Jazz goes to Siwash Part 1

Jazz Goes to Siwash

I am going to explore one of my favourite tunes from, probably, my favourite Dave Pell Album. It is a Tune by Bill Holman and appears on 2 albums from 1957. Mel Lewis Sextet & Pell of a time. The Mel Lewis version is the more basic of the two versions it was cut for Mode records in June of 1957 and the personnel list was 

Alto & Tenor Sax- Charlie Mariano

Tenor & Baritone Sax- Bill Holman

Trumpet- Jack Sheldon 

Piano Marty Paich

Bass Buddy Clark

Drums Mel Lewis 

The Dave Pell Octet version was recorded earlier in the year on January 23rd. The second of three sessions which made up the Album. There is  some crossover in the band from the Mel Lewis sextet

Tenor Sax Dave Pell

Baritone Sax Pepper Adams

Trumpet Jack Sheldon

Trombone Bobby Burgess

Guitar Tommy Tedesco

Piano Marty Paich

Bass Tom Kelly

Drums Mel Lewis

Where does the title come from?

Dave Pell told me it was a tongue in cheek reference to Jazz Goes to College, the first Album of the Dave Brubeck quartet which documented the tour of colleges the band undertook in 1954.

Siwash is a fictional college written about by humorist  George Fitch loosely based on Knox college his Alma Mater.

I recommend you listen to the two back to back now (apple music links below)