Nat Pierce Band - The Swingin' Nat Pierce Band, Kansas City Memories, 1954-55- 2cd Fresh Sound 2006

Contains:
- Nat Pierce and the Herdsmen, 1954 (Fantasy)
- The Nat Pierce Bandstand, 1955 (Vanguard)
- Jazz Romp by Nat Pierce Jazzmen, 1955 (Keynote)
- Kansas City Memories by Nat Pierce and his Orchestra, 1955 (Coral), except 1 track!!!

In the mid Fifties jazz finally seemed to be emerging from its post-war confusion. A swinging beat was returning, and with it the interest of an ever-larger public. Nat Pierce, unhappy with the choppy, uncertain beat of the 'cool' rhythm section as many other fellow musicians, was able to fuse the advanced harmonies of the new with the rhythmic propulsion of the old. Although he and Woody Herman were conspicuously successful in achieving a distinctive style for the Third Herd, Nat—a Kansas City jazzman by absorption—yearned for the flexibility of the Basie formula, and he spent much of his time studying, and occasionally arranging for the Count's incomparable band. On most of these sides, you can hear the swinging beat that draws from these musician’s surprisingly sharp Kansas City memories.

Track listing

CD1
1. Drop the other shoe
2. I'll never be the same
3. Honey baby
4. Easy living
5. Keepin' out of mischief now
6. Some of these days
7. Blue Lester
8. The king
9. Stomp it off
10. Constance
11. Blues yet
12. Why not

CD2
1. Back on the scene
2. Ridin' in the park
3. Perils of Cheryl
4. Carnival romp
5. You're driving me crazy
6. Takin' the count
7. Piercin' thru'
8. The bearded one
9. I'll buy that dream
10. Maple leaf rag
11. Slippery when west
11.b. You Call It Madness- from scratched vinyl and then restored!
12. A trip to Nathan's
13. Old Rev
14. Sioux city Sue
15. That's all
16. I ain't got nobody
17. Rojiserro

NOTE: some dates and media original release are mistaken on 2cd credits and Fresh Sound web


Personnel and dates

CD1, #1-8 Nat Pierce and the Herdsmen feat. Dick Collins [ 1954 Fantasy] lp 10''

Dick Collins, John Howell (tp), Cy Touff (btp), Dick Hafer (cl, as, ts), Jerry Coker (ts), Jack Nimitz (bs), Nat Pierce (p), Red Kelly (b), Gus Gustafson (d).

San Francisco, CA, January 27, 1954 ( MISTAKE DATE RECORDING ON CD)

Also included on: http://nolodespreciesporserunlossy.blogspot.com/2009/04/nat-pierce-dick-collins-ralph-burns_687.html

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CD1, #9-12 The Nat Pierce Bandstand (Vanguard) lp 10''

Doug Mettome (tp), Urbie Green (tb), Med Flory (as), Richie Kamuca (ts), Jack Nimitz (bs), Nat Pierce (p), Freddie Green (g), Walter Page (b), Jo Jones (d).

Hollywood, February 10, 1955

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CD2, #1-4 Jazz Romp by Nat Pierce Jazzmen = Octet And Tentette (Keynote)- I think lp 12''

Don Fagerquist, Charlie Walp (tp), Frank Rehak (tb), Richie Kamuca (ts), Nat Pierce (p), Freddie Green (g), John Beal (b), Osie Johnson (d).

New York City, August 1955


CD2, #5-7 Jazz Romp by Nat Pierce Jazzmen, 1955 = Octet And Tentette (Keynote)- I think lp 12''

Doug Mettome, Ruby Braff (tp), Billy Byers, Matthew Gee (tb), Phil Woods (as), Sam Margolis (ts), Nat Pierce (p), Freddie Green (g), Jimmy Woode (b), Jo Jones (d).

New York City, August 1955


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CD2, #8-17 Nat Pierce Kansas City Memories, 1955 Coral lp 12''- track 'You Call It Madness' not included on these two cd. I included it from a scratched vinyl and restored with very good results, I think.

Joe Newman (tp), Bill Harris (tb), Hal McKusick (as), Nat Pierce (p), Freddie Green (g), Oscar Pettiford (b), Jo Jones (d).

New York City, June 1955 ( MISTAKE DATE RECORDING ON CD)

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Nat Pierce (Piano, Arranger) 1925-1992

Nat Pierce was born July 16, 1925 in Somerville a suburb of Boston, Mass. He left high school in 1942 and spent a year at the New England Conservatory.

From 1943 to 1946 he played with various local bands as both pianist and then arranger. His first important job was in the bigband led by ex-Kenton trumpeter Ray Borden in late 1947. The Borden band faded and many of the musicians joined the reformed Larry Clinton Orchestra the following year which also failed. In this band was alto sax Charlie Mariano with whom Pierce formed an orchestra in 1949. This band made some reference recordings and briefly toured the New England area but folded in late 1950. Other than the solos of Charlie Mariano this Orchestra featured the singing of Teddi King.

The Pierce career is thereafter inextricably linked to the Woody Herman Bands which were current 1951-55 where he functioned as pianistarranger and rehearsal master. Throughout the rest of the 50's he was active performing or arranging and recording with the very best in New York.

In 1960 he formed a rehearsal bigband which included Clark Terry, Paul Quinichette, and Paul Gonsalves and recorded his extended work Ballad Of Jazz Street. He then rejoined Herman and was largely responsible for the Swinging Herd library. He remained with Herman until 1966 when he moved to Los Angeles. There he was active both with small and large jazz units and in 1977 he and drummer Frankie Capp formed Juggernaut Big Band using the best players in Hollywood and was dedicated to keep alive the music of Basie and Herman.

Nat Pierce was a wonderfully gregarious man and a comparative rarity amongst top jazz musicians in that he was a keen collector of all styles and schools and generous in praise of other players. He died in Los Angeles on June 10, 1992.