Robert Elliot 'Jonah' Jones was an A-class trumpet player, a dynamic and surefooted soloist who expressed himself through Mainstream Jazz. Somewhat inspired by Louis Armstrong and Charlie Shavers, Jonah soon added to those influences his clarity of tone and logical phrasing. These 1954 Paris-New York sessions were recorded not long before he took his first steps on the road to commercial success fronting his own quartet.
The two French sessions are outstanding. The swinging Mr. Jones shares the solo spot with the powerful sound of Alix Combelles tenor sax, and the poignant, eloquent and unmistakable soprano sax of a jazz giant: Sidney Bechet. On the New York sextet sides, along Jonahs always-smiling trumpet and singing, shines the horn work of the two bones Vick Dickenson and Urbie Green, along with clarinetist Ed Hall. The overall feeling is that of the Swing Era.
Tracklist
Total time: 79:26 min.
01. Jonahs Wail (Jones) 3:17
02. Love Is Just Around The Corner (Gensler-Robin) 4:19
03. Confessin (Dougherty-Neiburg) 4:23
04. Whales Bues [Aka Blues de la Baleine] (Jones-Combelle) 4:21
05. Coquette (Khan-Green-Lombardo) 5:05
06. I May Be Wrong (Ruskin-Sullivan) 4:05
07. Crazy Rhythm (Kahn-Caesar-Meyer) 3:58
08. Lonesome Road (Austin) 5:02
09. Somebody Stole My Gal (Woods) 4:23
10. When You Wore A Tulip (Trad.) 4:05
11. Squeeze Me (Waller-Williams) 3:27
12. Chinatown, My Chinatown (Jerome-Schwartz) 4:36
13. Beale Street Blues (Handy) 3:55
14. Down By The Riverside (Trad.) 3:22
15. European Blues (Jones) 3:50
16. Sheik Of Araby (Snyder-Wheeler-Smith) 3:54
17. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams (Barris) 2:52
18. Stars Fell On Alabama (Perkins-Parish) 2:53
19. Youre The Cream In My Coffee 3:12 (DeSylva-Brown-Henderson)
20. J.J. Special (Jones) 3:30
Album details
Sources:
Tracks #1-6, originally issued as Swing M 33328
Tracks #7-12, originally issued as Vogue LD 119
Tracks #13-20, originally Bethlehem BCP 1014
Personnel:
Tracks #1-6:
Jonah Jones with Alix Combelles Orchestra
Jonah Jones, trumpet; Alix Combelle, tenor sax; Jean-Claude Pelletier, piano; Jean Bonal, guitar; Alix Bret, bass; Pierre Lemarchand, drums.
Recorded in Paris, on June 3, 1954
Tracks #7-12:
Jonah Jones with Sidney Bechet
Jonah Jones, trumpet; Sidney Bechet, soprano sax; André Persiany, piano; Benoit Quersin, bass; Marcel Blanche, drums.
Recorded in Paris, on September 22, 1954
Tracks #13-16:
Jonah Jones Sextet
Jonah Jones, trumpet, vocals; Vic Dickenson, trombone; Edmond Hall, clarinet; Kenny Kersey, piano; George 'Pops' Foster, bass; Osie Johnson, drums.
Recorded in New York, December 9, 1954
Tracks #17-20:
Jonah Jones Sextet
Jonah Jones, trumpet, vocals; Urbie Green, trombone; George Clarke, tenor sax; Kenny Kersey, piano; Milt Hinton, bass; Osie Johnson, drums.
Recorded in New York, circa December 1954
Compilation & liner notes: Tomás Gonzalez
Produced for CD release by Jordi Pujol
