DESCRIPTION:
With Gene Bertoncini, guitar; Michael Moore, Bass; Bill Goodwin, drums; Bob Kindred, tenor sax/clarinet; Joe Vito, piano.
Music lovers from around the Chicago area are likely to like jazz, and will probably know the name of Johnny Frigo. (1916-2007) He was a legend around these parts, and this is from an album he made when was 77 years old. Apropos of this cut, "Get Happy," Johnny said: "I wanted to do it rubato, but couldn't because of the stagnancy of the chords. I kept moving around with triads. All of a sudden I sensed it sounding very Gershwinny. It had a haunting charm. I did the first chorus with unusual chords that you would not expect in that song. A violin break sets a fast tempo for the rest of the arrangement. On the "out" chorus I devised a simple riff on violin, using one finger covering two strings (fifths) with the guitar and tenor filling in the other notes of the chord, a la those Benny Goodman riffs." I heard Frigo on several occasions, and he could, on a whim, play a country fiddle as easily and as enthusiastically as his complex jazz pieces. He was quite a musician, and a terrific entertainer.