“Fire In The West” is an album by Herb Geller, recorded on March 14, 1957, in Los Angeles and originally released on Jubilee Records (JLP-1038). The Jazz Workshop Vinyl reissue as a 180-gram audiophile LP (JW-087) revives this rarity with remastering that highlights its pristine sound. The lineup features Herb Geller (alto saxophone), Harold Land (tenor saxophone), Lou Levy (piano), Ray Brown (bass), and Lawrence Marable (drums). The album includes Geller’s originals like The Fruit and S’Line, plus standards such as Love Is the Sweetest Thing. The music is West Coast jazz with bebop roots, with Geller and Land weaving vibrant, interlocking solos, backed by a swinging rhythm section. The Jazz Workshop reissue, limited to 500 copies, is prized for its warm, detailed sound. “Fire In The West” is a lively, melodic record, capturing the California jazz spirit of the 1950s.
Herb Geller (November 2, 1928 – December 19, 2013) was an American alto saxophonist, composer, and arranger, a star of West Coast jazz. Born in Los Angeles, he studied at a local conservatory and began his career in the 1940s, playing with Benny Carter and Joe Venuti. In the 1950s, Geller became a key figure in California’s jazz scene, working with Shorty Rogers, Chet Baker, and Clifford Brown. His style blended bebop intensity with a melodic, refined delivery, perfectly suiting West Coast jazz. After the death of his wife, pianist Lorraine Geller, in 1958, he moved to Europe, living and working in Germany, where he continued recording and teaching. Geller left a legacy as a virtuosic player and educator, with albums that remain jazz classics.
TRACKLIST
Side One:
1. S’pacific View (Herb Geller) 5:53
2. Jitterbug Waltz (Fats Waller) 5:45
3. The Fruit (Bud Powell) 6:13
Side Two:
1. Here’s What I’m Here For (Arlen-Gershwin) 4:41
2. Marable Eyes (Herb Geller) 4:40
3. An Air for the Heir (Herb Geller) 3:41
4. Melrose and Sam (Herb Geller) 4:09
Personnel:
Herb Geller (alto sax, arranger), Kenny Dorham (trumpet), Harold Land (tenor sax), Lou Levy (piano), Ray Brown (bass), Lawrence Marable (drums).
Recorded in Los Angeles, on March 14, 1957
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