The Killer's Boogie

 

Sumptuous illustrations from a recent lot in the virtual sale room, this programme from Sweden, 1950 is particularly notable for the alleged autograph of trumpeter Al Killian.

Killian's stay with the band was cut short tragically. His entry in Wikipedia reads, in part, 

'In 1946, Killian played with Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic concert series. An interest in bebop led to Killian forming his own band to play the new music in 1947, but this was short-lived.Following this he briefly toured with bands led by Earle Spencer and Boyd Raeburn, before landing a spot in Duke Ellington's band, with which he toured and recorded from 1947 to 1950.On September 5 of the year that he left Ellington, Killian was murdered in his Los Angeles home by "a psychopathic landlord".'

One of only  a handful of sessions where Killian was the leader was released recently on the Mosaic Records Box Set, Classic Black and White Jazz Sessions.

From the discography Mosaic Records include in the box, there is a savage irony in the titles recorded that day...

AL KILLIAN ALL STARS: Al Killian (tp), unidentified (cl), (ts), (p), (el-g), (b), (d).

LA, September 11 – October 30, 1946

466-1 Boogie In My Flat B&W 117

467-2 The Killer’s Boogie –

Incidentally, on the same box are the complete sides Al Killian recorded with the Kenton sound-alike Earle Spencer and his Orchestra. For the record (and, again, from the Mosaic Records discography), those sides were as follows...

EARLE SPENCER AND HIS ORCHESTRA: Al Killian, Bob Fowler, Jimmy Salco, Clair Jones, Richard Binns (tp), Ollie Wilson, Marshall Cram, J. Durward Morsch, Dick Monson (tb), Skeets Herfurt, William Hudspeth (cl, as), Herbie Steward, Francis Polifroni (ts), Bob Snell (bari), Paul Polena and/or Milt Raskin (p), Tony Rizzi (g), Artie Shapiro (b), Jackie Mills (d), Annette Warren (vcl), Frank Erickson, Bill Gillett (arr).

Radio Recorders Studio, LA

September 5, 1946, 2:00-5:30 pm

Supervised by Ralph Bass

384-1 E.S. Boogie (Part II) (BG-arr) B&W 800

385-2 E.S. Boogie (Part I) (ens-vcl) (BG-arr) B&W 799

386 Lover Man (AW-vcl)

or Spenceria (FE-arr) unissued, master no longer exists

387-5 Rhapsody In Boogie (Part I) (FE-arr) B&W 801

(GGG) EARLE SPENCER AND HIS ORCHESTRA: Al Killian, Bob Fowler, Jimmy Salco, Clair Jones, Richard Binns (tp), Ollie Wilson, Marshall Cram, J. Durward Morsch, Dick Monson (tb), James McGee, Richard Hofmann (f-hn), Les Robinson, William Hudspeth (cl, as), Herbie Steward, Francis Polifroni (ts), Bob Snell (bari), Paul Polena and/or Milt Raskin (p), Tony Rizzi (g), Morty Corb (b, arr), Jackie Mills (d), Bob Hayward (vcl), Frank Erickson, Harry Wham (arr).

Radio Recorders Studio, LA,

September 6, 1946, 9:00 pm – 12 am

Supervised by Ralph Bass

388-2 Amber Moon (BH-vcl) (MC-arr) B&W 843

389-2 Spencerian Theory (Part II) (HW-arr) B&W 799

390-1 Rhapsody In Boogie (Part II) (FE-arr) B&W 801

391-2 Spencerian Theory (Part I) (HW-arr) B&W 800

(HHH) EARLE SPENCER AND HIS ORCHESTRA: Al Killian, Bob Fowler, Jimmy Salco, Frank Beach, Richard Binns (tp), Ollie Wilson, J. Durward Morsch, Dick Monson, Ray Sims (tb), Les Robinson, William Hudspeth (cl, as), Ralph Lee, Don Lodice (ts), Hy Mandel (bari), Hal Schaefer (p), Mike Bryan (g), Morty Corb or Artie Shapiro (b), Sam Weiss (d), Bob Gillette, Paul Nelson, Paul Polena (arr).

Radio Recorders Studio, LA,

October 19, 1946, 7:00-11:00 pm

Supervised by Ralph Bass

529-3 Five Guitars In Flight -1 B&W 822

530 Polychronic Suite (PN-arr) unissued, master no longer exists

531-2 Gangbusters (poss. PP-arr) B&W 822

532-alt Piano Interlude (BG-arr) Tops L948-69 (LP)

532-3 Piano Interlude (BG-arr) B&W 854