Buddy Bregman: Swinging Kicks

[neveronfriday]

Buddy Bregman's "Swinging Kicks" (Verve By Request) is one of those few sleeper albums I have stumbled across in the more dusty areas of my shelf system lately. I've had it for quite a while and it has - ever since I liberated it from collection obscurity - become one of my favorite "start the weekend" CDs. It's difficult to explain, but as fragmentary as that session seems, with many titles under 2 minutes long, I find it endlessly fascinating. It's also frustrating at times because it seems that a lot of this material could have developed into great stuff ... and then, in some cases, get's shrugged off in 01:24.

I have little to no knowledge of Bregman aside from his Fitzgerald and Crosby stuff, and just reading up a bit on him it seems as if he was/is all over the map musically and in many other ways.

Does anyone know if this session was really a one-shot for him? Any sessions on which he might have expanded on some of the ideas in the rough here?

Edited November 15, 2007 by neveronfriday

[Big Al]

I don't know the answers to any of your questions, but I agree that this is a very fun record. It has some outstanding Ben Webster on it, plus the shifts in moods make for a listening experience that never gets boring.

[neveronfriday]

Yeah, it's quite a line-up:

Conte Candoli Trumpet

Pete Candoli Trumpet

Maynard Ferguson Trumpet

Conrad Gozzo Trumpet

Ray Linn Trumpet

George Roberts Trombone

Milt Bernhart Trombone

Frank Rosolino Trombone

Lloyd Ulyate Trombone

Herb Geller Alto Saxophone

Bud Shank Alto Saxophone

Georgie Auld Tenor Saxophone

Bob Cooper Tenor Saxophone

Ben Webster Tenor Saxophone

Stan Getz Tenor Saxophone

Jimmy Giuffre Baritone Saxophone

André Previn Piano

Paul Smith Piano

Al Hendrickson Guitar

Joe Mondragon Bass

Stan Levey Drums

Alvin Stoller Drums

[flat5]

Who are these guys? Never heard of 'em :-)

Edited November 15, 2007 by flat5

[jtaylor]

He also did a set for Pacific Jazz called Swingin' Standards using what was essentially the Terry Gibbs Band.

I've never been a fan of his writing, especially his work with Ella and O'day. According to Milt Bernhart, the feeling around town was that, at least initially, he was trying to copy Nelson Riddle.

A great story exists about he and Billy May who apparently didn't care for Bregman's work or arrogance.

[neveronfriday]

He also did a set for Pacific Jazz called Swingin' Standards using what was essentially the Terry Gibbs Band.

I've never been a fan of his writing, especially his work with Ella and O'day. According to Milt Bernhart, the feeling around town was that, at least initially, he was trying to copy Nelson Riddle.

A great story exists about he and Billy May who apparently didn't care for Bregman's work or arrogance.

Interesting bit about May.

I also know the Swinging Standards session, but wasn't impressed by it. With all the talent assembled, it swung ... but was a pretty bland affair (I had a Lonehill release and actually got rid of it).

"Swinging Kicks" surprised me in comparison. There are some great ideas here and the arrangements are much tighter. There is constant change and surprise. This is certainly a varied bag of goodies. You have horn lines bordering on the aggressive to ones that are silky smooth. And it is quite modern in a lot of places compared to the "Swinging Standards" release, which is pretty boring in comparison. It's almost as if every other tune was arranged by someone else. The frustrating thing is that some tunes just appear like sketches of ideas that he didn't have time to flesh out. Others seem like emulations of other big bands. The other day I was listening to Mosaic sets of Ellington and Basie and, funnily, quite a bit of that Bregman session fit right in there.

[brownie]

Buddy Bregman also happens to be composer Jule Styne's nephew. He was hired by Norman Granz in 1955 when Styne and Sondheim had a huge hit on Broadway with 'My Fair Lady'.

Granz had Bregman work with Anita O'Day on her album 'Anita' which was a success.

Anita O'Day had nice things to say about him in her biography 'High Times, Had Times', if I remember right.

