Mary Ann McCall

COMPLETE RECORDINGS 1950-1959 (3 LP + 11 TRACKS ON 2 CD)

Personnel:

Don Fagerquist, Red Rodney, Charlie Shavers, Joe Wilder (tp), Kai Winding, Billy Byers, Jimmy Cleveland, Jim Dahl (tb), Lenny Hambro (as), Artie Shaw (cl), Al Cohn, Charlie Ventura, Zoot Sims, Seldon Powell, Frank Socolow (ts), Gerry Mulligan, Sal Moore (bs), Gil Barrios, Al Haig, Dave McKenna, Nat Pierce, Mal Waldron (p), Teddy Charles (vib, arr), Jimmy Raney, Barry Galbraith (g), Dick Niveson, Curley Russell, Bob Carter, Wendel Marshall, George Duvivier, Oscar Pettiford, Chet Amsterdam (b), Irv Kluger, Sonny Igoe, Kenny Clarke (d)

Reference: FSRCD 918_2

Acknowledged as the one of the most expressive voices in jazz, singer Mary Ann McCall (1919-1994) worked with the finest jazzmen of her time, including Tommy Dorsey (1938); Woody Herman (1939-41); and Charlie Barnet (1941-43). Then, semiretired for three years, she rejoined Herman from 1946 to 1950, and also worked as a single. After that she worked with Charlie Ventura through most of 1954 before, tiring of the music business, she returned to her New Jersey home for a few years more.

She had, however, a sizable following since her Herman and Ventura days. It led her to record Easy Living, her first LP, in 1956. Arranged and conducted by Ernie Wilkins and featuring the cream of East Coast jazzmen, the album garnered a 4 1/2 star Down Beat review from Nat Hentoff, who praised her horn-like jazz acumen and supple control.

A second album, Detour to the Moon, followed in 1958. The album’s sessions were directed by Teddy Charles who said “the musicians on both dates were gassed by the way she sang”. On her third and last album, Melancholy Baby, in 1959, her relaxed musicality created an aura of composure contrasting beautifully with the variety of Johnny Richards’ colourful arrangements.

Tracklisting:

CD 1:

01. There Must Be Something Better than Love (McHugh-Fields) 2:53

02. Nothin’ for Nothin’ (Gould-Fields) 2:59

03. The Sky Is Crying (Carter) 2:49

04. After I Say I’m Sorry (Donaldson-Lyman) 2:32

05. I Cried for You (Arnheim-Lyman-Freed) 2:51

06. Until the Real Thing Comes Along

(Chaplin-Nichols-Cahn-Holiner-Freeman) 3:07

07. Careless (Jurgens-Howard-Quadling) 2:56

08. Please Be Kind (Chaplin-Cahn) 2:54

09. Detour Ahead (Carter-Ellis-Frigo) 3:20

10. We’ll Be Together Again (Fischer-Laine) 4:05

11. There’ll Be Some Changes Made (Overstreet-Higgins) 3:27

12. Shake Down the Stars (Van Heusen-DeLange) 2:22

13. You Can Depend On Me (Carpenter-Dunlop-Hines) 2:55

14. Easy Living (Rainger-Robin) 2:52

15. Mean to Me (Ahlert-Turk) 2:40

16. In My Solitude (Ellington-DeLange-Mills) 3:17

17. I Thought About You (Van Heusen-Mercer) 3:11

18. Deep Purple (De Rose-Parish) 3:40

19. Deed I Do (Rose-Hirsh) 3:04

20. It’s You Or No One (Styne-Cahn) 3:30

21. It’s Been So Long (Donaldson-Adamson) 2:01

22. Something I Dreamed Last Night (Magidson-Fain-Yellin) 2:38

23. It Must Be True (Arnheim-Barris-Clifford) 2:10

CD 2:

01. Detour Ahead (Carter-Ellis-Frigo) 2:36

02. I Wished On the Moon (Parker-Rainger) 3:22

03. The Moon Was Yellow (Leslie-Ahlert) 2:40

04. Oh! You Crazy Moon (Burke-Van Heusen) 2:23

05. Moonlight Becomes You (Burke-Van Heusen) 3:28

06. Moonglow (Hudson-De Lange-Mills) 2:15

07. Shine On Harvest Moon (Bayes-Norworth) 2:47

08. Blue Moon (Rodgers-Hart) 4:02

09. East of the Sun (Bowman) 2:28

10. No Moon at All (Mann-Evans) 3:38

11. It’s Only a Paper Moon (Rose-Harburgh-Arlen) 2:40

12. Moon Country (Carmichael-Mercer) 2:35

13. My Melancholy Baby (Burnett-Norton-Watson) 3:20

14. Melancholy Nights (Charles-McCall) 3:11

15. A Lover Is Blue (Mundy-Young-Carpenter) 3:21

16. Trouble Is a Man (Wilder) 2:34

17. Blue (And Broken Hearted) (Handman-Clarke-Leslie) 2:33

18. The Thrill Is Gone (Brown-Henderson) 2:20

19. Am I Blue (Akst-Clarke) 3:35

20. My Old Flame (Johnston-Coslow) 2:42

21. Blue and Sentimental (Basie-Livingston-David) 3:15

22. Sentimental and Melancholy (Whiting-Mercer) 2:46

23. Melancholy Mood (Schuman-Knight) 3:11

24. Melancholy (Is a Friend of Mine) (Holop-Lee) 3:42

Sources CD 1:

