Audio
Charles A. Robertson : August, 1957

For the past seven years Buddy Collette has lent his talents to the Groucho Marx radio and television shows, enjoying a freedom to play jazz with his own groups and as a sidemen for recording sessions. He exhibits a flawless lucidity on four instruments, projecting an aura of effortlessness which might pall without a creative flair for the unexpected. He plays clarinet on four numbers, alto on three, flute on two, tenor on one. Different rhythm sections support him on three separate dates.

Five originals show his gift for simple impressionistic sketches. His clarinet on A Nice Day, his alto on Change It, and his flute on Fall Winds, makes them things of growing beauty. Collette avoids the misstep of meaningless complexity which could destroy them. Pianist Dick Shreve is credited with Minor Deviation, a blues for clarinet, and contributes a telling solo to Blues for Howard. Other rhythm men include Calvin Jackson, Don Friedman, Leroy Vinnegar, and Shelley Manne in a fine recording by Roy DuNann.

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Billboard : 07/08/1957
Score of 77

Versatile Buddy Collette displays his many talents on clarinet, alto, flute and tenor on a collection of standards and originals that compliment his work superbly. The opener A Nice Day is a smooth, tender piece for clarinet that shows best. Take note of the pianistics of Don Friedman on Over the Rainbow. A fine mood album.

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Cashbox : 06/08/1957

This is Collette‘s second pressing for Contemporary, the first being a similar approach. The 10 sessions feature Collette in 1 of 4 instruments (clarinet, flute, alto and tenor sax) on several evergreens (Over The Rainbow, I’ll Remember April) and Collette compositions (A Nice Day, Fall Winds), playing briskly with 2 exceptions: the haunting and tender flute work on Over The Rainbow and Fall Winds.

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Jackson Clarion-Ledger
Pinckney Keel : 06/02/1957

Nice Day With Buddy Collette is the name of the man’s album who plays clarinet. alto saxophone, flute, and tenor saxophone. Collette uses the best of helpers, including ex-Kenton drummer Shelly Manne, in tunes such as A Nice Day, There Will Never Be Another You, Over The Rainbow, Moten Swing, I’ll Remember April. He’s been a musician for 24 years, and he ain’t but 36 now! Collette worked with Benny Carter, Johnny Otis and other renowned baton-swingers. And his meaningful phrases are enhanced by his superior group members. Incidentally, all of the musicians, except Collette, are in their 20s.

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Memphis Commercial Appeal
Unknown : 05/19/1957

Collette is one of the few really competent jazz clarinetists of the day and a genuine product of the so-called West Coast school. He is on a par with Tony Scott and Buddy DeFranco, and adds to his clarinet virtuosity some excellent performances on flute and alto and tenor saxes. Five of the 10 tunes on this swinging LP are Collette originals. Another smooth original is by pianist Dick Shreve who plays on several bands. It’s soft but exuberant jazz.

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Music World (Toronto, Canada)
Helen McNamara : 06/22/1957

The versatile Collette is accompanied by three rhythm sections on this set of ten, but the three numbers that will be of most interest to Canadians are There Will Never Be Another You, Moten Swing and Buddy Boo. In these, Buddy is backed by drummer Shelly Manne, bassist Leroy Vinnegar and pianist Calvin Jackson, that last name familiar to anyone who patronized the Park Plaza where Calvin led his own quartet for several years.

In Los Angeles since late 1956, Calvin fits in exceedingly well with this group. Less the leader and more the accompanist, he provides capable backing, not a little inspired, one might guess, by Manne and Vinnegar.

Collette, who received his greatest recognition as a member of the Chico Hamilton quintet, amply displays his many talents on this LP, but of all the instruments he plays his flute solos are the most pleasing.

Unfortunately, he plays flute only on Over the Rainbow and Fall Winds. A Nice Day, Minor Deviation, Moten Swing, and Blues for Howard feature him on clarinet. Alto sax solos are taken on There Will Never Be Another You, Change It, and I’ll Remember April. His one and only tenor sax solo is played on Buddy Boo.

Pianist Don Friedman, drummer Joe Peters and John Goodman work out on one set. Dick Shreve (piano); Bill Dolney (drums), and Goodman again comprise the second rhythm section.

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Oakland Tribune
Russ Wilson : 08/04/1957

Buddy Collette, a native son, and one of the most talented jazzmen to have been produced by the Golden State, plays clarinet, flute, alto sax and tenor – and all well – on six originals and four standards. He is accompanied by three different rhythm sections, among whom are Shelly Manne, Leroy Vinnegar, and pianists Dick Shreve, Calvin Jackson, and Don Friedman, who now is with the Chet Baker group. Collette wrote five of the numbers, which include ballads and blues. This LP is a listening pleasure.

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San Francisco Chronicle
Ralph J. Gleason : 05/19/1957

A very fine showcase for the arranging, composing and playing talents of one of the most versatile musicians currently active in jazz. Collette does some really fine blowing on tenor on this album. Among his confreres are S. Manne, C. Jackson, Bill Dolney, and L. Vinnegar.

