1. Memories for the Count
2. Come With Me
3. Critics' Delight
4. Oh, How I Hate To Get Up in the Afternoon
5. Medley: It All Depends On You/Charmaine/How Long Has This Been Going On?/Makin’ Whoopee
6. Memories for the Count (alternate take)
7. Come With Me (alternate take)
8. Femininity
9. All The Time
10. Life Does a Girl a Favour
11. Newport Jump
Harry “Sweets” Edison – Trumpet (tracks 1-10)
Buck Clayton – Trumpet (tracks 1-7, 11)
Jimmy Forrest - Tenor sax (tracks 1-7)
Jimmy Jones – Piano (tracks 1-7)
Freddie Green – Guitar (tracks 1-7)
Joe Benjamin – Bass (tracks 1-7)
Charlie Persip – Drums (tracks 1-7)
Coleman Hawkins – Tenor sax (tracks 8-11)
Dick Hyman – Piano (tracks 8-10)
Oscar Pettiford – Bass (tracks 8-10)
Osie Johnson – Drums (tracks 8-10)
Marilyn Moore – Vocals (tracks 8, 10)
Jackie Paris – Vocals (track 9)
J.J. Johnson – Trombone (track 11)
Dick Katz – Piano (track 11)
Benny Moten – Bass (track 11)
Gus Johnson – Drums (track 11)
The album title may give the impression that the music consists mainly of Harry Edison playing tunes composed by Buck Clayton. In fact it is the other way
around, as all the tracks on the original 1958 LP were compositions by Edison, as were two extra from the same session (tracks 6 and 7) which were not on
the original album. Buck Clayton is not on tracks 8 to 10, which were written by Jay Livingston & Ray Evans. However, Buck did write Newport Jump, which comes from a session at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival.
Both Clayton and Edison found fame as sidemen with the Count Basie Orchestra, which they both joined in the 1930s. You can easily distinguish between the
two men on this album, as Buck tends to reach for the high notes while Harry is generally content to stay in the warm middle register. Even if they are not
playing muted, they both have a sweet mellow tone. Tenorist Jimmy Forrest makes a useful contrast to the two trumpets, and he supplies some well-balanced
solos.
The Basie element is reinforced by the presence of guitarist Freddie Greene, one of the Basie band’s vital ingredients. His chugging guitar somehow keeps
the other musicians disciplined, ensuring gentle swing without excesses. You can tell this session was produced by Norman Granz, as it contains his
favourite device of a ballad medley, which includes a nice version by pianist Jimmy Jones of How Long Has This Been Going On?
Tracks 8 to 10 come from another 1958 session which had a different line-up, led by Harry Edison but omitting Clayton and replacing Jimmy Forrest with
Coleman Hawkins. There are also a couple of vocalists – Marilyn Moore and Jackie Paris. Marilyn makes a good job of delivering the tongue-in-cheek lyrics
of Femininity (“My femininity has always brought a crowd to my virginity”). The wit is accentuated by Dick Hyman doing a cheeky imitation of
Erroll Garner in this number. But in Life Does a Girl a Favour, the chameleonic Hyman sounds more like Count Basie.
Nearly 72 minutes of delightful music.
Tony Augarde
www.augardebooks.co.uk
CD Reviews
American Jazz Classics 99098
