Albums Are Born of Be-Bop

Distinctive works of art often arise from the strangest places, and two new recordings by pianist Frank Strazzeri and tenor saxophonist Teddy Edwards, best known as straight-ahead, be-bop-based improvisers, attest to the fact.

Strazzeri’s album “Woodwinds West” (JazzMark Records) features the three saxophone-woodwind front line of Bill Perkins, Bob Cooper and Jack Nimitz playing succulent Strazzeri originals and versions of standards. The idea for the album materialized after Strazzeri, who has written for Louie Bellson and Les Brown, crafted three arrangements for “Our Man Woody,” a tribute to Woody Herman also released on the Jazz Mark label. At that time, Bill Craig, who owns the line, asked Strazzeri to write one piece that spotlighted three saxes.

“He was going to use it on an album that featured different writers but he liked what I did so much, he asked me to do the whole album,” says Strazzeri.

The pianist soon found that writing for this particular instrumentation was no day in the park. “There’s no fullness with three saxes unless you keep the instruments harmonically close to each. If you spread them out, you have no sound,” he says.

Somehow, Strazzeri figures he made the session work.

The material on Edwards’ “Blue Saxophone” (Antilles) was born when he was recuperating from stomach surgery in 1976. “All I had to do was get well, and I thought this would be a good way to use my time,” he says.

Edwards, who like Strazzeri is known for his compositional and arranging talents and has crafted tunes on albums by saxophonist Booker Ervin and others, had some manuscript paper that featured five strings, five brass, harp and rhythm. “I thought, ‘Well, I might as well use this and see what I come up,’ ” he remembers.

Eventually composing about 30 originals, Edwards debuted his Brasstring Ensemble at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in 1977, with trumpet great Howard McGhee conducting. Fifteen years later, he recorded the band, with Lisa Nobumoto on vocals, for Antilles.

“Blue Saxophone” comes after last year’s “Mississippi Lad,” also on Antilles, an album that generated renewed interest in the solid saxman, especially in Europe.

Both artists perform material from these recordings this weekend at the Jazz Bakery--Strazzeri tonight and Edwards on Sunday. Edwards and his quartet play next Friday and May 22 at the Club Brasserie in West Hollywood.

Strazzeri also plays Saturday at 5 p.m., with Perkins at the GlenFest food and entertainment festival in Glendale, and with his trio at Jax on Monday.

Critic’s Choice: With his robust, gleaming tone and bagful of make-you-shout, blues-drenched phrases, Stanley Turrentine is a one-of-a-kind tenor saxophonist. His appearance Thursday at Ambassador Auditorium will be enhanced by the presence of the resilient guitarist Dave Stryker.