Precursors of Greater Things

[garthsj]

I am intrigued when I find something in a jazz recording which indicates that this serves as the foundation for something bigger that is to come in the future. Let me illustrate with two examples: This past weekend I was catching up with my stack of 136 unopened CDs, and I happened to listen to the fine 2-CD set of "Jimmy Cleveland's Complete Emarcy recordings" issued last year on Gambit. On the second (of four) albums that Cleveland did for Emarcy, "Cleveland Style" there is only one arrangement by Benny Golson, and that is of the tune "All This And Heaven Too" (the rest of the album was arranged by Ernie Wilkens). I was immediately struck by how this 1955 arrangement sounded very close to what Golson would later do to create the sound of The Jazztet in the early 1960's. The horn instrumentation was very similar too, with Art Farmer on trumpet, Golson on tenor, Cleveland on trombone, but with the addition of Don Butterfield's tuba. If you have this album, please listen to this cut, and tell me if you agree that this is "early Jazztet"?

Similarly, I have always been fascinated with Gil Evans' arrangement of "Blues For Pablo" that he did for Hal McKusick's Jazz Workshop album on RCA. This was recorded on April 3, 1956. Gil later went into the studio on May 23, 1957 to record his more famous version of this tune with Miles Davis on the "Miles Ahead" album. However, the earlier version is clearly a "trial run" for the Davis version, and deserves to be more widely appreciated.

Can you historically savvy folks out there come up with more such examples .... I am always eager to learn new tricks.

[Alexander Hawkins]

Really fascinating question!

Perhaps Cecil Taylor on his first recordings; or, for that matter Nefertiti...or is the latter too much of an achievement in itself to be called a foundation?

[alocispepraluger102]

the early 1930's glenn miller arrangemennts for the ray noble band certainly were more than subtle hints of what was to come with his own orchestra.