Mercury Records Collection: EmArcy MG-36117: Coup De Graas

MG-36117: Coup De Graas / John Graas

Label Type :	blue EmArcy type C
Matrix Number :	SIDE-A	MG-36117A-1 MSI M1 E
	SIDE-B	MG-36117B-1 MSI M E

Comments

Equivalent release: EmArcy SR-80020 (stereo), entitled “John Graas!”.

Inside The Groove

One of the unusual West-Coast session by the French Horn player John Graas.

Personal Impression (and brief notes)

John Graas was one of the famous Jazz French Horn player along with Julius Watkins. Graas was in a Kenton Band thru 1950-1951, then he started to work as a studio musician.

This unusual album, backed up with famous West-Coast pals like Conte Candoli, Art Pepper, Bob Cooper, Buddy Collette and more, unfortunately sounds a sorta stiff, not very swingy kind. This is ironically because the nature of the instrument French-Horn. Arrangements are also too strict to let themselves go.

Strictly Personal Rating (to what extent I could enjoy this album)

7 out of 10

Track Listing

SIDE-A
A-1	15633 (JB89)	Van Nuys Indeed (John J. Graas)	3:20
A-2	15634 (JB90)	Development (John J. Graas)	4:10
A-3	15635 (JB91)	Land Of Broken Toys (John J. Graas)	2:55
A-4	15636 (JB92)	Swing Nicely (John J. Graas)	5:25
SIDE-B
B-1	15637 (JB93)	Walkin' Shoes (Gerry Mulligan)	5:08
B-2	15632 (JB88)	Blues Street (Dick Grove)	5:52
B-3	15638 (JB94)	Rogeresque (John J. Graas)	2:24
B-4	15631 (JB87)	Blocksounds (John J. Graas)	5:17

Personnel

Personnel/recorded date/master numbers confirmed with the Ruppli's discography.
(“The Mercury Labels - A Discography” by Ruppli and Novitsky, Greenwood Press, 1993)

Fixed information again upon actual listening.

A-1, B-2, B-4:
John Graas (french horn) with:
Conte Candoli (tp), Red Callender (tuba), Art Pepper (as), Bob Cooper (ts, ob), Buddy Collette (bs, fl),
Paul Moer (p), Buddy Clark (b), Larry Bunker (ds, xyl, timp).
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA, August 13, 1957.

A-2, A-3:
same personnel as above, except Pete Candoli (tp) replaces Conte Candoli (tp).
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA, August 15, 1957.

A-4:
same personnel/date as above, except Pete Candoli out.

B-1, B-3:
John Graas (french horn) with:
Art Pepper (as), Paul Moer (p), Buddy Clark (b), Larry Bunker (ds, xyl, timp).
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA, August 15, 1957.