... and this one is the famous THE HERB GELLER SEXTETTE
Jazzcat | Genoa, Italy Italy | 08/22/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Membran Music published the two most famous Herb Geller fifties records in this series. The first important album is THE GELLERS which they published with the title "The Herb Geller Quartet" (if you have a second check my review). The second essential album they published is this one THE HERB GELLER SEXTETTE; here they kept the title almost identical (Sextet instead of SEXTETTE). Just to let you know which album we're talking about, the original cover pictures Herb's sax and his hand in close up with the writing Herb Geller in red and Sextette smaller in white. You can easily find the original cover here on Amazon in the space dedicated to the japanese edition of the record (now unavailable). As I said in the review for The Gellers, Membran is doing things seriously with these reissues. Inside the digipack box you'll find a serious booklet with the original cover (front and back), the original liner notes plus detailed informations. Nice job. Talking about the music this is another special West Coast Jazz gem. The album is from 1955 and the line up is Herb alto sax, his wife Lorraine Geller piano, the exceptional Conte Candoli on trumpet, Red Mitchell and Leroy Vinnegar bass (alternatively), Ziggy Vines tenor sax, Bruz Freeman drums. The music is on the medium tempo side for the most part, a nice relaxed West Coast mood emerges from the notes of this sessions through a solid swing. The program consists in a nice mix of Herb originals and standards by Cole Porter and Hoagy Carmichael plus more. Herb as you may know already, is a Parkerian player with a nice bop melodic sense, exceptional technique, a shining sound and perfect timing. Conte Candoli did a special job here, playing fabulous solos. Probably The Gellers has a little more drive and fire than this Sextette album (but this one has a little more variety in sounds having two more solo horn instruments). I judge both the albums as absolutly essentials for a complete West Coast Collection. Thank you to Membran for reissuing these gems at a very low price (compared to the rare and hard to find japanese editions).
"
Geller and the great ZIGGY VINES
Tony NYC | Brooklyn, NY USA | 08/25/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The review of this CD by Jazzcat "stef" is right on the money. I agree totally with everything he has to say about this CD so I won't say anything more about the CD, but I MUST mention Ziggy Vines who plays on this great CD. Melvin "Ziggy" Vines, was a Philly LEGEND. He was a favorite of Coltrane and Charlie Parker. History has it that Zack Zackery and other Philly giants raved about Ziggy. Ziggy Vines was on Clifford Browns' last recording, made at Music City in Philly the night before he and Richie Powell's tragic accident. I am trying to find other recordings of Ziggy Vines, but so far have only found him with Clifford Brown and Herb Geller. His playing on this album with Geller is superb. What a sound. I wish I could get my hands and ears on more Ziggy Vines recordings if there are any. Another unsung hero that hardly anyone knows about or remembers. What a shame. This CD is GREAT and worth it just to hear Ziggy Vines play that tenor. WOW ! ! ! !"
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1