Joe Castro - San Jose's Mojo (2020) [Hi-Res]

In May of 1958, Joe Castro put together a new trio to begin what would be a long stint at Maynard Sloate's Avant Garde in Los Angeles. Bassist Fred Dutton and drummer Tom Reynolds had come from San Jose as a part of composer Allyn Ferguson's Chamber Jazz Sextet.

That group had originally come to Los Angeles to perform with poet Kenneth Patchen at the Caberet Concert Theatre, Los Angeles City College and the Los Angeles Jazz Concert Hall. Unfortunately, the Sextet was on its last legs as the members fell out with the leader even though they had more work in the wings, including an invitation to perform at the Brussels World Fair, an invitation that had been procured by Patchen's benefactor, Doris Duke.

The Sextet was all but broken up by June. Dutton and Reynolds had found work with Castro and Ferguson's interest in film and television scoring began in earnest. He went on to write music for a number of television shows, including Charlie's Angels, and dozens of films.

Prior to his work with the Sextet, Dutton had been in the first version of the Dave Brubeck Quartet playing both bass and bassoon. He would later go on to play with Stan Getz and in Europe with Romano Mussolini and Hans Koller before settling in California to playin symphonies in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The trio received good reviews at the Avant Garde. Castro was able to network even further, becoming friendly with vocalist Ann Richards, Stan Kenton's wife, who he would work with later at the Sands in Las Vegas.

It is likely that it was during this time span that Castro had the trio and a handful of guests come to his home studio at Falcon Lair in Beverly Hills for jam sessions that were recorded. The guests included other members of the Chamber Jazz Sextet, including saxophonists Modesto Briseño and Frank Leal. Castro's old friend Ernie Chavez also joined the sessions tenor saxophone for a number of pieces.

The mid-tempo swing of Charlie Parker's "Blue Bird" has a fine alto solo from the rarely heard Leal, along with turns from Chavez and Castro. Harry Edison and Joe Jones's "H and J" is filled out in a sextet arrangement with Briseño adding twin tenor harmonic flair. A bouncy take on Sy Oliver and Sid Garris's "Opus One" is a perfect vehicle for the saxes of Chavez, Leal and Briseño, as is Castro's driving "Santa Cruz." The vibrant "Original In G" is another Castro that allows for long solos, while the pianist's bluesy "MoJo" provides a brief appearance by Chamber Jazz Sextet trumpeter Dent Hand.

On another session, Briseño's laconic tenor floats nicely over the trio on a group improvisation and swings hard on a brisk take of Rodgers and Hart's "Lady Is A Tramp." The last four tracks add the vocals of Ann Richards to this quartet. Richards delivers on loose but intriguing takes of Haven Gillespie and J. Fred Coots's "You Got To My Head," Andy Razaf and Fats Waller's "Honeysuckle Rose," Johnny Burke and Arthur Johnston's "Pennies from Heaven" and Henry Nemo's "Don't Take Your Love from Me."

Frank Leal - alto saxophone (1-6)
Ernie Chavez - tenor saxophone (1-5)
Modesto Briseño - tenor saxophone
Joe Castro - piano
Fred Dutton - bass
Tom Reynolds - drums
Dent Hand - trumpet (6)
Ann Richards - vocals (9-12)