Contributed by azule serape, who writes:-
A breezy latin flavoured 1960 record from pianist 'Don Carlos' a supposedly famous figure on the British Latin American scene and with arrangements by Kenny Graham, no less. He also provided five of the tunes heard.
Joe Harriott pops up here and there and there is support from Bobby Pratt, Bert Courtley and Phil Seamen. Otherwise the assembled musicians are anonymous.
A scarce record to find, never on cd, and worth a listen for Joe Harriott alone.
Don Carlos - leader, piano
Bobby Pratt - trumpet
Bert Courtley - trumpet
Hank Stamps - bass trombone
Joe Harriott - alto
Phil Seamen - drums, percussion
Kenny Graham - arranger
and others
01 T'ain't What You Do (Oliver, Young) (3:35)
02 Frenesi (Dominguez, Whitcup) (2:30)
03 Oh, Pampanino (Corvos) (3:00)
04 Cha-Cha-Cha-Charlie (Graham) (2:47)
05 Taboo (Leucona, Russell) (2:50)
06 Crazy Latin (Graham) (2:58)
07 Tangerine (Schertzinger) 2:26)
08 Sunset (Graham) (2:56)
09 In A Little Spanish Town (Wayne) (2:23)
10 Chu-Chin-Cha-Cha-Cha (Graham) (3:22)
11 Adios, Mariquita Linda (Jiménez) (2:55)
12 Beats In The Belfry (Graham) (1:51)
Label: Columbia 33SX 1237
Recorded: 1960
Lineage: LP>FLAC
Supposedly famous is right! There must be somebody out there who knows the player's real name??!!
ReplyDeleteFrom the brief listen I've given the set, sounds like a mix of solid playing (certainly our man on the sax gives an injection of energy) and cheese!!
Still sounds a lot more promising than my 'La Latin Dolce' by Martinas Y Su Orquesta in the Lansdowne Series from 1965, which veers more towards soft runny cheese! (Can send it on if anybody's keen!!)
Will listen to this properly later on today - thanks for the opportunity azule and rodney...
Many thanks for this obscurity, Rodney. Maybe 'Don Carlos' was Edmundo Ros ( ! ). Another guess might be Laurie Johnson, who also worked with Joe Harriott on his 'Symphony : Synthesis' album.
ReplyDeleteThank you,although very light it's actually quite good. You do sometimes though wait for a track to somehow take off but they don't seem to get off the runway,maybe that's just my opinion.
ReplyDeleteThere were many Latin style easy listening outfits around in the 1950s/60s.
ReplyDeleteA quick look in any Charity shop will find dozens of such lps and mainly on the budget labels of the time but this is just a little bit different because of the presence of some better known jazz musicians. Kenny Graham also helps with his arrangements but there is still a whiff of cheese about it.
Come on 'Don Carlos' - own up. Perhaps it was Mrs. Mills or Joe 'Fingers' Carr. Remember them?
Thanks azule. I'll throw Harry South into the mix.
ReplyDeletebig claps for this novelty. this is a Dennis Preston job so whimsy possible. the Kenny Graham notes read like a put on and there is very very little exposed piano here. I would hear this as a Kenny Graham studio band. Harriott is fine here, benefiting from required restraint. has anybody heard of Hank Stamps ? also a suspicious name but I cannot believe any bass trombonist would require a pseudonym.
ReplyDeleteThank you Rodney
ReplyDeleteEnjoyable. Thank you Azule S & Rodney.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rodney and Azule S. From the comments it sounds odd & 'cheesy" but the names Kenny Graham and Joe Harriot keep me downloading.
ReplyDeleteNever seen or heard this before - I'll give it a try although I'm not the greatest fan of Latin rhythm in Jazz. Thanks very much, Rodney and Azule !
ReplyDeleteThank you for the sharing of this - the titles of the songs give an indication this will be nice
ReplyDeleteAbe Walters is Don Carlos he plays trombone and piano also Stan Tracey played vibes on this album
ReplyDeleteCan find very little on our man Abe. Played 'Challen’s Multi-Tone Piano' -- what would that be ? -- on a Freddy Gardner session. Seems to have been active 30s with Carroll Gibbons and Al Bowlly. Not really credentials to masquerade as Don Carlos. Not in Chilton nor Godbolt. Where do you have this from Robert ?
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is that this info came from a draft of a forthcoming publication
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for this rare recording,and Roberts extra information.He has wet my appetite for the "forthcoming publication" !!
ReplyDeleteLatin cheese doesn't do much for me, but Harriott, Graham and the Don Carlos mystery make this irresistible.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the intriguing post, azule and Rodney.
https://cjoint.net/?v4zbm0pzfo
ReplyDelete