1945-1948

ow hear this -- all of Earl Bostic's earliest recordings as a leader are available in chronological succession on the Classics label. This man was a formidable alto saxophone virtuoso, respected by Charlie Parker and revered by John Coltrane. He also wrote arrangements for Gene Krupa, Artie Shaw, Paul Whiteman, and Louis Prima. When Bostic sat in on a Victor recording date with Lionel Hampton in October of 1939 and made 20 hot sides with Hot Lips Page in 1944, 1945, and 1946, he paved the way for his own exciting and lucrative career as a star in what would soon be called the R&B market. The 13-piece big band he assembled for his recording debut as a leader during the last weeks of 1945 included guitarist Tiny Grimes, trumpeter Benny Harris, swing trombonist Benny Morton, clarinetist Eddie Barefield, and both Don Byas and Walter "Foots" Thomas on tenor saxophones. Four titles from this session appeared on the Majestic label. "The Man I Love" begins as a lush ballad, accelerating to a mad pace as Bostic demonstrates his somewhat ferocious dexterity. During the years 1946-1948, Bostic made more than 30 sides for Gotham Records. Each of these bore the company's handsome logo, with a linear big-city skyline pictured on the label. Bostic's octet during 1946 had Tony Scott playing the clarinet and the mighty John Hardee blowing tenor sax, and featured guitar ace Jimmy Shirley. While jazz standards like "Liza" and "Where or When" were always an essential ingredient in Bostic's repertoire, danceable party music based on the blues quickly became his one-way ticket to popularity. "That's the Groovy Thing" and the rowdy "Let's Ball Tonight" were enlivened by call-and-response vocals between the leader and his band. Other voices heard during this part of the chronology are trumpeter Roger Jones -- on ballads he sounds almost like Al Hibbler -- and a fellow calling himself Cousin Joe. Two exquisite instrumentals deserve special mention. The very handsome "Tippin' In," composed by Erskine Hawkins' alto player Bobby Smith, was a huge hit for the Hawkins band in 1945. Bostic's version is superb, and the next phase of this tune's trajectory would be Lou Donaldson's outstanding rendition from the 1960s. "Away," a languid strolling daydream with a rolling boogie bridge, is Bostic's masterpiece -- simple, direct, and ultimately unforgettable. ~ arwulf arwulf|