In 2015, jazz label Sunnyside released the eight-disc Lush Life: A Musical Journey by pianist, composer, and producer Joe Castro. It shone a light into the world of his encounters with jazz greats in at-home recorded sessions. The recordings included Buddy Collette, Chico Hamilton, Teddy Wilson, Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Oscar Pettiford, and Lucky Thompson. Also included were sessions by a Teddy Edwards tentet recorded for potential release on the short-lived Clover Records label, which Castro founded with his lover, philanthropist and socialite Doris Duke. The Sunnyside box resulted in a major reappraisal of Castro's jazz career as an important recordist and chronicler of the 1950s and '60s West Coast jazz scene. With Duke, Castro ran the Falcon Lair residential recording studio in Los Angeles (built into the former mansion of Rudolph Valentino) and another at her Duke Farms residence in New Jersey.
Passion Flower: For Doris Duke is the second archival boxed set of recordings from Castro's archive. This six-disc set was compiled by Daniel Richards and James Castro. It includes a wealth of unreleased material by a variety of jazz legends. Disc one, Trios 1955-1956 - The Artist's Choice, features 17 tracks recorded at Falcon Lair, featuring Castro leading various rhythm sections that include bassists Leroy Vinnegar, Red Mitchell, and Paul Chambers, with drummers Jimmy Pratt, Lawrence Marable, and Philly Joe Jones. Disc two, entitled Joe Castro's Friends - At Duke Farms 1956, offers early, never-heard selections from Paul Bley with bassist Hal Gaylor and drummer Lennie McBrowne, as well as unissued recordings by Flo and George Handy. Discs three and four contain two complete albums -- with outtakes -- that Castro recorded for Atlantic: Mood Jazz from 1957 features orchestral backing with arrangements from Ray Ellis and Neal Hefti, and accompaniment from Nat and Cannonball Adderley. 1960's Groove Funk Soul is a swinging hard bop affair with Castro's killer quartet of Edwards, Vinnegar, and drummer Billy Higgins. Disc five, The Sidewalks of New York, is a trio session from 1965 containing wonderful performances from Castro, drummer Paul Motian, and bassist Teddy Kotick. The final disc, Remind Me, was begun for Clover in 1965 but remained unfinished when the label folded in 1966. The Castro/Motian/Kotick trio appear alone on half of the tracks recorded in New York. The second half offers the trio on recordings Castro took to Los Angeles and appended with horns, to fine result. Also included is Kitty White's Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe, a rarely heard 1966 release with sessions she did for Clover with saxophonist Nathan Davis, bassist Jimmy Woode, and drummer Kenny Clarke. Passion Flower: For Doris Duke expands Castro's portrait as a fine producer, arranger, pianist, and conceptualist. His wide-ranging musical ideas may have been birthed in a vacuum; thanks to Sunnyside, they will edify the entire jazz world going forward.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo