Bobby Hackett Quartet

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Editor's info:
2 LPs ON 1 CD!!
The splendid 1959 quartet album The Bobby Hackett Quartet (Capitol ST1235) in its entirety. Featuring Hackett with the great Dave McKenna on piano, Bob Carter on bass and Dick Scott on drums. In addition to this outstanding LP, we have included Hackett's other 1959 quartet album for the same label, Easy Beat (Capitol ST1413), which also appears here in its entirety. Includes 8-page booklet

Although Bobby Hackett (1915-1976) stated many times that Dave McKenna (1930-2008) was one of his favorite piano players, the two musicians wouldn't collaborate in a recording studio until November of 1958 (McKenna's recording career started in 1949, while Hackett's began as early as 1937). Their first studio date together was an overly ambitious project that was probably conceived by the producers. Unfortunately, it didn't do justice to any of the musicians, the quartet of Hackett, McKenna, bassist John Giuffrida, and drummer Joe Porcaro had to adapt to the addition of 13 strings and an auxiliary rhythm team (the album was titled Blues with a Kick, with the word "blues" included in the title of each tune, even though most songs were not really blues). Hackett often collaborated with such entertainers as Jackie Gleason, and recording labels usually promoted his music as both jazz as well as dance and "mood" music. Fortunately, their next project together, titled The Bobby Hackett Quartet, was more conventional and more musically rewarding. Reissued here in its entirety, the date featured Hackett as the only horn with the brilliant backing of McKenna, Bob Carter on bass, and Dick Scott on drums. Carter was of Hawaiian descent (his real last name was Kahakalau), hence the title of one of the compositions from this album. Carter would later convince Hackett to record an entire album dedicated to mixing Hawaiian tunes and styles with jazz. The LP was titled Hawaii Swings and was recorded in April 1959, just after completing this quartet album and a little before Hackett began recording his second 1959 quartet LP, Easy Beat, which is presented here in its entirety as a bonus album, and featured Pepe Moreale replacing McKenna on piano.