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Memphis Jazz Box

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Memphis Jazz Box
Box set by
various Memphis jazz artists
ReleasedMarch 9, 2004
Re-released 2008
RecordedVarious dates between
1995–2003
GenreJazz
Length2:33:46
LabelIcehouse Records
ProducerJohn Threadgill
Jack Cooper
John Phillips
CompilerJack Cooper
cat. # - Ice House Records IHR 5902

"The Memphis Jazz Box"[1][2] is a 3-CD box set by Memphis jazz artists, first released by Ice House Records in March 2004 and then re-released to the public in 2008. Volume one and two have a combined 24 tracks from a wide variety of artists who were currently working in Memphis during the time the set was produced. The third CD is the Jazz Orchestra of the Delta Big Band Reflections of Cole Porter recorded in 2003 for Summit Records.

Background

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The Memphis tradition of jazz music dates back many years to the time of W.C.Handy, Jimmie Lunceford, and Phineas Newborn. Memphis is a city with a long musical heritage that is an integral part of the American sound consisting of work songs, spirituals, blues, jazz, gospel, and rock and roll. Through this tradition, Memphis is a music city that serves to foster musical talent that is unique. There is a wide range a music on the CD set that represents the current flavor of what Memphis music is; from the traditional sounds to Joyce Cobb and W.C. Handy to the contemporary sounds of fusion with the band Voodoo Village. This box set of three CD was produced commercially to promote the city and the jazz music generated from the Mid-south region. This was the second such boxed set produced by Ice House Records and the Chamber of Commerce. The first set, produced in 2001, featured "Best Of. . ." tracks from Sun, Stax, and Hi Records.

Track listing

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All tracks are written by noted

Disc one - THE NEW MEMPHIS JAZZ COLLECTION (Volume one) from the Memphis Jazz Box
No.TitleWriter(s)Original AlbumLength
1."Let's Get Lost" (Kelley Hurt)McHugh/LoesserRaindance[3]3:29
2."The Protagonist" (Jack Cooper Quartet)Jack Cooper 5:51
3."Bags" (The U of Memphis Southern Comfort Jazz Orchestra)Bill Holman 3:12
4."Garment District" (Voodoo Village)Ernest WilliamsonFunk Soup[4]4:10
5."Family Money" (Hope Clayburn)Hope ClayburnReport 4 Booty[5]6:49
6."Beale St. Blues" (Joyce Cobb & the Beale St. Jazz Band)W.C. HandyJazzin on Beale4:26
7."I've Got You Under My Skin" (T.J. Graham)Cole Porter 4:51
8."Rhythm is Our Business" (The New Memphis Hepcats)Jimmie LuncefordSwingopoly[6]3:14
9."Andrea" (Herman Green & the Green Machine)Herman GreenHernando Street Strut[7]5:31
10."One Kind Word" (Charlie Wood)Charlie WoodSouthbound[8]3:52
11."Corcovado" (Holly Shelton & the Backroom Boys)Antonio Carlos JobimBack on Beale Street[9]3:46
12."Reed Between the Lines" (Carl Wolfe Quartet)Carl Wolfe 4:43
13."Reekin' With Love" (Di Anne Price & Her Boyfriends)Di Anne PriceReekin' With Love[10]2:41
Disc two - THE NEW MEMPHIS JAZZ COLLECTION (Volume two) from the Memphis Jazz Box
No.TitleWriter(s)Original AlbumLength
1."Gentle Rain" (Teresa Pate)Luiz Bonfá 4:15
2."2nd & Beale" (Freeworld)FreeworldDiversity[11]4:50
3."Crazy She Calls Me" (Gary Johns)Sigman/RussellMade In Memphis6:02
4."El Gato De La Noche" (Memphis Jazz Orchestra)Carl Wolfe 6:51
5."I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good)" (Gene Rush)Duke Ellington 6:21
6."Waltz For Debbie" (U of Memphis Jazz Singers)Bill Evans 3:25
7."School Girl Crush" (Candice Ivory)Candice IvoryPath: Undefined[12]6:25
8."Voodoo Village" (Voodoo Village)Kurt Clayton/Pat Register/Ernest WilliamsonFunk Soup[4]5:23
9."Out of This World" (Kelley Hurt)Arlen/MercerRaindance[3]4:15
10."River of Jive" (Charlie Wood)Charlie WoodSouthbound[8]4:18
11."Local Edition" (Jack Cooper Quartet)Jack Cooper 5:38

