Howard McGhee - Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries (1956) [2014 Bethlehem Album Collection 1000] CD-Rip

Quite an unusual album for trumpeter Howard McGhee – one that has the famous bop trumpeter working in a sweet "with strings" format – ala similar 50s sessions on Verve! Frank Hunter handles the larger group here – working the strings with some nice touches that go way past just sleepy orchestrations – into a realm of playful passages that help coax some quite unfamiliar sounds from Howard's horn! The approach is quite different than some of McGhee's more seminal sides, but is also a great illustration of this under-acknowledge side of his talents – and a voice that definitely seems to echo some of his personal struggles at the time. Titles include "Sonny Boy", "The Thrill Is Gone", "The Best Things In Life Are Free", "Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries", and "My Sin".


Tracks:

01 - Sonny Boy
02 - So Blue
03 - (Here Am I) Broken Hearted
04 - The Thrill Is Gone
05 - Just Imagine
06 - (I'm A Dreamer) Aren't We All
07 - My Song
08 - The Best Things In Life Are Free
09 - Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries
10 - Together
11 - Come To Me
12 - My Sin

Personnel:

Howard McGhee (tp)
Danny Bank, Phil Bonder, Sid Brown, Leon Cohen, Herbie Mann (sax)
Donn Trenner (p)
Al Caiola (g)
Arnold Fishkin (b)
Osie Johnson, Don Lamond (d)
Frank Hunter (arr, dir)