Bob Florence

As a longtime staff arranger for Liberty Records, Bob Florence wrote some of the most innovative and challenging charts in postwar jazz - in many respects a man out of time, he possessed a particular brilliance for large-ensemble arrangements in the tradition of Duke Ellington, although the commercial vogue for big-band jazz had long since passed.
Over the years the group (dubbed the Limited Edition in 1982) served as a launching pad for a number of first-call L.A. session players, and in 2000 the LP Serendipity 18 won the Grammy for Best Jazz Performance by a Large Ensemble. Florence died of pneumonia on May 15, 2008, two weeks shy of his 76th birthday.

During the 50th anniversary of Stan Kenton's debut at the Rendezvous Ballroom on Balboa Island in California (an engagement that served as a spectacular beginning to his career), a four-day convention was held to celebrate the late bandleader's legacy, filled with music by his alumni and very interesting panel discussions. The MAMA Foundation put out many of the highlights on this very impressive five-CD set. The first two CDs have 29 selections by an all-star orchestra (which includes among others, trumpeters Conte and Pete Candoli and saxophonists Bob Cooper, Gabe Baltazar, Bud Shank, Bill Perkins and Jack Nimitz) and such guests as Anita O'Day, Maynard Ferguson and Chris Connor; the original arrangers conducted their own work…

Great Britain’s BGO Records found a couple of nearly forgotten gems to compile in this grand two-fer from guitarist Joe Pass’ solo catalog. This set contains his amazing 12 String Guitar album (the first 12 tracks) issued in 1963, with bonus tracks from a 1964 session included. Pass played an acoustic 12-string, of course, and was accompanied by John Pisano on rhythm guitar, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Larry Bunker. Each cut is a beautiful modern jazz reading of popular movie themes of the day, from “Lawrence of Arabia” and “How the West Was Won” to the more delicate “Love Theme of Tom Jones” (not the singer) and the taut rhythmic intensity and ultimate beauty of “Carnaval” from the film Black Orpheus, offering listeners solid evidence of his bossa and samba chops. Every track here is a winner…

Carl Saunders - american trumpet player, born 2 August 1942 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Worked with Stan Kenton, Bill Holman, Bob Florence, and others.

This CD features Dukes of Dixieland great, clarinetist Jerry Fuller, leading a sextet composed of Los Angeles musicians Gene Estes, Howard Roberts, Bob Florence, Frank Capp, Mel Pollin. The music is mainly swing and modern jazz, although there is one Dixieland tune, That's Aplenty, included for good measure. The 10 selections include seven standards, "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You", "That's Aplenty", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Judy", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Somebody Loves Me", "Makin' Whoopee", and "Georgia". The three original compositions are modern jazz pieces, with elements of swing, bebop and cool jazz thrown in. Recording was made in March of 1959 and is Jerry's first session as a leader.

At 71, Louie Bellson on this CD displays more energy than most drummers half his age. Bellson not only takes solos on more than half the selections (including a lengthy workout on "Santos"), but he composed all seven originals; the only surprise is that Bellson decided to let some of his musical friends (including Matt Catingub, Tommy Newsom, and Bob Florence) arrange the charts instead of writing them himself. With concise solos from such sidemen as trumpeters Marvin Stamm and Glenn Drewes, tenorman Ted Nash, altoists Joe Roccisano and Steve Wilson, and trombonist Keith O'Quinn, Bellson's music is given perfectly suitable interpretations. But just in case, the equally ageless flügelhornist Clark Terry (at 75) stars on two songs, including the exquisite ballad "Blow Your Horn." With Louie Bellson constantly driving the ensembles, this is a big band disc well worth acquiring.