Mavis Rivers meets Shorty Rogers - and the result is a hell of a swinging session that may well be the greatest record ever from this overlooked vocalist! Shorty brings a groove into play right from the start - one that pushes Rivers past her sometimes-trilling style, and into a mode that's rock-solid and soulful all the way through - very much in the same spirit that Marty Paich or Oliver Nelson might bring to their own great arrangements for a singer. Mavis has this way of keeping up with the groove while still being really expressive, especially in her vocal range - in that way that was the rising challenge of the 60s that only a handful of vocalists could do this well - very hip, mod, and adult.
William Kearney aka Guitar Shorty keeps it lean, mean and direct on this outing. Recorded in New Orleans, this session features his regular road band, abetted by Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff and some top N.O. players like Buckwheat Zydeco bassist Lee Allen Zeno…..
Guitar Shorty is known not only for his fine musicianship, but as one who was a direct consort/mentor for, and married into, the family of Jimi Hendrix. His discography is relatively small, but this session cropped up in the mid-'90s and is of a relatively unknown origin, definitely live in concert, likely from Europe……
Although somewhat overlooked in the jazz history books, vibraphonist Teddy Charles was for a period an important participant in the early Third Stream movement, using aspects of classical music to revitalize West Coast-style jazz. This CD reissue features trumpeter Shorty Rogers, tenor saxophonist Jimmy Giuffre, bassist Curtis Counce and drummer Shelly Manne on a couple of advanced originals (one apiece by Giuffre and Rogers) from 1953. After moving to New York, Charles teamed up for a short time with bassist Charles Mingus, performing six other numbers in a quartet with tenor saxophonist J.R. Monterose and drummer Gerry Segal. This session alternates cookers with sensitive ballads and is one of the better recorded showcases for Charles' vibes.