Emily, Wendy and Cassandra … The Girls

by | Sep 27, 2024 | Quartet/Quintet

Paul Desmond is usually associated with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, but he achieved quite a body of work of his own, including his composition of the classic “Take Five” for the Brubeck Quartet. He was a modest, retiring man, known to his friends for his wit and charm. For example, when asked why he changed his surname to Desmond, with a straight face, he replied that Breitenfeld sounded too “Irish.” Such witticisms were as typical of his demeanor, as “soft and liquid” were typical of his sound … a tone that Paul, himself, once described as imitating a “dry martini.”  (Above) he demonstrates that tender touch with a wonderfully gentle version of Johnny Mandel’s Emily, recorded in 1975 at the Monterey Jazz Festival. Mundell Lowe is on guitar, Richard Davis bass, Roy Burns playing drums, and John Lewis at the piano. (Below) are two more tunes based on the names of girls.

Cassandra proves that even when Desmond swings, it’s mellow. He is joined by The Quartet, with Dave Brubeck on piano, Joe Morello playing drums, and Eugene Wright on bass, in 1965 at the Newport in Paris festival.

Here, Paul romanticizes Wendy with his quartet around 1975. Ed Bickert plays guitar, Jerry Fuller is on drums, and Don Thompson is at the bass. Will that martini be straight up or on the rocks?

The Finest Phineas

by | Sep 21, 2024 | Trio

Phineas Newborn’s life story is as dizzying as his unique style of piano playing. He was born just outside of Memphis –– a city that birthed the careers of such household musical names as Elvis Presley, Otis Redding, Jerry Lee Lewis, Al Green, and countless others –– and was raised in a musical family that included his father, Phineas Newborn, Sr., a drummer in blues bands, and his equally talented jazz guitarist brother Calvin. By his early teenage years, Phineas was not only beginning to master the piano, but trumpet, tenor and baritone saxes, as well. Jazz critics have called him, “One of the three greatest jazz pianists of all time.”

Here are three tunes with his trio from 1962, that included Al McKibbon playing double bass and Kenny Dennis on drums. Upper most is a non-standard treatment of the Strayhorn standard Lush Life. Below that (left) New Blues, and (right) the familiar Oleo, written by Sonny Rollins … just to prove the critics right!

Edward Kennedy Ellington Part 2

by | Sep 13, 2024 | Audio, Big Band

On his first trip to Africa, Duke Ellington wrote a piece of African music for the First International Festival of Art in Senegal, entitled La Plus Belle Africaine. The video (above) was later recorded at the Ellington Orchestra’s Norwegian concert in 1969. My three part interview with Mercer Ellington (below) took place a few years ago … back in my radio days.

As son of one of the most important and prolific composers of the 20th Century, not to mention his prowess as an arranger, musician and bandleader, it now fell to Mercer to continue and enhance Duke’s legacy. While their relationship was sometimes contentious, Mercer’s love and respect are evident, even as he struggled to emerge from a giant shadow and establish his own identity. I was privileged to sit down for an extended interview with Mercer Ellington in his Manhattan apartment, with a big pot of coffee and a New York size platter of Danish pastries.  For two hours I received an intimate look at the father through the eyes of his son … revealing many of The Duke’s opinions, philosophies, and foibles. I hope you’ll find my visit with Mercer as fascinating and fun as I did.

Music Was Their Mistress Pt. 1

by Fred Masey | JS #019

Music Was Their Mistress Pt. 2

by Fred Masey | JS #20

Music Was Their Mistress Pt. 3

by Fred Masey | JS #21

Edward Kennedy Ellington Part 1

by | Sep 6, 2024 | Big Band

Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington was one of the most important creative forces in the music of the twentieth century. His influence on classical music, popular music and, of course, jazz can’t be overstated. His childhood friends noticed that his casual, offhand manner and dapper dress gave him the bearing of a young nobleman, so they began calling him “Duke.” Though Ellington took piano lessons as a child, he also loved playing outdoors. In his memoir, Ellington recounts playing baseball with his friends in Washington D.C., where he was sometimes visited by President Theodore Roosevelt on horseback!

On November 3rd 1969, Duke Ellington and his orchestra held a concert in Bergen Norway. Below are just three excerpts from that concert, which featured a band that was nearly a who’s who of jazz legends: Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson, Mercer Ellington, Harold “Money” Johnson (t); Lawrence Brown (tb); Chuck Connors (btb); Russell Procope (cl,as); Norris Turney (fl,cl,as,ts); Johnny Hodges (as); Harold Ashby (ts,cl); Paul Gonsalves (ts); Harry Carney (cl,bcl,as,bar); Duke Ellington (p); Wild Bill Davis (o); Victor Gaskin (b); Rufus Jones (d). The first tune is the Ellington/Strayhorn classic, Take the A-Train, with a trumpet solo by Cootie Williams.

Don’t Get Around Much Anymore, another Ellington composition which became a standard, features a sax solo by the great Johnny Hodges.

Rufus Jones was new with Ellington at the time, having earlier been the drumming force driving the Basie band. This brief solo, called Coming Off the Veldt, shows why he was also known as Speedy Jones!