Alec Wilder - "Smart Alec" by Barry Ulanov

© Copyright ® Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.

Alec Wilder and His Octet

Jack, This Is My Husband, They Needed No Words, Footnote to a Summer Love, The Children Met the Train, Little White Samba, Little Girl Grows Up, Remember Me to Youth, The Amorous Poltergeist

Album Rating—

“This LP is an absolute must for anyone who likes music of any kind. If you have ever heard any of Alec's instrumental work before, you won't need the coaxing. If you haven't, don't waste time reading this review, go out and buy the records. These eight sides were originally issued a couple of years ago on International, a small label graced with some of the most horrible shellac pressings you have ever heard. In addition to Alec's usual puckish sense of humor with reference to titles, these include delightful melodies and countermelodies, wonderful scoring for woodwinds, delicate moving beats, and real taste and selection in the use of harmonic ideas.

These sides are so very, very good they always add up to the same argument: why hasn't a long work of major importance come from this very talented man? This argument we will go into at another point. In the meanwhile, glom onto these sides right away —you will not regret it. Like Ellington, Burns, and some others, Wilder is a name jazz can well be proud of. His stuff has that much lasting merit. (Mercury LP 25,-008.)”

- Clipping from Metronome Magazine review - undated

In the 1930's the three leading "jazz-fringe" composers were Reginald Foresythe, Raymond Scott and Alec Wilder, As far as I know no detailed discography has been published of Alec Wilder's octet recordings 1938-1940. They are not jazz, of course, but Jazz inspired may apply to them.