Westchester Workshop

Johnny Glasel | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 16, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Fresh Sounds Spain
• ASIN: B0002ITB0K
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #836,285 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rare and superb, May 10, 2007

By 

Bomojaz (South Central PA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Westchester Workshop (Audio CD)

This CD reissues 2 rare and obscure LPs from the 1950s, both by different groups, but similar in approach. Neither of these LPs features "blowing session" playing, popular at the time, but rather excellently arranged and nicely executed compositions, most of them originals. The sides by the Westchester Workshop, originally recorded for RKO-Unique in 1956, are superb in every way. Most were penned (and arranged) by alto saxist Vinie Riccitelli and feature nice interplay among the musicians in a variety of settings. Trombonist Eddie Bert is perhaps the best known musician here, though some will recognize Gene Allen and Carmen Leggio, and gets the most solo space, though all the front-line players solo well. This is great stuff and deserves more recognition.

The John Glasel sides appeared first on a Jazz Unlimited LP in 1959, and are a bit more introspective than the Westchester Workshop tracks. The group explores some advanced concepts; KOL ANGKOR WAT has many Mingus-like qualities and STABLEMATES is taken a tad slower than usual and digs deep into its harmonic structure. The same is true with the two slow ballads MORE THAN YOU KNOW and Glasel's DAYDREAM, which sounds exotic and eerie. The inclusion of tuba, alto horn, French horn, and trombone adds a mysterious air to most of the playing.

I doubt either of these LPs got much playing time when they first came out, and it's great that Fresh Sound saw fit to give them another hearing now. It's an interesting CD with lots of wonderful modern jazz on it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Joe Shepley !!!, June 30, 2011

By 

Reklaw, Vinyl Veteran (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Westchester Workshop (Audio CD)

I agree, for the most part, with Bomojaz. I disagree that the "blowing session" somehow represents the popular jazz recordings of the time. The two LP's included here are actually a bit of a throwback and relate to Birth of the Cool.
It's also notable that Joe Shepley appears on the Workshop session. He is one of the greatest session trumpet players of all time, one of the best lead trumpet guys ever, and folks would know him from his records on Blue Note with Duke Pearson (check him out on "Time After Time" off of Introducing Duke Pearson's Big Band, dig that final note!). He also had a long time association with David Matthews and appears on recordings with the Manhattan Jazz Orchestra as well as numerous CTI dates.
Otherwise, I'm pretty much with Bomojaz, rare and superb, and I echo the sentiment: "It's great that Fresh Sound saw fit to give them another hearing now. It's an interesting CD with lots of wonderful modern jazz on it. "