BLP 5006

James Moody and His Modernists With Chano Pozo

Released - 1952

Recording and Session Information

Apex Studios, NYC, October 19, 1948
Dave Burns, Elmon Wright, trumpet; Ernie Henry, alto sax; James Moody, tenor sax; Cecil Payne, baritone sax; Hen Gates, piano; Nelson Boyd, bass; Teddy Stewart, drums; "Gil" Fuller, arranger.

BN340-4 The Fuller Bop Man
BN341-0 Workshop
BN342-2 Oh Henry!
BN343-2 Mooda-Morphosis

Apex Studios, NYC, October 25, 1948
Dave Burns, Elmon Wright, trumpet; Ernie Henry, alto sax; James Moody, tenor sax; Cecil Payne, baritone sax; Hen Gates, piano; Nelson Boyd, bass; Art Blakey, drums; Chano Pozo, vocals, bongos; "Gil" Fuller, arranger.

BN344-0 Tropicana
BN345-1 Cu-Ba
BN346-0 Moody's All Frantic
BN347-0 Tin Tin Deo

Track Listing

Side One
Title	Author	Recording Date
Workshop	Gil Fuller	October 19 1948
Tin Tin Deo	Gil Fuller, Chano Pozo	October 25 1948
Oh Henry	Gil Fuller, Ernie Henry	October 19 1948
Mood's All Frantic	James Moody, Gil Fuller, Dave Burns	October 25 1948
Side Two
Tropicana	Gil Fuller	October 25 1948
The Fuller Bop Man	Gil Fuller	October 19 1948
Cu-Ba	Gil Fuller, Cecil Payne	October 25 1948
Moodamorphosis	Gil Fuller, Dave Burns	October 25 1948

Liner Notes

...

1991 CD Reissue Liner Notes

Dizzy Gillespie's second big band (mid 1946 through 1949) not only proved that bebop could be successfully translated into the big band setting, but also brought to prominence an array of first rate soloists such as James Moody, Cecil Payne and Ernie Henry, figured prominently in the development of Afro-Cuban jazz with the presence of Cuban percussionist Chano Pozo and the introduction of such pieces as "Manteca" and George Russell's "Cubano Be/Cubano Bop" and expanded jazz composition with the introduction of an unusually consistent book of brilliant compositions and arrangements, many by the bands resident arranger Walter 'Gil' Fuller.

The first Moody date for Blue Note on October 19, 1948 consists of Moody on tenor, Cecil Payne on baritone sax, Ernie Henry on alto, Dave Burns and Elmon Wright on trumpets, James 'Hen Gates' Forman on piano, Nelson Boyd on bass and Teddy Stewart on drums with arrangements by Fuller, all of whom were members of the Gillespie band at that time. The second session on October 25 added Chano Pozo on bongos and replaced Stewart with Art Blakey.

Fuller established himself with Gillespie as an inventive and exciting arranger who easily projected the modern harmony, rhythm and phraseology of bebop to the big band format with no concessions to the swing era conventions. Moreover, his use of voicings, moving parts and sectional independence on his eight charts for Moody's octet miraculously make this instrumentation sound as expansive as a big band. With the exception of Cecil Payne's "Cu-Ba", Fuller wrote or co-wrote all of the tunes introduced on these two sessions.

In fact, several of these tunes have found a recurring place in jazz history. In 1949, Fuller rearranged "Cu-Ba" and "Oh Henry" for a Charlie Barnet session. Cecil Payne recorded his tune twice with Duke Jordan, first in 1955 with Art Blakey present again and then in 1973. Kenny Burrell, a man with a taste for fine bebop tunes, recorded "Oh Henry" in 1964.

Also in 1949, Gil got the opportunity to cut four sides with a big band under his own leadership, two of which were "Tropicana" and "Workshop", which he retitled "Blues To A Debutante". Surprisingly, Gil's only other opportunity to record as a leader came from Pacific Jazz in 1966. Moody was guest soloist, and "Tin Tin Deo" and "Blues To A Debutante" were resurrected.

Dizzy Gillespie kicked off his own record label in 1 951 with a version of "Tin Tin Deo" and it has remained in his book ever since. Similarly, Moody recut "Workshop" in 1953 with Eddie Jefferson singing lyrics that he had written to Moody's solo on this original Blue Note version. And the tune remained a staple for both the saxophonist and the singer throughout their careers.

Although recorded under Moody's leadership, this date is an offshoot of the Gillespie band with Fuller's arrangements as the focal point. In fact, Moody doesn't even solo on every tune and shares the blowing equally with Cecil Payne, Ernie Henry and Dave Burns.

The late Ernie Henry was a vibrant bop alto saxophonist with a unique sense of economy and phrasing. He made his recording debut in '47 on Tadd Dameron's first Blue Note date. One week before the Moody date, he appeared on the Howard McGhee-Fats Navarro Boptet session for the label. He was a member of the Gillespie band from July, 1948 until the middle of '49. His originality really started to blossom in the mid-fifties as evidenced by Thelonious Monk's "Brilliant Corners" album and sessions by Kenny Dorham and Henry himself. It was during the altoist's second stint with Dizzy's big band in 1957 that he died one morning in his sleep.

Cecil Payne, like bebop's other major baritone saxophonist Leo Parker, began his professional career on alto, making his recorded debut with that instrument on a J.J. Johnson date. Gillespie hired him away from Roy Eldridge at the end of 1946. Since then, he has freelanced with just about everyone in jazz, although he is best known for his associations with Tadd Dameron, Kenny Dorham, Randy Weston and Duke Jordan.

Dave Burns, a sadly overlooked trumpeter, was an army buddy of Moody's and was responsible for bringing the saxophonist into the Gillespie band in late '46. Burns has always been a modern, logical soloist with a lyrical, fluid style. He, along with drummer Teddy Stewart, was a member of Moody's working band intermittently during the fifties. He appeared on a handful of Blue Note sessions in subsequent years by George Wallington, Art Taylor, Dexter Gordon and Leo Parker. He is still actively playing in the New York area.

The second Moody session is sparked by the team of Art Blakey and Chano Pozo. Born and raised in Havana, Pozo was a master drummer with a thorough knowledge of Cuban and West African rhythms. Within the Gillespie band, he was instrumental in shaping Afro-Cuban jazz as a composer and vocalist as well as a drummer. Some five weeks after this recording, he was shot and killed in a Harlem bar.

One discographical note: "The Fuller Bop Man" is heard on this album in two takes, the first of which is a previously unissued alternate take.

By the beginning of 1949, James Moody would move to Europe where he remained for three years, adding the alto saxophone to his music. Cecil Payne would leave the Gillespie band to join Tadd Dameron. With the death of Pozo and the exit of Burns, Payne and Moody, the complexion of Dizzy's band necessarily changed. Economic problems and pressure to record inferior material for its commercial potential weakened the band tremendously in the latter half of 1949, bringing about its dissolution.

- MICHAEL CUSCUNA