Personnel:
Don Fagerquist (tp), Bob Enevoldsen (v-tb), Dave Pell (ts), Marty Berman (bs), Marty Paich (p), Tony Rizzi (g), Buddy Clark (b), Frank Capp (d)
Reference: FSRCD 1656
Bar code: 8427328616560
The smooth sound of the Dave Pell Octet and the general feeling of their presentations, though an essential contributing factor to the units success, have moved certain jazz critics to categorize Pells music as jazz. The major portion of the octets work were dances, and over 95 percent of them were for high schools and colleges. Almost every time we play a college or high school, there are requests for the school song, said Pell. When our baritone sax man suggested we make jazz arrangements on the best known college songs... I took the idea immediately. Utilizing the great arrangers available Marty Paich, Bill Holman, John Williams to us, the project was carried out.
"For this project by the Dave Pell Octet, the group performs 16 songs that were either college tunes or favorites of fraternities. Although the concept is not too promising and the interpretations are quite concise (often around three minutes apiece), the music is more rewarding than expected. Such tunes as "On Wisconsin," "Iowa Corn Song," "Hail Purdue," and "Sweetheart of Sigma Chi" have rarely sounded better since the arrangements of Bill Holman, Marty Paich, John Williams, Med Flory, and Bob Enevoldsen uplift the songs and are full of little surprises. This was trumpeter Don Fagerquist's last album with Pell's octet; also heard from are Pell on tenor, valve trombonist Bob Enevoldsen, baritonist Marty Berman, and a four-piece rhythm section led by pianist Marty Paich."
Scott Yanow -All Music Guide
