Buddy De Franco - The Complete Verve Recordings With Sonny Clark (4 CD, 1990) [FLAC]

 

Clarinetist Buddy DeFranco recorded extensively for Norgran and Verve during 1953-1958. For a little over a year, Sonny Clark was his regular pianist and all of their small-group recordings have been reissued on this limited-edition five-LP set. With bassist Eugene Wright (a couple years before he joined the Dave Brubeck Quartet) and drummer Bobby White completing the quartet, and guitarist Tal Farlow making the group a quintet on its final 11 numbers, DeFranco had one of his strongest bands.

The majority of the 39 selections on the typically attractive Mosaic box are standards or based on a familiar tune's chord changes. Buddy DeFranco had no real competitors (other than Benny Goodman) during the era, while Sonny Clark was one of the most talented of the Bud Powell-influenced pianists; they made for a mutually inspiring team.

• Sonny Clark (piano), 
• Buddy De Franco (clarinet), 
• Tal Farlow (guitar), 
• Bobby White (drums), 
• Gene Wright (bass)

 

Buddy DeFranco & the All Stars - Wholly Cats : Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw Sessions" Vol.1 & 2 (3 CD, 2007/FLAC)

 5 complete LPs presented on 2 companion volumes! Featuring Carl Perkins, Jimmy Rowles, Barney Kessel and Don Fagerquist! Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw were among the most famous and beloved figures in swing music both as clarinet soloists and orchestra conductors. They were still very active musically in 1957, when Buddy De Franco decided to record a series of sessions paying homage to them. Thirty-five performances were recorded (including four medleys containing three songs each) in four extended sessions made on four consecutive days and with two different groups (guitarist Barney Kessel, however, is present on most of the tracks). The fi rst two sessions included trumpeter Don Fagerquist, tenor saxophonist Georgie Auld and pianist Carl Perkins. The second group includes trumpeter Ray Linn and another modern jazz pianist: Jimmy Rowles.

These two companion volumes include the complete LPs FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER ON CD!: "I Hear Benny Goodman & Artie Shaw", "Buddy De Franco plays Benny Goodman", "Buddy De Franco plays Artie Shaw", "Wholly Cats" and "Closed Session".