Bregman also arranged the Annie Ross album 'Gypsy' for World Pacific. A very nice one

[paul secor]

Buddy Bregman also happens to be composer Jule Styne's nephew. He was hired by Norman Granz in 1955 when Styne and Sondheim had a huge hit on Broadway with 'My Fair Lady'.

Not to be picky - just setting the record straight - Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics for Gypsy - a big Broadway hit in 1959. My Fair Lady (1956) was written by Lerner and Loewe (w. a bit of help from G.B. Shaw).

[Larry Kart]

I remember reading one of a series of long autobiographical posts by trombonist Milt Bernhart on the Jazz West Coast list several years ago (BTW, I can't call up that list any more, anyone know why?) in which Bernhart was quite caustic about the rote blandness of Bregman's writing. Bernhart also made it clear that this was not just his opinion; rather, there was consternation throughout the band at what they were expected to play. (I think this was on Bergman's first date with Ella Fitzgerald.) The feeling was that the Jules Styne connection got Bregman his gigs, though what leverage Styne had on Granz I don't know.

[brownie]

Buddy Bregman also happens to be composer Jule Styne's nephew. He was hired by Norman Granz in 1955 when Styne and Sondheim had a huge hit on Broadway with 'My Fair Lady'.

Not to be picky - just setting the record straight - Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics for Gypsy - a big Broadway hit in 1959. My Fair Lady (1956) was written by Lerner and Loewe (w. a bit of help from G.B. Shaw).

Lerner and Loewe, of course

Thanks for setting the record straight, Paul!

[Teasing the Korean]

The Bregman stuff I've heard is harmonically on the square side. I've never really cared for the albums he did with Ella for that reason.

[neveronfriday]

Funny that all the Ella et. al. work is referred to here all the time (which isn't my favorite either). The topic I chose was the "Swinging Kicks" album because, as far as my somewhat limited Bregman experience goes, it is quite a bit different (in my eyes) from anything else I've heard by him. I guess I've picked a CD here that hardly anyone really knows ... or didn't touch because of a rather negative experience with earlier or later material recorded by him in various settings.

I'd therefore be especially interested in hearing from (more) people who have actually checked this session out, perhaps in even more detail, and can maybe formulate those things I don't have the appropriate vocabulary for. What made this session (if you agree) work better than the others? Stuff like that.

Cheers, and thanks everyone for your input!

Much appreciated.

[Larry Kart]

A raft of interesting Bregman stories from his website:

http://www.buddybregman.com/stories.html

Some of what he says there confirms that he hardly knew what he was doing as an arranger early on, but it seems pretty likely that that he learned.

[neveronfriday]

A raft of interesting Bregman stories from his website:

http://www.buddybregman.com/stories.html

Some of what he says there confirms that he hardly knew what he was doing as an arranger early on, but it seems pretty likely that that he learned.

Yeah, I've been over there and read most of it. One I liked was that one from a producing/directing gig in Paris:

"I had four cameras and was screaming half the time at the guys because they couldn't hear through the intercoms as it was so loud. I even had a hand-held Éclair they outfitted me with. All I did was shoot ALL THE CLOSE-UPS like I knew when Johnny Hodges was going to stand up and solo, so I hit him with an ECU and that's all I did for 3 days. Mr. ECU and glad-handing all the performers, half of whom I already knew, and half of whom looked at me like I was dirt, especially Monk, but when Oscar told him who I was in music, he at least was civil to me and nodded when I said some things, like "Play it towards us when you can!" Of course he didn't."

Made me laugh.

Or this title (interesting):

"BASSEY BITCH"

Quite a quirky collection of remeniscenses.

[king ubu]

I don't have the album in question and since the original poster (is that something like "original sin"? he he) does not want more off-topic comments, I will not mention that I am not a particular fan of the Bregman-arranged sides on the O'Day Mosaic... he he

I will however get it if I happen to see it in a sale again, after having read this thread!

[bluesoul]

http://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/buddy-bregman-rip

 

http://deadline.com/2017/01/buddy-bregman-obituary-pajama-game-wild-party-1201882202/

[JSngry]

RIP