Album Reviews

Euphoria Jazz is a division of Bob Irwin's Sundazed. Sundazed licensed this and other Dawn Records jazz titles from Shout Factory, itself a division of Retropolis LCC. Shout Factory is a recent entity created by Richard Foos, an original founder of Rhino (along with Harold Bronson).

Dawn Records was a division of Seeco Records founded by Sidney Siegel and run out of his Manhattan jewelry store, Joyeria Siegel. Seeco mostly recorded Hispanic artists, including the late Celia Cruz as well as Jack Paar Tonight Show bandleader Jose Melis, among many others. There was a budget Tropical label that issued early Tito Puente and Perez Prado records, and I bet if you find these Seeco and Tropical originals they're worth lots of money, but I'm only speculating.

So Dawn was a jazz devision of Seeco, and it issued LPs like this one from 1957, featuring big name jazz artists playing in “pick up” sessions. This one featuring the Lester Young influenced big toned alto bopper Al Cohn, includes Hank Jones on piano, Milt Hinton on bass, Osie Johnson on drums and Frank Rehak on trombone.

It's an easy, relaxed set that swings well and allows Cohn to strut his considerable stuff. These were not sessions that moved the music forward as much as they paid the rent and gave the guys and the listeners a good time.

Al Cohn and his Woody Herman bandmate Zoot Sims made dozens of records together throughout the original LP era, so having this one where he flies solo, helped with the lead parts by trombonist Rehak, is a treat for Cohn fans and should help make new ones. Cohn's playing is a playful delight throughout

The tunes are a mix of Cohn originals and standards and frankly, there's not much to be said about the playing and arranging that needs to be said. Listening will tell you all you need to know about the music and about the time in which it was made. It will take you back to a simpler, more sane time, despite the racial divide, the A-bomb, the McCarthy era, and, well maybe it wasn't more sane, but it was simpler! This stuff will make you feel good.

The mono recording was designed to highlight Cohn so the others are kept appropriately back in the mix while Cohn's sax is juicy, airy and upfront. The sound is super hi-fi all the way: simply miked, unprocessed and direct. I'm not saying it's Rudy Van Gelder good but it's close, especially the sax and piano-minus the magic Hackensack living room. I have seen that some Dawns were recorded by David Hancock. Hancock is famous for some spectacular sounding Dallas Symphony recordings on Vox/Turnabout. Not sure if he was at the board here, but the sound quality is quite good.

Thanks to Sundazed/Euphoria for reissuing this minor gem on vinyl in 2005.