GHB Jazz Foundation / Jazzology Records – Summer Releases 2018

Daryl is the quintessential seeker, finding immense pleasure probing the oeuvre of America’s most beloved and respected composers. One would think there is little left to discover, but Daryl’s tenacity and perseverance once again find the archival equivalent of 18K gold. A quick glance at the titles will inspire our shared delight in the joy of hearing melodies and lyrics which have been hiding in the shadows. And we needn’t make any effort at all. Daryl has done all the heavy lifting for us, and quite skillfully too. All we need do is sit back and savor the fruits of her research as the generous gifts they are… Let us safely assume Daryl will continue to locate many more gems on her endless quests into the countless unopened or forgotten treasure chests of American popular song. We can but live in eager anticipation. -Carol Sloane

Don Suhor played clarinet and alto sax in a stunning variety of jazz contexts in New Orleans for over 55 years. Passionately devoted to the art of jazz, with no interest in  self-promotion, his career defined “low profile.” Decades of work with traditional jazz groups in settings like the Famous Door, Crazy Shirley’s, and the Palm Court Cafe were the ground for development of a unique and highly advanced clarinet style that made use of his prodigious technique. His inventive alto sax work was honed in gritty postwar underground bebop sessions and strip clubs in the French Quarter. In the years before his death in 2003 he kept a hectic schedule—a steady trio gig at the Court of Two Sisters, a big band session with Irvin Mayfield, modern combo work at Snug Harbor. This two-CD set, largely recordings from private sessions, ensures that Don Suhor’s talents will not go unsung. 

Curtis Fuller visited New Orleans in 2002 and the GHB Jazz Foundation took the opportunity to arrange a recording session in our Audiophile Studio. Fuller brought in master horn players Maurice Brown (trumpet), Javon Jackson (saxophone), and hired a local rhythm section consisiting of Peter Martin (piano), Bill Huntington (bass), and Jason Marsalis on drums. Together they produced a very swinging program of standards, some well known jazz tunes, and two Curtis Fuller originals: “Arabia” (famously recorded by Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers) and “The Court”. As an extra bonus we’ve included an alternate and longer studio take of “Caravan,” which features an extended drum solo by Jason Marsalis.

Pianist Don Friedman (1935-2016) was picked by Down Beat in the 1960s as a Talent Deserving Wider Recognition and he gathered a handful of their five-star reviews during that period. He had a fulfilling career, working regularly until shortly before his death. His discography includes a blinding number of recordings, but he was never as widely respected as he should have been. The session at hand (recorded 9/12/78 in New York) is a beautiful trio session and the tune selection is outstanding – classics like Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, Fine and Dandy, and Easy Living. Friedman has beautiful command of the keyboard, and enough imagination to wring the maximum effect from each performance. The trio generates a full head of steam when they want to, particularly on an up tempo The Song is You. Don Friedman was a working jazzman for sixty years and its nice to return another of his sessions to print forty years after it was briefly issued.

PERSONNEL:
Baby Dodds (drums), Albert Nicholas (clarinet), Don Ewell (piano), Danny Barker (guitar), James P. Johnson (piano), Pops Foster (bass)