In 2015, jazz label
Sunnyside released the eight-disc
Lush Life: A Musical Journey by pianist, composer, and producer
Joe Castro. It shone a light into the world of his encounters with jazz greats in at-home recorded sessions. The recordings included
Buddy Collette,
Chico Hamilton,
Teddy Wilson,
Stan Getz,
Zoot Sims,
Oscar Pettiford, and
Lucky Thompson. Also included were sessions by a
Teddy Edwards tentet recorded for potential release on the short-lived
Clover Records label, which
Castro founded with his lover, philanthropist and socialite
Doris Duke. The
Sunnyside box resulted in a major reappraisal of
Castro's jazz career as an important recordist and chronicler of the 1950s and '60s West Coast jazz scene. With
Duke,
Castro ran the Falcon Lair residential recording studio in Los Angeles (built into the former mansion of
Rudolph Valentino) and another at her Duke Farms residence in New Jersey.
Passion Flower: For Doris Duke is the second archival boxed set of recordings from
Castro's archive. This six-disc set was compiled by
Daniel Richards and
James Castro. It includes a wealth of unreleased material by a variety of jazz legends. Disc one, Trios 1955-1956 - The Artist's Choice, features 17 tracks recorded at Falcon Lair, featuring
Castro leading various rhythm sections that include bassists
Leroy Vinnegar,
Red Mitchell, and
Paul Chambers, with drummers
Jimmy Pratt,
Lawrence Marable, and
Philly Joe Jones. Disc two, entitled Joe Castro's Friends - At Duke Farms 1956, offers early, never-heard selections from
Paul Bley with bassist
Hal Gaylor and drummer
Lennie McBrowne, as well as unissued recordings by
Flo and George Handy. Discs three and four contain two complete albums -- with outtakes -- that
Castro recorded for
Atlantic:
Mood Jazz from 1957 features orchestral backing with arrangements from
Ray Ellis and
Neal Hefti, and accompaniment from
Nat and
Cannonball Adderley. 1960's
Groove Funk Soul is a swinging hard bop affair with
Castro's killer quartet of
Edwards,
Vinnegar, and drummer
Billy Higgins. Disc five, The Sidewalks of New York, is a trio session from 1965 containing wonderful performances from
Castro, drummer
Paul Motian, and bassist
Teddy Kotick. The final disc, Remind Me, was begun for
Clover in 1965 but remained unfinished when the label folded in 1966. The
Castro/
Motian/
Kotick trio appear alone on half of the tracks recorded in New York. The second half offers the trio on recordings
Castro took to Los Angeles and appended with horns, to fine result. Also included is
Kitty White's Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe, a rarely heard 1966 release with sessions she did for
Clover with saxophonist
Nathan Davis, bassist
Jimmy Woode, and drummer
Kenny Clarke.
Passion Flower: For Doris Duke expands
Castro's portrait as a fine producer, arranger, pianist, and conceptualist. His wide-ranging musical ideas may have been birthed in a vacuum; thanks to
Sunnyside, they will edify the entire jazz world going forward. ~ Thom Jurek