Stu

The Appointment was a 1969 drama starring Omar Sharif as a lonely Italian attorney who romances and weds a beautiful model (Anouk Aimee)—all the while suspecting that she is a highly priced prostitute. Although directed by Sidney Lumet, The Appointment was a troubled production that led to its receiving three fully recorded scores by four composers. FSM's premiere release of the original soundtrack features selections from each—making for a rare and fascinating look at three different approaches for a single film.

Stu Williamson led relatively few sessions in his career and over half of them are on this excellent Fresh Sound CD. The cool-toned trumpeter is mostly heard in a quintet with altoist Charlie Mariano, pianist Claude Williamson (his brother), either Max Bennett or Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Stan Levey or Mel Lewis on drums. The remaining four songs (all Bill Holman compositions) feature a sextet with Holman on tenor, baritonist Jimmy Giuffre, Claude, Vinnegar, and Lewis. The music swings lightly but firmly with excellent solos from all concerned, making this CD a prime example of West Coast jazz from the 1950s.

Stu Williamson was not yet 24 when these recordings were made. He had this quality as a trumpet player and as a musical person that allowed him to take his place alongside the half dozen other trumpet players who formed the core of what was the fairly permanent West Coast jazz scene. Judging from his work here, the authority in his musical voice was unmistakable.

Stu Pletcher - The Story Of Stewart Pletcher (1924-1937) {Jazz Oracle BDW8055 rel 2007}
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© 1924-1937, 2007 Jazz Oracle | BDW8055
Jazz / Early Jazz / Big Band / Trumpet

A thorough review of trumpeter Stu Pletcher's career, with recordings by the Yale Collegians, Red Norvo, Ben Pollack, Smith Ballew, as well as two privately-recorded piano solos by Pletcher. The detailed liner notes are by Tom Pletcher, Stu's son and a jazz musician in his own right. The 40 page booklet features photographs from the Pletcher family's archives.

John Surman, Stu Martin, Barre Phillips - The Trio (1970) {2CD Set, Victor–Dawn Records, Mini LP 20bitK2, VICP-62207~8}
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© 1970, 2002 Victor Japan / Dawn Records | VICP-62207~8
Jazz / Post Bop / Avant-Garde Jazz

This set was also issued as two separate LPs under John Surman’s name, Vogue VJD 505/1 and VJD 505/2. Rare bit of free jazz by this trio of British players from the early 70′s. The music is very intense, without any of the noodling that sometimes ruins Brit sessions from the time. Surman plays baritone, soprano, and bass clarinet, and he really blows like mad in some passages. The sound quality of this album is stunning! In the autumn of 1969, John Surman decided to make a break and joined forces with Barre Phillips and Stu Martin, to form a group they called The Trio. Phillips had a varied background, having worked as a sideman with Archie Shepp, Jimmy Giuffre and George Russell, as well as performing solo in Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic.

John Surman, Stu Martin, Barre Phillips - The Trio - Conflagration (1971) {Victor–Dawn Records, Mini LP 20bitK2, VICP-62170}
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© 1971, 2002 Victor Japan / Dawn Records | VICP-62170
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Post Bop

John Surman, Stu Martin, Barre Phillips - Conflagration (Rare British jazz 1971 UK 6-track LP on the Dawn label, from Surman's highly regarded and influential Trio group, including the two expatriate American musicians Phillips and Martin, also starring Harold Beckett, Chick Corea, Mike Osborne, Alan Skidmore, John Taylor & more. The trio joined by a variety of other musicians. The songs are challenging in an Ornette Coleman sort of way but never inaccessible. Not a recording for the casual jazz listener - it's more for the adventurous jazz lover.

In Life, his 2010 autobiography, Keith Richards makes clear that boogie-woogie pianist Ian Stewart was the organizing principle in the Rolling Stones, calling the first audition/rehearsal that led to the formation of the band, even though, when the group was offered a recording contract, he was shunted aside as an unnecessary sixth member who didn't look the part. (Amazingly, the self-effacing Stewart agreed to continue to play on their records and serve as their road manager.) Ben Waters pays tribute to "Stu" on this album largely given over to boogie-woogie, and he has enlisted a star-filled set of guests including Stones members Richards, Mick Jagger (who sings and plays harmonica on a cover of Bob Dylan's "Watching the River Flow"), Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman, and Ronnie Wood, as well as other notable musicians such as PJ Harvey and Jools Holland…