The Story Behind "Return to Hollywood Madness"
Richie Cole began playing alto saxophone at age 10, and by high school he'd won a full scholarship from DownBeat magazine to attend the prestigious Berklee School of Music. By age 21, Cole launched his career by playing lead alto for the Buddy Rich Big Band.
After forming his own bebop jazz quintet and touring the world, Cole recorded in 1979 what was to become one the classic jazz albums of our time - "Hollywood Madness." This was a musical trip through Hollywood at that time and the record featured the Manhattan Transfer, Tom Waits, Brenda Vaccaro and the great jazz vocalese singer, Eddie Jefferson. This album is of special significance because it was Eddie's last recording before meeting his fate only days later outside a jazz club in Detroit after his performance with Richie Cole. This was a great loss for all of us in the jazz world.
Thirty two years later, Richie Cole has returned to bring Hollywood Madness back to life. This time he will feature his Alto Madness Orchestra - his concept for the last 20 years of creating a big band sound with his composing and unique arranging for 4 horns and a rhythm section. This 7-piece band also allows room for improvisational solos and smaller groups to play the high-powered bebop jazz as well as the soulful ballads for which Richie is famous.
"Return to Hollywood Madness" will present, with a new twist, some of the hit songs from the original album such as "I love Lucy," "Hooray for Hollywood," and Cole's originals "Tokyo Rose Sings the Hollywood Blues" and "Waitin' for Waits" (co-written with Jefferson). And new material, such as "Venus," "Pure Imagination," and Cole's own "Cowboy Song" and "Hollywood Boulevard," will be added to the new show.
Be there if you can to witness the birth of something fresh and upbeat. If you can't make it, stay tuned for the new album sometime in 2012. As Richie Cole wrote for the reprise on his original "Hollywood Madness" album...
"And so from Hollywood, we'll dim the lights and hope you've understood, life's pleasures, treasures, stem from music's madness, through tears and gladness, they're equally understood...New York to Santa Fe, now California's way, Hooray for Hollywood... - That's Hollywood!"
RICHIE COLE & The Alto Madness Orchestra present
a very special evening at the Typhoon Jazz Club
"The interplay among the musicians was impressive... But the second set was on a different level, due to the great altoist Richie Cole sitting in... Cole raised the bandstand with his tone, fire and wit, inspiring the other musicians to play at their very best."
—L.A. JAZZ SCENE (August 2011)
At a recent jazz performance at Typhoon,
jazz critic Scott Yanow had this to say about Cole:
