Tony Fruscella

[Niko]

i am just writing a small text about fruscella and stumbled upon the following question (again?): fruscella lead four studio sessions (the quintet with chick maures, the band with herb geller and phil urso, the two atlantic sessions) - is it really true that - except for the atlantic album that was released - we don't know how these recordings made their way from the studio to the companies who released them (respectively, Spotlite, Xanadu and Freshsound);

I can imagine what happened in the case of the Fresh Sound/Atlantic album, but does anybody have a clue about the sessions which first appeared on the Spotlite LP "Debut" (Fitzgerald's discography gives the label who recorded it as "Century" - never heard of that, he doesn't list an issue earlier than Spotlite) and on the Xanadu compilation "Bebop Revisited Vol 3" (Fitzgerald says RVG and private recording, no prior issues)

does anybody know anything about who recorded those sessions etc or can look at those LPs and see whether they specify the origins of the recordings?

thank you!

[jazztrain]

Niko,

I'll check the Spotlite and Xanadu LPs when I'm home later. My experience is that Xanadu was often vague about the origin of some of the material that they issued.

i am just writing a small text about fruscella and stumbled upon the following question (again?): fruscella lead four studio sessions (the quintet with chick maures, the band with herb geller and phil urso, the two atlantic sessions) - is it really true that - except for the atlantic album that was released - we don't know how these recordings made their way from the studio to the companies who released them (respectively, Spotlite, Xanadu and Freshsound);

I can imagine what happened in the case of the Fresh Sound/Atlantic album, but does anybody have a clue about the sessions which first appeared on the Spotlite LP "Debut" (Fitzgerald's discography gives the label who recorded it as "Century" - never heard of that, he doesn't list an issue earlier than Spotlite) and on the Xanadu compilation "Bebop Revisited Vol 3" (Fitzgerald says RVG and private recording, no prior issues)

does anybody know anything about who recorded those sessions etc or can look at those LPs and see whether they specify the origins of the recordings?

thank you!

[AllenLowe]

I seem to recall that Triglia told me he produced and got the session recorded that was later issued on Xanadu. But I'm not sure if I am remembering correctly. He loved Fruscella and was always trying to get him out there.

[king ubu]

http://www.jazzarcheology.com/artists/tony_fruscella.pdf

Six titles were recorded by Sam Heltzer for the Century label, 152 “Body And Soul” and 154-A “Oh Yeah” are presumably lost but...

Can't find anything on any Sam Heltzer, but maybe that's a trace?

[jazztrain]

Niko,

I've checked the notes from the two LPs on Spotlite and for the Xanadu LP.

The notes for Spotlite SPJ126 (Debut) are by Red Carraro. The material on side A is by the Tony Fruscella Quintet from December 10, 1948. With respect to this session, Carraro writes the following:

"The session came and went and eventually became a thing of the past, incredibly like so many other good sessions it was never issued, then around 1974, a friend, Alan Skolnick, acquired a collection of records and parts from Sam Heltzer who had originally produced this very session for short-lived Century label. Shortly thereafter, Alan casually asked me if I'd every heard of an alto player named Chick Maures! Of course I was overjoyed at encountering this music again -- a small miracle! Then Alan was selling off his collection, and along came Tony Williams from London Town, and at long last the music, nearly all of it except one long take of Body and Soul is here on Spotlite!"

Side B contains some live material recorded at the Open Door in New York City in 1953. The LP credits Paul Haines as the source of this material.

The notes to Spotlite SPJ151 ("Fru'n Brew") are by Dan Morgenstern. The music is more live material from the Open Door, with the original recording credited to Paul Haines. In his notes, Morgenstern writes the following:

"We've been exposed to a lot of flawed music in recent years, as everything ever captured by somebody's tape recorder is issued on records but this session is a gem, warts and all. We must be thankful that these fleeting, ephemeral moments in the lives of Tony Fruscella and Brew Moore were so well recorded by the enlightened Paul Haines, protected and cared for during the intervening years until now that there permanence is assured, salvaged from the jaws of time. For Tony, especially ... he's got something to tell us."

The notes to Xanadu 172 ("Bebop Revisited, Vol. 3") are by Mark Gardner. He indicates that the session with Tony Fruscella is issued for the first time. Bill Triglia is credited as the arranger for the four selections and composed one of the tunes.

i am just writing a small text about fruscella and stumbled upon the following question (again?): fruscella lead four studio sessions (the quintet with chick maures, the band with herb geller and phil urso, the two atlantic sessions) - is it really true that - except for the atlantic album that was released - we don't know how these recordings made their way from the studio to the companies who released them (respectively, Spotlite, Xanadu and Freshsound);

I can imagine what happened in the case of the Fresh Sound/Atlantic album, but does anybody have a clue about the sessions which first appeared on the Spotlite LP "Debut" (Fitzgerald's discography gives the label who recorded it as "Century" - never heard of that, he doesn't list an issue earlier than Spotlite) and on the Xanadu compilation "Bebop Revisited Vol 3" (Fitzgerald says RVG and private recording, no prior issues)

does anybody know anything about who recorded those sessions etc or can look at those LPs and see whether they specify the origins of the recordings?

thank you!

