The Artistry of Artie Shaw

by Artie Shaw

Overview

Clarinetist Artie Shaw broke up his big band in late 1945 and, other than some studio recordings, was mostly inactive for a few years. In 1949 he returned to the scene in a surprising way, playing classical music for a week at New York's Bop City to mixed reviews. Later in the year he formed a bebop-oriented orchestra, but it was a commercial failure despite playing excellent music. He soon retired again, only returning during 1953-1954 when he led an excellent modern version of his Gramercy Five, his last group before his permanent retirement. The Artistry of Artie Shaw is comprised of some very rare material. Shaw is heard first on radio transcriptions from December 1949 leading a boppish version of his Gramercy Five that includes trumpeter Don Fagerquist and guitarist Jimmy Raney. Next are 12 selections, the majority of which are adaptations of themes from classical music. Shaw is heard with a jazz rhythm section, a string orchestra, and sometimes woodwinds, French horns, and the New Music String Quartet. This music has rarely ever been reissued and is worth a few close listens by fans of both Shaw and classical music. Completing this set are six selections from the 1953-1954 Gramercy Five with vibraphonist Joe Roland, guitarist Tal Farlow, and pianist Hank Jones that have not been reissued in recent times and differ from the performances put out by Music Masters. Throughout, Artie Shaw plays quite well and, particularly on the latter selections, shows that he had an awful lot left to contribute to the music world before his premature retirement. ~ Scott Yanow

Product Details

Release Date:	10/05/2004
Label:	Hep
UPC:	0603366007821
Rank:	151930

Tracks

1. Summit Ridge Drive
2. The Grabtown Grapple
3. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
4. The Pied Piper Theme
5. Cross Your Heart
6. Piece en Forme de Habanera
7. Guajira
8. Short Story
9. Corcovado
10. Petite Pi¿¿ce
11. Andaluza
12. Prelude No. 17
13. Valse
14. The Man I Love
15. Mood in Question
16. Redezvous for Clarinet and Strings
17. I Concentrate on You
18. Besame Mucho
19. That Old Feeling
20. Tenderly
21. Stop and Go Mambo
22. Imagination
23. Sunny Side Up

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Artie Shaw   Primary Artist,Clarinet
Artie Shaw & His Orchestra   Primary Artist
Dick Niveson   Double Bass
Tommy Potter   Double Bass,Sax (Baritone)
Tal Farlow   Guest Artist,Guitar
Arnold Fishkind   Double Bass,String Bass
Hank Jones   Guest Artist,Piano
Don Fagerquist   Guest Artist,Trumpet
Joe Roland   Vibraphone
Jimmy Raney   Guitar
Gil Barrios   Piano
Gene DiNovi   Piano
Irv Kluger   Drums
Alan Shulman   Cello

Technical Credits

Alastair Robertson   Liner Notes,Compilation Producer
Enrique Granados   Composer
George Gershwin   Composer
Ira Gershwin   Composer
Lew Brown   Composer
Walter Gross   Composer
Lewis Gensler   Composer
James Van Heusen   Composer
Otto Harbach   Composer
Artie Shaw   Design,Composer
Don Lanphere   Photography
Cole Porter   Composer
Jack Lawrence   Composer
Jerome Kern   Composer
Allen Shulman   Composer
Darius Milhaud   Composer
Alvaro Valasquez   Composer
Bill ODonnell   Transfers
Johnny Burke   Composer
Sammy Fain   Composer
Sunny Skylar   Composer
Alan Shulman   Arranger
Buddy DeSylva   Composer
Claude Debussy   Composer