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San Francisco Examiner
C.H. Garrigues : 05/26/1957

Here is another way of structuring time according to the west coast method. Is it as solid as Silver or Roach? Will it stand repeated playings, with each playing a new experience? I would answer yes to both questions; it is perhaps prettier but not less beautiful.

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Down Beat : 06/27/1957
Don Gold : 4 stars

This LP is the product of three recording sessions held in late 1956 and early 1957, in which Collette utilized three different rhythm sections. Collette contributed five originals, and pianist Shreve added the other nonstandard toon (Minor). Collette’s musicianship is spotlighted, as he plays tenor on one tune, alto on three, clarinet on four, and flute on two.

Collette is superb in every respect, on every instrument. His writing and playing are lucid, direct, melodic, and warm. His approach to his music is disciplined without being rigid. He plays flawlessly throughout, with fine tonal quality on each instrument. His conception is smoothly flowing and never contrived.

Although there are 10 tunes here instead of the customary dozen so often associated with salable merchandise, I would have preferred a smaller number. While Collette creates lustrously within these somewhat time-limited frameworks, it would be gratifying to hear him in less confined quarters. The two more lengthy explorations here, Rainbow and Fall, are among the most successful.

There is much of value in the three rhythm sections backing Collette here. Shreve, now with the Lighthouse All-Stars, maintains excellent communication with Collette throughout. Goodman and Dolney support Collette tastefully, particularly on the moody Fall, where Goodman contributes a moving solo and Dolney uses mallets to sustain the mood quite effectively. Manne and Vinnegar remain valuable friends.

Jackson, in a group essentially more creative than the one he headed recently, shows the too-often submerged ability he possesses. Note the delightful Jackson-Vinnegar interplay on Another You and Buddy. Friedman, currently employed with Buddy DeFranco, and Peters make worthwhile contributions, too.

Primarily, however, it is Collette who makes this the listening ball that it is.

His inventive clarinet makes Nice Day a bright, expressive entity. He plays alto, as on the brisk Another You, without an allegiance to Bird. His flute sound is lean and direct, capable of setting extended moods, as on Rainbow. Although there is just one tenor track here, Buddy, he plays that instrument with comparative confidence, drive, and creativity.

In this world of derivative, motion-without-progress, musicians, it’s a reward to have Collette on hand. It is significant that while much is accomplished here, there are signs of greater accomplishment to come.

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Liner Notes by Lester Koenig
April 15, 1957

Buddy Collette, in 1956, after two dozen years as a musician (he had his first band at 12!) became recognized as one of the most talented of present day jazzmen as a result of his outstanding work with the Chico Hamilton Quintet, and the release of his first album as a leader, Contemporary C3522.

That album, in view of Collette’s wide-range talent, was titled Man of Many Parts. Collette is a first-rate composter and arranger, as well as a gifted instrumentalist: flute, alto flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto sax and tenor sax. He was also a boy of many parts. He was born August 6, 1921. At 10 he started piano. At 12 he took up alto sax and organized his first band with a number of boys who grew up to become well-known jazzmen, including Charles Mingus on bass and Britt Woodman, trombonist with Duke Ellington. At 14 he added clarinet to his arsenal because “sax men should double.” Even then there was no question about where he was headed. At Los Angeles’ Jordan High he became the leader of the school’s dance band. After graduation from Jordan, he joined Cee Pee Johnson’s orchestra in Hollywood for a year, then enlisted in the Navy in 1942. He was in uniform for 3 1/2 years, during which he became a musician 1/C, leading military and dance bands.

On his return to Los Angeles in 1946 he formed an all-star cooperating group: “The Stars of Swing,” with Lucky Thompson, tenor; John Anderson, trumpet; Spaulding Givens, piano; Oscar Bradley, drums; and two of his boyhood associates in Mingus and Woodman. They worked at The Down Beat in Los Angeles for a time, but were forced to break up because, as Buddy recalls, “There was not enough work. That sure was a great group, and it’s too bad it was never recorded.” Buddy played with a number of bands after that, not all of them jazz groups. Among the good ones, he enjoyed working with Gerald Wilson‘s big band in 1948; with Johnny Otis‘ big band in 1948, (“He had a good band then, something like Basie’s”); and with Benny Carter “on and off” during 1949. Buddy and Benny are still friendly and Buddy frequently plays on Carter-led recording sessions.

During the decade after leaving the Navy, Buddy also embarked on a formidable musical education; went to the Los Angeles Conservatory, the American Operatic Laboratory, and California Academy of Music. In addition he has studied with ten different private teachers, the most recent being Lyle “Spud” Murphy for whom he has recorded (Contemporary C3506). Of Buddy, Murphy says, “He can be heard on all Lyle Murphy albums – past, present and future.”

In 1950 Buddy got himself a steady “gig”, the Groucho Marx TV and radio shows. For the past seven years it has given him a measure of security which, unfortunately, too few jazzmen have. It has also given him the freedom to play jazz with his own and other groups. Because of his versatility and excellent musicianship, Buddy is also in great demand as a sideman for recording sessions of all sorts.

