A native New Yorker, Joe Roland (1920-2009) was an innovative jazz vibraphonist. Starting in 1946, he became immersed in the bebop scene, playing alongside influential musicians like Terry Gibbs and Red Rodney. He began forming his own ensembles with support from jazz critic Leonard Feather, who helped him secure performances at venues like the Three Deuces. In 1949, Roland created the Symfonet, a pioneering group where string players performed bop melodies rather than just providing background accompaniment, a concept he claimed to have developed before Charlie Parker's known efforts to incorporate strings into bebop.
Despite his creativity, Roland struggled to find consistent work for his string-based group. He joined Oscar Pettiford’s sextet in 1951, by which time his vibraphone technique had reached a high level of sophistication. He later played with George Shearing (1951–1953), Howard McGhee, and Artie Shaw's Gramercy Five (1953–1954), further honing his craft.
Throughout the 1950s, Roland led various groups, including a mambo-jazz quintet, which added a vibrant, danceable element to his music. He also directed modern chamber jazz ensembles featuring talented musicians such as pianists Wade Legge and Freddie Redd, guitarist Dick Garcia, bassist Oscar Pettiford, and drummer Ron Jefferson. These groups were distinguished by their balance of taste and rhythmic vitality. His innovative programs showcased his ability to blend cool modern jazz with elegance while maintaining the lively pulse characteristic of the bebop movement.
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Though relatively underappreciated during his lifetime, Roland’s energetic approach to the vibraphone continues to resonate with jazz aficionados. As Terry Gibbs noted in 1951, “players like Joe are a real challenge in the rapidly expanding vibraphone field.”
Jordi PujolSource : https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/joe-roland-albums/57431-complete-1949-1956-sessions-symfonet-quartet-quintet.html
Joe Roland
Symfonet, Quartet
Quintet
Complete 1949-1956 Sessions
Tracks
Cd. 1
1 Free of Charge (unknown) 3:17
2 Henry VIII (unknown) 2:42
3 Half Nelson (Davis) 2:42
4 Sally is Gone (Roland) 2:54
5 Love is Just A Plaything (Lert, Jaffe) 2:46
6 Dee Dee's Dance (Best) 2:43
7 Ravel’s Bolero in Mambo (Maurice Ravel, P.D.) 2:50
8 Poor Butterfly (Golden, Hubbell) 2:20
9 I'm Getting Sentimental Over You (Bassman, Washington) 2:20
10 Lover's Mambo (Roland) 2:18
11 Sleigh Ride (Anderson) 2:36
12 Christmas Song (Torme, Wells) 3:15
13 Jingle Bells (P.D.) 2:54
14 Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow (Styne, Cahn) 2:47
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Cd. 2
1 Garrity's Flight (Little Pete) (Roland) 3:06
2 Indian Summer (Herbert) 2:39
3 I've Got the World on A String (Arlen, Koehler) 3:56
4 Stephanie's Dance (Redd) 2:25
5 Joyce's Choice (Legge) 4:23
6 Gene's Stew (Legge) 5:22
7 Music House (Legge) 4:37
8 Spice (Legge) 4:24
9 Easy Living (Rainger, Robin) 5:22
10 Stairway To the Steinway (Redd) 3:03
11 Soft Winds (Goodman) 2:29
12 Teach Me Tonight (De Paul, Cahn) 2:40
13 Robin (Ugarte) 4:01
14 Sweet Lorraine (Burwell, Parish) 3:30
15 Goodbye Bird (Roland) 4:20
16 After You've Gone (Layton, Creamer) 4:51
17 Anticipation (Garcia) 3:51
18 I Cover the Waterfront (Green, Heyman) 3:43
19 The Moon Got in My Eyes (Johnston, Burke) 1:47
20 Street of Dreams (Young, Lewis) 2:40
21 Laura (Raksin) 3:57
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Personnel
[Cd. 1, 1 & 2] from 10-inch “Cavalcade of Jazz” Rainbow 708 (Joe Roland Quintet)
Joe Roland - vb
Ray Turner - ts
Joe Puma - g
Red Mitchell - p
Paul Szglay - b
Harold Granowsky - dr
Recorded in New York City ; July 21, 1949
[Cd. 1, 3-6] Roland 1701 B (ROL-1117), Mercer M-1964 A, “New Stars-New Sounds,” Mercer 10” (LP1002), Savoy 10” MG 15034 A “Joltin’ Joe Roland,” Savoy 12” MG 12039 (Joe Roland’s Modern Symfonet)
Joe Roland - vb
Joe Puma - g
Gus Oberstein, Jules Modlin - vl
Mike Barten - vla
Sid Kassimir - cel
Ishmael Ugarte - b
Harold Granowsky - dr
Paula Castle - vcl [# 5]
Recorded in New York City ; January 27, 1950
[Cd. 1, 7-10] Seeco 4147/48 (Joe Roland Quintet)
Joe Roland - vb
Sam Mario - p
Dante Martucci - b
José Mangual - bng
Luis Miranda - cng
Recorded in New York City ; spring 1954
[Cd. 1, # 11-14] Seeco 4156/57, 78 & 45 rpm “Christmas in Mamboland” Seeco EP-10 (Joe Roland Sextet)
Joe Roland - vb
Doug Duke - org
Dante Martucci - b
José Mangual - bng
Luis Miranda - cng
Ubaldo Nieto - tmb
Recorded in New York City ; spring 1954
[Cd. 2, # 1-4] Savoy 10" MG 15034 B “Joltin’ Joe Roland,” Savoy 12" MG 12039 (Joe Roland Quartet)
Joe Roland - vb
Freddie Redd - p
Oscar Pettiford - b
Ron Jefferson - dr
Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder studio, Hackensack, New Jersey ; May 10, 1954
[Cd. 2, # 5-8] Savoy 10" MG 15047 “Joltin’ Joe Roland,” Savoy 12" MG 12039 (Joe Roland Quartet)
Joe Roland - vb
Wade Legge - p
Dante Martucci - b
Ron Jefferson - dr
Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder studio, Hackensack, New Jersey ; October 17, 1954
[Cd. 2, # 9-20] “Joe Roland” Bethlehem 12" BCP-17 (Joe Roland Quintet)
Joe Roland - vb
Dick Garcia - g
Freddie Redd - p
Dante Martucci - b
Ron Jefferson - dr
Recorded in New York City ; March 17 & 18, 1955
[Cd. 2, # 21] “Know Your Jazz” ABC Paramount 12" ABC-115 (Joe Roland Quartet)
Joe Roland - vb
Billy Taylor - p
Oscar Pettiford - b
Kenny Clarke - dr
Recorded in New York City ; March, 1956