AVID Jazz here presents four classic Charlie Shavers albums plus including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD.
Tribute To Andy Razaf featuring Maxine Sullivan; Horn O Plenty; The Most Intimate; Blue Stompin Plus Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm Excluding Commentary
Our first album Tribute to Andy Razaf features singer Maxine Sullivan accompanied by amongst others, our featured artist Charlie Shavers on trumpet alongside Jerome Richardson, Dick Hayman and Milt Hinton. Andy Razaf was best known as Fats Wallers collaborator and appropriately enough this set by Ms.Sullivan is both a tribute to Razaf and Fats! Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm again features Maxine Sullivan with Charlie Shavers leading the original John Kirby Band. John Kirby had been the leader of a classic sextet formed in 1938 featuring Charlie Shavers on trumpet, Buster Bailey on clarinet, Russell Procope on alto, Billy Kyle on piano, ONeil Spencer on drums and Kirby on bass, plus a singer from Pittsburgh, a certain Mrs John Kirby otherwise known as Maxine Sullivan! Kirby had created a popular sound that was light and accessible with each musician playing a vital role in the overall sound. For this album recorded through 1954-55 the original band is joined by Specs Powell on drums and Aaron Bell on bass to replace the two deceased members, Kirby and Sullivan. From 1954, Horn O Plenty features Shavers on trumpet with Hank DAmico on clarinet, Benny Morton on trombone, Ken Kersey on piano, Aaron Bell on bass and Panama Francis on drums. The Most Intimate from 1955 plays just as it says on the tin (as they say!) Charlie Shavers plays trumpet with Sy Oliver conducting the music of two of the most poetic of composers Harold Arlen and Johnny Green. Its a unique album in that it sets a single mood due to the use of a continuous track, uniting orchestra and soloists and in particular the inventive music of Shavers. Blue Stompin recorded in 1959 finds Shavers in the company of Hal Singer (whos album this was) on tenor, Ray Bryant on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass and Osie Johnson on drums. While Singer brings his experience in the rock n roll (or R n B) arena, Shavers brings his concept of jazz which was steeped in the era between 1935-45 and together with an able rhythm section they make some fine, exciting and sometimes tender jazz .
All four albums plus have been digitally re-mastered.
CD1
1-12: Tribute To Andy Razaf
1. Keepin Out Of Mischief Now
2. Massachusetts
3. How Can You Face Me
4. S'posin'
5. My Fate Is In Your Hands
6. Stompin' At The Savoy
7. Honeysuckle Rose
8. Memories Of You
9. Aint Misbehavin
10. Mound Bayou
11. Christopher Columbus
12. Blue Turning Grey Over You
13. Rose Room from Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm
14. Molly Malone from Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm
15. If I Had A Ribbon Bow from Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm
16. Loch Lomond from Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm
17. Oh No, John from Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm
18. Windy from Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm
19. Wraggle Taggle Gipsies from Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm
20. Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm from Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm
21-22: Horn OPlenty
21. Dark Eyes
22. Moten Swing
CD2
1-2: Horn OPlenty
1. Dawn On The Desert
2. Story Of The Jazz Trumpet Medley: Young Man with A Horn / When Its Sleepy Time Down South / After Youve Gone / Echoes Of Harlem / And The Angels Sing / Ciribiribin / Salt Peanuts
3-8: The Most Intimate
3. Ill Wind
4. Stormy Weather
5. Lets Fall In Love
6. I Cover The Waterfront
7. Youre Mine You
8. Out Of Nowhere
9-14: Blue Stompin
9. Blue Stompin
10. Windy
11. With A Song In My Heart
12. Midnight
13. Fancy Pants
14. The Blast Off
15. Jackie Boy from Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm
16. Barbara Allen from Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm
17. A Brown Bird Singing from Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm