Russ Garcia LPs with Maynard Ferguson

RUSSELL GARCIA AND HIS ORCHESTRA, LISTEN TO THE MUSIC OF RUSSELL GARCIA -- Kapp KL-1050

Back in 1957, Russ Garcia recorded this interesting LP for the Kapp label. He brought in all the great studio musicians in Hollywood, and of course, MF got the call for the trumpet section. Very tasty stuff, and MF comes through loud and clear on a number of passages. This is now a relatively rare LP. It lists in my aging jazz guide for $50.00 in NMINT condition. Tracks include Worry-Go-Round, Carefree, Palo Alto, Aren't You Glad You're You?, One Love, Good Humor, When I Go I Go All the Way, Coronado, The Boy Next Door, I'm Confessin' That I Love You, Never Never Land, and I Lead a Charmed Life.
COPY #1. This is, I believe, only the second copy of this relatively rare LP I've ever had for sale on the website. These covers are pretty fragile, and this one has an 8" seam split across the top from upper right. (I will repair it for you with transparent tape if you like prior to shipment.) There also one tiny spot on the front, about the size of a grain of rice, which has the cover paper disturbed. Otherwise, except for some very minor signs of age, this cover is quite nice. Even with the two problems, I'd still rate it as EX due to the clean and nice graphics. The disc has quite a few parallel surface scratches, but they're not deep, and don't significantly affect play. I'd rate the vinyl as EX-. Overall, this copy is EX- to EX. Given the fragility of this particular LP, this is one of the nicer ones you'll find. It's $14.00. SORRY! THIS COPY RESERVED FOR A COLLECTOR, 3/12/21.
COPY #2. The cover on this one has several issues. The top seam is split open, but someone in the past put some Scotch tape near the upper right corner to hold it in place. The spine is also fully taped. There's some surface wear both front and back. It doesn't look too bad, actually, but due to these issues, I'm rating it VG- (below average). The vinyl has quite a bit of light surface scratching. I gave it a test play in several places and got no skips or pops, but there was quite a bit of surface noise in the quieter passages. I'm going to rate the vinyl as VG-, as well. Overall, it's VG-. A nice space filler, it's just $3.00.

RUSS GARCIA, FOUR HORNS AND A LUSH LIFE -- Bethlehem BCP-46

Back in 1956, Russ Garcia recorded this LP for Bethlehem. It features Maynard, and lists for $50.00 in NMINT condition today. They're very hard to find. Tracks inclue: I'll Never Forget What's Her Name (The Lo-est), But Beautiful, Dancing on the Ceiling, The Boy Next Door, Just One of Those Things, Zigeuner, Limehouse Blues, Lush Life, Lover, Come Back to Me, Ramona, Someone to Watch Over Me, and What is This Thing Called Love. Very clean, interesting big band jazz arrangements! And the cover is an interesting Burt Goldblatt drawing of hundreds of intertwined nudes. Highly sought-after!
SORRY! NO COPIES AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.

RUSS GARCIA WITH MAYNARD FERGUSON, I'LL NEVER FORGET WHAT'S HER NAME -- Bethlehem BCP 6044

Back in 1956, Russ Garcia recorded an LP for Bethlehem (BCP-46) entitled Four Horns and a Lush Life. It featured Maynard, and lists for $50.00 in NMINT condition today. They're very hard to find. This LP, I'll Never Forget What's Her Name is a re-issue of that 1956 recording, dating to 1978. Surpirisingly, it's also very hard to find. I seldom see a copy. The cover is different than the 1956 version, and the title is different, but it contains the same tracks: I'll Never Forget What's Her Name (The Lo-est), But Beautiful, Dancing on the Ceiling, The Boy Next Door, Just One of Those Things, Zigeuner, Limehouse Blues, Lush Life, Lover, Come Back to Me, Ramona, Someone to Watch Over Me, and What is This Thing Called Love. Very clean, interesting big band jazz arrangements!
SORRY! NO COPIES AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.

