As he was about to leave for three weeks of gigs in Japan, to be followed by a week in Prague, peripatetic trumpeter Bobby Shew forwarded a succinct message and a video link from Cal Haines:
Here is “Salt Peanuts” on tube. The band was swinging and solos were very good.
There are accomplished jazz players almost everywhere, including Albuquerque. In that city in the American southwest there is a band called SuperSax New Mexico. It specializes in arrangements of Charlie Parker solos recorded by the original Supersax, a Parker tribute band founded in Los Angeles 40 years ago by alto saxophonist Med Flory and bassist Buddy Clark. Supersax had several of L.A.’s leading saxophonists, a rhythm section often made up of Clark or Monty Budwig on bass, pianist Lou Levy, and Jake Hanna or Larance Marable on drums. Trumpeter Conte Candoli and trombonists Frank Rosolino or Carl Fontana frequently soloed.
Shew transplanted himself from L.A. back to his Albuquerque home area several years ago. Recently, he has been SSNM’s featured trumpet soloist, as he is here. The alto sax solo is by Sam Reid. Full band credits run at the end of piece.
For the story of SuperSax New Mexico, go here, and to leader Cal Haines’s website for photographs and an essay.