Tracks #1 & 2, from Decca 24870

Tracks #3 & 4, from Roost 511

Tracks #5 & 6, from Roost 514

Tracks #7-9, from the 10” album

“An Evening with Mary Ann McCall & Charlie Ventura” (Norgran MG N-8)

Tracks #10 & 11, from the 10” album

“Another Evening with Mary Ann McCall & Charlie Ventura” (Norgran MG N-1013)

Tracks #7-11, also issued on the 12” album

“An Evening with Mary Ann McCall and Charlie Ventura” (Norgran MG N-1053)

Tracks #12-21, from the album “Easy Living” (Regent RMG-6040)

Tracks #22 & 23, from the miscellaneous album

“Almost Like Being In Love” (Regent RMG-6046)

Sources CD 2:

Tracks #1-12, from the album “Detour to the Moon” (Jubilee JLP-1078)

Tracks #13-24, from the album “Melancholy Baby” (Coral CRL-757276)

Mary Ann McCall, vocals, accompanied by

CD 1

ARTIE SHAW and His Gramercy Five

Tracks #1-2: Don Fagerquist, trumpet; Artie Shaw, clarinet; Gil Barrios, piano; Jimmy Raney, guitar; Dick Niveson, bass; Irv Kluger, drums.

Recorded in New York City, January 6, 1950

AL COHN and His Orchestra

Tracks #3-6: Red Rodney, trumpet; Earl Swope, trombone; Al Cohn, tenor sax & arranger; Gerry Mulligan, baritone sax; Al Haig, piano; Curley Russell, bass; Jeff Morton, drums.

Recorded in New York City, February 1, 1950

CHARLIE VENTURA Quartet

Tracks #7-9: Charlie Ventura, tenor sax; Dave McKenna, piano; Bob Carter, bass; Sonny Igoe, drums.

Recorded in Los Angeles, June 7, 1954

CHARLIE VENTURA and His Orchestra

Tracks #10-11: Charlie Shavers, trumpet; Kai Winding, trombone; Lenny Hambro, alto sax; Charlie Ventura, tenor sax; Dave McKenna, piano; Perry Lopez, guitar; Bob Carter, bass; Sonny Igoe, drums.

Recorded in New York City, August 16, 1954

ERNIE WILKINS and His Orchestra

Tracks #12-23: Joe Wilder, trumpet; Zoot Sims, George Barrow, Seldon Powell, tenor saxophones; Sol Moore, baritone sax; Nat Pierce, piano; Wendell Marshall, bass; Kenny Clarke, drums.

Recorded in Hackensack, New Jersey, August 14, 16 & 23, 1956

CD 2

TEDDY CHARLES Quintet

Tracks #1,2,5,7,10,12: Teddy Charles, vibes; Charles McCracken, cello; Walt Tramler, viola; Jimmy Raney, guitar; George Duvivier, bass.

Tracks # 3,4,6,8,9,11: Teddy Charles, vibes; Mal Waldron, piano; Jimmy Raney, guitar; Oscar Pettiford, bass; Jerry Segal, drums.

Arrangements by: Teddy Charles (#4,7,8,10), Bill Russo (#1,3,12), Bob Brookmeyer (#5, 6), Mal Waldron (#11), Jimmy Raney (#2), communally arranged (#9).

Recorded in New York City, March, 1958

JOHNNY RICHARDS and His Orchestra

Tracks #14,18,21,24: Burt Collins, Jerry Kail, John Bello, Ray Copeland, trumpets; Billy Byers, Jimmy Cleveland, Jim Dahl, trombones; Jay McAllister, tuba; Joe Singer, French horn; Gene Quill, alto sax; Frank Socolow, tenor sax; Bill Slapin, baritone sax, flute, piccolo; Shelly Gold, bass sax; John Knapp, piano; Barry Galbraith, guitar; Chet Amsterdam, bass; Ed Shaughnessy, drums; Joe Venuto, vibes & percussion; Warren Smith, percussion.

Recorded in New York City, March 2, 1959

Tracks #15,17,19,22: Burt Collins, trumpet; Frank Socolow, tenor sax; John Knapp, piano; Joe Venuto, vibes; Barry Galbraith, guitar; Chet Amsterdam, bass; Ed Shaughnessy, drums.

Recorded in New York City, March 6, 1959

Tracks #13,16,20,23: Bill Slapin, flute; Billy Byers, trombone; John Knapp, piano; Chet Amsterdam, bass; Ed Shaughnessy, drums; plus eight cellos.

Recorded in New York City, March 20, 1959

Original recordings produced by Milt Gabler, Teddy Reig, Norman Granz, Ozzie Cadena, Teddy Charles and Bob Thiele.

This 2-CD set produced by Jordi Pujol

Hi Fi / Stereo · 24-Bit Digitally Remastered