The Walter Norris Duo Featuring George Mraz • Hues Of Blues.txt

 

Biography by Scott Yanow
Walter Norris was a brilliant pianist, a virtuoso whose improvisations could be both very complex harmonically yet often remain melodic. He would have been better known in the U.S. if he had not spent so much time in Germany. Norris worked with Howard Williams in Arkansas (1944-1950) as a teenager, was in Houston with Jimmy Ford (1952-1953), led his own trio in Las Vegas (1953-1954), and then settled in Los Angeles. He was on quite a few sessions during the latter half of the 1950s, most notably with Jack Sheldon, Frank Rosolino, and Herb Geller, in addition to Ornette Coleman's first record (1958); he did his best to fit into the latter setting, but (other than Paul Bley at the Hillcrest Club) it was the last time for decades that Coleman would use a pianist. The music director of the Playboy Club during 1963-1970, Norris was with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra during 1974-1976. After a stay in Scandinavia and a brief stint with Charles Mingus, Norris moved to Berlin in 1977, where he taught and performed for the remainder of his life in music. In the 1990s, Walter Norris visited the U.S. several times, recording dates for Concord and displaying his impressive musical growth of the previous 20 years. But he always returned to his home in Berlin, where he died on October 29, 2011, two months prior to what would have been his 80th birthday.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/george-mraz-mn0000946026#biography



Biography by Scott Yanow
George Mraz was a greatly in-demand bassist for straight-ahead dates after he emigrated to the United States in 1968. After a brief time playing violin and alto, Mraz studied bass at the Prague Conservatory and gigged at a club in Munich for a year. In 1968, he attended Berklee and he soon toured with Oscar Peterson, from 1970 to 1972. After moving to New York, Mraz became a member of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra (1973 to 1976), worked with Stan Getz (1974 and 1975), and went on to work with most of the top jazz players, including Walter Norris, Pepper Adams, Roland Hanna, Zoot Sims, Tommy Flanagan, John Abercrombie, Carmen McRae, Jimmy Rowles, Stephane Grappelli, and countless others. With the exception of an obscure duo date with Roland Hanna for Trio in 1976, Mraz surprisingly did not have an opportunity to lead his own sessions until the mid-'90s when he signed with Milestone. His album roster included Jazz (1995), Bottom Lines (1997), Duke's Place (1999), and Morava (2001). George Mraz died on September 16, 2021 at the age of 77.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/george-mraz-mn0000946026#biography

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Biografía de Scott Yanow
Walter Norris era un pianista brillante, un virtuoso cuyas improvisaciones podían ser armónicamente muy complejas pero a menudo permanecían melódicas. Hubiera sido más conocido en los EE. UU. si no hubiera pasado tanto tiempo en Alemania. Norris trabajó con Howard Williams en Arkansas (1944-1950) cuando era adolescente, estuvo en Houston con Jimmy Ford (1952-1953), dirigió su propio trío en Las Vegas (1953-1954) y luego se estableció en Los Ángeles. Estuvo en bastantes sesiones durante la segunda mitad de la década de 1950, especialmente con Jack Sheldon, Frank Rosolino y Herb Geller, además del primer disco de Ornette Coleman (1958); hizo todo lo posible por encajar en este último escenario, pero (aparte de Paul Bley en el Hillcrest Club) fue la última vez en décadas que Coleman usaría un pianista. Norris, director musical del Playboy Club durante 1963-1970, estuvo con la Orquesta Thad Jones/Mel Lewis durante 1974-1976. Después de una estadía en Escandinavia y una breve temporada con Charles Mingus, Norris se mudó a Berlín en 1977, donde enseñó y actuó durante el resto de su vida en música. En la década de 1990, Walter Norris visitó los EE. UU. varias veces, grabó fechas para Concord y mostró su impresionante crecimiento musical de los 20 años anteriores. Pero siempre regresaba a su casa en Berlín, donde murió el 29 de octubre de 2011, dos meses antes de lo que habría sido su 80 cumpleaños.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/george-mraz-mn0000946026#biography



Biografía de Scott Yanow
George Mraz fue un bajista muy solicitado para fechas directas después de emigrar a los Estados Unidos en 1968. Después de un breve tiempo tocando violín y contralto, Mraz estudió bajo en el Conservatorio de Praga y tocó en un club de Múnich durante un año. En 1968 asistió a Berklee y pronto realizó una gira con Oscar Peterson, de 1970 a 1972. Después de mudarse a Nueva York, Mraz se convirtió en miembro de la Orquesta Thad Jones/Mel Lewis (1973 a 1976), trabajó con Stan Getz (1974 y 1975) y luego trabajó con la mayoría de los mejores músicos de jazz, incluidos Walter Norris, Pepper Adams, Roland Hanna, Zoot Sims, Tommy Flanagan, John Abercrombie, Carmen McRae, Jimmy Rowles, Stephane Grappelli y muchos otros. Con la excepción de una oscura cita a dúo con Roland Hanna para Trío en 1976, Mraz sorprendentemente no tuvo la oportunidad de dirigir sus propias sesiones hasta mediados de los 90, cuando firmó con Milestone. Su lista de álbumes incluía Jazz (1995), Bottom Lines (1997), Duke's Place (1999) y Morava (2001). George Mraz murió el 16 de septiembre de 2021 a la edad de 77 años.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/george-mraz-mn0000946026#biography


 

Tracks:
1 - Fontessa - 5:46
2 - Serenata - 6:15
3 - Hues Of Blues - 10:23
4 - I Want To Be Happy - 5:38
5 - I Can't Get Started - 6:18
6 - Backbone Mode - 3:59
7 - Have You Met Miss Jones? - 5:33
8 - The Spider Web - 4:46
9 - Orchids In Green - 5:17
10 - Afterthoughts - 4:50

Credits:
    Bass – George Mraz
    Engineer – Alan Varner
    Piano – Walter Norris
    Producer – John Burk

Label:    Concord Jazz – CCD-4671, Concord Jazz – CCD 4671
Country:    Europe
Released:    1995
Genre:    Jazz
Style:    Bop, Contemporary Jazz
https://www.discogs.com/release/3222892-The-Walter-Norris-Duo-Featuring-George-Mraz-Hues-Of-Blues

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