Jimmy Giuffre on Verve: 1959-1961

[Late]

Giuffre's collected Verve recordings would've made a fine Mosaic box set. All these sessions have been out on compact disc — either in the U.S., Europe, or Japan. The last two sessions have of course been out on ECM for some time. Below (and attached) is a complete list ... I think. Please post corrections/additions!

 

What sessions are under-remarked? Personal favorites?
 

Sonny Stitt Plays Jimmy Giuffre Arrangements
with Jack Sheldon, Lee Katzman, Frank Rosolino, Jimmy Rowles, Buddy Clark, Lawrence Marable, Al Pollen
February 16, 1959

 

7 Pieces
with Jim Hall, Red Mitchell
February 23 & 25, March 2, 1959
 

Herb Ellis Meets Jimmy Giuffre
with Art Pepper, Bud Shank, Richie Kamuca, Jim Hall, Lou Levy, Joe Mondragon, Stan Levey
March 26, 1959
 

Cool Heat: Anita O’Day Sings Jimmy Giuffre Arrangements
orchestra conducted and arranged by Giuffre
April 6-8, 1959
 

Lee Konitz Meets Jimmy Giuffre
with Hal McKusick, Ted Brown, Warne Marsh, Bill Evans, Buddy Clark, Ronnie Free
May 1959
 

Ad Lib
with Jimmy Rowles, Red Mitchell, Lawrence Marable
August 3, 1959
 

The Easy Way
with Jim Hall, Ray Brown
August 6 & 7, 1959

Piece for Clarinet and String Orchestra ~ Mobiles
with the Sudwestfunk Orchestra of Baden Baden
March 1960
 

In Person
with Jim Hall, Buell Neidlinger, Billy Osborne
July 19, 1960
 

Fusion
with Paul Bley, Steve Swallow
March 3, 1961
 

Thesis
with Paul Bley, Steve Swallow
August 4, 1961
 

Jimmy Giuffre on Verve.docx

Edited October 6, 2019 by Late

[gvopedz]

Wasn't the Piece for Clarinet.../Mobiles recorded in 1960?

In 1959, I believe there was also a Sonny Stitt Plays Jimmy Giuffre Arrangements album.

 

[Late]

4 hours ago, gvopedz said:

Wasn't the Piece for Clarinet.../Mobiles recorded in 1960?

In 1959, I believe there was also a Sonny Stitt Plays Jimmy Giuffre Arrangements album.

Yes — the Stitt album. I even have it! Some of my favorite Stitt playing. It looks like it was even the first thing Giuffre did for Verve. I've edited the list above. The Jazz Discography Project doesn't list the session in Giuffre's entry for some reason.

And, yes, the Piece for Clarinet and Orchestra does appear to have been recorded March, 1960. The Verve 2-disc set I have lists March, 1959. Must be a mistake.

Thanks for the corrections!

[JSngry]

They're all good (or better!)!

The one that caught me off guard the most was The Easy Way, the tenor playing there sounded like it was opening up.

The album with Konitz is a must, if only just for Warne.

[Late]

3 hours ago, JSngry said:

The album with Konitz is a must, if only just for Warne.

Some of the most splintered 50's Warne on record. Wonky and totally on-point at the same time.

The recording itself is beautiful.

[soulpope]

In Person
with Jim Hall, Buell Neidlinger, Billy Osborne
July 19, 1960

Jimmy Giuffre - still in the cool idiom - cuts loose and the group (Buell Neidlinger !!) is well oiled indeed .... must have ....

[Gheorghe]

I must get into the stuff he did with Paul Bley and Steve Swallow. 

[Late]

On 10/5/2019 at 11:31 AM, Late said:

Ad Lib
with Jimmy Rowles, Red Mitchell, Lawrence Marable
August 3, 1959

Giuffre at his most Newk-ish. Some of his licks are straight out of Rollins' vocabulary. Still, a solid Giuffre record (you also get to hear Marable to fine effect) — listening right now — and one that should be better known. It was recorded only three days before The Easy Way, a much different record. Giuffre covered a lot of ground in the two years he was with Verve. Eleven sessions! (I think the list above is complete.)

