L.A. 4 - The L.A. Four Scores! (1975) [2014 Concord Jazz Selection] CD-Rip

Altoist Bud Shank (who doubles on flute) and acoustic guitarist Laurindo Almeida first teamed up in 1954 to make a couple of albums called Brazilliance that hinted at but greatly predated bossa nova. Shank and Almeida came together 20 years later to form the L.A. Four, a quartet also including bassist Ray Brown and drummer Shelly Manne. Their debut recording as a unit was made at the 1974 Concord Jazz Festival, and it finds the appealing musicians blending together well on bossa nova tunes (including "Manha de Carnaval"), Almeida's classical-oriented originals, and some swing. This was a particularly inventive chamber jazz band.

Tracks:

01. Sundancers (Shank) - 7:58
02. Carioca Hills (Almeida) - 4:07
03. Allemande and Fox (Weiss-Almeida) - 4:41
04. Berimbau Carioca (Almeida) - 7:18
05. Cielo (Almeida) - 5:26
06. Prelude, Op.28 No.4 (Chopin)/How Insensitive (Jobim-Gimbel) - 6:03
07. Old Time Rag (Almeida) - 2:17
08. Manha de Carnaval (Maria-Bonfa) - 8:58

Personnel:

Laurindo Almeida - guitar
Ray Brown - bass, cello (#6)
Shelly Manne - drums, percussion, whistle (#2), berimbau (#4)
Bud Shank - flute (#1,4,5), alto saxophone (#2,8)

Recorded live at Concord Boulevard Park, Concord, CA on July 27, 1974.