A Treasure from the Past, May 11, 2012

Promoter and producer Norman Granz was one of the best friends jazz ever had. Starting in 1944 at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Auditorium, his "Jazz At The Philharmonic" concerts brought together the full-fledged and rising stars of the post-war period for classic sets and inspired jams. Recordings of these shows preserved the birth of modern jazz for the world to enjoy today.But this broadcast-quality tape, hidden for years in the collection of San Francisco radio DJ Ken Ackerman, comes to light for the first time with an amazing back story. It was among a storage container of tapes hauled to the San Rafael dump in 2006, destined for landfill! Fortunately, someone there realized what was happening and called Bill Carter of the San Francisco Traditional Jazz Foundation, who rescued a bonanza from oblivion.Foremost among the gold mine is this complete Seattle show from October 11, 1956. It was a thrilling summit featuring Ella Fitzgerald with The Oscar Peterson...

For prople who are fans of jazz, this is a recording of the 1956 concert in Seattle, and it was essentially rescued from the trash. The recording has been reproduced on two CDs that I am listening to as I write. The sound quality is esceptionally good, all things considered.The first CD, the concert before the intermission, has three groups with spoken introductions by Norman Granz. It is all instrumental music.The first group is a Swing Set with a septed comprising Ray Eldridge (trumpet), Flip Phillips (sax), Illinois Jacqet (sax), Oscar Peterson (piano), Herb Ellis (guitar), Ray Brown (bass), and Jo Jones (drums). They have five tracks: Up Tempo Blues; These Foolish Things; I Can't Get Started With You; Moonglow; and Noisy Norman Blues.The second group is the Modern Jazz Quartet with John Lewis (piano), Milt Jackson (vibes), Percy Heath (bass), and Connie Kay (drums). They have four tracks: D and E Blues; Bess, Oh Where's My Bess; Django,...