AL SEARS & HIS ORCHESTRA "The Big Raw Tone" (1945 - 1951)

By 1945 tenor saxophonist Albert Omega Sears (1910-1990) had worked with Elmer Snowden, Roy Eldridge, Helen Humes, Andy Kirk, Lionel Hampton, Arnett Cobb, Budd Johnson, and Lester Young. This insightful retrospective allows an unprecedented overview of Sears' middle period, providing important context for the powerful tenor's later recordings by including highlights from his years with Duke Ellington. Sears is also featured in front of an "All Star Rhythm Section" with Gene Schroeder at the piano; as part of an Ellingtonian front line with Rex Stewart's Big Eight; as a fortifying force in the Johnny Hodges Orchestra; and as leader of his own bands in 1951 and 1952. Admirers of this exciting and all-too-often overlooked musician who don't mind having ten tracks in duplicate might want to match this compilation with Ocium's excellent survey, Al Sears and His Orchestra: The Big Raw Tone, also released in 2003. It's all meat. (Allmusic)Similar to the now deleted Bear Family CD. A major tenor sax player of both the big band and 50's rock 'n roll eras, Sears began his professional career in the late 20's, while still in his teens. During the 30's and 40's, he lent his blues-based style of play to various jazz ensembles including Chick Webb's orchestra, Andy Kirk and his Cloud of Joy, and, after W.W. II, Duke Ellington's orchestra. In the 50's he was both a session musician and a leader of his own recording aggregations for Coral, RCA, and Herald. The 23 tracks on this disc, recorded between 1945 and 1953, are about evenly split between those tracks which still have a big band jazz feel and those which lean toward rhythm & blues, with fine performances throughout. Several of the cuts feature vocals. Highlights include Brown Boy, the forerunner of the Jive Bombers later hit retitled Bad Boy, Mag's Alley, Fo-Yah, Groove Station, and the rockin' Huffin' And Puffin'. This also includes Johnny Hodges 1951 hit Castle Rock with Sears taking the lead. Excellent sound and 16 page booklet has informative notes and full discographical info. (Roots & Rhythm)trax:

01 Searsy 02 Long Long Ago 03 125th Street, New York 04 Shake Hands 05 The Skin Lad 06 Brown Baby 07 Baltimore Bounce 08 Now Ride The "D" Train 09 Azores (Below The Azores) 10 Groove Station 11 Marshall Plan 12 Berry Well 13 Steady Eddie 14 Nell Don't Wear No Button-Up Shoes 15 Huffin' And Puffin' 16 Sear-Iously 17 Mag's Alley 18 Fo-Yah 19 In The Good Old Summertime 20 Ivory Cliffs 21 Easy Ernie 22 Vo-Sa 23 Castle Rock

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