BLP 1599

Bennie Green - Soul Stirrin'

Released - July 1958

Recording and Session Information

Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, April 28, 1958
Bennie Green, trombone, vocals; Gene Ammons as "Jug", Billy Root, tenor sax; Sonny Clark, piano; Ike Isaacs, bass; Elvin Jones, drums; Babs Gonzales, vocals #2,4.

tk.2 Lullaby Of The Doomed
tk.5 We Wanna Cook
tk.9 That's All
tk.12/13 Soul Stirrin' (mono take)
tk.15 B.G. Mambo
tk.19 Black Pearl

Session Photos

Photos: Francis Wolff

Track Listing

Side One
Title	Author	Recording Date
Soul Stirrin'	Babs Gonzales	28/04/1958
We Wanna Cook	Bennie Green	28/04/1958
That's All	Alan Brandt, Bob Haymes	28/04/1958
Side Two
Lullaby Of The Doomed	Babs Gonzales	28/04/1958
B.G. Mambo	Bennie Green	28/04/1958
Black Pearl	Bill Graham	28/04/1958

Credits

Cover Photo:	FRANCIS WOLFF
Cover Design:
Engineer:	RUDY VAN GELDER
Producer:	ALFRED LION
Liner Notes:	JACK WALKER

Liner Notes

MODERN DAY usage — particularly in reference to modern day jazz — permits the happy use of the graphic and appropriate definition “Boss ‘Bone” to sum up the highly imaginative and exciting’y polished artistry of trombonist Bennie Green in this tremendous package of Jazz . . . and indeed, a more apropos title than Soul Stirrin’ is not to be found in all the dictionaries and thesauri in the English library. There is certainly a great deal here in this grouping that is stirring and soulful and, at the same lime, soul stirring as you will hear and feel immediately.

The aficionado of contemporary jazz insists — and rightly so — on inventiveness, daring, newness, message, and soul in his dish of sounds. A dished out here by Fluke (as many of his intimates call Bennie Green) and his group, Soul Stirrin’ provides generous servings of all these vital ingredients.

ABOUT BENNIE GREEN: Chicago-born and Trummy Young-inspired Bennie Green is by no stretch of the imagination a stranger to the jazz scene . . . he’s been an integral part of the kaleidoscopic picture of modern sounds since Budd Johnson discovered him for the Earl Hines aggregation back in 1942 in Chicago. In this fertile surrounding he worked with on impressive roster of first rate sidemen — was both influenced and tutored by such greats as Dizzy Gillespie. Bennie found his footing with the Hines band . . . and got his exposure via a three year stint under Charlie Ventura’s ‘baton”. He is perhaps best remembered for a whole discography of outstanding solo segments with Ventura’s group, exhibiting his now muchly developed ability to ad lib and invent with remarkably good taste. Fluke returned to the Earl “Fatha” Hines fold in 1951 for a two year stay and then flung himself full-force on the scene fronting his own combo. He was immediately recognized as “belonging”, creating what jazz critic Leonard Feather calls a "...swinging excitement sometimes associated with the Jazz At The Philharmonic school of jazz, though more clearly defined and organized . . .“ Whether he’s cooking with on extrovert way-out and swinging opus, or soul searching with a cool thing, or improvising on a standard, the Bennie ‘bone is boss! A more complete biography of Bennie Green con be found on the liner notes for Blue Note album No. BLP 1587, “Back On The Scene”, under the by-line of Leonard Feather . . . please look this up while we go on to talk about:

THE PERSONNEL: Bennie, of course, is featured throughout “Soul Stirrin” with his immense and delightfully “clean” trombone sound. He’s literally surrounded by five thoroughly empathic musicians: Billy Root and “Jug” on tenor saxes; Sonny Clark on piano; Ike Isaacs, bass; and Elvin Jones on drums. This sextet provides on extremely tasty frame in which either Bennie, “Jug”, Billy Root or Sonny Clark, as the case may be, ad libs the tone pictures. Impeccable taste, provocative exuberance, and or calculated restraint — Hall Mark of Bennie Green groups — are much in evidence here. Note too that the arrangements were created by Melba Liston, recently of the Dizzy Gillespie big band, who has already earned her niche as a trombone artist. The fact that Melba is both female and a lady does not interfere in the least with her insistence upon strong and virile voicing in these sextet arrangements.

ABOUT THE MUSIC: With the exception of the standard That’s All (side 1, track 3) the selections in this album are all original jazz compositions . . . a circumstance which some buffs feel is more conducive to ultimate real expression.

Soul Stirrin’ (after which the entire program is dubbed) was composed by Babs Gonzales. It’s a moody thing which very tastefully incorporates a “just enough” fragment of vocal introduction voiced by Babs and Bennie in the modern jazz idiom, then turns Bennie loose for solo sounds which nearly run the gamut in phrasing on this kind of thing. “Jug” follows with his tenor, then gives way to Sonny Clark’s pianistics. Billy Root follows Sonny with a solo chorus after which the ensemble picks up the figure and grooves it to a finish. It’s a tastefully funky work after which the entire album is patterned.

We Wanna Cook is on up-beat Bennie Green original highly reminiscent of the previously etched I Wanna Blow, and poignantly illustrative of Bennie’s favorite idiom. The choruses by “Jug” and Billy on tenors are both exciting and excitable. This band accurately illustrated what Feather calls the “JATP school of jazz” which Bennie so effectively organizes.

That’s All, the single standard item on the agenda, is a Hoymes-Brandt work and serves to showcase the lamentful, brooding, easy, cool style that too is a part of Bennie Green’s artistry. He literally floats through this Singing thing with the ease and mastery of, say, Sarah Vaughan — for his horn truly is singing. “Jug’s” ad lib which follows is also “something else”. Bennie improvises the finish.

Lullaby Of The Doomed is another Babs Gonzales original. It’s an extremely modern composition — aptly suited to chamber-music-jazz performance. It might well have been called “Soul Searching” for it provides the area in which the soloists seem to be doing just that . . . and in the doing they’re “saying something”. It’s a moody and beautiful bit of jazz and again Fluke and “Jug” take some groovy solos.

On B. G. Mambo the sextet gently lifts you from that nostalgic state of mind in which “Lullaby” leaves one with a latin-flavored Bennie Green original. Here again, the rhythm section works behind the soloists with that arduously restrained beat characteristic of Bennie’s taste.

The program is completed with Black Pearl penned by sax-man Billy Graham. This melodic work, highly listenable, and — if you like — danceable, is the perfect icing. Bennie, “Jug”, Billy Root and Sonny Clark again and finally cook the album to a close; leaving one — as all gourmet fare should — with just enough . . . but wanting more.

It’s a happy thing for modern jazz to again have the prolific and productive ‘bone of Bennie Green making the distinctive sounds of a particular and immensely talented jazzman.

—JACK WALKER
Radio Station WOV, New York

Cover Photo by FRANCIS WOLFF
Recording by RUDY VAN GELDER