“Who's the boss of the bossa nova!”
This album is, and there isn’t a single “soul samba”’ in it.
Don't take my word for it. 1 get paid to write these notes. Listen to it all the way through one
time and judge for yourself.
Then, 1f you're a compulsive liner note reader, or need reassurance from the critics, read on,
ciddine they said The Buddy DeFranco-Tommy Gumina Quartet had a new sound, they weren't
ling...
“The pair, along with their bassist, John Doling, and drummer, Bill Mendenhall, do some wild
things and some that are so beautiful they almost hurt.”
(‘Barry Morrison, [he Denver Post, July 20, 1962.)
Morrison used superlatives ranging from “fantastic” to “dreamy” to describe what he heard
and the emotions he felt when DeFranco and Gumina played this music at Denver’s Bandbox
just two weeks before they recorded it.
the sessions, at Universal Studios in Chicago August 2 and 3, were meant to be closed, but the
DeFranco-Gumina sounds were too much for the studio wall to hold.
Musicians, engineers, executives and secretaries started ducking in. They peered through the
portholes in the doors and crowded into the control room. They popped their fingers, gasped,
shook their heads and muttered in amazement. Musicians from all over Chicago “just fell in
for a minute” to hear “what’s happening.”
Before they could figure it out DeFranco and Gumina were off to the Stan Kenton Clinics at
Indiana University. There Buddy and Tommy played a set with Sam Jones and Louis Hayes of
the Cannonball Adderley Sextet, that shook up Sam, Louis, Cannon, Nat, Yussef Lateef,
Kenton, Johnny Richards, Russ Garcia, Donald Byrd, and everyone else within earshot.
Next they slipped into New York's Basin Street Kast—unheralded, unbilled, and third on the
roster with Sarah Vaughan and The Brothers Four.
Bill Coss, Down Beat's New York editor, wrote:
_ there's really nothing in current Jazz to compare with this group. The ability to swing and
instrumentation reminds immediately of Joe Mooney’s Quartet, but that’s no comparison. It is
multinoted in the manner of the best boppers, but that isn’t it either. It experiments with keys
in a way slightly reminiscent of early groups led by Lennie Tristano. Still there’s no comparison.
" What it probably comes down to Is that both leaders play instruments conducive to virtuoso
performances. They are virtuosos and the product is high-level, high-powered jazz.
“Itis almost without fauit.’’
John 8, Wilson of The New York 1 zmes has always praised DeFranco’s incredible technique
but has often worried for fear that Buddy was catching a cold. This time he detected a thaw and
reported “it is evident that the chill that has pursued Mr. DeFranco for so many years is
finally wearing off.”’
George I. Simon of the New York Heratd-/ ribune concentrated on Gumina. He put it simply,
“Last week a refreshing jazz musician came to town. .. His name is Tommy Gumina.”
i'm not going to explain this music to you. | havent figured 1t out myself. But here are a few
hints for people who can’t just enjoy music but must figure it out.
This music is polytonal, but not always. Sometimes it is chromatic. Once in awhile it even dares
to be diatonic. Sometimes it is contrapuntal. It swings. Some of it will make your girl want to
kiss you. Some of it may even make you want to dance. Even your aging mother-in-law who
Rea ear what’s happened to music since the A & P Gypsies went off the radio” may
like some of it.
PERSONNEL
Buddy DeFranco, Clarinet; Tommy Gumina, Accordion; John Doling, Bass; William Menden-
hall, Drums.
Buddy DeFranco plays clarinet. Everybody should know that by now. He’s been accused of
pluying it too well for years. In this album, if you listen closely, you’ll hear him play a few
squeaks and clams for the Tony Scott, Pee Wee Russell, and Acker Bilk fans who complain
that he’s unfair to “human” clarinetists.
tommy Gumina plays an accordio-organ, a new instrument with a transistorized electronic
organ built in. He can play organ like Jimmy Smith. He can play accordion like nobody’s
business. He can switch from one to the other faster than ie can blink your eyes. And he can
play both accordion and organ together. He does them all in this album.
Gumina is an alumnus of the Harry James band and ABC's Hollywood studio staff. His major
jazz influences are Oscar Peterson, DeFranco, and Charlie Parker. His orchestral influences
include Nelson Riddle, Spud Murphy, and Gil Evans. He credits Riddle and Murphy as the
chief sources of the polytonal system he unveils in this album.
