Now You’ve Met Mr. Jones

by | Mar 13, 2026 | Trio

The marvelous, and often overlooked, Hank Jones closes out nine years here at Mark of Jazz.com … after nearly a decade of weekly posts, this will be our last. Both videos were recorded live at the Blue Note in Tokyo in 2009 and feature Hank at the piano, David Wong on bass, and Billy Kilson playing drums. At the top is Blue Minor, written in 1958 by Sonny Clark and covered by more than 21 other major artists since. Below that, Thelonious Monk’s timeless 1943 composition ‘Round Midnight, which became a jazz standard even more quickly than I can say thanks for listening all these years … and for more than 500 of you who shared my website with friends and other enthusiasts, who also understand that jazz is truly “America’s Classical Music!”

–– Fred Masey

Sentimental Journey

by | Mar 7, 2026 | Big Band, Vocal

When you think of jazz vocalists, Doris Day isn’t usually at the top of the list. But, in 1945 she hooked up with Les Brown [and his band of renown] to record their massive hit Sentimental Journey … a song written by Brown himself, composer Ben Homer, and lyricist Bud Green. Despite some less than perfect sound and picture, I had to share Les and Doris’ 1985 reunion performance––along with several original band members––of the tune that put Doris Day on the map for good and brought Les Brown to the forefront of dance bands from the mid-forties forward.