RARITIES #62 & # 63

STUDIO JAZZ MIT ALICE BABS (Electrola, D, 1959).

&

ALICE BABS - FUGA / St LOUIS BLUES TWIST (Brunswick, D, 1963)

Summer is back, it's sunny and warm here in Belgium, a condition which is not conducive to blogging (and also potentially disastrous for our farmers who have to cope with a severe drought threatening their crops).  

I have a whole pile of records awaiting to be ripped but the weather is too fine to stay inside.  Luckily, Ernst, of Inconstant Sol fame and a regular provider of material for this blog,  - recently sent me rips of two long-forgotten 45 rpm singles of Swedish singer Alice Babs.  They should be of interest to fans of European Jazz and Female vocalists.

Here they are:

ALICE BABS  "STUDIO JAZZ MIT ALICE BABS"

Alice Babs, vocals

Kurt Becker, vibes, flute

Willy Schweden, guitar

Paul Kuhn, piano

Johnny Fischer, bass

Stuff Combe, drums

1. I Could Write A Book  (Rodgers/Hart)  5:33

2. A Sailboat In The Moonlight  (Loeb)  5:39

Recorded in Cologne, Germany on May 15, 1959 (track 2).

Side A most likely second half of 1958 or first months of 1959.

B1 - Willy Schweden (g) most likely overdubbed on May 15, 1959 (Walter Bruyninckx) [info from discogs] 

ELECTROLA E 41206

ALICE BABS MED BENGT HALLBERG TRIO  "ST. LOUIS BLUES TWIST"

This one is in a more commercial vein. We're in 1963, in the middle of the Twist craze (at least in Europe) and"twist" records were selling like hot buns.
I assume Ms Babs (or her producer ...) wanted to give it a try hoping for a piece of the cake.

Alice Babs, vocalsBengt Hallberg, piano

Lars "Lasse" Pettersson, bass

Sture Kallin, drums

for "Jazz Fuga" add Bengt Hallberg Orchestra.

1. St. Louis Blues Twist (Handy)  3:13

2. Jazz Fuga (Kirk/Sjöblom)  2:44

Track 1 recorded in Stockholm, Sweden on January 21, 1963.

Track 2 recorded in Stockholm, Sweden on October 8, 1963.

BRUNSWICK 12 987 (german edition)

Discographical info from Discogs.

With thanks to Ernst.

RARITY # 61

UNE NUIT AU CHAMPAGNE
MARTHA LOVE ET SON ORCHESTRE DU KURSAAL D'OSTENDE
25 cm  Fiesta
I.S. 10.020       BELGIUM, 1955

The music on this old Belgian 25 cm (10") is  dance music / cocktail party music.  Not for the jazz purists.

I like those 10" on the Fiesta label with their cheap artwork, I have  already posted a couple in the past and will continue, I still have a couple to be digitsed.  I see them as artefact of a bygone era, post-war, pre-rock and roll Belgium. But change is already in the air and Rock and roll is pointing its nose, there is an instrumental version of Bill Haley s Mambo Rock on side B.

Tracklist

A1          I love Paris        

A2          The Continental (instrumental) 

A3          May Re You'll Be There 

A4          Ko-Ko-No (Instrumental)            

A5          Pour Toi Et Moi

A6          It's A Woman's World   

A7          Charleston        

B1          C'est Magnifique            

B2          Mister Sandman            

B3          L'enfant De la Balle (instrumental)         

B4          Mambo Rock (Instrumental)      

B5          Tenderly            

B6          Un ange Comme Ca       

B7          Tweedle Dee (instrumental)      

B8          Un Sac Sur le Dos           

Credits

Leader / Vocals – Martha Love

The Orchestra

Trumpet – Emile Gobrecht

Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Jef Verhaegen

Piano – Jean Evans

Tenor Saxophone – Benny Couroyer

Acoustic Bass – Gaston Backaert

Drums – Pierre Dekker

Notes

Recorded in Brussels on May 3, 1955

Issued in France on CID B.23.511 as "Pot Pourri de Danse", with a different cover.

