NEW RELEASES

ARTIE SHAW

“The Last Recordings”

MusicMasters

* * * *

Shaw, who swore off playing the clarinet in 1954, taped this two-CD set shortly before his retirement, using a six-piece unit that played a memorable engagement at the Embers nightclub in New York. In his typically articulate and entertaining liner notes, he explains why he quit and why he was so pleased with the results of these sessions.

His own contribution is, of course, the main plus. Shaw’s impeccable technique, coupled with his warm, liquid sound, guaranteed the control-with-soul results. Nobody has outshone him yet.

Valuable also was his interaction with the sidemen, particularly the elegant pianist Hank Jones and the gentle guitarist Tal Farlow--who is replaced on seven of 20 tracks by Joe Puma. Joe Roland, the ex-Shearing vibes player, enabled Shaw occasionally to aim at the sound of the Shearing quintet.

This collection includes a dozen standards and eight unpretentiously serviceable Shaw originals. It all adds up to top-grade chamber jazz that’s totally valid four decades later.

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