Jazz Review-The Howard Alden-Dan Barrett Quintet

The Howard Alden-Dan Barrett Quintet

During the Swing Era, sometimes lost in all the publicity garnered by the big bands, were some very fine small jazz bands. The Howard Alden-Dan Barrett Quintet's Clambake Seven comes to mind, as does the Gramercy Five of clarinetist Artie Shaw. Duke Ellington had his small recording units, and drummer Chick Webb's band-within-a band was The Little Chicks. But the most-swinging little group, in this writer's humble opinion, was the John Kirby Sextet, a working group that recorded many good sides for the Columbia and RCA Victor labels. A hard-swinging sextet, sometimes almost too polite and precise, it nevertheless was the standard by which small-band jazz was measured.
A reincarnation of the Kirby band, the Howard Alden-Dan Barrett Quintet, is now playing all over the world, and the grand old Riverside Inn, located in Cambridge Springs was fortunate enough to house this amazing band Friday evening. Sponsored by the Allegheny Jazz Society, the Quintet, made up of Howard Alden on guitar; Dan Barrett on trombone; Chuck Wilson-alto sax and clarinet; Frank Tate-string bass, and Jackie Williams-drums, played three sets before a capacity crowd in the inn's well-appointed dining room.

After a romantic candle-lit buffet, the concert began at 8. The Quintet opened with an old Fats Waller number, "Up Jumped You With Love.' Buck Clayton, the veteran trumpet star with the old Count Basie band, contributed an arrangement titled "Switch Hitter." The Quintet showed its esoteric side, with three numbers from the 20s: "Oriental Strut," composed by New Orleans banjoist Johnny St. Cyr, "Washboard Blues" by Hoagy Carmichael, and Kid Ory's "Savoy Blues." The last-named item was simply beautiful, with Wilson's low-register clarinet and a muted Barrett. The first set closed with a blistering "Cottontail," composed by Duke Ellington. Drummer Williams was featured on this one. Set number two opened with something done by the Benny Goodman Sextet, "Till Tom Special." Bud Freeman's "The Eel" had fierce Barrett, fluid Alden, and great rhythm from Tate and Williams. "Isfahan," composed by Billy Strayhorn for Duke Ellington's "Far East Suite," featured Wilson on alto sax, while another Ellington gem, originally composed as a piano piece, "Dancers In Love," was a solo spot for guitarist Alden.

The Quintet has now been working together for over ten years, and it shows. Barrett, with his large tone, fierce attack, and mastery of the mutes, has developed into the premier jazz trombonist. Alden has few equals in jazz at the present time. Simply an amazing musician. Reedman Wilson, with his fluid clarinet, and his alto sax crying like a wounded thing, creates spell-binding moods. Bassman Tate uses his big tone to great effect, and is rock-solid on any occasion. The ideal rhythm man, he is also quite impressive on his arco solos. And drummer Williams continues to be the ideal small-band drummer, with his feathery touch and unobtrusive style, much in the manner of a latter-day Jo Jones. Marie and Mike Halliday, of the Riverside Inn, are to be commended for the warm and charming dining room. And, again, Allegheny Jazz Society president Joe Boughton brought another outstanding group to the area. It just gets better and better. This one will be hard to top.