Boplicity

Composed by "Cleo Henry" (Miles Davis and Gil Evans), arranged by Les Hooper

Boplicity (publisher's sample), arranged by Les Hooper

Our cover of the cool jazz anthem Boplicity is an arrangement by composer/arranger Les Hooper.

Of course, this Miles Davis/Gil Evans collaboration originally appeared on Miles' 1957 Birth of the Cool album (recorded in 1949/50) on Capitol Records (Capitol T 792).

Boplicity, Miles Davis (1949)

Miles Davis (trumpet), J.J. Johnson (trombone), Sandy Siegelstein (French horn), Bill Barber (tuba), Lee Konitz (alto saxophone), Gerry Mulligan (baritone saxophone), John Lewis (piano), Nelson Boyd (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums), Gil Evans (arranger). Recorded at WOR Studios, NYC, April 22, 1949.

Hobo Flats

Written and arranged by Oliver Nelson

Hobo Flats, Count Basie Orchestra (1970)

Our version of Oliver Nelson's Hobo Flats is a transcription of the chart as it was recorded on the brilliant 1970 Afrique by the Count Basie Orchestra. This chart was originally written for a Jimmy Smith album. It's a 12/8 blues feel, with room for piano, trumpet and alto saxophone solos.

Paul Cohen, George Cohn, Waymon Reed, Pete Minger (trumpet, flugelhorn); Steven Galloway, Bill Hughes, Mel Wanzo, John Watson, (trombone); Bill Adkins (alto sax), Bobby Plater (alto sax, flute), Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (tenor sax), Eric Dixon (flute, tenor sax), Bob Ashton (alto, baritone & tenor sax, flute), Oliver Nelson (arranger, conductor, tenor sax), Cecil Payne (baritone sax, flute), Hubert Laws (flute); Freddie Green (guitar), John Williams, Norman Keenan (bass), Harold Jones (drums), Warren Smith, Jr. (drums, percussion, vibes), Richard Landrum (percussion), Sonny Morgan (bongos), Buddy Lucas (harmonica), Count Basie (organ, piano). Recorded : December 22nd and 23rd, 1970.

Here's the original Jimmy Smith 1963 version, from the album of the same name.

Hobo Flats, Jimmy Smith (1963)

Check out that lineup! Joe Newman, Ernie Royal, Clark Terry (trumpet); Jimmy Cleveland, Urbie Green, Quentin Jackson (trombone); George Dorsey, Phil Woods (alto saxophone); Al Cohn, Zoot Sims (tenor saxophone); Jimmy Smith (organ); George Duvivier (bass); Bill Rodriguez (drums); Oliver Nelson (arranger, conductor). Recorded NYC, March 20, 1963.

Oliver Nelson recorded Hobo Flats again shortly after on his own 1964 Argo album Fantabulous. This one has a much different feel.

Hobo Flats (from Oliver Nelson's 1964 Fantabulous)

Oliver Nelson - tenor saxophone, arranger and conductor
Phil Woods - alto saxophone, clarinet
Kenny Soderblom - alto sax, flute
Bob Ashton - tenor sax, clarinet
Jerome Richardson - baritone saxophone, flute, alto flute
Art Hoyle, Snooky Young - trumpet
Ray Weigand - trombone
Tony Studd - bass trombone
Patti Bown - piano
Ben Tucker - bass
Grady Tate - drums

Strayhorn

Composed by Clare Fischer, arranged by Bill Dobbins

Strayhorn (publisher's sample), arranged by Bill Dobbins

Strayhorn, from Clare Fischer's Surging Ahead (1963)

Clare Fischer originally recorded Strayhorn in 1963 with his trio on Surging Ahead (Pacific Jazz PJ 67). Clare Fischer (p), Ralph Pena (b), Larry Bunker (d). The album is now out of print, but it's available in whole as part of the excellent Mosaic Select 19: The Pacific Jazz Piano Trios, a collection of recordings featuring trios led by Russ Freeman, Richard Twardzik, Jimmy Rowles, and Clare Fischer.

Bill Dobbins arranged it as a piano feature for big band, and he completely wrote out the solo piano part so that it can also be played by good classically-trained musicians with little jazz experience. Jazz pianists are, of course, invited to improvise the solo. The arrangement is published by Advance Music.