Jazz — LPs  

Great early west coast jazz! This album puts together 2 different sessions both recorded by Gene Norman in the early 50s. One features Shorty Rogers heading up a great group with Art Pepper and Jimmy Giuffre – on the tracks "Four Mothers", "Didi", "Sam & The Lady", and "Popo". The other features classic cool Gerry Mulligan material – played by a tentet with Chet Baker, Bud Shank, and Bob Enevoldsen. Titles on that one include "Westwood Walk", "Simbah", "Walking Shoes", and "Rocker".

Great later work from Bud Freeman – blowing here in a comfortable and relaxed setting that really fits the mood of the Swingville imprint – and getting equally great help from a small combo of players that includes Shorty Baker on trumpet, Claude Hopkins on piano, George Duvivier on bass, and JC Heard on drums. The feel is traditional, but never hokey or out of date – and there's some surprising modern currents to the phrasing of Freeman and the rhythms of Heard, almost in the way that Coleman Hawkins and Pee Wee Russell were hipping things up a bit during the same stretch. Titles include "S'posin", "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart", "March On March On", "Hector's Dance", and "Something To Remember You By".