If it’s jazz you’re after—that is, the listening and dancing kind—you’ll go a long way before hearing anything as truly great as this superb Hi-Fidelity recording by Charlie Ventura and his quintet.
Here you have in Ventura a saxophone virtuoso who for many years has been an unparalleled great. His fabulous technique, warm tone, and ability to play with a strong swinging beat have won him the respect and admiration of fans and critics throughout the world.
Ventura is the fourth of thirteen children. As a youngster, when his father was teaching him the hat-making trade, Charlie bought a tenor sax. and spent every spare moment practicing his horn and developing the intricate fingering technique that enables him to rip off difficult tunes and passages at terrific tempos with ease and assurance.
After graduating from South Philadelphia High School in 1935, he spent as much spare time as he- could jamming with jazz men at various Philadelphia clubs.
At one time or another in his varied and colourful career, Charlie has worked with some of the greatest names in contemporary jazz . . . men like Gene Krupa, Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Harris, Buddy DeFranco, Teddy Powell, to mention just a few.
Eventually Ventura formed his own group and their fresh approach to jazz won for them first place in “Down Beat”, “Metronome” and “Orchestra World” polls. Charlie’s imaginative and swinging tenor playing also won for him a Metronome Saxophone Soloist award.
About his music, Ventura says, “Our music is composed, arranged and performed for both the listening and dancing audience, and while using original ideas incorporating ‘new sounds’ into the music, we do not lose the general structure of a melody, line, or rhythm. We follow through with this method on all of our numbers and in this way, we do not alienate the many, who have not yet come to completely accept the rapid change being made in popular music and jazz these days.
Playing tenor, alto, baritone and bass saxophones, Ventura leads
Dave McKenna—Piano Mousey Alexander—Drums Richard Davis—Bass Billy Bean—Guitar
The verve and versatile, the change of mood and mastery of style which he displays on this Gala L.P. has made Ventura one of the unquestioned greats among the great jazz instrumentalists.
This record is a USA TOPS recording
