RICHIE KAMUCA: WEST COAST JAZZ IN HI-FI

RICHIE KAMUCA
Apesar de pouco conhecido, Kamuca foi um grande nome do jazz "West Coast" e só isso já é suficiente para justificar sua postagem. Como se sabe, a sonoridade, a sofisticação harmônica e a elegância do "cool" jazz da Califórnia tiveram influência direta nos rumos da geração de músicos, compositores e cantores da "bossa-nova". Ademais, na banda tem a presença de Frank Rosolino e Vince Guaraldi dois amantes apaixonados pela bossa-nova.
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RICHIE KAMUCA
Like many players associated with West Coast jazz, Kamuca grew up in the East before moving west around the time that bebop changed the prevailing style of jazz. His early playing, in what is generally considered the Lester Young style, was done on tour with the big bands of Stan Kenton and Woody Herman, where he became a member of the later line-ups of Herman's famous Four Brothers saxophone section with Al Cohn and Bill Perkins.Kamuca stayed on the West Coast playing with the smaller groups of Chet Baker, Maynard Ferguson, Shorty Rogers, and others. He was one of the Lighthouse All-Stars in 1957 and 1958, and recorded with Perkins, Art Pepper, Jimmy Rowles, Cy Touff and many others in those years, as well as leading recording
sessions in his own right. Kamuca was a member of the group "Shelly Manne and His Men" from 1959 through 1962, when he moved to New York. In New York, he worked with Gerry Mulligan, Gary McFarland, and Roy Eldridge before returning to the West Coast in 1972, where he recorded in the studios and performed with local groups. Less well known to the general public than saxophonists who played in a similar style, like Stan Getz, Kamuca, with his inventive and impassioned playing, was appreciated by his peers and by many others who knew his work. Richie Kamuca died of cancer, in Los Angeles, just before his 47th birthday.
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MY OPINION
Despite being an excellent cool-toned tenor, influenced by Lester Young, Richie Kamuca tended to be overshadowed by some saxophonists who came to the jazz scene first, such as Stan Getz, Zoot Sims and Al Cohn. Kamuca was a soloist with the orchestras of Stan Kenton and Woody Herman, and then worked steadily on the West Coast, but remained fairly obscure. This album is one of the best recorded by Kamuka in his own right. Pretty nice stuff.
(CB)
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MINHA OPINIÃO: este excelente álbum é um dos poucos gravados por Richie Kamuca como líder. Os arranjos são de Bill Holman, conhecido por suas atividades nas orquestras de Woody Hermann e Stan Kenton. O grupo é liderado por Richie Kamuca e os outros músicos são: Frank Rosolino (trombone), Conte Candoli (trumpete), Ed Leddy (trumpete), Stan Levey (bateria), Monty Budwig (baixo), Vince Guaraldi (piano), ou
seja - o "creme-do-creme" do "West Coast Jazz." UMA MARAVILHA! :-)
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RICHIE KAMUCA: WEST COAST JAZZ IN HI-FI

PERSONNEL:
Bill Holman - tenor sax, arrangements
Richie Kamuca - tenor sax, leader
Frank Rosolino - (trombone)
Conte Candoli (trumpet)
Ed Leddy (trumpet)
Stan Levey (drums)
Monty Budwig (bass)
Vince Guaraldi (piano)

TRACKS
SIDE 1
1.Way Down Under (Bill Holman)
2.Blue Jazz (Bill Holman)
3.Angel Eyes (Dennis-Brunt)
4.Stella By Starlight (Young-Washington)
5. Star Eyes (Don Raye-De Paul)

SIDE 2
1.I Hadn't Anyone Till You (noble)
2.Linger Awhile (Rose-Owens)
3.The Things We Did Last Summer (Styne-Cahn)
4.If You Were No One (Bill Holman)
5.Indiana (Hanley-McDonald)