See blog "Amour du rock & roll " (in French) for more details on the French release (and a lot of other interesting info on the early development of rock and roll music in France).

A SWISS LADY IN BRUSSELS

CHRISTINE SCHALLER – REAL LIFE

MLCAR.80062 - SELF PRODUCED / PRIVATE PRESSING

BELGIUM, 1980

This one is pretty obscure.  Swiss vocalist / pianist / composer Christine Schaller recorded in Belgium in 1980 in big band format (with ACT Big Band) on side A and in quartet format on side B.  The quartet features the inspired guitar of the late Paolo Radoni (listen to his superb playing in the title track -"Real Life" or in “Jonction” a.o.). 

This album is also the first featuring the ACT Big band (led by drummer Felix Simtaine)

.

side 1 + ACT 12 Big Band

Tracks:

1.      Ventura (Pavel Pesta)               3:53

2.      Fidji (C. Schaller)                    4:56

3.      New One (C. Schaller)             4:10

4.      Scoubidou (C. Schaller)           4:55

Credits

Christine Schaller: vocal

Richard Rousselet: trumpet, fluegelhorn

Nicolas Fissette: trumpet

Jean-Pol Danhier: trombone

Paul Bourdiaudhy: trombone

Steve Houben: alto sax, flute

Robert Jeanne: soprano and tenor sax

John Ruocco: tenor sax

Henry Solbach: barytone sax

Guy Cabay: vibes

Paolo Radoni: guitar

Charles Loos: piano

Jean-Louis Rassinfosse: double bass

Félix Simtaine: drums

side 2 + TRAVELERS

Tracks:

1.      Foxie (C. Schaller)                               3:49

2.      Morning’s Scrawl (C. Schaller)            2:44

3.      Real Life (Paolo Radoni)                      6:11

4.      Jonction (Paolo Radoni)                       6:32

Credits

Christine Schaller: vocal, piano

Paolo Radoni: guitar

Pavel Pesta: bass

Philippe Staehli: drums

Recorded in Brussels (May 1980).

(...) Le travail de Christine Schaller s'inscrit dans une esthétique moderne, swinguante, et tend vers des audaces plus contemporaines quand la chanteuse improvise en scat. Celui-ci se caractérise par des passages sans transition dans les différents registres de la voix et s'avère du même coup assez original. La première face voit Christine évoluer en compagnie de l'Act Big Band de Félix Simtaine dont c'est la première manifestation discographique: nous y retrouvons la plupart des solistes dont nous vantions les mérites dans le précédent Jazz-Hot et sur des arrangements efficaces et colorés, chacun donne la pleine mesure de ses possibilités (...)   (Philippe Bourdin, Jazz Hot)


Updated link  (17/07/17).

JAZZ AND STICHERY

Rerootin' Henny Vonk ‎

Timeless Records (LP)‎– SJP 164           Netherlands, 1982

It’s Quimsy who draw my attention to the Dutch vocalist Henny Vonk when he posted on his blog, a few years ago, her (rare) first album  -simply titled Vonk First – dating from 1969.  Henny Vonk – who worked for several years as vocalist with the Chris Hinze Combination -  had to wait 12 years to record a second album.  But it was worth the wait, she’s working with a dream rhythm section: Clint Houston on bass and Billy Higgins on drums.  A mention too for the remarkable but most underrated Dutch pianist / arranger Rob Vandenbroeck, currently pianist of the European Jazz Ensemble.

In addition to singing, Mrs Vonk wrote the lyrics, played bass guitar on two tracks, wrote poems and liner notes and made the stitchery on the front cover photo.

