1, Duke Ellington, Call Me Irresponsible (from Ellington '65, Reprise). Lawrence Brown, trombone; Ellington, plano; El lington or Billy Strayhorn, arranger. ‘That's Lawrence Brown. His chops were very fuzzy that particular day. He was one ‘of my idols when I first started playing ‘rombone. Him and ‘Trummy Young. But that date, he had so many tremors, just from the’ chops. You have those days— any artist does. I'd give that one two stars, Tt was a beautiful arrangement. Say they played it tomorrow, it might have been just 100 percent different We just recorded this tune with Count Basie a few weeks ago. Incidentally, Billy Byers told me had heard this with Law- rence Brown and would like to work it up for me. So we did; T wonder how the critics will accept mine! But T think my chops were in much betler shape that par- ticular day. 2. Grachan Moncur Ill. Monk in Wonder- land (from Evolution, Blue Note). Lee Morgan, trumpet: Moncur, trombone, ‘composer; Bobby Hutcherson, vibraharp; Bob Cranshaw, bass. ‘This particular tune— I liked the melo- dy; it swings. Only thing: T think @ tune like this needs more rehearsing, becanse it has so many changes in it, and T feel no artist can do his hest when he just had A few hours to go to the recording studio, It pals him in a strain, and because Tim a musician T understand how it is, But T still like this melody very much, and there's a fantastic solo by Lee Morgan there, T was at the rehearsal of this date, over at the CBS building in New York, T live right around the corner there, so T always ceaich rehearsal, Tve met Grachan—he's one of the new trombone artists around, but to me. he sill falls in between 1. Johnson and Cur- tis Fuller. Today you find so many trom: bone players who sound in between the two—JJ. and Curtis—until its very hard to distinguish a lot of them from each other. T give this one three stars, because it's a Irate tne ‘The vibraphone? That was Bobby Hutch- crson, Sort of like the sounds Billy Mitch- ell and Al Grey used to produce, because we didn't use a piano either and depended solely on the vibes and the bass like that, ‘And Bob Cranshaw—he's another one of those heavy bass players, so this tune came off real well. 3. Melba Liston. “What's My Line?” Theme (from Melba Liston and Her Bones, Metrojezz). Miss Liston, Jimmy Cleveland, Frank Rehak, trombones, Nice sound to it... . That was Jimmy Cleveland on trombone... and Melba Liston and Frank Rehak, Timmy Cleveland happened to hear him jam- ‘ming in Memphis, Tenn., at the time T ‘was with Lionel Hampton's band and we needed a trombone player. So T told Gates, “You should tisten to that eat and take hhim.” And this is where Jimmy Cleveland came from. He was going to Tennessee BLINDFOLD TEST By LEONARD FEATHER Al Grey has been sueh a notable part of the Count Basie Band sound during the last few months: that it i hard to realize he was ever away. ‘The absence Tasted almost four years—from January, 1961, to October, 1964. During most of that time, Grey and another Basie alumnus, tenor saxophonist Billy Mitchell, were leading their own combo at the Village Vanguard, the Half Note, and ‘other spots. The group enjoyed a considerable success d'estime and won the 1962 Down Beat International Jazz. Crites Poll award as new combo of the year. Grey's pre-Basie reputation was already substantial. Born in 1925 in Aldie, Vaw he came to prominence in the bands of Benny Carter and Jimmie Lunceford, later working with Lionel Hampton, Arnett Cobb, and Lucky Millinder. He spent about fa year on tour with Dizzy Gillespie's last big band before joining Basie in 1957, | Though he is a trombonist of considerable flexibility, it is his work with the plunger that has earned Grey his increasing Popularity with the band, For this, his first Blindfold Test, he Was played records that featured trombonists who, for the most part, play in siyles different from his own, State at that time. We were en route to San Francisco, and we took on another trombonist there, a Japanese player named Paul Hagaki. This is when Renny Powell left the band. Sure, T recognized Melba right away. She's one of my favorites of all times— period. Melba, to me, is one of the great ext arrangers—and 10 play the trombone, she also does that well. You can’t tell the difference—I mean, when you play rec- ords, you can't see that is a lady! But she is very much a Indy, This is very hard to rate here, Best 1 could do is about 3%. stars, because though its a good. performance and everything, here you go again: lot of times you need more time just f0 go over things For instance, bands that go together, six, seven months with the same personnel, they can get the roughness off things, and this tad some rough edges in it. T find that, no matter who you are, you have to spend four to five mionths with the same personnel in order to really have finesse with a tune 4, Count Basie. Whirly Bird (from Basie at Birdland, Roulette). Basie, piano; Jon Hendricks, vocal. Recorded in 1962, Ha, ha! Whoee! That one gets two stars, And it gets two stars because Jon Hen= Gricks made a real wonderful effort, He's really swinging on there, During that time Base was in the process of building a new band, and by having new men that way— and having been with the band before, you know, we used to play all those tunes land have’so much finesse in doing it until you hear popping going on all the way over it, first chorus, eed. chorus, trombones, and trumpets’ too. I's new ‘men breaking in, and Basie's band is a band that you have to play in over a peri= od of a year in order to jell No, I wasn't with the band at this time. Like T say, he was breaking in a lot of ‘new men, and the band just wasnt straight, 5. Woody Herman. It's a Lonesome Old ‘Town (from Herman-1963, Philips). Her- ‘man, clarinet, leader; Phil Wilson, trom: bone. God! Who plays trombone that high? Is that Woody Herman’s band? And who is that kid from up in New England states? He's really got some chops. ‘This ‘was beautiful. I have to give this one four stars “Course, it was a commercial sound, but it was sill a beautiful balance. And Woody Herman—he even sounded real beautiful fon this. T didn't think he played that good! That really knocked me ott 6. Si Zentner. House of the Rising Sun (irom My Cup of Tea, RCA Victor). Zent ner, trombone, leader; Bobby Harrison, drums, Pretty clean. Sounds like studio. musi- cians. Is that Si Zentner? J love all trom- bone players. Si Zentner—he's one of the great players of today, has a distinguished sound of his ov. Hovever, this could have been played much better, Had a nervousness in there, the drums, trying to play 3/4 oF 6/8 ot whatever you call it, didn't jell, But the band sounded exeéllent—sounded like artists that had some time together for a period of time... . Like that Woody Her ‘man, you could tell those artists had been together for a period of time; it was crisp. T give that one 334 stars, 7. 4. J. Johnson. The Sweetest Sounds (from J. 3's Broadway, Verve). Johnson, trombone, That's the master of them all: J, J. This was put together, and the fellows had finesse in playing it. T give this one five stars, It deserves just that May 6 [35 AL GREY