Steve McQueen's jazz record collection

[DaveO]

There are two photos in this thread showing the array of Lps: the needle drop photo, and the dance photo with Neile.  In the dance photo, at least three of the LPs have been flipped over, presumably so Steve could consult the track listings: Atomic Basie, Kind of Blue, and Modern Jazz Quartet at Music Inn. If John Dominis had staged the photos as props as some have suggested, there would have been no need to flip the jackets over in the course of taking the photos. So its reasonable to conclude that these were McQueen's records, that he was partial to Coltrane, Davis and Basie et al, and that, in the course of the photo shoot, he and his wife listened and/or danced to at least three of them.

[David Ayers]

Somebody identify the unknown LP soon please. I don’t know why I care but I do. 

[mjzee]

I've corrected the skew using graphics software; hope this helps to identify.

[DaveO]

The skew photo is very neat, thanks for all your courtesy!  It wasn't until I returned to the master preview image at Getty Images however that I could more clearly determine the text on the jacket.  The tile of the final LP in Steve's collection as shown in the John Dominis photo is "Splendor In The Brass" by Chuck Sagle And His Orchestra, Reprise. R9 6047, Dual 35 MM / 120 CMPS, released 1961. 

https://www.discogs.com/Chuck-Sagle-And-His-Orchestra-Splendor-In-The-Brass/master/1573667

This LP appears in the John Dominis photo of Steve McQueen dancing with his wife:

https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/steve-mcqueen-dominis?family=editorial&phrase=Steve%20McQueen%20Dominis&sort=best#license

"Splendor In The Brass" does not appear in the other photo of Steve with his records. With the exception of Sinatra/Basie, it strikes me as the most danceable of all of the venerable cool-jazz titles strewn on the floor. I wouldn't be surprised if this was the LP he was dancing to with Neile in the photo. 

 

[Daniel A]

On 2019-07-06 at 4:45 PM, DaveO said:

If John Dominis had staged the photos as props as some have suggested, there would have been no need to flip the jackets over in the course of taking the photos. So its reasonable to conclude that these were McQueen's records, that he was partial to Coltrane, Davis and Basie et al, and that, in the course of the photo shoot, he and his wife listened and/or danced to at least three of them.

But if McQueen really was a jazz fan, he might want to flip the covers even if they were props. 

[DaveO]

Hi Daniel. We each have to draw our own conclusions. If, as you say, Steve really was a jazz fan, then we really have no reason to question that that the jazz records weren't his.  The LPs strewn on the floor were pretty cultivated and focused selections by the same core artists, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Count Basie and Milt Jackson. That suggests "collection" to me, not random props. There were 3,867 US jazz LPs in print in 1963. If Dominis had just grabbed a bunch for a shoot, I doubt they would have resembled the focused group on the floor at McQueen's Palm Springs house.     

Here's Steve, same year as the photo sessions, sharing a moment with Miles Davis in Monterey:

https://www.morrisonhotelgallery.com/photographs/7KCKl6/Miles-Davis-and-Steve-McQueen-Monterey-CA-1963

 

[mjzee]

3 hours ago, DaveO said:

The skew photo is very neat, thanks for all your courtesy!  It wasn't until I returned to the master preview image at Getty Images however that I could more clearly determine the text on the jacket.  The tile of the final LP in Steve's collection as shown in the John Dominis photo is "Splendor In The Brass" by Chuck Sagle And His Orchestra, Reprise. R9 6047, Dual 35 MM / 120 CMPS, released 1961. 

https://www.discogs.com/Chuck-Sagle-And-His-Orchestra-Splendor-In-The-Brass/master/1573667

This LP appears in the John Dominis photo of Steve McQueen dancing with his wife:

https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/steve-mcqueen-dominis?family=editorial&phrase=Steve%20McQueen%20Dominis&sort=best#license

"Splendor In The Brass" does not appear in the other photo of Steve with his records. With the exception of Sinatra/Basie, it strikes me as the most danceable of all of the venerable cool-jazz titles strewn on the floor. I wouldn't be surprised if this was the LP he was dancing to with Neile in the photo. 

 

Kudos for solving the mystery!

Edited August 4, 2019 by mjzee

[DaveO]

I appreciate your effort and am glad to have helped.

[JSngry]

so now the new mystery is maybe what's that Roulette record in front of Splendor In The Brass? Can anybody read the label?

[DaveO]

Recapping:

 

 

 

Art Farmer & Benny Golson Jazztet – Meet The Jazztet

 

Chuck Sagle And His Orchestra – Splendor In the Brass

 

Count Basie & His Orchestra – The Atomic Mr. Basie

 

Count Basie & His Orchestra – The Best Of Basie, Vol. 2

 

Frank Sinatra And Count Basie – Sinatra – Basie: An Historic Musical First

 

John Coltrane – My Favorite Things

 

John Lewis – The Golden Striker

 

Lead Belly – A Lead Belly Memorial: Volume 4

 

Miles Davis – Kind Of Blue

 

Miles Davis – Miles Ahead

 

Miles Davis – Miles: The New Miles Davis Quintet

 

Miles Davis – Sketches of Spain

 

Milt Jackson – The Ballad Artistry of Milt Jackson

 

Milt Jackson & John Coltrane – Bags & Trane

 

Paul Horn Quintet – Profile Of A Jazz Musician

 

The Modern Jazz Quartet – The Modern Jazz Quartet At Music Inn, Guest Artist: Sonny Rollins / Volume 2

 

Various – American Folksay Ballads And Dances 

 

 

 

Speculative LPs:

 

 

 

Count Basie & His Orchestra – The Best Of Basie, Roulette – SR 52081

 

Lead Belly Memorial, Volume 1, 2 & 3

 

The Modern Jazz Quartet At Music Inn, Guest Artist: Jimmy Giuffre / Volume 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 8, 2019 by DaveO
Add title

[DaveO]

There are two other LPs visible in the second John Dominis photo of Steve dancing with Neile.  One of them appears to be:

American Folksay: Ballads and Dances

https://www.discogs.com/Various-American-Folksay-Ballads-And-Dances-Volumes-I-II/release/6468053

This was a six volume LP release, and I cannot tell which volume appears in the photo.  Stinson is the same label that released the Lead Belly Memorial LP shown in the needle drop photo. There are many Lead Belly songs throughout the American Folksay volumes. 

 

Edited August 8, 2019 by DaveO
Spell correct and Lead Belly add.