MCR - 1958, May 17
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Jazz cross- Section Offered at Town Hall
by John S. Wilson

An unusual cross-section of jazz, cutting across the fringe, root and heart of the matter, was offered at Town Hall last night. It included the Clara Ward Singers, a gospel group whose exuberance stirred up a revival fervor; a big, bristling band led by Manny Albam; Steve Allen, television star, who hammered out some infectiously lusty backroom piano solos, and Ken Nordine, a diseur who deals in what he calls 'word jazz' - wildly improbably tales told to the unobtrusive accompaniment of a jazz group. All were performers who seized one's attention through shock, skill or pure rambunctiousness. But, on all counts, they were outstripped by the well-seasoned clarinetist Tony Scott. Mr. Scott has stretched the jazz range of his instrument farther than any of his contemporaries. His playing is almost always touched with a sense of the dramatic that is in market contrast to the sullen glumness of the bulk of post-war jazz musicians. Last night he mixed both qualities, playing with a fiery intensity that constantly seemed in danger of bursting beyond the capabilities of the clarinet. yet, with all its fire, the music was disciplined and often brilliantly logical. Mr. Scott is not beyond throwing in a few unnecessary trimmings. But, when he is sufficiently embroiled in a solo to disregard such trivia, he is the most exciting jazz musician playing today. In his brief appearance on this occasion he gave ample evidence of this. Group led by two multi-instrumentalists, Don Elliott and Paul Horn, were also heard.

R/LN - 1958 May 16 - USA, NYC
Record back cover - liner notes
Down Beat Jazz Concert DOT DLP 9003
Where were you at 8:10 p.m. on May 16,1958?
By Dom Cerulli - Associated Editor, Down Beat.

Where were you at 8:10 p.m. on May 16,1958? If you were in new York, you should have been at Town hall for the Down beat Jazz Concert because that was the scene of the action that night.
If you happened to be somewhere else, then this recording will help to fill you in on what you missed. If you really happened to be on hand as the crimson curtains parted on Town hall's famed stage, this album will bring back the occasion for the applause to which you contributed so often during the concert.
There is an element of chance in staging a concert to be recorded 'on the spot.' So many things can go wrong that the project would seem better situated in a studio. But Down Beat and Dot reasoned that a concert presented by seasoned, imaginative musicians is best recorded live, That way, the wonderful things that seem only to happen before an audience can be captured for all time on tape.
This concert turned out that way. There was an air of expectancy as MC, Jack Lazare, introduced Manny Albam's 'Jazz Greats', and the excitement didn't flag throughout the remainder of the concert.
In addition to the jazz, the audience was treated to a bit of recording education. They saw Dr. Rudy Van Gelder operating swiftly and efficiently to capture the fine sound for the grooves of this album. They got the feel of what it is to set up for balance, and a look at how much equipment goes into the production of an LP. What the audience couldn't know was that Manny's 'Jazz Greats' had assembled for rehearsal of his new scores less than an hour before the start of the concert.
Many had them read down the charts, in most cases just once, and they were ready to go. It is a tribute to the musicianship of the men involved that band roars like a bunch who have played together for months. A Little Eye-Opener showed why Down Beat and Dot wanted a big band onstage to anchor things. It's a punchy, bristling piece of the type which only comes off under the drive of a big band. Within the framework of Albam's arrangement, some of the band's soloists have their say. Al Cohn leads off, followed by Jerome Richardson, Gene Quill, Pepper Adams, Nick Travis, and Frank Rehak.
Another vital component of any jazz presentation is a set by a strong, compelling soloist. Down beat and Dot turned to Tony Scott , whose new group filled the bill perfectly.
Scott's Blues for An African Friend was (and still is, every time he plays it) dedicated to a 23-year-old blues and scat singer whom the clarinetist met in Johannesburg, South Africa, 1957. The singer, Cameron Makalongo, popularly known as Pinocchio, idolized Charlie Parker and many other American jazz artists. Late in 1957, he stowed away on a freighter bound for America to see his idols, but was discovered and returned home.

The depth of the youth's love for jazz moved Tony deeply, and, as this track shows, Pinocchio and his plight are never far from Scott's thoughts. Burrell solo first, followed by Knepper, whose sharp, often pungent comments, are followed by Scott. Tony's succession of choruses, each fiercer and more wildly emotional than the one preceding, moved the audience to spontaneous applause three times before the group moved into the out chorus.This type of reaction, generally reserved for exhibition by drummers, shows how a strong soloist can generate an excitement as driving as that of a big band, but in its own context. Note, too, how Scott build to a climax in his last three choruses by sliding into double time, then into a higher register, them into his leveling-off, final statements. Jazz humor is also needed in a well-rounded concert. For the Down beat affair, Don Elliott produced his amusing vocal interpretations of some well-known personalities singing scat to When Your Lover Has Gone This type of specialty won Elliott well-deserved praise at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival, because his humor is always musicianly, and always stays within the bounds of good taste. Elliott, also blends his voice here with McKusick's bass clarinet, and later contributes a solo mellophone stopped with a cup mute. Pianist Corwin and McKusick also solo. Because of the length of the concert, the customary intermission was by-passed. Instead, the band came back on for another set, during which Al Cohn showcase, My Fanny Valentine, was played.

The results begin side two of this album. Perhaps all that's really necessary to say about it is that it's Cohn at his flowing, inventive best. Albam scored the back ground sparely, leaving Cohn plenty of room in which to stretch out. A few surprises help spice a jazz concert. This gathering had many surprises, and among them was the appearance of some of the West Coast swingers.
Flutist Paul Horn trekked east with bassist Don Bagley, and they teamed with pianist Katz and drummer Johnson for a set. One of the highlights of the set was Horn's liquid-like variations on Willow Weep For Me. Paul's work, like that of Jerome Richardson, indicates that the flute has passed out of it's role as a color instrument and into a new character: that of the full-fledged solo instrument, with versatility and authority of its own. The concert wrap-up was a free-swinging Blues Over easy, in which everyone got a chance to blow.
The soloists, in order, are Katz, Travis, Quill, Richardson, Adams (called back by many for another chorus), Osie Johnson, and a final chorus encore by the band. An interesting sidelight to this last track is that it has three bass players and a guest vibes man. Milt Hinton was on bass at the start, but Bagley soon took over. Don and Milt passed the bass back and forth through the number, both being spelled at intervals by Knobby Totah. TV personality and friend of jazz Steve Allen sat on the piano bench with Dick Katz, but while Dick worked the keyboard, Steve had his own thing going on vibes. All in all, it was a fine concert. There were many happy moments, like Osie Johnson playing eight bars of Stardust (by special request); and there were many swinging highlights. Unfortunately, Osie's eight bars didn't make the LP. But the high spots did. And those are the times that live.