Recording sessions

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  • DISC ONE - The New Memphis Jazz Collection, volume one
Recorded completed in several studios in Memphis to include Ardent Studios, Young Avenue Sound, Sam Phillips Recording Services
  • DISC TWO - The New Memphis Jazz Collection, volume two
Recorded completed in several studios in Memphis to include Ardent Studios, Young Avenue Sound, Sam Phillips Recording Services
Please refer to the Recording sessions section on that Wikipedia/CD page.

Personnel

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Musicians

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  • DISC ONE - The New Memphis Jazz Collection, volume one
  • 1. Lets Get Lost
    Kelley Hurt, vocals/arranger
    Doug Garrison, percussion/drums
    Chris Parker, piano/arranger
    Jonathan Wires, bass
  • 2. The Protagonist
    Jack Cooper, alto saxophone/composer
    Alvie Givhan, piano
    Tim Goodwin, bass
    Don Patterson, drums
  • 3. Garment District
    Pat Register, saxophone
    Kurt Clayton, keyboards
    Niko Lyras, keyboards
    Ernest Williams, keyboards
    Dave Smith, bass
    Edward Cleveland, drums
  • 4. Bags
    The University of Memphis Southern Comfort Jazz Orchestra
    Dr. Jack Cooper - director
  • 5. Family Money
    Hope Clayburn, flute/saxophone
    Hope Clayburn's 2nd Booty Battalion
  • 6. Beale Street Blues
    Joyce Cobb, vocals
    Tom Link, clarinet
    Tim Goodwin, bass
  • 7. I've Got You Under My Skin
    T.J. Graham, vocals
    Footprints, (band)
  • 8. Rhythm Is Our Business
    The New Memphis Hepcats
  • 9. Andrea
    Herman Green, saxophone
    The Green Machine
  • 10. One Kind Word
    Charlie Wood, vocals/keyboard/organ
    Tom Clary, trumpet and horn arrangements
    Scott Thompson, trumpet and flugelhorn
    Fred Ford, alto sax
    Tom Clary, trumpet and horn arrangements
    Jim Spake, tenor sax
    Joey Moore, bass
    David Forrester, drums
    Steve Wenger, guitar
  • 11. Corcovado
    Holly Shelton, vocals
    Rene Koopman, piano
    Tim Goodwin, bass
    Tom Lenardo, drums
  • 12. Reed Between The Lines
    Carl Wolfe, saxophone
    Carl Wolfe Quartet, band
  • 13. Reekin' With Love
    Di Anne Price, vocals
    Jim Spake, tenor saxophone
    Tim Goodwin, bass
    Tom Lenardo, drums
  • DISC TWO - The New Memphis Jazz Collection, volume two
  • 1. Gentle Rain
    Teresa Pate, vocals
    Teresa Pate band
  • 2. 2nd & Beale
    Freeworld
  • 3. Crazy She Calls Me
    Gary Johns, vocals
    Gene Rush, piano
    Errol Thomas, bass
    Tom Lenardo, drums
  • 4. El Gato De La Noche
    The Memphis Jazz Orchestra
  • 5. I Got It Bad...
    Gene Rush
    Tim Goodwin, bass
    Renardo Ward, drums
  • 6. Waltz for Debbie
    The University of Memphis Jazz Singers, Tim Goodwin - director
  • 7. School Girl Crush
    Candice Ivory Band
  • 8. Voodoo Village
    Pat Register, saxophone
    Kurt Clayton, keyboards
    Niko Lyras, keyboards
    Ernest Williams, keyboards
    Dave Smith, bass
    Edward Cleveland, drums
  • 9. Out of This World
    Kelley Hurt, vocals/arranger
    Doug Garrison, percussion/drums
    Chris Parker, piano/arranger
    Jonathan Wires, bass
  • 10. River of Jive
    Charlie Wood, vocals/keyboard/organ
    Tom Clary, trumpet and horn arrangements
    Scott Thompson, trumpet and flugelhorn
    Fred Ford, alto sax
    Tom Clary, trumpet and horn arrangements
    Jim Spake, tenor sax
    Joey Moore, bass
    David Forrester, drums
    Steve Wenger, guitar
  • 11. Local Edition
    Jack Cooper, alto saxophone/composer
    Alvie Givhan, piano
    Tim Goodwin, bass
    Don Patterson, drums

