Dave Pell - Plays Irving Berlin, Rodgers & Hart And Burke & Van Heusen: The Complete Trend & Kapp Recordings 1953-1956 (2017)

The success of the Dave Pell Octet was one of the fairy-tale stories of the West Coast jazz of the Fifties. Founded by Pell in 1953, this small jazz group, drawn from the nucleus of Les Brown’s orchestra, was among the most popular jazz outfits in Southern California within months. The Octet’s first library had the stimulating and ingeniously voiced arrangements of Shorty Rogers and Wes Hensel, which gave this group the feel of a big band. “We used the guitar as a voice in unison with trumpet,” Pell explained, “and so the Octet sound had a successful formula which allowed us to play a tempo that was danceable and yet still had a jazz feel.”

Bill Brown, Daily News jazz columnist wrote: “Pell and his group have flipped fans everywhere they’ve appeared. It’s a skilled and interesting group and one you should hear.” The Octet’s cohesion was remarkable, and additional scores by such talented arrangers as Marty Paich, Johnny Mandel, and Bill Holman, helped establish its sound and personality.

This 2 CD-set covers all of the Octet’s recordings for the labels Trend (1953-1954) and Kapp (1956), which epitomize its smooth sophistication; with their tightly scored ensembles, the deft styling concealed some excellent musicianship, and they all contain highly individualistic contributions by its stellar soloists, Don Fagerquist, Ray Sims, Ronny Lang, and the airy, swinging tenor of Dave Pell, who said, simply: “We play jazz for dancing. That’s our forte.”