Careless Love
CD Quadromania 222466-444
In the 1970s when cassette radios came about, I sometimes recorded our gigs. One of the guys I played with got extremely nervous, so I had to hide the machine in a bag and put it near the loudspeakers. This live recording with the great Kid Ory band from the Green Room in San Francisco sounds unfortunately similar in sound quality.
Even if you have to tolerate much within the genre of New Orleans Revival this is hard to listen to, even in small portions.
Then also, I normally avoid cheap CD productions like this one because you can’t trust them. Here the recording date is said to be October 2, 1947, but I have February 10, 1946 from another source, which I think is more accurate. For one thing, I don’t think that their trumpet player Mutt Carey was still with the band in -47.
Having said the things above, I still enjoy this track. Guitar player Bud Scott, who is said to be the vocalist according to my second source, is a very positive surprise to me.
Then there is the clarinet of Joe Darensbourg. He usually plays one chorus in the low register and a second in the high register, but here he takes two high ones. Kid Ory himself has no hurry with anything in his solo; he’s really one of the most relaxed jazz musicians ever. Then in between there is the fiery trumpet work of Mutt Carey and in the end they finish with just one exciting chorus. Everything is well supported by Buster Wilson on piano, Bud Scott on guitar, Ed Garland on bass and Minor Hall on drums. Great band!
And it’s one of the best tunes for collective jazz improvisation, whether it’s called Careless or Loveless Love.