On the heels of
Miles Davis' style-defining release Birth of the Cool,
Shorty Rogers and
Gerry Mulligan chimed in with their own important cool jazz records, placing the music in its future West Coast home in the process.
Modern Sounds brings together some of these seminal recordings, including a 1951 set by
Rogers and His Giants and a 1953 date by
Mulligan and His Tennette.
Rogers' outfit includes then future West Coast stars like alto saxophonist
Art Pepper, tenor saxophonist
Jimmy Giuffre, pianist
Hampton Hawes, and drummer Shelley Manne, among others. Each soloist gets plenty of room to stretch out on a set including four
Rogers originals;
Pepper particularly shines on a fine rendition "Over the Rainbow," while
Giuffre deserves special mention for his sparkling original "Four Mothers." Save for
Vernon Duke's "Taking a Chance on Love," the second half of this collection includes all
Mulligan originals. Similar to
Rogers' fine work, these cuts bounce along on airy and subtly complex arrangements. Joining
Mulligan are standout soloists like trumpeters
Chet Baker and
Pete Candoli, alto saxophonist
Bud Shank, and drummer
Chico Hamilton. Highlights include "Westwood Walk," "A Ballad," and "Rocker" (this last cut having originally been cut as part of the Birth of the Cool sessions). A very enjoyable set taking in the beginnings of West Coast jazz.