🎷 AotW: Jazz Julius Wechter Quartet: Linear Sketches (Jazz:West JWLP-9) (1956)

Jazz releases not on the CTi or Horizon labels.

Rudy

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Wechter-Sketches.jpgJulius Wechter Quartet
Linear Sketches


Jazz:West Records JWLP-9
Released 1956

Reissued by Toshiba (Japan) TOJJ-5819, in 1993

Julius Wechter: Vibraphone
Cy Colley: Alto sax
Jim Bates: Bass
Frank DiVito: Drums

Production supervisor: Herbert Kimmel

Tracks:

A1Trousseau
A2Autumn Leaves
A3Love Letters
A4Melancholy Baby
B1Cy's Blues
B2I'll Remember You
B3I'll Close My Eyes
B4Sissy



The complete album:

 
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Found an excellent copy of the Julius Wechter Quartet's Linear Sketches from a Japanese dealer last week. I was surprised to see it was a re-release under the Toshiba-EMI label (TOJJ-5819) made (according to the obi) in 1993! (Who says the days of the mono LP are past?) Beautiful soft jazz album unlike anything later done by the Baja Marimba Band. The combination of vibes and alto sax works well. Maybe I'm prejudiced, but the 2 best cuts on the album are those written by Wechter.

Thought I would add the album notes for your perusal---

Julius Wechter is 21 years old, married and has lived in California since he was 8. He graduated from Los Angeles City College in 1954; while there, he majored in music, studying harmony, counterpoint, and arranging. It was at City College that he met Cy Colley and formed the quartet that won the annual Lighthouse College Jazz contest. The combined thinking and planning of Wechter and Colley, beginning in their college days and continuing over a period of one and a half years, provided the background from which this album emerged.

The instrumentation of the group (no piano) stems from Julius’ ideas about the inhibiting effect of block piano chords on freedom-loving soloists. He definitely does not think of his vibes as a substitute for piano; he prefers to consider it a linear horn rather than as a chordal instrument.

When asked, this is what Wechter had to say about his group:

“. . . Having worked with and without the piano we found that a much more liberated feeling can be attained by not being held down to the chords. Not that the chords aren’t there, but it’s a matter of feeling or suggesting them rather then actually hearing them.” “. . .the use of contrapuntal lines and basic chordal notes become a major part of our accompaniment.” “. . . a group of this type needs a very unified feeling and understanding; each man is individually essential. No rhythm section could have been more inspiring to work with then Frank Divito and Jimmy Bates.”

As the discography says there is no producer listed, but there is a note that the production was supervised by Herbert Kimmel.

For those completionists out there the same dealer lists 2 more copies of the same LP for sale. Try http://www.vintagerecord.com/s-jazz.htm

Speaking of completionists; I have been unable to find any good copies of Wincle Lamoyan Coan or Baja Ska. Any one up for a swap?
 
Rocketman said:
As the discography says there is no producer listed, but there is a note that the production was supervised by Herbert Kimmel.

Hmmm. I wonder if this guy is related to Bruce Kimmel who produced the Wechter tribute so many of us atteneded in Glendale a few years back...

As for swapping 45s... I'm still looking for "Winkle" and wouldn't mind finding a better copy of "Baja Ska" myself...

--Mr Bill
 
Wincle Lamoyan Coan is certainly hard to find. Make that impossible. And what does the title mean anyway? It is probably the strangest I've ever come across.

Did any BMB singles chart? I was wondering how many copies of something like Wincle would have sold.
 
As I recall, this tune was written by Herb Alpert as part of a radio contest to promote the Baja Marimba Band at KSFO in San Francisco. Wincle was the winner's name.
 
Hey A&M Guy!

They are two early Baja Marimba Band 45s that never made it to albums. Also, they were released on ALMO International, a Division of A&M. Funny, many years later the name got somewhat recycled to ALMO Sounds! The links below will show you the actual records.

http://www.amcorner.com/gallery/album11/206_G

http://www.amcorner.com/gallery/album11/211_G

This is why we need to have the rare and previously unreleased Julius Wechter material out there (again) for the fans to enjoy and appreciate. Julius' untimely passing was a great loss to all music fans!

Steve
 
As I recall, this tune was written by Herb Alpert as part of a radio contest to promote the Baja Marimba Band at KSFO in San Francisco. Wincle was the winner's name.

Very interesting. That explains the "(A KSFO Fan)" part of the title.

Thanks much for the info.
 
I visited this forum several years ago when I was researching a book detailing the history of Jazz:West Records. That research is now complete and my history was published recently as an e-book, available at Amazon, iTunes, Scribd, and others to follow. My chapter on Linear Sketches includes background on Julius Wechter's time at Los Angeles City College and his combo that won the first Lighthouse Collegiate Contest. I also cover his second unreleased album for Intro Records and include three color photos from that recording session. My page at bookbaby details the history:

https://store.bookbaby.com/book/JazzWest-Records
 
The name rings a bell--it took me a moment. (You know how memory gets after a certain age!)

I think I bought a dozen of those RCA Spain CDs from you when you were at the UCI bookstore, back in the 90s. Great times.

That does sound like an interesting book. Thanks for posting!
 
Thanks for this info James. I have the very hard to find "Linear Sketches". I haven't listened to it for years, but I think I'll put it on tonight. I have a feeling that lp didn't have many sales. They were young and fairly unknown artists at the time. When I think of Jazz West, I think of the excellent Jack Sheldon lp on that label. I'll have to look into that book. Thanks again.
 
The copy I have is a Toshiba reissue; it is plagued with tape glitches at the beginning of some of the tracks (like "Autumn Leaves"). To me it sounds like someone played back the reel without taking up the slack in the tape, thereby stretching it out and causing the severe dip in pitch as the track starts. Terrible mastering. I wonder if the original press is this bad.
 
Since its Wechter's very first recording. (And very much sought after i think.) It would be great to find a good condition copy of the Lp but im not holding my breath. Since i own the entire BMB Discography. ( including New Deal which is also straight ahead jazz as is Linear sketches) it would only make perfect sense. I dont think it will ever see a Digital release. But then.. Time will tell.
 
Hey A&M Guy!

They are two early Baja Marimba Band 45s that never made it to albums. Also, they were released on ALMO International, a Division of A&M. Funny, many years later the name got somewhat recycled to ALMO Sounds! The links below will show you the actual records.

http://www.amcorner.com/gallery/album11/206_G

http://www.amcorner.com/gallery/album11/211_G

This is why we need to have the rare and previously unreleased Julius Wechter material out there (again) for the fans to enjoy and appreciate. Julius' untimely passing was a great loss to all music fans!

Steve
Have you ever heard Wincle Lamoyan Coan?
 
The complete album is now uploaded to YouTube. Video is in the first post in the thread.
I listened to that today and WOW this is straight pure Jazz Through and Through Very much Like the Final Album New Deal there are similarities in style its as though Julius ended the Same way he Began Playing "Straight ahead Jazz " its all Great stuff thanks for sharing Rudy this is a Real treat
 
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