SHUFFLUPHAGASS

CSULA JAZZ ENSEMBLE

DIRECTED BY ROBERT CURNOW

"CRUSADE"

LP CSULA 579      USA 1980  (Private pressing)

Superb contemporary big band LP recorded by the California State University Jazz Ensemble in 1979 (LP released in 1980).  The first track – Crusade – is an absolute killer full of congas and solid drumming.  Other favorites are Les Hooper’s Shuffluphagass, Jeff Holmes’ Manstae II and Bob Curnow’s Tenth Planet.  The spirit of Stan Kenton is never far, no surprise considering Curnow's closeness to Kenton.

Side A

A1.      Crusade          composed and arranged by Bill Holman.

            Soloists:         drums: Gregg Hall

                                   trombone: Eric Jorgensen

                                   congas: Andy Webster

A2.      Of Another Time       composed and arranged by Bob Curnow

            Soloists:         vibes: Andy Webster

                                   flugelhorn: Bob Taylor

A3.      Manstae II      composed and arranged by Jeff Holmes

            Soloists:         soprano sax: Gary Bias

                                   trumpet: Bob Taylor

Side B

B1.      Shuffluphagass          composed and arranged by Les Hooper

            Soloists:         trumpet: Larry Gillespie

                                   trombone: Rocky Robles

                                   flute: Howard Cespedes

                                   tenor sax: Jim Pollock

                                   piano: Sam Garcia

B2.      A Time For Love       composed by Jonny Mandel / arranged by Hank Levy

            Soloists:         flugelhorn: Tony Mack

B3.      The Tenth Planet        composed and arranged by Bob Curnow

            Soloists:         soprano sax: Gary Bias

                                   trumpet: Bob Taylor

                                   bass: Larry Muradian

                                   the trumpet section

                                   piano: Sam Garcia

Personnel

Woodwinds

Gary Bias: alto (lead)

Kennan Miller: alto

Howard Cespedes: tenor

Jim Pollock: tenor

Robin Taniguchi: baritone

Trumpets

Tony Mack (lead) / Bob Taylor / Larry Gillespie /Jan Kendrick / Tony Martinez

Trombone

Eric Jorgensen (lead) / Rocky Robles / Neal Finn / Blaine Herbert

Tuba

Jim Paoletti

Rhythm

Sam Garcia: piano

Larry Muradian: bass

Gregg Hall: drums

Andy Webster: percussion

Recorded May 12, 1979 at the United/Western Recorders, Hollywood, CA

UPDATED LINK 18/07/17

WEIRD, HAUNTING AND BEAUTIFUL

STEVE BAUER ORCHESTRA – LIVING DREAMS
Hold Records (Private Label), Boston -1980.

Found this album –apparently a rather rare private pressing – while cratedigging in Brussels last week. And what a find it was: an obscure and strange modern big band by a group of mostly forgotten Berklee students / graduates.

No information whatsoever on the Net.  The only relevant info I managed to find was, sadly, an obituary for Steve Bauer.

It was Bauer’s sole album.  An Internet research confirmed that most of the participating musicians took teaching (at Berklee) or have faded into (semi)-obscurity.  How strange is destiny!

This record is weird, really: the 1’40” version of This Thing Called Love ranges among the most bizarre versions of this theme.
Spring is Here received a strange treatment also.

There is an haunting quality, difficult to define, in some tracks, e.g. the title track “Living Dreams” by guitar player Ken Taft (who’s now a very respected academic at Berklee).  
There is a sprinkling of electronic keyboards but don’t worry it ain’t no smooth jazz. 

The Last Straw starts as a fairly dissonant blues fanfare.  No wonder it had to be issued as a private pressing, it did not fit into any known mould.

On the whole it doesn’t sound like anything else.  One may hear some shades of Gil Evans, and some of the occasional pomposity of Kenton but it’s definitely Bauer, whatever that may mean.  I would label it Garage Big Band as it sounds as if it were recorded in someone’s garage.

With the benefit of hindsight, the sleeve notes appear completely off the mark.

“All in all this is an auspicious recording debut for a musician whom I’m sure will be around the jazz scene for many years to come” 

How ironic as it was to be Bauer’s sole recording.

Steve Bauer (c. 1979)

First time in the blogworld I think?