VARIOUS ARTISTS, MODERN JAZZ GALLERY (SPANISH RELEASE) -- Fresh Sound 252282-1

On 11/12/56, Russ Garcia put together a studio session of great West Coast musicians, including Maynard, to record 5 tracks for an upcoming Kapp LP entitled Modern Jazz Gallery. Four of those tracks made it on to the LP, Kapp KXL-5001, which was issed early in 1957. That LP is extremely rare and desirable today, and incredibly hard to find. Thus, the Spanish Fresh Sound company re-issued this version of the LP in 1985. And this time, instead of the four original tracks, they added the fifth track, as well. The four original tracks are Music City, Fish Tail, Smoggy Day, and Los Angeles River. The bonus track, included only on this version of the LP, is entitled Number Four. To the best of my knowledge, you can only get this track on this particular version of the recording. This is an incredibly rare and near-impossible to find LP!!!
SORRY! NO COPIES AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.

RUSS GARCIA AND HIS ORCHESTRA, THE COMPLETE GEORGE GERSHWIN PORGY AND BESS -- Bethlehem 3BP-1

RUSS GARCIA AND HIS ORCHESTRA, A JAZZ VERSION OF HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE OPERA PORGY AND BESS -- Bethlehem BCP 6040

RUSS GARCIA AND HIS ORCHESTRA, HIGHLIGHTS FROM GEORGE GERSHWIN'S PORGY AND BESS -- Bethlehem BCP 6009

Back in 1958, Bethlehem released a monumental 3-LP set called The Complete Porgy and Bess. It starred Mel Torme as Porgy, and Frances Faye as Bess. Russ Garcia provided much of the orchestration for this session, and on trumpet, he brought in Maynard, Cat Anderson, Buddy Childers, Clark Terry, and 7 other trumpeters!!! Talk about talent! The catalog number on that original release was EXLP-1, and it lists for $60.00 in NMINT condition. This LP contains highlights from that session, and it dates to 1976. I'm not sure what it catalogs, but presumably, it should be worth about $25.00 in NMINT condition.
COPY #1. The cover on this copy is ultra clean and nice -- almost like new -- NMINT. The vinyl is super! NMINT+! I believe this is the only copy I've ever had to sell. It's very, very hard to find. And the condition on this copy is outstanding. NMINT to NMINT+. $14.00.
COPY #2. The cover on this one is in super, ultra clean NMINT to NMINT+ condition. The vinyl appears to me to be MINT, never-played. Just an outstanding copy in NMINT+ condition. It's $15.00.
COPY #3. The cover on this one is in NMINT to NMINT+ condition -- really clean and nice. The vinyl looks like it might have been played once. It's NMINT to NMINT+, as well. Overall, this copy is NMINT to NMINT+. It's $14.00.

VARIOUS ARTISTS, BETHLEHEM'S GRAB BAG -- Bethlehem EXLP 2

Here's a Bethlehem compilation LP from about 1959, and it includes the track "Bess You Is My Woman Now" from Porgy & Bess. As you know, this production featured Russ Garcia's Orchestra (and MF). This is a very hard-to-find complilation LP, and I seldom see a copy.
COPY #1. The cover on this copy is pretty nice. There's some scuffing along the top edge, a small and hard-to-see tear on the back, and a little surface wear over-all. Still, it's an EX cover. The vinyl is very nice -- NMINT- to NMINT. Overall, this copy is EX+ to NMINT-. Due to its relative rarity, $7.00.
COPY #2. The cover on this one looks GREAT from the front ... just the slightest yellowing along the opening slit. The seams are all completely intact -- very tight. On the back the original owner did neatly rubber-stamp his name, there's a little bit of surface wear visible, and a couple of very light water stains, just along the top edge. Although it looks NMINT from the front, with the problems on the back let's call it EX. The vinyl is clean and nice, but does have a few very light parallel surface scratches on one side. It's EX++, bordering on NMINT-. Overall, this copy is EX+ -- a nice, solid copy. $7.00.
COPY #3. The cover on this copy is a clean and nice NMINT. The disc is likewise NMINT. A super nice, NMINT copy. It's 9.00.

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