Stolen Moments / Milestones – Oliver Nelson

by | Oct 31, 2020 | Big Band

The Oliver Nelson standard Stolen Moments is from the 1961 Impulse album “The Blues And The Abstract Truth” …  a classic album that fully captures the feeling of that very prolific jazz era.  It features Oliver Nelson on tenor sax, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Eric Dolphy playing flute, George Barrow on baritone sax, Bill Evans at the piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Roy Haynes playing drums.  Kind of a ‘who’s who’ of the time.

The Miles Davis tune Milestones was recorded by Oliver Nelson with The Berlin Dream Band in 1970.  The band was comprised of several of the top jazz musicians from West Berlin’s underground music scene and, as this wild, up-tempo arrangement proves, European musicians can positively hold their own with their American counterparts!

Stolen Moments

by Oliver Nelson | The Blues And The Abstract Truth

Mind Games / Topside – Bob James Trio

by | Oct 24, 2020 | Trio

Mind Games is a wonderfully rhythmic piece that plays more tricks with your feet than your mind. Bob James is, of course, at the piano, Billy Kilson plays drums and James Genus is on bass.

Topsail is another live performance by The Bob James Trio from their ‘Espresso’ album, recorded live in studio.  Bob switches over to the keyboard for this one, with the rest of the trio remaining the same.

Opus de Jazz – Frank Wess & Milt Jackson

by | Oct 17, 2020 | Quartet/Quintet

At the impressionable age of fourteen, Opus de Jazz was the first jazz album I ever bought.  While the other kids were rocking to Buddy Holly, The Del Vikings and The Platters, I was getting hooked on the likes of Gerry Mulligan, Dave Brubeck and Count Basie!  It wasn’t until I became a disc jockey (Back when we actually played those round things made of vinyl) that I developed a nodding acquaintance with Rock music … but my love affair with jazz has only intensified to this day.

Opus de Funk and Opus And Interlude were recorded at a Savoy Records session in New York, October 1955 and were released on the album Opus de Jazz (subtitled A Hi-Fi Recording for Flute, Vibes, Piano, Bass, Drums) along with two other songs in 1956.  All featured Frank Wess on flute (tenor sax on one tune), Milt Jackson on vibes, Kenny Clarke playing drums, Hank Jones at the piano and Eddie Jones on bass.

Opus de Funk

by Frank Wess & Milt Jackson | Opus de Jazz

Opus And Interlude

by Frank Wess & Milt Jackson | Opus de Jazz

Tribute To Benny Goodman

by | Oct 10, 2020 | Big Band, Orchestral

The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture.  In 1982, Lionel Hampton and Peggy Lee paid tribute to that year’s honoree Benny Goodman.  Lionel performed “Air Mail Special” and “Sing, Sing, Sing” while Peggy performed “Where or When” in a star-studded gala at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C.  Master of ceremonies Andre Previn introduces the segment.

A Super Saxy Battle

by | Oct 2, 2020 | Septet/Octet

On July 15, 1979 at the North Sea Jazz Festival something very special happened.  Five legends of the tenor saxophone descended upon The Hague in the province of South Holland … they were Illinois Jacquet, Dexter Gordon, Arnett Cobb, Buddy Tate and Budd Johnson.   They were joined by Hank Jones at the piano, Gene Ramey on bass and Gus Johnson playing drums.  It was an all-star cast and a performance those jazz fans will never forget!

Two of my favorite performances were Lionel Hampton’s Flying Home (Top video) and The Hague Blues in ‘C’ (Below) which was written especially for the occasion.