Artist: Stu Williamson
Album: The Trumpet Artistry Of Stu Williamson
Genre: West Coast Jazz, Cool
Label: Fresh Sound Records
Released: 2005
Quality: FLAC (tracks+.cue)
Tracklist:
- Recorded in Los Angeles, January 18 (#5) & 20, 1955
- The Lady is a Tramp (Rodgers-Hart) 4:15
- Stu's Due Blues (Williamson) 5:38
- The Things we did Last Summer (Styne-Cahn) 2:49
- Yardbird Suite (Parker) 3:49
- Autumn in New York (Duke) 2:36
Recorded in Los Angeles, January 13, 1956 - Pee Jay (Holman) 3:27
- Hongry Child (Holman) 6:09
- Darn that Dream (Van Heusen-Burke) 3:47
- Big Red (Holman) 4:29
- Rose Bud (Holman) 4:57
- Talk of the Town (Cahn-Styne) 3:18
Recorded in Los Angeles, January 16, 1956 - Red Cross (Parker) 5:03
- Just Friends (Klenner-Lewis) 4:24
- Oom's Tune (Mariano) 3:57
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Soon after his appearance in the growing Los Angeles modern jazz scene of the early Fifties, Stu Williamson (younger brother of pianist Claude) became one of the freshest voices among the newer trumpet stars. Not in the self-consciously-restrained, "stepping-over-eggshells" groove, but after the tradition of Dizzy, Fats and Miles. Not yet twenty-four when these recordings were made, he had already taken his place alongside the half dozen or so other trumpet players who formed the core of the fairly permanent West Coast jazz scene.
Stu was born in Brattleboro, Vermont on May 14, 1933. His father was a drummer and his sister a singer. Big brother Claude, one of the finer jazz pianists around today, is heard on this CD along with Stu. The Williamson family moved to California in 1948 and Stu studied trumpet there with Del Staigers. Three years later, Stan Kenton hired him as a member of the Innovations II band. Stu had also worked with the bands of Skinnay Ennis, Billy May, Woody Herman, and with the Lighthouse All-Stars at Hermosa Beach. Since 1954 he began to also play the valve trombone alternating as a sideman in both instruments. His work in the studios during those years was very prolific, recording with many of the most respected Hollywood jazz leaders, such as Bud Shank, Lennie Niehaus, Bob Cooper, Bill Holman and also with the great Clifford Brown.
"To me" -wrote Joseph P. Muranyi in the liner notes of Stu's second LP for Bethlehem- "both Stu and Claude say something that is directly emotional—you could almost call it a family trait. This emotional freedom is one of the most desirable elements in jazz of any kind. They both have it and the fact that they are masters of the technical aspects of their instruments prevents anything from getting in the way of an effective communication of this emotionality. In their playing we can respond to what they are saying and not even stop to consider how well they are saying it.
"Besides Claude, Stu has logically surrounded himself with the 'marching' rhythm section of Mel Lewis and Leroy Vinnegar-, the well-known excellence of the saxophone lines of Bill Holman (tenor), Jimmy Giuffre (baritone), and fiery Charlie Mariano (alto), all of whom are heard in various combinations with Stu. Mariano, blows with more open passion than any one else in this set."