Jumpin' at Apollo

by Illinois Jacquet

Overview

Illinois Jacquet jumped from being a little-known 19-year-old to the tenor to emulate when he soloed on "Flying Home" in Lionel Hampton's band in 1942. This, in turn, brought him to the attention of Cab Calloway in 1943 and eventually helped him found his own band in the mid-'40s. Jumpin' at Apollo delivers 23 tunes Jacquet recorded as a leader between 1945 and 1947 with a number of star side players, including bassist Charles Mingus, trumpeter Joe Newman, and pianist Bill Doggett. Small-band settings, ranging from six to eight players, provide Jacquet's tenor plenty of cushion to swing against. On the jaunty "Jacquet Bounce," Doggett's light touch and John Simmons' steady bassline call to mind the Count Basie sound, while the gentle "Robin's Nest" gives Jacquet room to show off his dexterity as a ballad player. "Bottom's Up," as Dan Morgenstern points out in the liner notes, is another take on "Flying Home," giving the star of this set a chance to revisit his signature tune. There's also a great big noisy Jacquet solo on the rollicking "12 Minutes to Go." Both cuts offer a good reminder of why Jacquet's tenor style caused so much of a stir in the 1940s and why his influence spread so rapidly. Jumpin' at Apollo offers listeners a fine introduction to a powerful and influential tenor. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/14/2002
Label:	Delmark
UPC:	0038153053826
Rank:	136075

Tracks

1. Diggin' the Count
2. Bottoms Up
3. I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You
4. South Street Special
5. Jacquet Bounce
6. Robbins' Nest
7. Jumpin' at Apollo
8. What's This
9. Memories of You
10. Music Hall Beat
11. Jumpin' at the Woodside
12. Merle's Mood
13. She's Funny That Way
14. 12 Minutes to Go
15. Wondering and Thinking of You
16. Here Comes the Blues
17. Wynonie's Blues
18. Bottoms Up
19. 12 Minutes to Go
20. Merle's Mood
21. South Street Special
22. Jumpin' at the Woodside
23. Jacquet Mood

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Illinois Jacquet   Primary Artist,Sax (Tenor)
Freddie Green   Guest Artist,Guitar
Wynonie Harris   Guest Artist,Vocals
Sir Charles Thompson   Guest Artist,Piano
Leo Parker   Guest Artist,Sax (Baritone)
Bill Doggett   Guest Artist,Piano
Joe Newman   Guest Artist,Trumpet
Charles Mingus   Guest Artist,Bass
Shadow Wilson   Drums
John Simmons   Bass
Denzil Best   Drums
Al Lucas   Bass
Trummy Young   Trombone
Russell Jacquet   Trumpet
Al Wichard   Drums
Ulysses Livingston   Guitar
Ray Perry   Sax (Alto)
Arthur Dennis   Sax (Baritone)

Technical Credits

Steve Wagner   Producer
Andy Razaf   Composer
Bing Crosby   Composer
J.J. Johnson   Composer
Count Basie   Composer
Eubie Blake   Composer
Robert G. Koester   Producer
Ned Washington   Composer
Neil Moret   Composer
Richard A. Whiting   Composer
Dan Morgenstern   Liner Notes,Photography
Sir Charles Thompson   Composer
Bill Doggett   Composer
Illinois Jacquet   Composer
Russell Jacquet   Composer
Bill Gottlieb   Photography
Al Brandtner   Design
Victor Young   Composer
Wynonie Harris   Composer