Customer Reviews

Gus Mancuso & Special Friends

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Over the past couple of years I have purchased hundreds of remaindered Fantasy/OJC CDs, and "Gus Mancuso & Special Friends" has to be one of my most special discoveries. First off, I almost missed this one when I was flipping through the bins at Newbury Comics because this Fantasy two-fer's cover doesn't have any of the trademark OJC design elements (logo, B&W spine, etc.). But like his baseball player namesake, I saved this ball from getting passed! This disc features two original albums by this original jazz baritone horn player, not baritone sax as the inside CD booklet incorrectly identifies. "Introducing Gus Mancuso" was recorded over three sessions in 1956 and featured three different lineups -- Gene Wright played bass on all three dates, and Cal Tjader the drums, not vibes, on two (Bill Douglass was the other drummer), while one quartet also had Gerald Wiggins on piano, the other Eddie Duran on guitar, and the quintet Vince Guiraldi on piano and Richie Kamuca on tenor sax. The Duran group plays four tracks and the other two get three each, and they are all very well performed, though there is some lack of continuity between tracks because the various sessions are all mixed up in the sequencing. Overall, "Introducing" is a solid four star effort; it is the April 22, 1958 session "Music from New Faces" that is the indisputable five star affair. Featuring two "faces" I knew, Pete Jolly on piano and Red Mitchell on bass, and two that I didn't, Joe Romano on tenor sax and Buddy Greve on drums, this is one of the finest 50s West Coast dates I have ever heard. Jolly in particular puts in an amazing performnce, and it's hard to believe I've never heard the smoking Romano before, he's terrific. I encourage you to make some "Special Friends" while you can.

Over the past couple of years I have purchased hundreds of remaindered Fantasy/OJC CDs, and "Gus Mancuso & Special Friends" has to be one of my most special discoveries. First off, I almost missed this one when I was flipping through the bins at Newbury Comics because this Fantasy two-fer's cover doesn't have any of the trademark OJC design elements (logo, B&W spine, etc.). But like his baseball player namesake, I saved this ball from getting passed! This disc features two original albums by this original jazz baritone horn player, not baritone sax as the inside CD booklet incorrectly identifies. "Introducing Gus Mancuso" was recorded over three sessions in 1956 and featured three different lineups -- Gene Wright played bass on all three dates, and Cal Tjader the drums, not vibes, on two (Bill Douglass was the other drummer), while one quartet also had Gerald Wiggins on piano, the other Eddie Duran on guitar, and the quintet Vince Guiraldi on piano and Richie Kamuca on tenor sax. The Duran group plays four tracks and the other two get three each, and they are all very well performed, though there is some lack of continuity between tracks because the various sessions are all mixed up in the sequencing. Overall, "Introducing" is a solid four star effort; it is the April 22, 1958 session "Music from New Faces" that is the indisputable five star affair. Featuring two "faces" I knew, Pete Jolly on piano and Red Mitchell on bass, and two that I didn't, Joe Romano on tenor sax and Buddy Greve on drums, this is one of the finest 50s West Coast dates I have ever heard. Jolly in particular puts in an amazing performnce, and it's hard to believe I've never heard the smoking Romano before, he's terrific. At this current low price, I encourage you to make some "Special Friends" while you can.