The Continental Jazz Octette
Jowett, Garth S.
Having answered several queries in recent weeks, I now have one of my
own that I hope someone can answer. I have been trying to unravel this
mystery for more than twenty years!!!!
Sometime in the 1960s I purchased for $1.98 each at my local drugstore in
Toronto two albums on the Crown label. Crown was known as a
"drugstore" label, and usually reissued stuff from other labels.
Several Charlie Parker and Dizzy albums are found on Crown, as were a
series of big band albums featuring the sidemen, but not the leaders.
(Some good Kenton and Herman musicians on these albums). Any
self-respecting serious vinyl collector will have some Crowm material in
their collection.
The two albums I am referring to are by a group called "The
Continental Jazz Octette" (sic), and they play a series of "covers" of
well-known jazz tunes from the forties and fifties...things like
"Scrapple from the Apple", "Walking Shoes", "Intermission Riff",
"Freeway", "Stuffy" and "Ornithology". The musicians are not
identified (in some cases I can understand why), and they are
obviously European. The numbers are Crown CLP 5220 and CST 227. Does
anyone have any information on these mystery albums?
BTW, there are two classic Crown albums that were originals and are
rarities today: Conte Candoli, "Little Big Band Jazz" CST 190; and Red
Callender, with Buddy Collette, "Swingin' Suite" CLP 5025. There was
some other Buddy Collette sessions on Crown as well.
Can any jazz maven out there solve this mystery?
Garth Jowett,
"The Sounds of Jazz",
Houston.