Got your recipe book out? OK-take a dash of Count Basie-Woody Herman Swing, add a heaping amount of West Coast Cool and throw in The Four Freshmen and you’ve got the tastiest collection of sounds coming your way.
Al Belletto plays an Art Pepper-inspired alto sax (and clarinet) while leading a hip team of Jack Martin/tp-fh-b, Jimmy Guinn/tb-ts-b, Fred Crane/p-bar and Charles McKnight/dr, sometimes replacing players with Skip Fawcett/b and Tom Montgomery/dr-tp and Willie Thomas/tp. As instrumentalists, they take a mix of originals and jazz standards and give some of the cleverest arrangements this side of Pete Rugolo, going slow and greasy on “Broadway” and taking a trip to Kansas City on “ “Relaxin” and “Foam Rubber” . Guinn delivers a rich solo on ”I Got It Bad and That AIn’t Good” while the team gives vintage Chet Baker a run for his money on “Russ Job” with the team bopping its brains out on “The Way You Look Tonight”. Belletto himself glistens on his aria for “Whisper Not”. Where was this guy hiding?!?
That’s one side of the band. Then, you’ve got all of these guys doubling as vocalists, making some of harmonies that would make the Four Freshmen or the Hi-Los green with envy. Joyful innocence oozes with optimism on pieces like “When My Sugar Walks Down The Street” or “Jeepers Creepers” and rich textures rise to the top on”You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To”.
And if I haven’t captured your attention yet, wait until you hear the 1957 edition with guest vocalist Jerri Winters! She’s got this vulnerable yet come hither husky voice and milks it like a Holstein on ”All Or Nothing At All”, “I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me” and “Crazy In My Heart” (with no less than Ray Brown sitting in).
This band is enjoyable on a plethora of levels. I just am disappointed that this is essentially everything that Balletto released. The formidable liner notes and session info answer most of the questions, with the music itself the surprise joy of the year. If you don’t love this album, I’ll personally give you a refund!