837), who imparts- an MJQ-ish flavour to this excellent new LP. His colleagues are Joe Pass (guitar), Ray Brown (bass) and Mickey Roker (drums). Their opening Concorde is taken at an irritatingly fast tempo, but by the third number, a slowed-up Lady be good," the beautiful musical interplay of the group has become evident. They swing and think at the same time—Joe's Tune, for example—like the old MJO but with Pass's guitar adding a touch of astringency. Highly recommended. The whole idea of Clark Terry's "Ain't Misbehavin' "'(Pablo Today 2312 105) is rather inauspi6ious because it celebrates a stage musical of the same title which until recently was packing in audiences in London as well as New York. Loosely based on the life and music of Fats Waller, it was exquisite torture to any jazz lover, because it combined artistic poverty with a sort of clomping insensitivity. However, Terry's record is quite different: his idiosyncratic trumpet is perfect for the many themes (Jitterbug waltz, Mean to me, It's a sin, Black and blue) which Fats either wrote or- made his own. Oscar Peterson makes no attempt to mimic Fats: a good newcomer (to me), Chris Woods, fills out the front line on alto and flute very expertly, and the rhythm is sparked by Victor Sproles's bass. A nice issue.

Louis Benson, who was around the UK towards the end of last year, is, to my mind, the best small group drummer on the scene, despite his reputation as a big band man. He proves it again on "Louie Bellson Jam" (Pablo 2310 838), nice modern/mainstream, with a front line of the late Blue Mitchell (a classical 'hard bop' trumpeter) and one of the younger tenor players, Peter Christlieb. Bellson does not hog the limelight; he drives, pushes or urges gently as necessary—one feels that he listens to every note, as so few drummers do. "Lazy Mood For Two" (77 Records 77S59) is quite different, though it features two more distinguished American visitors to these shores from last year. Eddie Miller, veteran saxophonist with the old Bobcats, plays ten duets with pianist Lou Stein. These are mostly standards at slow to medium tempi, wherein Miller signs his name with his tenor on Lazy mood, I've got a crush on you, Coquette and so on. Stein adds a couple of driving piano solos, Bag balm boogie being..a ferocious pastiche of ragtime and boogie-woogie. But even the great stride pianists had their lapses. Anyway, this is an agreeable record which strikes few sparks. I have saved the best until last—a new issue which has waited 20 years to see the light. I have no idea why the Verve recordings from 1959-60 by Johnny Hodges, listed as 'unissued' in Jepsen's discography, remained in the vaults-for so long, but they make a most beautiful double album: "The Smooth One" (Verve 2632 082). These performances are more or less contemporary with the great, a.lto saxophonist's famous "Side By Side" and "Bak To Back"..LPs and possess something of the same quality—gparticularly as Les Spann (guitar and flute) is on the first disc. His guitar adds a sort of crystalline quality to the essentially Ellingtonian music; on band too are Ben Webster's tenor saxophone—rasping or breathy, Jimmy Hamil- ton's immaculate but swinging clarinet, Harold Baker's most sensitive trumpet, Quentin Jackson's trombone (at its best muted), Jo Jones on drums, and Harold Ashby deputizing for Webster on the second disc (on which Spann drops out but Ray Nance is added). Hodges wrote most of the tunes— mostly blues and riff numbers—and led the groups, but the real glory of the issue is the opportunity it provides for hearing the Ening-, tonians work their magic yet again on some new material. Just listen to Third klass, starting to dance on its own as Webster takes over, and hear how Spann and Rabbit keep it cooking until the final theme. Why were these marvels kept from us for so long? A most welcome and overdue issue. JOHN POSTGATE.