The Jazz roots of the world-famous soundtrack composer
When you see John Williams standing before his mighty Boston Pops Orchestra... when you watch him collect another Academy Award or Emmy... when you notice his name as the credits roll by on the major films, have you ever wondered whether he thinks about his roots? Now, looking back to the musical beginnings of John Williams, this 2-CD set may be the perfect answer to this question. John's impressive feeling for jazz accounts for his popularity in the West Coast musical circles as an arranger, conductor and pianist.
—Jordi Pujol
Tracklist
Total time: 114:40 min.
CD1 - John T. Williams Quartet & Solo
01. The Most Beautiful Girl In The World (Rodgers-Hart) 2:51
02. In A Little Spanish Town (Wayne-Lewis-Young) 2:25
03. I'll Take Romance (Hammerstein-Oakland) 2:58
04. Zigeuner (Noel Coward) 4:17
05. Tenderly (Lawrence-Gross) 3:53
06. Diane (Rappee-Pollack) 2:47
07. Dear To My Heart (Walter Gross) 3:27
08. While We're Young (Engvick-Wilder-Palitz) 3:02
09. Wait Till You See Her (Rodgers-Hart) 2:30
10. One Love (Rose-Robin) 2:35
11. Bess, Oh Where's My Bess (G. & I. Gershwin) 2:22
12. Hello (John T. Williams) 2:39
13. Aunt Orsavella (John T. Williams) 2:26
14. Spring Is Here (Rodgers-Hart) 3:12
15. Anything Goes (Cole Porter) 2:31
16. Caribe (John T. Williams) 2:14
17. One Love (Rose-Robin) 2:01
18. Our Waltz (David Rose) 1:57
CD2 - John T. Williams Septet, Octet & Orchestra
01. I've Got The World On A String (Arlen-Koehler) 2:56
02. Get Happy (Arlen-Koehler) 2:32
03. That Old Black Magic (Arlen-Mercer) 3:11
04. Over The Rainbow (Arlen-Harburg) 2:29
05. Let's Fall In Love (Arlen-Koehler) 2:30
06. Stormy Weather (Arlen-Koehler) 2:45
07. My Shinning Hour (Arlen-Koehler) 2:05
08. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea (Arlen-Koehler) 3:16
09. Come Rain Or Come Shine (Arlen-Koehler) 3:22
10. Here's What I'm Here For (Arlen-Gershwin) 3:15
11. Hit The Road To Dreamland (Arlen-Mercer) 2:41
12. A Sleepin' Bee (Arlen-Capote) 3:06
13. All Of You (Cole Porter) 2:18
14. The Last Time I Saw Paris (Kern-Hammerstein II) 2:13
15. I Can't Get Started (Duke-Gershwin) 2:50
16. I Got Plenty O'Nuttin' (G. & I. Gershwin) 2:41
17. It's The Talk Of The Town (Levinson-Symes-Neiburg) 2:37
18. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To (Cole Porter) 2:17
19. It Ain't Necessarily So (G. & I. Gershwin) 2:19
20. Tenderly (Gross-Lawrence) 2:37
21. This Can't Be Love (Rodgers-Hart) 2:06
22. Old Devil Moon (Lane-Harburg) 1:58
23. My Happy Time (Johnny Desmond) 2:20
24. There's A Small Hotel (Rodgers-Hart) 2:13
Album details
Sources CD 1:
Tracks #1-12, from the album "The John Towner Touch" (Kapp KI-1055)
Tracks #13-16, taken from the collective album "Modern Jazz Gallery" (Kapp KXL-5001)
Tracks #17 & 18, from the album "Marjorie Lee —Remembering" (Beau Monde BR-100)
Sources CD 2:
Tracks #1-12, from the album "World on a String" (Bethlehem BCP-6025)
Tracks# 13-27, from the album "Johnny Desmond —So Nice!" (Venise 1003)
Personnel on CD 1
Tracks #1-4: John T. Williams Quartet
John T. Williams (p), Howard Roberts (g), Joe Mondragon (b), Jack Sperling (d).
Radio Recorders, Hollywood, October 3, 1956
Tracks #5-10: John T. Williams Quartet, with a string section conducted by Russell Garcia.
Radio Recorders, Hollywood, October 18, 1956
Tracks #11 & 12: John T. Williams (piano solo).