[Niko]

thanks so much to the three of you, then the first session is clear... for the Triglia-arranged session, the jazz-archeology entry gives the label als Progressive (unissued at the time; and if the date is right and if Rudy van Gelder was indeed the engineer on that one as it says in Fitzgerald's discography, it was a remarkably early van Gelder session I guess, February 1952)

[AllenLowe]

it's gotta be Triglia's deal; that was Bill. Very selfless is terms of trying to push his friends front and center.

[jazztrain]

Phil Urso was on the date as well. He's another player who didn't record as much as one might have hoped, although he did get some additional opportunities in later years.

it's gotta be Triglia's deal; that was Bill. Very selfless is terms of trying to push his friends front and center.

[AllenLowe]

he spent a lot of time in Vegas; there's a very good Cadence interview with him, I think. He's since died.

[Dave James]

For those who are so inclined, iTunes has a 35 song Fruscella set for just $5.99. Some alternate takes. They also have a collection of live recordings for $9.99. Some overlap among the two sets, but between them, you can score a pretty sizable chunk of his commercially released material.

[epistrophy007]

Big fan of Fruscella -

my favorite interpretation of him must be 'I'll Be Seeing You', which - as mentioned in the Jazz Encyclopedia' was sung by Red Mitchell (meaning Mitchell sang Fruscella's solo of it)...Never heard that though...Someone an idea where he recorded that?

Ow, and Mr Fruscella was of course Mr Morgana King...

Pity they didn't record together...

j.

[AllenLowe]

Sonny Rollins, btw, liked Fruscella's playing a lot; in one of those "wish I was there" moments, Triglia told me about going to see one of them (don't remember which) and hearing, from outside, Sonny and Fruscella rehearsing together.

sigh........................

Edited January 9, 2012 by AllenLowe

[Niko]

the red mitchell recording was a private recording which was made available here, just click on "The Art Of Vocalese – Playlist"

[BrewskLitovsk]

Thanks! Nice playlist. There are some of the great "Twisted's" too.

[king ubu]

The French recording of Fru and Bird is actually Fruscella with Dave Schildkraut - I am certain of this, and it has been confirmed by Bill Triglia, who was present - I can also recognize Dave's playing from that CD -

Anyone has a rough guess about the date of the three tracks?

[Simon8]

Does anyone know by any chance what kind of trumpet and/or mouthpiece Fruscella played ?

[BrewskLitovsk]

Here it is:

http://www.jazzdiscography.com/Artists/Fruscella/tf-disc.htm

Date: ca. 1953

Location: Tony Fruscella's home, New York City

Label: Royal Jazz

Dave Schildkraut (as), Tony Fruscella (t), Bill Triglia (p)

a. You Stepped Out Of A Dream - 9:46 (Nacio Herb Brown, Gus Kahn)

b. Now's The Time - 9:11 (Charlie Parker)

c. Emanon - 11:09 (Dizzy Gillespie)

All titles on: Royal Jazz CD: RJD 506 — More Unissued, Vol. 2 (1990)

Date unknown. Location speculative. RJD 506 (issued under Charlie Parker's name) says "some musician's apartment" in New York City.

Unknown bass and drums. RJD 506 says "possibly" Bill Triglia and lists Charlie Parker as alto saxophonist, but Lord discography identifies Schildkraut instead. This is confirmed by Bill Triglia (who also confirms his own presence).

This is fun: http://halfspeedjazz.blogspot.com/2011/08/tony-fruscella-ill-be-seeing-you-4155.html

Edited January 13, 2012 by saxypete

[king ubu]

Thanks - forgot to look there... DUH!

[Quasimado]

This is fun: http://halfspeedjazz.blogspot.com/2011/08/tony-fruscella-ill-be-seeing-you-4155.html

Saxypete - That was wild! That's one great site. The Warne Marsh "Yardbird Suite" and the recommended video are something else!

Q

[BrewskLitovsk]

This is fun: http://halfspeedjazz.blogspot.com/2011/08/tony-fruscella-ill-be-seeing-you-4155.html

Saxypete - That was wild! That's one great site. The Warne Marsh "Yardbird Suite" and the recommended video are something else!

Q

Yeah, it's for all musicians who want to play along with those stellar solos, but can't because they have no turntable with speed control (where Tony would sound like Juan Tizol of course), or a sound program like peak, or amadeus.

[Niko]

learned from Jan Evensmo's newsletter that there's some "new" Tony Fruscella

(same youtube channel also has more Phil Urso, Don Ferrara, Gerry Mullian etc, all from the collection of drummer Howie Mann)

and one more mystery track that may or may not belong to the others... it definitely fits the vibe and features a trumpet player from this school...

[Big Beat Steve]

Fascinating! 👍

[Stonewall15]

Any idea who plays piano on #1? On #3 the trumpet player sounds somewhat like Fruscella but in a higher register. Any idea? 

[Quasimado]

#3 shows a strong Tristano influence - the pianist sounds like Lennie and the tenor like Warne. Somebody should ask Lennie Popkin about this ...

If it is a Tristano group, the trumpet could be Don Ferrara - I have never heard any early Ferrara, and this cat sounds early (but he's trying to say something) ...

The tunes lack something - there were some European groups in the early 50's that sounded like this - but I doubt they recorded at Van Gelders...

[Niko]

same source also has a 1951 tape w Don Ferrara and one with the even more obscure trumpeter Sonny Rich... both w Gerry Mulligan on piano and Phil Urso on tenor...