JOHNNY CARISI - The
Music of Johnny Carisi/Israel
Fresh Sound Records FSR-CD 817
Johnny Carisi’s Jazz Workshop
Track one
Johnny Carisi ( Ldr / tpt ) Urbie Green ( tmb ) Ray Beckenstein ( clt / alto ) Eddie Wassrman (tnr) Danny Bank ( as ) Barry Galbraith ( gtr ) Russ Saunders ( bass ) Her Wasserman ( drs )
Recorded New York City, 21st April 1956
Tracks 2 to 7
Johnny Carisi ( ldr / tpt ) Urbie Green ( tmb ) Ray Beckenstein ( clt / alto ) Eddie Wasserman (tnr) Sol Schlinger ( bar ) Barry Galbraith ( gtr ) Milt Hinton ( bass ) Osie Johnson ( drs )
Recorded New York City, 5th & 11th May 1956
Al Cohn Octet
Track 8
Joe Newman ( tpt ) Billy Byers ( tmb ) Gene Quill ( alto ) Al Cohn ( tnr ) Sol Schlinger ( tnr ) Sanford Gold ( pno ) Buddy Jones ( bass ) Osie Johnson ( drs )
Recorded New York City, 23rd December 1954
Tony Scott Tentet
Track 9
Johnny Carisi ( tpt ) Joe Wilder ( tpt ) Jimmy Cleveland ( tmb ) Urbie Green ( tmb ) Tony Scott ( clt ) Danny Bank ( bar ) Barry Galbraith ( gtr ) Bill Evan ( pno ) Milt Hinton 9 bass )Osie Johnson ( drs )
Recorded New York City, 5th July 1956
Urbie Green & his orchestra
Track 10
Johnny Carisi ( tpt ) Nick Travis ( tpt ) Joe Wilder ( tpt ) Urbie Green ( tmb ) Chauncey Welsch ( tmb ) Jack Green ( tmb ) Bill Barber ( tuba ) Ray Beckenstein ( alto ) Hal McKusick ( alto ) Al Cohn ( tnr ) Sol Schlinger ( bar ) Dave McKenna ( pno ) Jack Lesberg ( bass ) Osie Johnson ( drs )
Recorded New York City, 5th August 1956
Track 11 & 12
Doc Severinsen ( tpt ) Phil Sunkel ( tpt ) Johnny Carisi ( tpt ) Urbie Green ( tmb ) Lou McGarity ( tmb ) Rex Peer ( tmb ) Bill Barber ( tuba ) Ray Beckenstein ( alto ) Hal McKusick ( alto ) Al Cohn ( tnr ) Danny Bank ( bar ) Dave McKenna ( pno ) Vinnie Burke ( bass ) Osie Johnson ( drs )
Recorded New York City, 23rd August 1956
Gerry Mulligan & the Concert Jazz Band
Track 13
Don Ferrara ( tpt ) Nick Travis ( tpt ) Doc Severinsen ( tpt ) Bob Brookmeyer ( val. tmb) Willie Dennis ( tmb ) Alan Raph ( bass tmb ) Gene Quill ( alto ) Bob Donovan ( alto ) Gerry Mulligan ( bar ) Gene Allen ( bar ) Bill Crow ( bass ) Mel Lewis ( drs ) Johnny Carisi ( arr )
Recorded New York City, 10th July 1961
Johnny Carisi & his orchestra
Track 14
Johnny Carisi ( tpt ) Johnny Glasel ( tpt ) Doc Severinsen ( tpt ) Urbie Green ( tmb ) Jim Buffington ( French horn ) Harvey Phillips ( tuba ) Phil Woods ( alto ) Gene Quill ( alto )Barry Galbraith ( gtr ) Eddie Costa ( vibes ) Milt Hinton ( bass ) Osie Johnson ( drs )
Recorded New York City, 14th September1961
Track 15
Johnny Carisi ( tpt ) Johnny Glasel ( tpt ) Clark Terry ( tpt ) Urbie Green ( tmb ) Bob Brookmeyer ( val. tmb ) Harvey Phillips ( tuba ) Phil Woods ( alto ) Gene Quill ( alto ) Barry Galbraith ( gtr ) Eddie Costa ( pno ) Art Davis ( bass ) Osie Johnson ( drs )
Recorded New York City, 1st October 1961
Track 16
Same personnel as track 15 except Joe Wilder ( tpt ) replaces Clark Terry
Recorded New York City, 31st October 1961
Miles Davis Nonet
Track 17
Miles Davis ( tpt ) J.J.Johnson ( tmb ) Sanford Siegel stein ( French horn ) Bill Barber ( tuba ) Lee Konitz ( alto ) Gerry Mulligan ( bar ) John Lewis ( pno ) Nelson Boyd ( bass ) Kenny Clarke ( drs )
Recorded New York City, 22nd April 1949
Johnny Carisi began his musical life as a jazz trumpet player but honed his arranging skills with the Glenn Miller US Air Force Band and later arranged for the forward thinking Claude Thornhill Orchestra along with Gil Evans for whom he was to have a further association on Gil’s “Into the Hot” album.
