AVID Jazz presents four classic Hal McKusick albums, including original liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD.
“East Coast Jazz”; “Featuring Art Farmer”; “In A Twentieth Century Drawing Room” and “Triple Exposure”
“This is clear, forward thinking, emotional jazz, played by a quartet of unusual emotional empathy, and technical ability”. So writes Creed Taylor in his original liner notes to “East Coast Jazz”. McKusick is joined by Osie Johnson on bass, Milt Hinton on drums and “Hal’s brainchild” Barry Galbraith on guitar acting as a brass or reed section”. “This was a most enjoyable and enlightening recording session. I sincerely hope that this will bring easy listening to you”. So concludes Hal himself at the end of his contribution to the liner notes. We think “easy listening” is rather a misnomer here, highly enjoyable and challenging listening is how we would prefer to call it! For “Featuring Art Farmer” Hal is joined by legendary trumpeter Art Farmer together with Eddie Costa on piano, Milt Hinton on bass and Osie Johnson on drums. Here’s a revealing quote from the original liner notes “interplay……….It is the special attraction of the set; this swingingly relaxed conversational feel evident throughout that adds charm and a little extra freedom for expression”. We are now in the “Twentieth Century Drawing Room” with the Hal McKusick Octet. New experiments in jazz where “the twentieth century meets the drawing room more than half way”. Interesting instrumentation where jazz in the form of saxophones, trumpets, guitars and clarinets meet classical in the form of a group of cellos. “Triple Exposure” features the Hal McKusik Quintet, Hal on alto, tenor and clarinet, Billy Byers on trombone, Eddie Costa on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Charlie Persip on drums.
All four albums have been digitally re-mastered.
CD1
1-10: ‘East Coast Jazz’
1. Taylor Made
2. You Don’t Know What Love Is
3. They Can’t Take That Away From Me
4. Lullaby For Leslie
5. Minor Matters
6. Blue-Who
7. By-Ian
8. What’s New
9. Interwoven
10. Give ‘Em Hal
11-20: ‘Featuring Art Farmer’
11. Down and Dirty
12. Alone Together
13. Criss Cross
14. Gone With The Wind
15. When Your Lover Has Gone
16. Pon-Su
17. Makin’ Whoopee
18. Isn’t It Romantic
19. For Art’s Sake
20. Old Devil Moon
CD2
1-11: ‘In A Twentieth Century Drawing Room’
1. My Inspiration
2. Gift Of The Magi
3. You’re A Lucky Guy
4. Can’t We Be Friends
5. Step Lively Osie
6. Minor Seventh Heaven
7. Theme
8. Alto Stratus
9. How Long Has This Been Going On
10. Brother Jack
11. Immortal
12-17: ‘Triple Exposure’
12. The Settlers And The Indians
13. I’m Glad There Is You
14. Something New
15. A Touch Of Spring
16. Blues Half-Smiling
17. Saturday Night
