Lyrad's Random 10

"D.B. Blues" is a Lester Young song, but I don't have to tell anybody how great a bandleader Young was. This song is off of a compilation featuring trombone virtuoso Vic Dickenson, who played in virtually every major big band from the '30s into the early '50s. From Young to Sydney Bechet, Coleman Hawkins and on, Dickenson was everywhere. He was primarily a session man, but eventually led his own bands by the end of his career. The trombone has never been the most respected instrument for soloing in jazz, though the instrument was represented in most big bands, but Vic Dickenson was the exception. He was often granted extended solos that illuminated his breathy tones, much the same sound on his trombone that Stan Getz found on the saxophone, and his speedy delivery at any tempo. The solos are surprisingly emotive yet still maintain the energy level necessary for success in early big bands. I'd recommend the album this track comes from, "A True Trombone Master," from the EPM Jazz Archives label, but it is long out of print. This is too typical of jazz labels, which pull albums off the market without replacing them with viable alternatives, reissues, or the like. Especially for the more obscure artists and session players like Vic Dickenson, the market is never going to show large sales for them, but there are enough fans of early jazz to at least keep the albums marginally available to those who love it.


1. Lester Young w/ Vic Dickenson--D.B. Blues
2. Bob Dylan--The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest
3. Rodion Shchedrin--Concerto cantabile for Violin & Orchestra; 1.Moderato cantabile (Maxim Vengerov, Vn; London SO, Mstislav Rostropovich, cond.)
4. John Zorn--Worms (from the soundtrack to She Must Be Feeling Things)
5. Nour Eddine--Dar Eddamanat
6. Roy Budd--Ride on (from the soundtrack to Soldier Blue)
7. Al Cook--When a Man Gets in Trouble
8. Radiohead--Anyone Can Play Guitar
9. Johannes Brahms--Symphony No.4 in e, Op.98; 1.Allegro non troppo (Cologne RSO; Rudolph Bashai, cond.)
10. Iceburn--Drop