The majority of the compositions on this album were written by Carisi and all the arrangements, the one that brought him to the jazz ”public’s attention was “Israel” which appeared on the Miles Davis “Birth of the cool” album and this composition features three times on this collection.
This album fully represents Johnny Carisi’s jazz output during his brief association with this type of music but his horizons were set beyond this field and although he continued in the musical field it had little to do with jazz.
The first seven tracks feature Johnny Carisi’s Jazz Workshop eight piece group and although it was recorded seven years later than the “Birth of the cool” session it still retains flavour and approach if not quite the same instrumentation. Although there are two standard tunes on these seven tracks it is the Carisi composition that are the most interesting. One of the tracks is “Springville” which appeared on the “Miles Ahead “ album but this version is taken at a slightly faster tempo and has a different feel to it.
“Walkin’ on air” by the Tony Scott Tenet has a much more conventional instrumentation and it’s a pleasure to hear Tony Scott’s unconventional clarinet playing which makes this a more than interesting track.
The three tracks by the Urbie Green Big Band are fine swinging big band performances and Urbie Green’s trombone playing never fails to be of interest and along with some well seasoned sidemen these are performances which leaves you wanting more of the same.
One of the other performances of “Israel” is by the Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band and is arranged by Johnny Carisi and gives a whole different feel to the band much as did the arrangements of Gary McFarland did for the band..
For any lover of interesting arranging this is a must have release and Johnny Carisi’s work deserves wider attention.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
Fresh Sound Records FSR-CD 817
Johnny Carisi’s Jazz Workshop
Track one
Johnny Carisi ( Ldr / tpt ) Urbie Green ( tmb ) Ray Beckenstein ( clt / alto ) Eddie Wassrman (tnr) Danny Bank ( as ) Barry Galbraith ( gtr ) Russ Saunders ( bass ) Her Wasserman ( drs )
Recorded New York City, 21st April 1956
Tracks 2 to 7
Johnny Carisi ( ldr / tpt ) Urbie Green ( tmb ) Ray Beckenstein ( clt / alto ) Eddie Wasserman (tnr) Sol Schlinger ( bar ) Barry Galbraith ( gtr ) Milt Hinton ( bass ) Osie Johnson ( drs )
Recorded New York City, 5th & 11th May 1956
Al Cohn Octet
Track 8
Joe Newman ( tpt ) Billy Byers ( tmb ) Gene Quill ( alto ) Al Cohn ( tnr ) Sol Schlinger ( tnr ) Sanford Gold ( pno ) Buddy Jones ( bass ) Osie Johnson ( drs )
Recorded New York City, 23rd December 1954
Tony Scott Tentet
Track 9
Johnny Carisi ( tpt ) Joe Wilder ( tpt ) Jimmy Cleveland ( tmb ) Urbie Green ( tmb ) Tony Scott ( clt ) Danny Bank ( bar ) Barry Galbraith ( gtr ) Bill Evan ( pno ) Milt Hinton 9 bass )Osie Johnson ( drs )
Recorded New York City, 5th July 1956
Urbie Green & his orchestra
Track 10
Johnny Carisi ( tpt ) Nick Travis ( tpt ) Joe Wilder ( tpt ) Urbie Green ( tmb ) Chauncey Welsch ( tmb ) Jack Green ( tmb ) Bill Barber ( tuba ) Ray Beckenstein ( alto ) Hal McKusick ( alto ) Al Cohn ( tnr ) Sol Schlinger ( bar ) Dave McKenna ( pno ) Jack Lesberg ( bass ) Osie Johnson ( drs )
Recorded New York City, 5th August 1956
Track 11 & 12
Doc Severinsen ( tpt ) Phil Sunkel ( tpt ) Johnny Carisi ( tpt ) Urbie Green ( tmb ) Lou McGarity ( tmb ) Rex Peer ( tmb ) Bill Barber ( tuba ) Ray Beckenstein ( alto ) Hal McKusick ( alto ) Al Cohn ( tnr ) Danny Bank ( bar ) Dave McKenna ( pno ) Vinnie Burke ( bass ) Osie Johnson ( drs )
