egroj world: Jonah Jones • Muted Jazz + Hit Me Again

Tuesday, December 12, 2023

Jonah Jones • Muted Jazz + Hit Me Again

 



Jonah Jones zoomed to popularity in the late 50s. He found a successful formula and used it to brighten the hit charts with a succession of bouncy albums on Capitol Records. His quartet was one of the three newcomers in the Top 10 wide variety of small groups listed in the favorite Instrumental Billboard lists in 1958.

On Muted Jazz, Jones distinctive muted trumpet swings tastefully in Armstrong derived style, and also sings pleasantly, good jazz standards. Jones had long forsaken the pure jazz route for a more readily communicative form of music.

Hit Me Again! is an excellent example of what he was aiming for in 1959 and 1960, which makes it a very listenable and danceable album. In 1961... Jonah Jones was still Americas No.1 Jazz Salesman!
https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/jonah-jones-albums/6160-muted-jazz-hit-me-again-2-lps-on-1-cd.html



Biography by Scott Yanow
A talented and flashy trumpeter, Jonah Jones hit upon a formula in 1955 that made him a major attraction for a decade; playing concise versions of melodic swing standards and show tunes muted with a quartet. But although the non-jazz audience discovered Jones during the late '50s, he had already been a very vital trumpeter for two decades. Jones started out playing on a Mississippi riverboat in the 1920s. He freelanced in the Midwest (including with Horace Henderson), was briefly with Jimmie Lunceford (1931), had an early stint with Stuff Smith (1932-1934), and then spent time with Lil Armstrong's short-lived orchestra and the declining McKinney's Cotton Pickers. Jones became famous for his playing with Stuff Smith's Onyx club band (1936-1940), recording many exciting solos. He gigged with Benny Carter and Fletcher Henderson and became a star soloist with Cab Calloway (1941-1952), staying with the singer even after his big band became a combo. Jones played Dixieland with Earl Hines (1952-1953), toured Europe in 1954 (including a brilliant recording session with Sidney Bechet), and then led his quartet at the Embers (1955), hitting upon his very successful formula. His shuffle version of "On the Street Where You Live" was the first of many hits and he recorded a long series of popular albums for Capitol during 1957-1963, switching to Decca for a few more quartet albums in 1965-1967. Jonah Jones recorded a fine date with Earl Hines for Chiaroscuro (1972) and still played on an occasional basis in the 1980s and early '90s; he died April 30, 2000, at the age of 91.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jonah-jones-mn0000261332/biography

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Jonah Jones aumentó su popularidad a finales de los 50. Encontró una fórmula exitosa y la usó para iluminar las listas de éxitos con una sucesión de álbumes inflables en Capitol Records. Su cuarteto fue uno de los tres recién llegados en el Top 10 de la amplia variedad de pequeños grupos que figuraban en las listas de la cartelera instrumental favorita en 1958.

En "Muted Jazz", la trompeta silenciada distintiva de Jones se balancea con gusto en el estilo derivado de Armstrong, y también canta agradablemente, buenos estándares de jazz. Jones había abandonado por mucho tiempo la ruta del jazz puro por una forma de música más fácilmente comunicativa.

Hit Me Again! es un excelente ejemplo de lo que pretendía en 1959 y 1960, lo que lo convierte en un álbum muy escuchable y bailable. En 1961... Jonah Jones seguía siendo el vendedor de jazz número 1 de América!
https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/jonah-jones-albums/6160-muted-jazz-hit-me-again-2-lps-on-1-cd.html



Biografía de Scott Yanow
Un talentoso y llamativo trompetista, Jonah Jones encontró una fórmula en 1955 que lo convirtió en una gran atracción durante una década; tocando versiones concisas de estándares de swing melódico y melodías de espectáculo silenciadas con un cuarteto. Pero aunque el público no especializado descubrió a Jones a finales de los 50, ya había sido un trompetista muy vital durante dos décadas. Jones empezó a tocar en un barco del Mississippi en los años 20. Trabajó como freelance en el Medio Oeste (incluyendo a Horace Henderson), estuvo brevemente con Jimmie Lunceford (1931), tuvo una temprana estancia con Stuff Smith (1932-1934), y luego pasó un tiempo con la orquesta de corta duración de Lil Armstrong y la decadente McKinney's Cotton Pickers. Jones se hizo famoso por tocar con la banda del club Onyx de Stuff Smith (1936-1940), grabando muchos solos emocionantes. Actuó con Benny Carter y Fletcher Henderson y se convirtió en un solista estrella con Cab Calloway (1941-1952), permaneciendo con el cantante incluso después de que su gran banda se convirtiera en un combo. Jones tocó en Dixieland con Earl Hines (1952-1953), hizo una gira por Europa en 1954 (incluyendo una brillante sesión de grabación con Sidney Bechet), y luego dirigió su cuarteto en el Embers (1955), dando con su fórmula de gran éxito. Su versión aleatoria de "On the Street Where You Live" fue el primero de muchos éxitos y grabó una larga serie de álbumes populares para el Capitolio durante 1957-1963, pasando a Decca para unos pocos álbumes más del cuarteto en 1965-1967. Jonah Jones grabó una buena cita con Earl Hines para Chiaroscuro (1972) y todavía tocó ocasionalmente en los años ochenta y principios de los noventa; murió el 30 de abril de 2000, a la edad de 91 años.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jonah-jones-mn0000261332/biography



www.freshsoundrecords.com ...

