GOTTA LOVE REISSUES AND OLDIES WEEK!!! WOW!!!

Ella! Louis! Tatum! Peterson!
Jazz At The Hollywood Bowl
Hip-OSelect Records
www.hip-oselect.com
By George W. Harris

Could life really have been this good? Did the Hollywood Bowl REALLY have stars together like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Roy Eldridge, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Art Tatum, Buddy Rich, Ray Brown, Illinois Jacquet, Barney Kessell, Flip Fillips and Harry Edison under one shell? Well, hearing is believing as this wonderful 2 disc set capturing the giants and foundations of jazz from this August 1956 concert.

The 2 hour concerts begins with a thrill jam session of the uptempo “Honeysuckle Rose” and “Jumpin’ At The Woodside” sandwiching a ballad medley that is drop dead gorgeous. Why could guys like Edison, Eldridge, Jacquet, etc have no problem jamming together like this, when I can’t even dare to imagine modern guys doing the same thing nowadays. Can you really picture Bill Frisell or Chris Potter handling “I Can’t Get Started” or “I’ve Got The World On A String” in a jam session format? Forgetaboutit!!

Art Tatum is colossal on his solo session which includes a fantastic “Willow Weep For Me” while Ella is in terrific form on a hilarious “Airmail Special” and a tender “Little Girl Blue.” Oscar Peterson’s trio wails on “9:20 Special” leading to a classic set of Louis Armstrong’s band doing material ranging from “The Gypsy” and “Mack The Knife” to rollicking instrumentals like “Mop Mop.” The climax of the evening is when Ella comes back to team with Satchmo for “You Won’t Be Satisfied” and “Undecided” which simply transcends genres, eras and styles. Why did music seem to unite back then, when it tends to divide nowadays? Get this lovely time capsule of timeless music.