Di Anne Price passed in March 2013.[13]

Charlie Wood is married to Jacqui Dankworth and has moved to London since the release of this CD set.[14] He still retains a CD contract with Archer Records in Memphis, TN.

Production

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Promotion

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The CD release party was held in AutoZone Park on March 18, 2004, at 5:30 pm., in the upper club room convention/party level: it was promoted well and The Commercial Appeal as well as the Memphis Business Journal.[15][16] The box was conceived through cooperation of the nonprofit Mid-south Jazz Foundation, the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce, the Shelby County/Memphis Music Commission, the University of Memphis School of Music, and Select-O-Hits. Numerous artists from the CD set performed at the event, it was well attended and sponsored by the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce. Interviews were done on WKNO-FM 91.1 and WUMR with the producer of the set, the tracks from the set have had extensive play on WUMR radio which is the jazz radio station for the Mid-South region. It has also had airplay on other jazz radio stations around the country.

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Commercial Appeal [17]
DISC 3 - L.A. Jazz Scene(very positive)[18]
DISC 3 - Jazz Journal International(very positive)[19]
  • All Discs

"A new collection, The Memphis Jazz Box, states with classy pride the case for the Bluff City's jazz heritage, notably those currently working on the local scene...The box stands as a fine effort, a nice cross-section..."

Bill Ellis, Commercial Appeal [17]

  • Disc #3

"...the result is a cohesive ensemble that understands (the) musical direction so well that they reproduce precisely what (the arranger) has intended...Balance and phrasing, suitable textures, and mellow harmonic ties follow with glamorous effects."

Jim Santella, L.A. Jazz Scene[18]

"...(the arranger) is to be congratulated on the way he orchestrated some of (Porter's) best known songs, maintaining interest, despite the familiarity with the material."

Gordon Jack, Jazz Journal International[19]

References

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  1. ^ The Memphis Jazz Box, Select-O-Hits release page
  2. ^ Allmusic.com, The Memphis Jazz Box
  3. ^ a b Allmusic Guide, Raindance
  4. ^ a b Allmusic Guide, Funk Soup
  5. ^ Allmusic Guide, Report 4 Booty
  6. ^ Allmusic Guide, Swingopoly
  7. ^ Allmusic Guide, Hernando Street Strut
  8. ^ a b Allmusic Guide, Southbound
  9. ^ Allmusic Guide, Back on Beale Street
  10. ^ Allmusic Guide, Reekin' With Love
  11. ^ Allmusic Guide, Diversity
  12. ^ Allmusic Guide, Path: Undefined
  13. ^ The Commercial Appeal, Michael Lollar. Memphis Singer Di Anne Price was music stylist, March 14, 2013, Di Anne Price obituary
  14. ^ Charlie Wood biography page
  15. ^ The Commercial Appeal, CD RELEASE PARTY TODAY FOR MEMPHIS JAZZ BOX, Bill Ellis, March 18, 2004
  16. ^ Memphis Business Journal, Memphis Jazz Box to debut, March 12, 2004, 11:59 a.m. CST
  17. ^ a b "COLLECTION EXHIBITS CITY'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO JAZZ" Bill Ellis, Commercial Appeal, March 20, 2004 review
  18. ^ a b L.A. Jazz Scene, JIM SANTELLA, July 2004 review (Issue no. 203)
  19. ^ a b Jazz Journal International, GORDON JACK, April 2004 review (Vol 57 no.4)
[edit]
  • The Memphis Jazz Box at AllMusic
  • The Memphis Jazz Box at Discogs
  • The Memphis Jazz Box at MusicBrainz
  • The Protagonist on YouTube
  • OCLC 70659608