Burns wrote the first three parts of Summer Sequence in 1945 for the Woody Herman band. A fourth part was added in 1947 as a feature for tenor saxophonist Stan Getz. With Johnny Mercer's lyrics added, this became "Early Autumn," a vocal jazz standard.
| Ralph Burns |
The 1954 work was actually not written by Burns but by songwriter-impresario Leonard Feather, although Burns handled the arrangements for the 11-piece band.
| Leonard Feather |
This is by no means a pretentious work; it is a showcase for the members of the band, who are assigned reindeer names for this particular reindeer game.
The eight pieces on this 10-inch LP - and their reindeer soloists - are as follows:
- "Dasher" - Herbie Mann, flute
- "Dancer" - Danny Bank, baritone sax
- "Prancer" - Ralph Burns, piano
- "Vixen" - Kai Winding, trombone
- "Comet" - Oscar Pettiford, bass and cello
- "Cupid" - Billy Bauer, guitar
- "Donner" - Osie Johnson, drums
- "Blitzen" - Joe Wilder, trumpet
The music is highly enjoyable, boppish fun played by some of the best jazz musicians of the day - and in very good sound.