Bob Brookmeyer And Friends Columbia 1965

Bob Brookmeyer And Friends Columbia 1965 CAT #CL 2237

Pretty outstanding list of players for KC trombonist, Bob Brookmeyer. This album was a reunion for Stan Getz and Bob Brookmeyer who had worked together at length for years prior to 1965. It features standards and some Brookmeyer originals.

In 1965, Getz and Brookmeyer were aging and through being cool. What saves the album from standard, boring, white-guy jazz is the young players they brought aboard to fill out the sessions. Namely, a young Herbie Hancock filling out the tunes with some interesting keyboard runs. It also, as the cover indicates, includes Gary Burton, who had done plenty up to this point, but was still young at the time of this release. Hancock and Burton's imagination was allowed to carry the album. Without them, the album would still be top notch, just not as memorable.

Brookmeyer's Jive Hoot

Marilyn Maye Meet marvelous Marilyn Maye RCA/Victor 1965

Marilyn Maye Meet marvelous Marilyn Maye RCA/Victor 1965 CAT# LPM-3997

This is Marilyn Maye's debut for RCA.  TV personality and the guy who discovered Maye pens the back cover and gushes on and on about her greatness.  The LP actually boosts some talented arrangers drawing both from Don Costa and Manny Albam, but all in all, just really pop vocal tracks with a singer that has a background more in theater than jazz.

The theatrical value of her voice and the arrangements on this LP give it a very big showbiz sound.  Highlights include the uptempo "Get Me To the Church on Time," the simple bass line vocal pairing of "Washington Square" until it gets full-blown, her rendition of "Take Five" is fun, outside of that, many ballads, nothing that stands out too much or has become the definitive version of a song.

I Love You Today

WDAF Radio Presents KC Jazz with Count Basie WDAF RADIO 1965

WDAF Radio Presents Kansas City Jazz '65 With Count Basie & Renowned Jazz Stars Recorded Live from the 1965 Festival
WDAF Radio 1965
CAT# KC-610

This is some Kansas City pride on vinyl.  I've talked to guys that own this album and claimed it to be the Holy Grail of Kansas City Jazz.  It's not, in fact, I got it free at a yard sale.  It does have Count Basie on it and is still readily available and easy to find.  Further, a simple search on eBay shows that the LP was distributed well throughout the states.

It features two performances by Count Basie, who in the intro says, "It's good to be home," and renames 'April in Paris' to 'April in Kansas City'.  Truth be told, Mr. Basie is not from Kansas City.  However, his career starts here, his music developed with Charlie Parker in Kansas City, so he's ours, he's a local talent.  Other than Count Basie, then names on this LP aren't all that big, solid acts but not being a jazz snob myself, most appear to be on the second tier.  The fantastic thing about the LP is that many of the backing artist are local Kansas Citians sitting in.  There's even a track with Raytown South High School players.

As for KC Jazz as a scene, I think it's safe to say, it died with Charlie Parker.  True, the 1930's Kansas City is the birthplace of bebop and what has come to be known as Kansas City Jazz or the transition from Big Band era to improvisation and a more free flowing music.  In the 1930's through the 1940's, KC just had to be an incredible scene.  But, by 1965, the Jazz thing had become more a matter of pride than a true Kansas City art form.  And, this album does the pride thing well.