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A Nice Day and Over The Rainbow were recorded November 6, 1956 with the group Buddy was using at The Haig: Buddy Friedman, 21 year old pianist, was born in San Francisco and started playing at the age of 4. In 1950 he moved to Los Angeles, went to Los Angeles City College where he majored in music. Shortly after the recording session he went on the road with Buddy DeFranco‘s group. Drummer Joe Peters, 27, was born in Los Angeles and started playing at the comparatively advanced age of 18. He’s worked with numerous Los Angeles groups including Gerald Wilson and The Jazz Couriers. John Goodman, 25, who played bass on both the first and second recording sessions, like Peters, is both an Angeleno and a self-taught musician. He began playing in 1947, but did not become serious about music until 1949 when he served with the Air Force. Since leaving the service in 1953 he has worked with Vido Musso, The Jazz Couriers, and Collette.

Minor Deviation, Change It, I’ll Remember April, Blues For Howard, Fall Winds; were recorded at a second session, November 29, 1956 with Dick Shreve on piano, Bill Dolney on drums, and Goodman back on bass. Shreve, 28, was born in Kansas City, MO and grew up in Oklahoma City. He has a degree in music from Oklahoma City University. He moved to Los Angeles in October 1956, after a four month stint with Les Brown‘s orchestra, and played with Collette until January 1957 when he became a regular member of Howard Rumsey‘s Lighthouse All-Stars. He is also composer-arranger and a number of his original compositions have been recorded. Drummer Dolney, 25, was born in those upper reaches of New York City called The Bronx. He has worked in and around Los Angeles since 1949 with Jack Montrose, Art Pepper, and the late Bob Gordon. He joined Collette in November, 1956.

There Will Never Be Another You, Moten Swing and Buddy Boo were recorded at a third session, February 18, 1957. Pianist Calvin Jackson recently returned to Los Angeles after several years in Canada, and a tour of the East with his own group. Drummer Shelly Manne is at the height of his fame and popularity, having just won first place in all four major U.S. popularity polls. He is an exclusive Contemporary recording artist, and leads his own group in Los Angels: Shelly Manne & His Men. One of Shelly’s “Men” is bassist Leroy Vinnegar, who catapulted to national prominence in 1956 as a result of his recordings with Manne’s regular group and his two-best selling albums with Manne’s “Friends” featuring pianist André Previn.

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Song info by Buddy Collette February 27, 1957

Side 1
A Nice Day by Buddy Collette – I wrote this in the summer of 1954. I’d just gotten up, and walked out on the front porch. It was a beautiful day, and everyone who passed by seemed to say “a nice day… a nice day…” and the melody came to me from those words.
Collette (clarinet), Friedman, Goodman, Peters

There Will Never Be Another You by Harry Warren & Mack Gordon
This standard is wonderfully written for the kind of improvised counterpoint which we tried at the session.
Collette (alto sax), Jackson, Vinnegar, Manne

Minor Deviation by Dick Shreve
A minor blues with a mysterious sound which I like. It’s great to play on, and sits right for clarinet. I also like Dick’s piano solo.
Collette (clarinet), Shreve, Goodman, Dolney

Over The Rainbow by Harold Arlen & E.Y. Harburg
A lovely ballad requested by many of the Quartet’s friends, and just right, I think for the flute.
Collette (flute), Friedman, Goodman, Peters

Change It by Buddy Collette
We use this for an opening theme and it always seems to get a happy mood for the rest of the job. It got its name from an interlude we used to play; it kept repeating and sounds like a broken record.
Collette (alto sax), Shreve, Goodman, Dolney

Side 2
Moten Swing by Bennie & Buster Moten
This great jazz standard is usually material for a big band. Our arrangement was worked out at the session; each musician contributed ideas for his own part. Listen for Calvin becoming Erroll Garner for a few bars near the start, and for Shelly playing the melody with Calvin and myself in the opening and closing choruses.
Collette (clarinet), Jackson, Vinnegar, Manne

I’ll Remember April by Don Raye, Gene DePaul & Patricia Johnston
I’ve always liked this tune. Usually it’s played slowly as a ballad, but in 1948 I started playing around with the chord progression at a fast tempo, and I’ve been doing it that way ever since.
Collette (alto sax), Shreve, Goodman, Dolney

Blues For Howard by Buddy Collete
This one is for my very good friend, Howard Morehead, a great photographer and jazz lover. When he is listening to a jazz group you can expect to hear him say, “Play me some blues.” He was at the session, and did, so we did.
Collette (clarinet), Shreve, Goodman, Dolney

Fall Winds by Buddy Collette
This is a piece for flute with the drummer using mallets to help set a mood.
Collette (flute), Shreve, Goodman, Dolney

Buddy Boo by Buddy Collette
This was written in 1954 when I was working at the California Club. Chico Hamilton heard it and recorded it with his trio. It had no name and he called it Buddy Boo. Later he recorded it with his Quintet. It’s the only tune in this album on which I play tenor.
Collette (tenor sax), Jackson, Vinnegar, Manne