Clark Terry

What Makes Sammy Swing features an All-Star Septet with such outstanding figures as Phil Woods (playing both clarinet and flute in addition to alto sax!), Urbie Green and Dave McKenna.
The bonus album, Paris 1960, comprises three 1960 small group sessions recorded in France featuring Quentin Jackson (singing on two tracks!) and French pianist Martial Solal.

First published in 1941, What Makes Sammy Run? was originally a novel by Budd Schulberg. It is a rags to riches story chronicling the rise and fall of Sammy Glick, a Jewish boy born in New York's Lower East Side who makes up his mind early in life to escape the ghetto and climb the ladder of success. It was later made into a successful Broadway show with music by Ervin Drake and in 1963, Clark Terry and an all-star group of musicians were called to make a record with jazz versions of some of the musical’s songs, with arrangements by Pat Williams.
As Terry himself was quoted on the original liner notes, none of the musicians had the least knowledge about the music or the arrangements before entering the studio. The results, however, are highly interesting as they present a distinguished septet reacting to unfamiliar music. Clark Terry, as usual, alternates between trumpet and flugelhorn, while Seldon Powell switches between tenor sax, baritone sax and bass clarinet.
The most unusual element of these recordings, however, is hearing Phil Woods soloing on clarinet and flute.

01 A ROOM WITHOUT WINDOWS 2:38
02 YOU’RE NO GOOD 3:26
03 MY HOME TOWN 2:36
04 A NEW PAIR OF SHOES 2:22
05 THE FRIENDLIEST THING 3:17
06 HUMBLE 3:07
07 MAYBE SOME OTHER TIME 2:57
08 SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR 4:06
09 BACHELOR GAL 2:23
10 SOME DAYS EVERYTHING GOES WRONG 3:31
11 NO PROBLEM 5:09*
12 DON’T EVER LEAVE ME 2:50*
13 ET TU ME REGARDES 2:30*
14 IN A MELLOW TONE 2:28*
15 DON’T WORRY ABOUT ME 3:16*
16 OL’ ZULU 2:15*
17 TRAVELIN’ ALL ALONE 3:33*
18 CLARK’S BLUES 3:08*
19 CHAR A VOILE 1:54*
20 RADIO TERRY 0:59*
21 DANCING 2:49*
22 PIN-UP 2:27*
TT: 63:51

CLARK TERRY, trumpet & flugelhorn
PHIL WOODS, alto sax, clarinet & flute
URBIE GREEN, trombone
SELDON POWELL, tenor & baritone sax, bass clarinet
DAVE McKENNA, piano
GEORGE DUVIVIER, bass
MEL LEWIS, drums

Arrangements by Patrick Williams. New York, August 1963.

*BONUS ALBUM: CLARK TERRY - PARIS 1960
11-13: Clark Terry (tp), Eric Dixon (fl, ts), Art Simmons (p), Elek Bacsik (g), Michel Gaudry (b), Kenny Clarke (d). Billie Poole (vcl on 12 only). Paris, France, January 1960.
14-17: Same personnel as 11-13 except Eric Dixon out and Quentin Jackson (tb, vcl on 15 & 17) added. Paris, France, February 1960.
18-22: Music for the motion picture Si le vent te fait peur: Clark Terry, Fernand Verstraete (tp), Charles Verstraete (tb), Pierre Gossez (as, bar), Martial Solal (p), Benoit Quersin (b), Armand Molinetti (d). Paris, France, April 17, 1960.