Joe was beyond great - he could play anything I wrote, with incredible soul and energy.
- Johnny Mandel
He was one of my all-time favorite musicians…those who played with him will never forget him. Along with Lanny Morgan he was the greatest, most dynamic jazz-oriented lead alto I ever played with.
- Bill Perkins
Even though his name appears on the back of some of the West Coast jazz albums I have, I only recently discovered Joe Maini when my musical mentor down there in Florida sent me an article from a 1965 Down Beat magazine that featured a composition named Joe Maini by then 21-year old Dave Blumberg, native Californian and leader of the Swing, Inc. orchestra. In the article, Blumberg mentions that the composition’s inspiration stems from Maini’s frequent work with the Swing, Inc. band in an advisory and participating capacity and Maini’s lessons on the saxophone there. Blumberg says, “It’s not in his style because I don’t think anyone could write as well as Joe played.” A composition for alto saxophone, it was written in memory of Joe Maini, who had passed away on May 7, 1964 - exactly 58 year ago today.
I did not plan to publish this on the date of Joe Maini’s death. However, in some strange twist of fate, it just worked out that way, making this leg of our journey very special to me.
During his relatively short career, Joe Maini was one of the finest alto soloists and lead player of his generation. He was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1930. By 1948, he was already playing on the road and ended up in Los Angeles sitting in with Charlie Parker and recording with Clifford Brown, Shelly Manne, Kenny Drew, Zoot Sims and many others. However, his life and recording career ended all too soon in 1964 in a strange shooting accident.
In my own way to honor Joe Maini’s great music, I have pulled together what I find some of his most interesting recordings.
In August 10, 1954, Joe Maini hit it big with four sessions at the old Capitol Studios in Hollywood playing with a band that featured an all-star group headed by trumpeter Clifford Brown and Max Roach. However, I think he really hit his stride in September 1955, when he recorded with Shelly Manne & His Men on The West Coast Sound:
From that album, here is You’re Getting to be a Habit with Me, arranged by Bill Holman:
The following month, he recorded with Duane Tatro on the Contemporary modernistic album Duane Tatro’s Jazz For Moderns:
From this album here is Dollar Day - sort of the typical over-arranged tune from that time, but Maini has a heavy alto solo on it:
Incidentally, later on Duane Tatro became the composer for many TV series, including M*A*S*H*, Dynasty, The Love Boat, Mannix, and The F.B.I.
In December of 1955, Maini recorded Talkin’ & Walkin’ With The Kenny Drew Quartet on the Jazz West label.
From that album here is the wonderful I’m Old Fashioned:
The Jazz West label was a subsidiary of Aladdin Records. This interesting but short-lived label started with two 10-inch records in 1954 by trumpeter Jack Sheldon. Here is the first Jazz West release with photo by the great William Claxton:
In 1955, Jazz West switched to the now popular 12-inch record. Their first 12-in album was Jazz Trio, which introduced 21 year old vocalist Jane Fielding. She was accompanied on the album by Red Mitchell on bass and Lou Levy on piano:
The 1950s introduced an endless supply of female jazz singers. Today, the names of most of these vocalists are completely unknown or long forgotten. In most cases, these women recorded one or two albums in New York or Los Angeles and disappeared. One of these “shadow singers” was Jane Fielding, who recorded just two albums, both on the Jazz West label.
The second album of her two albums, recorded in 1956, was Embers Glow and features Fielding backed by the superb Kenny Drew Quintet:
From that album, here is Too Marvelous For Words, which features a nice Maini solo:
Jane Fielding later married “Jungle” Jim Cranston of the movies and soon left the jazz scene all together.
In September of 1956, Maini recorded on Red Mitchell’s Bethlehem album Red Mitchell.
This is a great album that features along with Maini, Hampton Hawes on piano and Conti Candoli on trumpet. From that album, here is Parker’s Ornithology:
In 1958, he recorded on Johnny Mandel’s legendary soundtrack for the movie I Want To Live.
From the soundtrack, here is San Diego Party:
Mandel’s soundtrack featured a host of great West Coast musicians, like Maini, Al Porcino, Frank Rosolino, Milt, Bernhart, Bill Holman, Gerry Mulligan, Red Mitchell, Shelly Manne, and Mel Lewis - names that are by now very familiar to our journey.
In 1959 he became a founder-member of Terry Gibbs’ dynamic Dream Band. He recorded eight albums with the Dream Band until Gibbs disbanded it in 1962. In March 1959, Maini played on the album Flying Home, a live recording with Terry Gibbs Dream Band playing at the Seville, Hollywood:
From that album, here is their version of a great tune by Bennie Moten and his Kansas City Orchestra, Moten Swing:
Here’s one more for the road. This short clip is an interesting and rare chance to see Maini perform live on Frankly Jazz, a half-hour television program produced in Los Angeles in 1963. Each program featured one or more prominent West Coast Jazz performers of the day. The program was hosted by Frank Evans, a leading LA jazz disk jockey. Here is Maini playing tenor sax with Shorty Rogers and His Giants on Martian Bossa Nova:
Unfortunately, one year later, on May 7, 1964, Joe Maini died in what Down Beat magazine called “a bizarre accidental shooting.” The particulars of his death have been debated, but that is of little importance to me. What is important is that we take this opportunity to remember the music of this important jazz musician.
Next week, we put down our paddles for a much needed rest. In two weeks, we’ll pick them back up and get back on that Big River called Jazz. For this leg of our journey, we’ll dig our paddles in and explore the waters of some of my favorite movie soundtracks, like I Want To Live.
If you like what you’ve been reading and hearing so far on our journey and would like to share this with someone you think might be interested in learning more about our great American art form: Jazz, just hit the “Share” button at the bottom of the page. Also, if you feel so inclined, become a subscriber to my journey by hitting the “Subscribe” button here:
Also, find my playlist on Spotify: From Fred Astaire to Sun Ra.
Feel free to contact me at any time to talk shop. I welcome and encourage that.
Until then, keep on walking….