Customer Reviews

Jazz At The Philharmonic: feat - Body And Soul [ORIGINAL RECORDINGS REMASTERED]

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4 star:		(2)
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If you are a fan of Les Paul, Nat King Cole, or Illinois Jacquet this album is for you! Better than that, this album is also a historic first, the first of Norman Granz's "Jazz at the Philharmonic" concerts. The album was recorded in Philaharmonic Hall, Los Angeles, July 2, 1944. The reissue has been done masterfully, and it is a good recording. I bought this album because of Les Paul combined with Nat King Cole - I thought what an interesting combination. I did not realize what a great jazz album I had purchased! Many of you will be surprised to hear another side to Nat Cole and Les Paul (I'm already on a search for more of their jazz contributions!). They are gathered with Illinois Jacquet and Jack MeVea on tenors, Shorty Sherock, trumpet; J.J. Johnson,trombone; Johnny Miller and Red Callender, basses, and Lee Young, drums. This is a live concert and the crowd and band were in a great mood for a night of music - lots of crowd noise and comments from band members. My favorite numbers include "Blues", a number that is far from what one usually considers a blues tune - an untempo, driving piece which includes a solo by Illinois Jacquet that's fantastic. He produces notes on his tenor that I didn't even know existed! You want to hear a hot, hard driving, and wailing sax - listen to his solo! Body and Soul is a great ballad during which a solo by Les Paul provides a great lesson in improvisation (this would be a great piece to instruct a newcomer to jazz as to "What is all about". My other favorite on this album is "I've Found a New Baby", Everyone gets a great solo in this uptempo piece. Johnny Miller is particularly interesting and clever with his bass solo as is Illionis Jacquet on his great tenor solo(I've got to hunt up more of his work!). This album has a lot to offer. It marks a historic moment in jazz performance history, it assembles a great group of musicians, the crowd and the band were ready for some great music, and there is some great solo work. Again, it is fascinating to hear Nat King Cole and Les Paul play great jazz. If you're foot doesn't tap to this, you're dead!

The album I have is not this one but the Charly label import LC8477 called The Beginning. It has all the same cuts as this but adds one more a 14 minute version of How High the Moon with Krupa, Willie Smith, Ventura, Howard McGhee, Jacquet et al. Amazon has it and I recommend it. Yes it is all that the previous reviewer has said. You will play be playing an air instrument before this album ends.

That's right, this CD on the "Jasmine" label was made in the Czech Republic, but it's the perfect antidote to "American Made, World Played," the rock and roll album currently being hyped as "Les Paul's first recording in 27 years." You'll be lucky to hear any of Les amid the din of the latter album, but on this 1944 session, the first concert ever by Jazz at the Philharmonic, Les stretches out as on no other recording(including the recommended "Jazz Collector Edition" on Laserlight). No electronic gadgetry here--in fact, very few of his patented, sometimes corny, licks. Les is extemporaneous, reactive, and fully "in the moment" on this date. His musical conversation with Nat Cole on "Blues, Part 2," has to be heard to be appreciated, but he and Nat go after each other in 4 and 2-bar "copy-cat" exchanges that testify to the finely tuned ears and formidable technique of both soloists. And the crowd is audibly responsive to each imaginative melodic twist and turn.

Besides Nat and Les, it's fascinating to hear J. J. Johnson on so early a session. Rhythmically, he's very much in the swing era, though his attack and articulations definitely anticipate his imminent emergence as the father of modern jazz trombone.

Admittedly, Illinois Jacquet's squealing and squawking is a bit of a distraction, but it also serves to highlight the good taste of the other players, including Les. The audio quality is erratic but far better overall than I had dared hope for. If you want to hear Les Paul the guitar player, as opposed to Les the electronics wizard, or Les the nonagenarian being exploited by record companies trading on his name, this is the one to own.

I grew up listening to this on LP in the 60's-- it was part of my father's great jazz collection. This is a bunch of great musicians having fun with each other, the music, and the crowd. Lester Jumps In, Blues, and Tea for Two are my favorites-- the duel between Les Paul and Nat King Cole in Blues is alone worth the price of the CD. I am writing this a few days after Les Paul died, which caused me to go back and listen to this. His solos on this album are my favorite of his-- pure jazz, surrounded by musicians who bridged the Big Band swing era with be-bop. The recording quality is as good as it gets for a live recording of this era. All in all, a great CD.

As a long time fan of Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic series and one who spent over 50 years in the high end audio business, I have to choose Volume 3 as the best. THE selection, The Blues, is unreal. The piano/guitar "chase" between Nat Cole and Les Paul is a thing I would play over and over for many hours; the LP finally had to be replaced with the currently available CD. Listen for "tap" from Nat Cole's shoe as he chases Les Paul. The other artists were the top jazz performers of that great bygone age of super jazz. If you like jazz, you'll love this CD.

RC Napper

This is a wonderful album, especially for those who don't know what a fine jazz piano player Nat Cole was. Recorded in 1944, it represents great, pre-bebop music. To me the best parts are Nat's solos and the interplay between him and Les Paul, whose solos are both inventive and full of humor. The follow-the-leader part between the two on track 3 is both great jazz and great fun.

The other highlight is listening to a 20 year old J. J. Johnson, especially on the ballads.