Victor Feldman - Four Classic Albums (2021)

AVID Jazz continues with its Four Classic Album series with a re-mastered 2CD release from Victor Feldman, complete with original artwork, liner notes and personnel details;

'On Vibes'; 'Suite Sixteen'; 'Latinsville!' and 'Merry Olde Soul'

Arguably the best thing to come out of Edgware (if not the only thing!), Victor Feldman was born into a musical family there in 1934. Considered a musical prodigy he was playing with his two brothers at the tender age of seven at his father's Feldman Swing Club. Later he would go on to become a stalwart of the British jazz scene as can be heard on our second selection 'Suite Sixteen' where he is in the company of amongst others Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, Phil Seaman, Tony Crombie and a whole host of great British jazzers. For good measure he also played in the bands on Ted Heath, The Ralph Sharon Sextet and The Roy Fox Band. On the advice of Ronnie Scott, Victor moved to the US in the mid 1950s and hooked up with the Woody Herman Herd. As well as becoming the 'go to' session man on countless albums of the time including Benny Goodman, 'Cannonball' Adderley, George Shearing and Miles Davis for whom he wrote the title track to his Seven Steps To Heaven album. Victor also found time to make his own wonderfully diverse albums as we show here with our four classic selections. From the early boppish swing of Suite Sixteen to the more overtly relaxed bop of On Vibes to the Latin flavour of Latinsville! giving Cal Tjader a run for his money and the more straight ahead brilliance of Merry Olde Soul. So, as you would expect, Victor is joined by a whole host of great jazz players for these four fine selections. Here's just a flavour of some of those guys, Harold Land, Frank Rosolino, Carl Perkins, Leroy Vinnegar, Stan Levey, Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, Tony Crombie, Conte Candoli, Amando Peraza, Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, Hank Jones and Louis Hayes. The cast is impressive, the music is even more impressive, take a listen. And if you want more Victor take a listen to any of the first bunch of Steely Dan albums or Frank Zappa (never thought I would get his name into an AVID sales note!), Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits and Joe Walsh, to name only a few of his illustrious clients!