1. But Not For Me
2. Sophisticated Lady
3. A Smooth One
4. O.P.
5. Minor Plus A Major
6. Poor Butterfly
7. Anusia
8. My Little Cello
9. The Nearness Of You
10. Yesterdays
11. All The Things You Are
12. Blues In The Closet
13. Big Hassle
14. Atlantic
15. All The Things You Are (Live)
16. Blues In The Closet (Live)
Oscar Pettiford - Bass, cello
Dusko Goykovich - Trumpet (track 1)
Lucky Thompson - Soprano sax (track 2)
Hans Hammerschmid - Piano (tracks 2, 13-16)
Hartwig Bartz - Drums (track 2)
Rolf Kühn - Clarinet (tracks 3-6)
Jimmy Pratt - Drums (tracks 3-11)
Hans Koller - Tenor sax (tracks 4, 7-15)
Attila Zoller - Guitar (tracks 8-12, 15, 16)
Kenny Clarke - Drums (tracks 12-16)
Helmut Brandt, Helmut Reinhardt, Johnny Feigl - Baritone saxes (tracks 13, 14)
Rudi Flierl - Alto sax (tracks 13, 14)
Oscar Pettiford's pedigree as a bassist stretches back to the mid-1940s when, according to Dan Morgenstern in his book Living With Jazz, Pettiford participated in the first bebop record date on February 6, 1944 along with Dizzy Gillespie, Coleman Hawkins, Max Roach and other cats from Minton's and 52nd Street. This recording Lost Tapes comes towards the end of his career, which was not anticipated at the time, as he was killed in a car accident in September 1980.
Pettiford was a driving melodic bass-player and his skill on the
cello was unmatched in jazz. Both of these traits are on full display
on these tracks playing in the company of a group of European (mostly
German) musicians, and a couple of American ringers, Lucky Thompson
and Kenny Clarke, on several tracks. Pettiford was also a composer
of note and a pair of his pieces is included here including My
Little Cello and Blues In The Closet, with both a studio
and live version offered on the latter composition.
In this stellar release, proceedings start out with But Not For Me, a duo track featuring Dusko Goykovich on muted trumpet, with Pettiford demonstrating his robust tone and agile technique. Lucky Thompson on soprano sax follows with an interesting and tasteful rendition of Ellington's Sophisticated Lady supported by Pettiford's fastidious bass. Hoagy Carmichael's lovely ballad The Nearness Of You is accorded a beautiful reading with Hans Koller on tenor sax and a bold lyrical solo from Pettiford.
Jerome Kern's composition All The Things You Are is given a real going-over with two very different interpretations on offer. The studio version is led by Hans Koller's tenor sax, with some nifty guitar riffs from Attila Zoller. On the live recording, it is all Pettiford, carrying both the melody and all the solo time on cello, supported by some tasty brush work from Kenny Clarke. Pettiford's own composition Blues In The Closet is also the subject of dual renditions. The studio session has a standard blues time signature with Hans Koller on tenor sax leading the way, and guitarist Attila Zoller giving some glossily boppish runs, all the while Pettiford's bass anchors the rhythm section. On the live recording, the tempo is moved up a notch, the theme is stated in unison between Zoller's guitar and Koller's tenor sax, Pettiford's sonorous bass is ever present, and there are a couple of interesting piano choruses from Hans Hammerschmid, and several tantalizing drum breaks from Kenny Clarke.
A big bravo is to be offered for JazzHaus who continue to release musical gems which might otherwise be forgotten.
Pierre Giroux
CD Reviews
JazzHaus 101 759