Recorded New York City, 23rd August 1956
Gerry Mulligan & the Concert Jazz Band
Track 13
Don Ferrara ( tpt ) Nick Travis ( tpt ) Doc Severinsen ( tpt ) Bob Brookmeyer ( val. tmb) Willie Dennis ( tmb ) Alan Raph ( bass tmb ) Gene Quill ( alto ) Bob Donovan ( alto ) Gerry Mulligan ( bar ) Gene Allen ( bar ) Bill Crow ( bass ) Mel Lewis ( drs ) Johnny Carisi ( arr )
Recorded New York City, 10th July 1961
Johnny Carisi & his orchestra
Track 14
Johnny Carisi ( tpt ) Johnny Glasel ( tpt ) Doc Severinsen ( tpt ) Urbie Green ( tmb ) Jim Buffington ( French horn ) Harvey Phillips ( tuba ) Phil Woods ( alto ) Gene Quill ( alto )Barry Galbraith ( gtr ) Eddie Costa ( vibes ) Milt Hinton ( bass ) Osie Johnson ( drs )
Recorded New York City, 14th September1961
Track 15
Johnny Carisi ( tpt ) Johnny Glasel ( tpt ) Clark Terry ( tpt ) Urbie Green ( tmb ) Bob Brookmeyer ( val. tmb ) Harvey Phillips ( tuba ) Phil Woods ( alto ) Gene Quill ( alto ) Barry Galbraith ( gtr ) Eddie Costa ( pno ) Art Davis ( bass ) Osie Johnson ( drs )
Recorded New York City, 1st October 1961
Track 16
Same personnel as track 15 except Joe Wilder ( tpt ) replaces Clark Terry
Recorded New York City, 31st October 1961
Miles Davis Nonet
Track 17
Miles Davis ( tpt ) J.J.Johnson ( tmb ) Sanford Siegel stein ( French horn ) Bill Barber ( tuba ) Lee Konitz ( alto ) Gerry Mulligan ( bar ) John Lewis ( pno ) Nelson Boyd ( bass ) Kenny Clarke ( drs )
Recorded New York City, 22nd April 1949
Johnny Carisi began his musical life as a jazz trumpet player but honed his arranging skills with the Glenn Miller US Air Force Band and later arranged for the forward thinking Claude Thornhill Orchestra along with Gil Evans for whom he was to have a further association on Gil’s “Into the Hot” album.
The majority of the compositions on this album were written by Carisi and all the arrangements, the one that brought him to the jazz ”public’s attention was “Israel” which appeared on the Miles Davis “Birth of the cool” album and this composition features three times on this collection.
This album fully represents Johnny Carisi’s jazz output during his brief association with this type of music but his horizons were set beyond this field and although he continued in the musical field it had little to do with jazz.
The first seven tracks feature Johnny Carisi’s Jazz Workshop eight piece group and although it was recorded seven years later than the “Birth of the cool” session it still retains flavour and approach if not quite the same instrumentation. Although there are two standard tunes on these seven tracks it is the Carisi composition that are the most interesting. One of the tracks is “Springville” which appeared on the “Miles Ahead “ album but this version is taken at a slightly faster tempo and has a different feel to it.
“Walkin’ on air” by the Tony Scott Tenet has a much more conventional instrumentation and it’s a pleasure to hear Tony Scott’s unconventional clarinet playing which makes this a more than interesting track.
The three tracks by the Urbie Green Big Band are fine swinging big band performances and Urbie Green’s trombone playing never fails to be of interest and along with some well seasoned sidemen these are performances which leaves you wanting more of the same.
One of the other performances of “Israel” is by the Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band and is arranged by Johnny Carisi and gives a whole different feel to the band much as did the arrangements of Gary McFarland did for the band..
For any lover of interesting arranging this is a must have release and Johnny Carisi’s work deserves wider attention.
Reviewed by Roy Booth