Radio Recorders, Hollywood, October 18, 1956
Tracks #13-16: John T. Williams Quartet
John T. Williams (p), Howard Roberts (g), Curtis Counce (b), Jerry Williams (d).
Radio Recorders, Hollywood, November 2, 1956
Tracks #17 & 18: John T. Williams Quartet
John T. Williams (p), Bob Gibbons (g), Rolly Bundock (b), Jack Sperling (d).
Radio Recorders, Hollywood, May 8, 1957
Personnel on CD 2
Tracks #1-4: John T. Williams Septet
Herb Geller (as), Buddy Collette, Gene Cipriano (ts), Marty Berman (bs), John T. Williams (p), Buddy Clark (b), Jerry Williams (d).
Radio Recorders, Hollywood, October 3, 1957
Tracks #5-9: John T. Williams Octet
Milt Bernhart, Dick Noel, Joe Howard (tb), Bob Enevoldsen (v-tb), John T. Williams (p), George Roberts (g), Buddy Clark (b), Jerry Williams (d).
Radio Recorders, Hollywood, October 4, 1957
Tracks #10-12: John T. Williams Septet
Dick Noel (tb), Bob Enevoldsen (v-tb), Richie Kamuca (ts), Marty Berman (bs), John T. Williams (p), Buddy Clark (b), Jerry Williams (d).
Radio Recorders, Hollywood, October 14, 1957
Tracks #13-24: John T. Williams Orchestra, featuring Johnny Desmond (vcl)
Frank Beach, Don Fagerquist, John Audino (tp), Dick Noel, Joe Howard, Ray Sims (tb), Bob Enevoldsen (v-tb), George Roberts (b-tb), Ronnie Lang, Herman Gunkler (cl, as), Bill Holman, Gene Cipriano (ts), Marty Berman (bs), John T. Williams (p), Larry Bunker (vib), Tom Tedesco (g), Buddy Clark (b), Frank Capp (d).
Arrangements by John T. Williams & Bill Holman
Radio Recorders, Hollywood, February 24, 1958
Photography © Fresh Sound Records
Original sessions produced by Albert Marx (Kapp), Bernie Halpert (Beau Monde), Red Clyde (Bethlehem) and Dave Pell (Venise)
Produced for CD Release by Jordi Pujol
Hi Fi · 24-Bit Digitally Remastered
Blue Moon Producciones Discograficas S.L.Press reviews
"Long before fame with E.T, Star Wars, Raiders of The Lost Ark or any other hit movie, John T. Williams, America’s most famous composer and conductor, was a bona fide jazzer. This two disc collection puts together his earliest sessions, and I’m guaranteeing you that you will stump ANYONE on a blindfold test. This guy was a bopper!
He recorded in various combinations of bands, with even a pair of solo tunes (“Hello” and “Bess, Oh Where’s My Bess”) filled with beauty. His touch from his 1956 quartet sessions display a major influence from Bud Powell, as he is digging into versions of “The Most Beautiful Girl In The World” and “Caribe” with a 52nd Street Feel. The more romantic tunes, such as “Diane” or “Spring Is Here” have Williams adding paint brush strokes of blue to perfection, while the supporting cast of the likes of Howard Roberts/g, Joe Mondragon-Curtis Counce/b and Jack Sperling/dr giving a California Cool feel to the room.
However, what’s going to knock you out are Williams’ Septet and Octet sessions with the likes of Hollywood’s finest in Herb Gelleer/as, Buddy Collette-Richie Kamuca-Gene Cipriano/ts, Buddy Clark/b, Jerry Williams/dr, Marty Berman/bars and Bob Enevoldsen/tb sounding like the second coming of Birth Of The Cool on a collection of 1957 sessions. Yes, there are some quick in and out solos thrown in, but the nifty charts, clever harmonics and understated hipness of the whole thing as on ”I’ve Got The World On A String” and “Let’s Fall In Love” are indescribably fresh and fervent. Where have these been hiding, and why aren’t they used for a soundtrack somewhere?
A big band session with vocalist Johnny Desmond concludes with rich and romantic reads of “All Of You” and “Tenderly”, and the charts by Williams and Bill Holman are timeless. Forget The Boston Pops and Hollywood Bowl, when’s this guy hitting the local jazz dives?!?"
—George W. Harris (January 30, 2025)
https://www.jazzweekly.com/
