The Dave Pell Octet
Dave Pell started out touring with the Tony Pastor, Bob Astor, and Bobby Sherwood bands as a teenager, before moving to California in the mid-'40s. He found work with Bob Crosby on the latter's Ford radio show in 1946, then played with the Les Brown band from 1947 to 1955. Drawing from the ranks of the Brown band, he began leading his own groups in 1953, usually in an octet format, augmented by guests like Pepper Adams, Benny Carter, Mel Lewis, Red Mitchell, Marty Paich, and Art Pepper. He also played as a sideman on records by Shorty Rogers, Pete Rugolo, Benny Goodman, and Gene Krupa in the 1950s, while recording under his own name for Atlantic, Kapp, Coral, Capitol, and RCA Victor. His primary focus of activity in the 1950s and '60s was in the record business, working as a producer for the budget Tops label in the '50s, and Liberty (where he supervised a few hit pop/rock records for Gary Lewis & the Playboys) and briefly Uni in the '60s. He formed a group in the late '70s called Prez Conference, a variation on the theme of Supersax, as a tribute to Lester Young, recording two albums for GNP/Crescendo. In the '80s and '90s, Pell revived his octet for recordings on the Fresh Sound (1984) and Headfirst (1988) labels, and sporadic live dates in the Los Angeles area, including an appearance at the Jazz West Coast festival in 1994.
© Richard S. Ginell /TiVo
Discography
10 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Jazz for Dancing and Listening
Jazz - Released by Jazz City Series on 3 Apr 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Dave Pell Octet Plays Irving Berlin (Remastered)
Jazz - Released by Avid Entertainment on 27 Oct 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Old South Wails (Remastered)
Jazz - Released by AVID Entertainment on 1 Mar 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sunday Afternoons at the Lighthouse Cafe
Jazz - Released by Woofy Productions, Inc. on 7 Aug 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Dave Pell Octet Plays Rodgers & Hart (2013 Remastered Version)
Jazz - Released by Avid Entertainment on 19 May 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Jazz Goes Dancing - Prom to Prom & Campus Hop
Jazz - Released by Fresh Sound Records on 3 Apr 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Plays Rodgers and Hart (Original Jazz Sound)
Jazz - Released by Original Jazz Sound on 12 Apr 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Plays Irving Berlin (Original Jazz Sound)
Jazz - Released by Original Jazz Sound on 31 Dec 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo