OLP Album #31: Vic Dickenson/Urbie Green―Slidin' Swing

Read About This Recording

Although bebop became the mainstream of jazz by 1950 and most of the Swing Era big bands had broken up by that time, swing never disappeared or died. Many of the great players who came out of the big bands of the 1930s and '40s had long careers during the decades that followed. While many went into bop, rhythm & blues or studiowork, some of the more distinctive players had careers performing small group swing and dixieland.

Slidin' Swing has a session apiece led by a pair of top trombonists. Vic Dickenson had been with the Count Basie Orchestra but his unusual sound and wit was perfectly suited for swing/dixieland groups. His four selections with a sextet feature trumpeter Shad Collins, clarinetist Edmond Hall and a Basie-influenced rhythm section with pianist Sir Charles Thompson. Although Urbie Green was from a younger generation, spending much of his career in the studios, he loved to play swing as well as bop and had no difficulty on his set fitting in with trumpeter Ruby Braff, altoist Med Flory, Frank Wess (tenor and flute) and Sir Charles Thompson during his four numbers. The music on Slidin' Swing (especially the Green numbers) is especially rare.

—Scott Yanow

Contents

Imported from Europe!

Remastered!

Vic Dickenson Septet: When You and I Were Young Maggie; Nice Work If You Can Get It; You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me; Everybody Loves My Baby; Urbie Green Octet: Old Time Modern; I Got it Bad and That Ain't Good; Lullaby of Birdland; Med's Tune.

Shad Collins, Ruby Braff, Trumpets; Vic Dickenson, Urbie Green, Trombones; Med Flory, Alto Sax; Frank Wess, Tenor Sax/Flute; Edmond Hall, Clarinet; Sir Charles Thompson, Piano; Steve Jordan, Freddie Green, Guitars; Walter Page, Aaron Bell, Upright Bass; Jo Jones, Bobby Donaldson, Drums.

Includes 34-page book.