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Clarinetist Artie Shaw “retired” from music in 1946 but returned in 1949 and formed what he claimed was his best band; critics agreed, but the public didn’t. Before he “quit” music again, however, the band recorded a session of radio transcriptions, including a bold arrangement of “I Get a Kick Out of You.” Shaw’s playing illustrates that he was keeping up with the changes in jazz, and his band is superb. Charlie Parker, the genius of the alto saxophone and one of the founding fathers of bop, romps through a masterful version of “Kick” with his quintet for Verve in 1954. Trumpeter Clifford Brown and drummer Max Roach’s Quintet version of Cole Porter’s tune is a tour-de-force, featuring deftly executed ensemble passages and played at a whirlwind tempo. Brownie smokes and Roach is showcased on an extended drum solo.
Chris Tyle - Jazz Musician and Historian
Artie Shaw
Stardust
BMG International 651419
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