In 1953 pianist Pete Jolly (1932-2004) left Phoenix, Arizona to hit the LA jazz scene, where his brilliant harmonic sense, endless inventiveness and dazzling technique rapidly became the talk of the town. Within a year trumpeter Shorty Rogers, the prime mover and shaker on the West Coast jazz scene, had hired him for his Giants quintet. Soon Jolly was recording as a leader in his own right for RCA Victor, where Shorty was West Coast a&r head. All the sessions on this album, except the last track, were supervised by Shorty himself, and they are noteworthy for several reasons. Not only was the experience already gained performing at the highest level evident in Jolly's superbly swinging and imaginative playing, but he also demonstrates, on some of these recordings, his considerable powers as a jazz accordionist; the accordion, in fact, had been his first instrument and here he showed he could blend with two horns and hold his own with the hardest blower in the band.
Personnel:
Shorty Rogers, Conte Candoli (tp), Jimmy Giuffre (bars), Bill Perkins (ts), Pete Jolly (p, acc), Howard Roberts (g), Buddy Clark, Curtis Counce, Bob Bertaux (b), Mel Lewis, Shelly Manne, Bob Neal (d).
Recorded Radio Recorders, Hollywood, 1955 + ABC Studios, Hollywood, 1956.
Tracklisting :
Dancers In Love / Clickin’ With Clax / Black / I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good / Whistle While You Work / Perkin’ / Beyond The Sea / I Dig Ed / Lullaby Of The Leaves / Forelock / Soft As Spring / Just For Judie / If I Love Again / Red Eyes / Pushin’ Sand / I’ll Be In Scotland After You / Jolly Jumps In / Pete’s Meat / Why Do I Love You? / I Get A Kick Of You / Hyacinth