Willie Wilson ~ The forgotten trombonist

[Jazzrook]

The little-known trombonist Willie Wilson didn't have much luck. He recorded an excellent sextet album as leader in 1961 but the record label JAZZLINE went broke and Wilson died a couple of years later. As far as I know, this was Wilson's only recording which was eventually issued under Freddie Hubbard's & Duke Pearson's name.
Here he is on a quartet version of 'Time After Time': www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDV1Sn3oiDU

JR

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

The little-known trombonist Willie Wilson didn't have much luck. He recorded an excellent sextet album as leader in 1961 but the record label JAZZLINE went broke and Wilson died a couple of years later. As far as I know, this was Wilson's only recording which was eventually issued under Freddie Hubbard's & Duke Pearson's name.
Here he is on a quartet version of 'Time After Time': www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDV1Sn3oiDU

JR

Its a good debut record but perhaps he was a bit overshadowed by the others? Hubbard, Adams, Pearson. I've been listening to the trumpet player Don Sleet who cut a couple of useful 60s albums for Riverside, one with Jimmy Heath, and Heath said, "yes he was good, but there were so many good trumpet players around then". Maybe the same with Willie.

BN.

Don Sleet was picked up by Riverside as a "replacement" figure for Chet....same good looks, white, very good player out of Kenny Dorham, and then Don rapidly acquired the same habits and died young. C'est la vie.

[Serial_Apologist]

To have forgotten Willie Wilson I would have had to have known about him in the first place! I don't recognise any of the other names on that recorded clip either, apart from Mr Pearson's. So, thanks for the introduction, JR and Bluesie!

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

To have forgotten Willie Wilson I would have had to have known about him in the first place! I don't recognise any of the other names on that recorded clip either, apart from Mr Pearson's. So, thanks for the introduction, JR and Bluesie!

I find a lot of these players who only cut maybe one or two albums really interesting. And not just for the usual jazz "romanticism" reasons. Riverside did a lot of one off sessions, particularly pianists, and there's usually something or a few tracks of value. "They also serve" etc.

BN.

[Jazzrook]

Its a good debut record but perhaps he was a bit overshadowed by the others? Hubbard, Adams, Pearson. I've been listening to the trumpet player Don Sleet who cut a couple of useful 60s albums for Riverside, one with Jimmy Heath, and Heath said, "yes he was good, but there were so many good trumpet players around then". Maybe the same with Willie.


BN.

Don Sleet was picked up by Riverside as a "replacement" figure for Chet....same good looks, white, very good player out of Kenny Dorham, and then Don rapidly acquired the same habits and died young. C'est la vie.

Thanks, Bluesnik. Don Sleet a new name to me. So many jazz musicians who deserve rescuing from obscurity.
Perhaps JRR should start a new series on 'The Forgotten Ones'?

JR

[Serial_Apologist]

Thanks, Bluesnik. Don Sleet a new name to me. So many jazz musicians who deserve rescuing from obscurity.
Perhaps JRR should start a new series on 'The Forgotten Ones'?

JR

Well if not JRR maybe one of Alyn's respected contacts. An excellent idea!

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Forgotten and neglected...Benny Green, the 50s 60s trombonist? I've had his Bluenote and Prestige sides on today and they are, in their own groove, great. Late Swing to Hard bop morphing into early Soul jazz with fine sidemen.

Just lovely stuff and I've never heard him on Radio Treeeee. After the Barney Wilen "revival" anything is possible!

BN

[Jazzrook]

Tenorist Jack Montrose(1928-2006) & baritonist Bob Gordon(1928-55) were "Pointedly ignored by writers on jazz, they have gone unmentioned in histories, have been dealt with perfunctorily in works of reference or omitted altogether, and their records have not been much reissued(except in Japan). Hence they were both long since forgotten."

Max Harrison(The Essential Jazz Records Volume 2)

They are both in fine form on a May, 1955 recording of 'Dot's Groovy': www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eMPwbLDrto

When Gordon died tragically in a car accident a few months later Montrose said "Bob was more than just an inspiration, he was my other half and together we formed a musical whole."

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

I seem to remember them both covered in Bob Gordon's (no relation) book, "Jazz West Coast"? Now out of print but I picked up and lost a copy in the early 90s when UK published by Quartet.

Agree they are both excellent and give the lie to the tired cliche about West Coast jazz being dry and emotionless. Paul Moer is also a v. useful pianist who much later recorded a complete album of Elmo Hope compositions.

BN.
l

[Serial_Apologist]

the tired cliche about West Coast jazz being dry and emotionless.

BN.
l

The one that probably scotched some of us from acquainting ourselves, at the time...

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

There's quite a long interview with (the now late) Jack Montrose on the net. He fell by the way in the 60s with the usual stuff and the changing club scene. Interesting comments about Art Pepper post comeback, Montrose thinks he lost the best of himself in awe of Coltrane.

BN.

[Jazzrook]

There's quite a long interview with (the now late) Jack Montrose on the net. He fell by the way in the 60s with the usual stuff and the changing club scene. Interesting comments about Art Pepper post comeback, Montrose thinks he lost the best of himself in awe of Coltrane.

BN.

Thanks, Bluesnik. I'm on a West Coast kick at the moment!
Here's that fascinating Montrose interview: http://jazzprofiles.blogspot.co.uk/2...-it-began.html

JR

[Jazzrook]

A recent discovery for me was the little-known Cy Touff(1927-2003) who was associated with the West Coast scene and one of the few jazz musicians to play bass trumpet.

Here's a track from a 1955 quintet session with Richie Kamuca:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qhP7HAJJTc

[Ian Thumwood]

I remember that Cy Touff was on an excellent Woody Herman album on Verve called "Hey, heard the Herd!" I've never been able to get hold of this on CD but the music was sensational - one of his best. I think the tracks were made around 1954-6. Touff also cropped up on an album I once heard with a pianist Dick Hyman which was made back in the 1950's too. Strange that Hyman should convert from West Coast jazz to becoming a jazz piano encyclopaedia.

"Mambo the most" by Woody.