JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH
Benjamin Baruch Ambrose (1896-1971) who was known as Ambrose, was one of the top British bandleaders of the late 1920s and ’30s. He was trained as a violinist, played professionally at 15, and by the time he was 20 was leading his own big band. While he had a record date in 1923, his long series of recordings really started in 1927 and continued until 1947. His orchestra had impeccable musicianship, could play anything from sweet ballads to hard-swinging jazz, and included some fine soloists including American clarinetist Danny Polo, altoist Sid Phillips, trombonist Ted Heath, and trumpeter Max Goldberg.
The two-CD set When Day Is Done states that it includes 51 of Ambrose’s finest recordings, and it lives up to its billing. Some titles are more dance band-oriented than jazz and there are plenty of vocals (most from the likable Sam Browne and also including Ella Logan, Elise Carlisle, Vera Lynn, Ann Shelton, one song from Whispering Jack Smith, and guest Connee Boswell on “I’ll Never Say ‘Never Again’ Again”). However there are also a generous number of instrumentals and many of the vocal numbers also include strong solos.
It is a pity that the arrangers are uncredited because their writing is consistently inventive. A few pieces hint at the Raymond Scott Sextette but were actually cut a few years before Scott made his recordings. Although Ambrose had already been quite popular for several years, the band really hit its stride around 1935 and it ranks as an underrated competitor with the best swing bands of the time.
Among the more memorable numbers on this twofer are “Singapore Sorrows,” “’Leven Thirty Saturday Night,” “Who’s Been Polishing The Sun” (with the Rhythm Sisters), “Embassy Stomp,” “Streamline Strut,” “B’Wanga,” a particularly rewarding version of “Copenhagen,” “Hick Stomp,” and “Message From Mars.” The unique “Cotton Pickers’ Congregation” is a classic of its kind. Swing fans in particular will enjoy this rewarding reissue.
Ambrose • When Day Is Done
Retrospectives RTS 4338
www.retrospective-records.co.uk
Since 1975 Scott Yanow has been a regular reviewer of albums in many jazz styles. He has written for many jazz and arts magazines, including JazzTimes, Jazziz, Down Beat, Cadence, CODA, and the Los Angeles Jazz Scene, and was the jazz editor for Record Review. He has written an in-depth biography on Dizzy Gillespie for AllMusic.com. He has authored 11 books on jazz, over 900 liner notes for CDs and over 20,000 reviews of jazz recordings.
Yanow was a contributor to and co-editor of the third edition of the All Music Guide to Jazz. He continues to write for Downbeat, Jazziz, the Los Angeles Jazz Scene, the Jazz Rag, the New York City Jazz Record and other publications.
