Hard swinging big band material from Sweden – a great little set that features the big band of
Harry Arnold arranged by
Quincy Jones!
Quincy was spending a lot of time in Sweden during the mid 50s – bringing
with him a host of great players that would soon become big names on the European scene – the biggest of whom was Benny Bailey, who plays some good solos here
with a mostly-Swedish group that includes Arne Domnerus, Bengt Hallberg, Ake Persson, and Bengt-Arne Wallin. The style of the work, and its trans-Atlantic jazz orientation, is a direct precursor of later work by the Clarke-Boland Big Band – of whom Bailey was a big part – and the titles all swing nicely,
with plenty of room for breakout solos! Titles include "The Midnight Sun Never Sets", "Doodlin", "Room 608", "
Quincy's Home Again", "Brief Encounter", and "Meet Benny Bailey".