Shorty Rogers: Didi
Musicians:
Shorty Rogers (trumpet), John Graas (French horn), Gene Englund (trombone), Art Pepper (alto sax), Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax), Don Bagley (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).
Composed and arranged by Shorty Rogers
.Recorded: Los Angeles, October 8, 1951
Rating: 84/100 (learn more)
Before West Coast cool jazz turned ponderous and overambitious, in the same spirit that tainted Stan Kenton’s work, the music of writers like Shorty Rogers drew heavily from the Miles Davis “cool school” band. An early sample of California cool, “Didi” hews very close to the spirit and instrumentation of Miles’ nonet. The tune is just plain fun, too, building up from rapid, alternating cascades of notes from Rogers and Art Pepper. The alto saxophonist’s light tone perfectly parallels the leader’s lyricism, even at a fast pace. Shelly Manne already demonstrates the facility that made him L.A.’s first-call drummer.
Reviewer: Todd S. Jenkins
Tags: west coast jazz
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