Charlie Ventura: 1946-1947

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Review by arwulf arwulf, All Music Guide

Tenor saxophonist Charlie Ventura (born Charles Venturo) was a byproduct of the Chu Berry/Coleman Hawkins methodology of gutsy swing and early bop improvisation. The Classics Chronological Series did the world an enormous favor when they reissued Ventura's earliest recordings as a leader and followed suit with this fascinating second volume of rare material. Back in Los Angeles during the spring of 1946, Ventura -- still billed on record as "Charlie Venturo" -- paired up with master clarinetist Barney Bigard in front of a rhythm quartet anchored by bassist Red Callender. Two of the four sides waxed on this occasion feature an unidentified male vocalist who sings wistful ballads without doing too much damage. Four sides recorded for the Black & White label in May of 1946 are particularly satisfying for the exchange of ideas between "Venturo," alto saxophonist Charlie Kennedy, trumpeter Red Rodney, pianist Teddy Napoleon, guitarist Allan Reuss, drummer Nick Fatool, and once again bassist Red Callender, who is sometimes called upon to introduce the melody by himself. On September 6, 1946, "Venturo" began a 13-month engagement with the National record label in New York. This was a turning point in several ways: the spelling of the leader's name was altered for the first time to read "Ventura"; the ensemble was expanded to an unprecedented 18 pieces; and Lily Ann Carol, a smooth vocalist with bop touches, was added on two ballads, "Either It's Love or It Isn't" and "Please Be Kind," backed by two instrumentals, a captivating "Misirlou" and a brassy treatment of "How High the Moon." On Ventura's next session for National, more vocals, both cute and romantic and decorated with little bits of bop-flavored scat, were inserted. The rest of the material from this second big-band date features the leader's mellifluous saxophone and, on "Annie, Annie Over," trombonist Bennie Green and the marvelous bop clarinet of Aaron Sachs. This segment of the Ventura chronology closes with a smart bop session featuring Charlie Ventura's American Sextet. After Buddy Stewart sings a sweet ballad and executes a briskly bopped scat routine very closely patterned after the records being made at that time by Babs Gonzales, Ventura slowly pours out "Blue Champagne" and tears into a fiery jam called "Stop and Go." This one track is worth the cost of the entire CD, as Ventura wails along with trumpeter Charlie Shavers, trombonist Bill Harris, and an explosive rhythm section driven by bassist Chubby Jackson and drummer Dave Tough, who was living out the final months of a very turbulent life. It's worth having the entire album just to hear how Tough handles his cymbals on this last cut.