These recordings still sound fresh and exciting today, even though they were made decades ago.
Reel To Real
Trumpets: Steve Barnett, Arnie Chycoski, Carse Sneddon, Don Clark, Bobby Hales, Dick Forrest;
Saxophones: Dave Quarin – Alto saxophone, Fraser MacPherson – Tenor saxophone and flute, Wally Snider: Baritone saxophone and clarinet;
French Horn: Doug Kent;
Rhythm Section: Chris Gage – Piano, Don Thompson and Paul Ruhland – Bass, Al Johnson – Drums
In the world of jazz, archeological discoveries can be as much fun as finding ancient treasures. HAPPY FACES, a collection of twelve previously unreleased recordings by The Dave Robbins Big Band, is exactly such a find, a musical time capsule that captures the vibrant Vancouver jazz scene of the early 1960s.
These recordings, captured between 1963 and 1965 during a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation radio series that showcased live jazz from the Cave Supper Club, show just how good Vancouver’s jazz scene really was. The band swings with a polished precision and rich harmonies that stand up against any of the era’s best big bands. Some of the standout performers are tenor saxophonist Fraser MacPherson, pianist Chris Gage, alto saxophonist Dave Quaren, and trumpeter Donnie Clark. This band might not have gained fame beyond the Pacific Northwest, but these musicians were playing at an impressive level that deserves to be heard by jazz fans everywhere.
Dave Robbins was a multifaceted talent, trombonist, bandleader, arranger, composer, and educator, who made a lasting impact on Canadian jazz. His artistic vision and leadership shaped a sound so accomplished that, as Cellar Music Group founder Cory Weeds notes in the liner notes, one might mistake the ensemble for “an all-star cast of West Coast musicians in Los Angeles.” But Weeds emphasizes that these are Canadian West Coast all-stars, many of whom remain unknown to the wider world.
HAPPY FACES opens with an enthusiastic radio announcer: “From the West Coast, it’s Jazz Workshop!” before launching into the explosive title track, a Sonny Stitt composition arranged by Quincy Jones. Al Johnson’s drums ignite the energy, Chris Gage adds some punchy piano phrases on top of a blaring brass section and a knockout tenor sax solo from Fraser MacPherson. It’s a dynamic introduction that captures the essence of the album: sophisticated, hard-swinging performances that showcase the ensemble’s remarkable tightness and technical prowess.
Something else makes this collection particularly noteworthy and that’s the exceptional audio quality. These recordings are nearly sixty years old, and they’ve been restored with such care that they sound like a modern production.
According to session trumpeter Donnie Clark, who they interviewed for the album’s booklet, Robbins put together the Jazz Workshop musicians specifically to premiere modern compositions coming out of New York and LA. Clark put it this way: “The CBC would buy these charts from these guys and then we’d play them in the orchestra.”
The hard-bop tune “Asiatic Raes” first showed up on Sonny Rollins’ 1957 album NEWK’S TIME. Donnie Clark delivers an impressive trumpet performance on this Kenny Dorham composition.
Richard Rodgers’ “Spring Is Here” has this gorgeous, flowing, kind of bittersweet melody with some really nice solos from MacPherson, Gage, and Dave Robbins who does some beautiful work on trombone.
Bassist Paul Ruhland has a couple of his compositions on the album, and there are tunes from Dick Grove, Ray Sikora, Bobby Hales, and others.
This release from Reel to Real, the archival jazz imprint that Cory Weeds and Zev Feldman started back in 2018, is another great example of their knack for digging up hidden jazz gems. HAPPY FACES has plenty to offer whether you’re a serious collector, or just someone who loves good music. These recordings still sound fresh and exciting today, even though they were made decades ago.
