Tony Scott Official Site

Liner Notes from record's back cover by Bill Zeitung
December 18, January 7 and 12, 1955.
If there is any musician on the contemporary jazz scene whose personality and performance prove the soundness of the old adage that "heroes are made 'not born,"
it is Tony Scott.

Although a comparatively young man, it is obvious that
issues from his truly formidable clarinet is the end
study and of the greatest teacher of all which is
That young Mr. Scott is one of modem jazz's
hardly be disputed? and although he has
extremely doubtful if he has ever been
effect as in the current proceedings.

he was not born a-wailing-what
product of years of intensive
commonly called experience.
most brilliant spokesmen can
recorded previously, it is
heard to such overpowering

Much of this, of course, must be credited to Tony'sindividual brilliance. he is a master technician (just listen to Sunday Scene), but one whose digital dexterity never runs away with him . I t is of exactly the proper proportions to keep up with his fantastically seething imagination. But, on the other hand, with Tony blowing at his most lucid, considerable credit must also be handed to the men he has chosen to accompany him. A good deal has been written about modern jazz's "new sounds," but the band assembled here - two sexes, trumpet, trombone, bass and drums - contributes a solid, haunting backdrop which bids fair to keep the aural arguments permanently in the forefront of the cool music league. In addition to his vividly exciting performances, Tony has also contributed six original compositions: Sunday Scene, Requiem for "Lips", Fingerpoppin' Blues, Abstraction No. 1, Let My Fingers Go! and the Three Short Dances for Solo Clarinet. He also did the scoring of Autumn Nocturne.

His writing and arranging everywhere exhibit a profound knowledge of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, to say nothing of those of a host of modem symphonic composers. Four of the other five tunes in the album are the work of arranger Dick Hyman: he has scored Forty Second Street, But Not for Me, Glad to Be Unhappy and Lucky to Be Me - and if they are of a somewhat different nature than those contributed by Tony, they are no less stimulating and certainly no less evocative of what modern jazz can contribute.

Gershwin's beautiful Our Love Is Here to Stay, was arranged by trombonist Billy Byers. The supporting musicians contribute an all-star team in anybody's musical league - Eddie Wasserman on tenor; Danny Banks on baritone; Jimmy Nottingham on trumpet; Billy Byers on trombone; the swingin' Milt Hinton on bass; and the phenomenal Osie Johnson on drums. In back of Mr. Scott they blow as one - that is, when the occasion arises, for much of the writing is for individual voices - but their collective and individual talent can never be mistaken.

Like Tony himself, their work is indicative of the seriousness, the musicianship,
the brilliance which have made modern jazz a magnificently a expressive thing.
Bill Zeitun