Bobby Hackett - "Live at the Roosevelt Grill" (1977) - Chiaroscuro
Hello Friends,
Jazz trumpeter Bobby Hackett is perhaps best known for his work with the Jackie Gleason orchestra playing atmospheric trumpet and cornet solos against a back-drop of lush string arrangements that conveyed both dreaminess and solitude. He was an accomplished jazz musician who played with Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, The Andrew Sisters, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and many other jazz greats.
In 1970, Bobby's quintet had a regular gig at New York's Roosevelt Grill and producer Hank O'Neal had the good sense to record a number of these gigs. This album was recorded in 1970 but released posthumously in 1977 (Hackett died of a heart attack in 1976.)
Unlike his "easy listening" work of the late 50's and early 60's, these live recordings are tried and true tributes to Dixieland music. The arrangements are solid and upbeat, definitely tipping a hat to the early Hot Fives' and Hot Sevens' recordings of Louis Armstrong. Some very good cornet work by Hackett and some nice trombone solos by Vic Dickenson.
Perhaps the best thing about this LP are the really snarky and cantankerous liner notes written by producer, Hank O'Neal. He uses this space as his pulpit to really demolish contemporary jazz/dixieland music, musicians and audiences. For instance, he writes how contemporary musicians became "victims of their own laziness" with an "audience... so generally stupid that they couldn't tell the difference." OUCH! And how "the fault lay with the guys... that kept playing the same tunes over and over because the drunks who listened to them wanted to hear them!" YIKES! And how by giving "these tunes a listen" you'll realize "what time, tone and taste can do for a tune!" MEEEEEOWWW!
RATING: 3.5 Fidgety Feet out of 5
Jazz trumpeter Bobby Hackett is perhaps best known for his work with the Jackie Gleason orchestra playing atmospheric trumpet and cornet solos against a back-drop of lush string arrangements that conveyed both dreaminess and solitude. He was an accomplished jazz musician who played with Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, The Andrew Sisters, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and many other jazz greats.
In 1970, Bobby's quintet had a regular gig at New York's Roosevelt Grill and producer Hank O'Neal had the good sense to record a number of these gigs. This album was recorded in 1970 but released posthumously in 1977 (Hackett died of a heart attack in 1976.)
Unlike his "easy listening" work of the late 50's and early 60's, these live recordings are tried and true tributes to Dixieland music. The arrangements are solid and upbeat, definitely tipping a hat to the early Hot Fives' and Hot Sevens' recordings of Louis Armstrong. Some very good cornet work by Hackett and some nice trombone solos by Vic Dickenson.Perhaps the best thing about this LP are the really snarky and cantankerous liner notes written by producer, Hank O'Neal. He uses this space as his pulpit to really demolish contemporary jazz/dixieland music, musicians and audiences. For instance, he writes how contemporary musicians became "victims of their own laziness" with an "audience... so generally stupid that they couldn't tell the difference." OUCH! And how "the fault lay with the guys... that kept playing the same tunes over and over because the drunks who listened to them wanted to hear them!" YIKES! And how by giving "these tunes a listen" you'll realize "what time, tone and taste can do for a tune!" MEEEEEOWWW!
RATING: 3.5 Fidgety Feet out of 5
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