Jacob, Jules (19??-2008)

Multi-reed musician whose earliest recording credit seems to be the classical-jazz album, Boyd Meets Stravinsky, featuring Boyd Raeburn. He was very busy in the recording studios in 1949, appearing on Frankie Laine’s “God Bless the Child”, Mel Torme’s “Coney Island”, “Got the Gate on the Golden Gate”, “The Miami Waltz” and “We Think the West Coast is the Best Coast”, and “You Can Have Him”, featuring Dinah Shore on lead vocals with Hugo Winterhalter & His Orchestra.

Equally busy was 1950: Jules reunited with Frankie Laine on “May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You”, which would appear on Frankie Laine Sings His All Time Favorites, and recorded with George Siravo’s Orchestra on “It’s a Lovely Day Today” and George Wyle’s Orchestra on “I Didn’t Slip, I Wasn’t Pushed, I Fell”. In 1951, Jules was part of the famed Nat King Cole-Billy May sessions and rejoined Mel Torme for “I Love You But I Don’t Like You”, “My Magic Heart”, “Wandering Swallow” and “(When I Dance With You) I Get Ideas”.

He played possum with Daws Butler in 1953 on “Peppy Possum: Part 1” and the aptly titled “Peppy Possum: Part 2”. In 1954, he recorded “The Sea Song” with Frank Sinatra. A year later, he turned up on Margie Rayburn’s “Basin Street Blues”, which was backed with “Can I Tell Them You’re Mine”. In 1956, he recorded “Mary’s Boy Child” with Harry Belafonte and appeared on Ella Fitzgerald’s The Best of the Song Books: The Collection, Music to Listen to Barney Kessel By and Kitty White’s Cold Fire!/Folk Songs. He spent much of 1957 in the recording studios with Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee and Frank Sinatra. His recordings with Peggy Lee wound up on The Man I Love. The Sinatra recordings were later featured on Come Fly With Me.

He also appeared on John Pisano’s album, Makin’ It. In 1958, he reacquainted himself with Barney Kessel on another classical-jazz excursion, Kessel Plays Carmen, another John Pisano album, Take Your Pick, and Keely Smith’s genteelly titled album, Politely. He also recorded “I Couldn’t Care Less” and “To Love and Be Loved” with Frank Sinatra. In 1959, he appeared on the Ella Fitzgerald single, “You Make Me Feel So Young”/”But Not For Me” and the multi-volume set, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Books. He also appeared on the Dean Martin album, Sleep Warm, and Frank Sinatra’s Come Dance With Me!.

In 1960, he was back in the studio with Peggy Lee for tracks that would appear on Pretty Eyes and Christmas Carousel. He followed this up in 1961 with Love Swings by Bobby Darin and Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Song Book, and easily made the cut on The Complete Capitol Singles Collection of Frank Sinatra. He continued to record with Bobby Darin on It’s You and From Hello Dolly to Goodbye Charlie, released in 1963 and 1964, respectively. He also appeared on another Sinatra compilation, 1965’s A Man and His Music. In 1966, he played flute on The Beach Boys’ groundbreaking album, Pet Sounds.

As music changed, Jules easily adapted, appearing as an erstwhile member of The Cannonball Adderley Quintet on Accent on Africa and The Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra on Frank Zappa’s Lumpy Gravy, as well as performing on The Monkees’ ill-fated movie, Head, and Michael Nesmith’s solo album, The Wichita Train Whistle Sings, all released in 1968. In 1969, he teamed up with Townes van Zandt on Our Mother the Mountain.

The 1970s featured collaborations with Neil Diamond on the soundtrack of Jonathan Livingston Seagull and James Taylor on Gorilla, and the inevitable inclusion on The Beach Boys’ 15 Big Ones. In 1984, he was credited with clarinet, English horn and oboe on The Artistry of Barney Kessel. This appears to be his last recording credit, but the CD era is chock-full of opportunities to hear Jules perform on a variety of woodwind instruments. On Lumpy Gravy alone, he is credited with alto saxophone, bass clarinet, bass flute, bassoon, bass saxophone, clarinet, contrabass clarinet, contrabassoon, English horn, flute, oboe and piccolo.

It is no wonder with this arsenal of instruments that he was able to carve out such a distinguished recording career for himself. Other albums on which he appears include the Bing Crosby compilation, Bing—His Legendary Years: 1931-1957, Simcha Time: Mickey Katz Plays Music for Weddings, Bar Mitzvahs and Brisses, and Save Your Love for Me: Nancy Wilson Sings the Great Blues Ballads.

Here is Mel Torme’s “Got the Gate on the Golden Gate” which Jules performed on…

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Jacob, Jules (19??-2008)

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