Bassist Doling is best-known for his work with the Pat Moran Quartet. His idol is his former
roommate, the late Scott LaFaro. He displays some of Scott’s influence here, but his big tone
and his fierce walking style recall Red Mitchell and Leroy Vinnegar. He also has a bird in his
back yard that whistles Sweet Georgia Brown.
Drummer Bill Mendenhall is a DeFranco-Gumina discovery from Delaware. They first heard
him with Al Beutler’s group at Kenton Clinics at Michigan State University in 1961. He joined
them last fall, Buddy and Tommy both feel he has the potential to develop into one of the top
drummers in jazz. He also knows how to squeeze himself, Doling, his drums, a bass, and luggage
into his Volkswagen sedan.
Comments from Buddy and Tommy about the tunes:
Now’s The Time—“For Charlie Parker, who showed us all the way. Now’s the time we all
stopped picking his brain.”
Softly As In A Morning Sunrise—“A lovely song and thanks to Milt Jackson for lending
it to us.”
Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)—“A fine Bart Howard tune that isn’t played enough.”
Whisper Not—"A masterpiece by Benny Golson, a marvelous writer, a tremendously un-
derrated player, and co-leader of one of the best bands around, The Jazztet.””
Slelia By Startighi—"A great Ned Washington-Victor Young song that can’t be played too
often.”’
Polly Wants A Tonic—' The blues with, we hope, a difference. If you think the title is too far
out, blame us.”
What's New?—“With a bow to Nelson Riddle and Frank Sinatra who made the definitive
recording of this great ballad.”
Summertime—‘One of our favorite arias from George Gershwin’s great opera, Porgy and Bess.
We think Gershwin is America’s first great musical genius.”’
Like Someone In Love—"A ballad we like by two writers we like, Jimmy Van Heusen and
Johnny Burke.”
Speak Low-——‘‘Most musicians play this Kurt Weill tune as a ballad. We like to swing on it.”’
Let's see, Have ! left anything out? Oh, yes. Kaleidoscope? It’s a toy that every kid gets in a
Christmas stocking some year or other. If you missed out pick one up. They’re fascinating.
You look through one end, turn the other and it exhibits beautiful bits of colored glass in an
endless variety of symmetrical varicolored forms.
this album is guaranteed to contain no colored glass, only an endless variety of symmetrical,
varicolored music. But, no bossa novas, boss? zn Pian
NOW'S THE TIME
(Charlie Parker), Savoy Music Co., (BMI)..... | ees oy a We OP eee. $216
SOFTLY AS IN A MORNING SUNRISE
(Romberg & Hammerstein), Harms, Inc., (ASCAP)
FLY ME TO THE MOON (In Other Words)
Tre. |
(Bart Howard), Atmanac Music, Inc., (ASCAP). ... 1.6... eee eee cence nen e teeter nent ene e nen ns BAG
WHISPER NOT
(Benny Golson), Andante Music, Inc., (ASCAP) «ooo oocccc ccc cence cence cece cece ccc cccc cence ccccsc ce... $198
STELLA BY STARLIGHT
(Victor Young & Ned Washington), Famous Music Corporation, (ASCAP)..........
POLLY WANTS A TONIC
eet)
(We franco & Gumina), Emarcy Music Company, (ASCAP) . eee eee eee eee eee eee ees IBS
WHAT’S NEW
(Haggart & Burke), M. Witmark & Sons, (ASCAP). : oa ns = Phe beng aN gl el 20d
SUMMERTIME From “Porgy and Bess”
(Dubose Heyward & George Gershwin), Gershwin Publishing Corporation, (ASCAP)...........-..-.-0-. ++ +++ +8203
LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE
(Johnny Burke & James Van Heusen), Burke & Van Heusen, Inc., (ASCAP)......... Lore eis 3:22
SPEAK LOW From “One Touch Of Venus” A
(Ogden Nash & Kurt Weill), Chappell & Co., Inc., (ASCAP) ia 7 tk ee Se ee
‘ius Mercury Custom Hi Fidelity recording is the result of the most modern recording technique of our time. The masters
‘or this album were transferred through an Ampex $01 tape machine, a Pultec Filter and Equalizer, Altec limiting amplifier,
Mac Iniosh monitor amplifier and a 150 watt power amplifier designed especially to drive the BBC Grampian Feedback
‘utting Head.
This monaural dise can be played equally well with either a STEREO cartridge or a STANDARD 1 mil microgroove
cartridge.
Because of the fine technical equipment used in the recording of these mastere, one is assured of the moet fatihful repro
duction in the transfer from original recording to the final masters used for processing.
Printed in U.S.A.
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