A wealth of great work from
Chico Hamilton in the 50s! First up is the self-titled
Chico Hamilton Quintet album – Pacific Jazz 1225 – not to be confused with other similar-titled
Chico Hamilton albums at the time! This one sports an abstract painting on the cover, and was recorded in 1956 at the Forum Theater in Los Angeles – not live, but using the space as a very open-sounding studio – with really amazing results! The lineup features
Hamilton on drums, Paul Horn on alto and tenor sax and clarinet, John Pisano on guitar, Fred Katz on cello and Carson Smith on bass – kind of a second-generation of
Hamilton's group, with Horn taking over wonderfully from Buddy Collette, and playing with even more sensitivity than before. The work's very much in
Hamilton's best sprightly chamber jazz mode – with some great originals that include "Chanel #5", "Beanstalk", "Mr. Jo Jones", and "Reflections" – plus
Hamilton-ized versions of "Satin Doll", "Caravan", "Soft Winds", "Siete-Cuatro", "I Know", and "Lillian". Next up are 3 more tracks recorded in LA for the Stars Of Jazz TV show – "Blue Sands", "The Ghost", and "The Morning After". These are followed by 5 more by the
Hamilton Quintet from The Sweet Smell Of Success film – "Cheek To
Chico", "Susan", "Sidney's Theme", "Jonalah", and "Goodbye Baby". Last up are 2 of the rarest cuts – "Show Me" and "I'm A Funny Dame" – both pulled from a compilation called Jazz Swings Broadway.