[Rabshakeh]

On 04/05/2021 at 3:37 PM, Late said:

Giuffre at his most Newk-ish. Some of his licks are straight out of Rollins' vocabulary. 

Is this a common view on Giuffre? It had never occured to me. Perhaps I have only been listening to one period of Giuffre and missed his Rollins phase.

[JSngry]

It's there, maybe not for that long, but yeah. It happened.

[Late]

7 hours ago, Rabshakeh said:

Is this a common view on Giuffre? It had never occured to me. Perhaps I have only been listening to one period of Giuffre and missed his Rollins phase.

Bill Holman had a Rollins phase too. My guess would be that Way Out West was a strong influence at the time. As for Giuffre, within less than 2 years after Ad Lib, he was of course off on a substantially different tangent. As far as Giuffre's Verve stuff — non-arranger-wise — I'd recommend The Easy Way, 7 Pieces, In Person, and Ad Lib, probably in that order. They're all worth hearing if you're a Giuffre fan. It really would have made a good Mosaic set, I think. 

[Rabshakeh]

Thanks. 

[Late]

I just realized I have all the Giuffre Verve recordings except the Herb Ellis record and the Anita O'Day record. The latter, in particular, I need to rectify. I haven't listened to O'Day in a long time. I can't think of anyone who sings "Peel Me A Grape" better.

(Social distancing you two!)

[romualdo]

On 05/10/2019 at 4:31 AM, Late said:

Giuffre's collected Verve recordings would've made a fine Mosaic box set.

Yep, I suggested that to Michael C a few years back now

10 hours ago, Late said:

I can't think of anyone who sings "Peel Me A Grape" better

my fav O'day track

[Late]

1 hour ago, romualdo said:

Yep, I suggested that to Michael C a few years back now.

Me too. His response was: yes, it would make a great Mosaic and, no, it probably won't happen.  

[gmonahan]

On 10/6/2019 at 3:30 PM, Late said:

Yes — the Stitt album. I even have it! Some of my favorite Stitt playing. It looks like it was even the first thing Giuffre did for Verve. I've edited the list above. The Jazz Discography Project doesn't list the session in Giuffre's entry for some reason.

And, yes, the Piece for Clarinet and Orchestra does appear to have been recorded March, 1960. The Verve 2-disc set I have lists March, 1959. Must be a mistake.

Thanks for the corrections!

A bit of Rosolino I didn't know about. I've added this one to my list!

 

 

gregmo

[Late]

I need to spin the Stitt/Giuffre album again. It's been at least three years. Will report back after doing so.

[Joe]

I'd never really thought about this before, but it is kind of amazing to think that Giuffre's last Verve date with his quartet — IN PERSON — dates from July 1960. By March of 1961, his new trio with Bley and Swallow is making a very different kind of music. Seems/feels like a fairly rapid "evolution" to me. (Understanding that there's interrupted continuity from some of Giuffre's 50s work to the  "3" recordings.)  

[Late]

4 hours ago, Joe said:

Seems/feels like a fairly rapid "evolution" to me.

Agreed. I wonder if ideas had been brewing for a while. When Giuffre heard that Debussy trio for flute, harp, and viola ... I guess this is what instigated the transition to freer playing. (At least this is what I recall reading.) Was Paul Bley the harp part?

[Joe]

7 hours ago, Late said:

Agreed. I wonder if ideas had been brewing for a while. When Giuffre heard that Debussy trio for flute, harp, and viola ... I guess this is what instigated the transition to freer playing. (At least this is what I recall reading.) Was Paul Bley the harp part?

Perhaps. I thought the Debussy model was more "relevant" to the trio with Ralph Pena and Jim Hall, but I could be misremembering. Need to dig out that TALKS AND PLAYS set on CELP...