 

 Tracks:

01. Rose Room (Hickman-Williams) 2:25
02. Mack the Knife (Brecht-Weill-Blitzstein) 2:59
03. I Can't Get Started (Duke-Gershwin) 2:40
04. On the Street Where You Live (Loewe-Lerner) 2:37
05. Undecided (Shavers-Robin) 4:36
06. St. James Infirmary (Joe Primrose) 4:50
07. Too Close for Comfort (Bock-Holofcener-Weiss) 2:37
08. The Man with the Golden Arm [Main Theme] (Bernstein-Fine) 2:43
09. My Blue Heaven (Donaldson-Whiting) 2:39
10. Royal Garden Blues (Spencer-Williams) 3:08
11. Blueberry Hill (Stock-Rose-Lewis) 1:54
12. Hit Me Again (Gus Harris) 2:02
13. Gentleman Jimmy (Harnick-Bock) 1:54
14. Jonahs Blues (Jonah Jones) 3:21
15. Moten Swing (Buster & Bennie Moten) 3:09
16. The Surrey with the Fringe on Top (Rodgers-Hammerstein II) 1:47
17. Cherry (Don Redman) 2:31
18. I'll Always Be In Love with You (Ruby-Green-Stept) 2:40
19. Where Did We Go? Out (What Did We Do? Nothing) (Horwitt-Lewine) 2:30
20. Molly-O (Bernstein-Fine) 2:19
21. Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? (Alter-De Lange) 2:26
22. High Hopes (Cahn-Van Heusen) 1:40


Album details:
Original albums released by Capitol Records:

Muted Jazz (T-839) 1957 [#1-10]
Hit Me Again! (T-1375) 1960 [#11-22]

Personnel:
Jonah Jones, trumpet & vocals #2,6,9,11 & 18; George Rhodes, piano #1-10,14,16 & 20; Teddy Brannon, piano #11-13,17-19 & 22; Hank Jones, piano #15 & 21; John Brown, bass; Harold Austin, drums #1-10,14-16,20 & 21; George 'Pops' Foster, drums #11-13,17-19 & 22.

Recorded in New York City, February (#1-10,14 & 20) and December (#16) 1957; January (#21), April (#15), September (#18) and November (#17) 1958; August 1959 (#12 & 22), and 1960 (#11, 13 & 19)

Original sessions produced by Dave Cavanaugh and Curly Walter
Hi-Fi · 24-Bit Digitally Remastered
Press reviews

"If this CD was a recording deliberately produced to appeal to a soft core jazz audience, then it succeeds very well: faithful melodies, controlled playing and little to aggravate the sensibilities of the mass record buying public if you like that sort of thing. For hard-core musos and jazzers looking for some original licks, excitement and an aural 'fix', then I doubt theyll find it here: the phrasing is very predictable and rigid throughout and the hairs on the back of my neck stayed firmly down.

Im also going to call Jonah out for over use of effects like the 'rip' and 'glissando' which eventually had me breaking out in hives until hed settled on a note.

The occasional musical doffing of the hat in the direction of Louis Armstrong made me smile; he obviously loved Louis playing and hearing some of Louis phrases coming through shows due respect in my book.

The second half of the CD is less square and we get to hear Jonah playing with a bit more freedom. Im pretty sure from Jonahs clear tone, mastery of effects, and seemingly iron lip, that he was capable of much more than we get to hear on this recording."

Alan Bateman *
The Jazz Rag (October, 2014)

(*) Alan Bateman attracted national notice with the Terry Lightfoot Band, but is now best known for coping with the demands of playing trumpet in a Louis Armstrong Armstrong tribute band the Bateman Brothers Jazz Band.

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-Muted Jazz

"In 1957, trumpeter Jonah Jones hit it big with his version of "On the Street Where You Live," twhich is included on this LP. Jones' "muted jazz" featured melodic but swinging versions of standards played with a shuffle beat by his quartet nightly at the Embers, and he would keep the attractive -- if eventually predictable -- formula alive into the late 1960s. In addition to "On the Street Where You Live," this best-selling record has such numbers as "Rose Room," "Undecided," "Too Close for Comfort" and "Royal Garden Blues" played in delightful fashion."

-Hit Me Again!

"Trumpeter Jonah Jones and his regular quartet of the period (which includes pianist Teddy Brannon, bassist John Brown and drummer George Foster) performs their usual mixture of swing standards, jump originals and current pop tunes in likable fashion. This LP has two Jones vocals ("Blueberry Hill" and "I'll Always Be in Love With You") and enjoyable, if lightweight, versions of "Moten Swing," "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" and "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans." It can probably be found at a budget price."

Both by Scott Yanow -All Music Guide










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