Fairy Tales for Hip Kids

 

CD

 

"Al 'Jazzbo' Collins defined a whole new way of presenting a music radio show. His speciality was cool and sophisticated jazz and he was one of the very first DJs to adopt an intimate, conversational approach peppered with hipster slang and outrageous verbal improvisation. In 1953, comedian Steve Allen wrote a piece for Down Beat in which he retold the story of Red Riding Hood in the hip argot of jazz, just as Lord Buckley funked up Shakespeare and the Bible.

 

When Jazzbo read it out over the air in his best hipsterish storytelling tones the response from the public was fantastic and a hit single was inevitably the consequence. Subsequent releases found Jazzbo tapping into the modern obsession with flying saucers and all things 'far out'. In 1955 he also participated in a live recording called East Coast Jazz Scene, (that forms the second half of this edition) on which he interpolated comments between performances by a handpicked selection of some of New York's finest, including the great tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins. Tickets for the gig were made available only to listeners of his radio show who wrote in: needless to say the place was packed".

 

Tracklisting

 

 

 1  Little Red Riding Hood

 

 2  Three Little Pigs

 

 3  Jack and the Beanstalk

 

 4  Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

 

 5  The Invention of the Airplane

 

 6  The Discovery of America

 

 7  Pee Little Thrigs

 

 8  Little Hood Riding Red

 

 9  Sam

 

10  Max

 

11  Jazzbo's Theory

 

 

12  Zanzy - Larry Sonn and his All-Star Band

 

13  Ida Bridges Falling Down - Larry Sonn and his All-Star Band

 

14  Flying Down To Rio - Gene Quill and his Quintet

 

15  The Things We Did Last Summer - Gene Quill and his Quintet

 

16  Darn That Dream - Gene Quill and his Quintet

 

17  Impressions - Don Elliot and his Quintet

 

18  Foolin' Around - Coleman Hawkins and his Quintet

 

19  The Man I Love - Coleman Hawkins and his Quintet

 

20  Tony's Blues - Tony Fruscella's Quartet