Joe Puma was a great guitarist and a close family friend; when you're done reading this click the link and you'll be brought to a piece that I wrote about him back in 2007. This Sunday, May 31, 2009, marks the ninth anniversary of Joe's death. He passed away on that day in 2000 at the age of 72.On the anniversary of his death in 2008 Joe's son Joe Jr. was surfing the Internet when he came across my article and sent me a very nice email. Remembering this made me think that now would be a great time to bring you a new post about this master of the jazz guitar.
"The Jazz Guitar Of Joe Puma" is a Fresh Sound Records release although I purchased my copy from World Records. There are other companies that sell this title also; just Google the name and you'll come up with a few more should the two I've mentioned not appeal to you.
The first eight tracks on this CD mean a great deal to me personally as they are the entire 10 inch LP "East Coast Jazz No.3- Joe Puma" (Bethlehem,BCP 1012) which was recorded in New York City on November 30, 1954. The copy that I first saw in my Dad's record cabinet when I was a little kid is an original and was given to him by Joe; adding to its special meaning is the fact that it was recorded on my Dad's 24th birthday! In addition to Joe this record features the legendary guitarist Barry Galbraith with Don Elliot on vibes and Vinnie Burke on bass. My Dad used to play this record at home all the time and I always loved it; the arrangements are great and the solos really inventive. What a great pleasure it was for me to hear these tracks again without the scratching and hissing of my worn out copy of the album, which I last put on a turntable (remember those?) about five years ago. I believe this is also one of those old records that is made of metal, not vinyl. The post I wrote about Joe in 2007 has a picture of our family copy which I currently have in storage.
The remaining 11 tracks on this CD (there are 19 in all) come from several recordings made between 1955 and 1957; click here to see a track and personnel listing. Tracks 17-19 are from an album called "Joe Puma Jazz" (Jubilee JLP-1070) and feature none other than Bill Evans on piano, Oscar Pettiford on bass and Paul Motian on drums. All in all a very enjoyable CD which I strongly recommend you purchase.
I just ordered a copy of the CD you see to the right, "Herbie Mann Yardbird Suite". Joe was a staple on Herbie Mann's recordings and the two of them always sound great together. Clicking the record title will give you a list of the personnel and recording date. A Herbie Mann date which has Joe on guitar that I own and have heard many times is "Sultry Serenade". The link I'm providing here is to EBay; that's where I bought my copy and it seems to be the most reliable source for purchasing this particular title.Its been quite a while since I last posted and I thank you all for your patience; I keep track of how many folks hit this site weekly and its a fair number. I'm glad I finally have something new for you.
Have a great week!