Tracklist

A1       Frandance        (Miles Davis)    7:04

A2       Circle   (Miles Davis / arranged by Rob Van Den Broeck)         3:08

A3       Nefertiti           (Wayne Shorter)           5:35

A4       Dolphin Dance (Herbie Hancock)         4:05

A5       The Blessing - Jazz Version      (Ornette Coleman)       3:29

B1        A Tribute To Someone (Herbie Hancock / arrangt by R. Van Den Broeck)        5:23

            Bass Guitar – Henny Vonk

B2        Cloud Of Knowledge    (Henny "Vonk" Tjong Ayong II / arrangt by R. Van Den Broeck)            4:02

Bass Guitar – Henny Vonk

B3        Pompeii           (Bobby Hutcherson)     4:21

B4        The Blessing - Latin-Jazz Version        (Ornette Coleman) 6:50

Credits

Vocals, Lyrics – Henny "Vonk" Tjong Ayong II

Piano– Rob Van Den Broeck

Bass – Clint Houston

Drums – Billy Higgins

Recorded at "Studio 44", Max Bolleman, Monster, Holland.

Recording date: November 18th, 1981 (A1-A5, B3, B4) and January 4th, 1982 (B1 & B2)

Rip in WAV, from original LP.  Pictures found on Discogs.

FINE BROWN FRAME

THE BIG BAND SOUND OF THAD JONES – MEL LEWIS featuring MISS RUTH BROWN

LP Solid State, 1968  (USA)

Being at home for a few weeks, after years overseas,  I have the time to listen to some of my “forgotten” LPs, albums that I hadn’t listened to for many years.  It is always pleasant to rediscover an album such as this one.  

When I bought it (on a flea market, as usual) some thirty years ago if not more, I was familiar with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra - I had been lucky to catch them live at one of the Middelheim jazz festivals in the seventies – and I knew Ruth Brown as a Rhythm & Blues singers, thru’ her classic sides on Atlantic in the 50s.  But I didn’t know her as a jazz singer.  And a fine jazz singer she is, and a great song stylist also.  The combination with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra works perfectly. The big band sound never overwhelms Brown’s voice.  Coming from a RnB background, Miss Brown is not one to be scared by some solid - but never overloud - big band arrangements.

AMG review (Steve Loewy): It was a great, even inspired idea to pair diva Ruth Brown with the Thad Jones & Mel Lewis Orchestra. Although the solid results speak for themselves, the listener is left with a distinct sense that more might have happened. As it is, these studio sessions showcase the vocalist to reasonably good effect, belting out several numbers with which she was intimately familiar. Whether the big band sound (with its loud brass) overwhelms Brown's voice is open to conjecture, but what isn't at issue are the fine, tight arrangements performed by a group of seasoned veterans, some of the best in the field. Jazz enthusiasts might have wished for more (or longer) solos, but the essential style and straight-ahead quality of the band are never compromised. Brown gives powerful renditions of well-known tunes such as "Bye Bye Blackbird," "Yes Sir, That's My Baby," "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town," and others. Highlights include short improvisations by Thad Jones on flugelhorn, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, and Eddie Daniels on tenor. Brown fans should be pleased, as she booms forth soul and blues in her own characteristic way.

Track listing

LP side A:

"Yes Sir, That's My Baby"

"Trouble in Mind"

"Sonny Boy"

"Bye Bye Blackbird"

"I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town"

LP side B:

"Black Coffee"

"Be Anything (but Be Mine)"

"You Won't Let Me Go"

"Fine Brown Frame"

Personnel

Ruth Brown – vocals

Thad Jones – flugelhorn / Snooky Young – trumpet / Richard Williams – trumpet / Jimmy Nottingham – trumpet / Danny Moore – trumpet / Bill Berry – trumpet

Garnett Brown – trombone / Jimmy Knepper – trombone / Cliff Heather – trombone / Jimmy Cleveland – trombone

Jerome Richardson – alto saxophone / Jerry Dodgion – alto saxophone

Eddie Daniels – tenor saxophone / Seldon Powell – tenor saxophone

Pepper Adams – baritone saxophone

Roland Hanna – piano

Richard Davis – bass

Mel Lewis – drums

Produced by Sonny Lester

Ripped from the original - well played - LP.  I kept the noise reduction to a minimum, it sounds like an LP ...  If you want a cleaner sound, get the CD reissue if you can find it (as part of the OOP Mosaic set "The Complete Solid State Recordings of TJ ML  Orchestra")