Originally trained as a classical pianist, Sergio Mendes was drawn to jazz and ultimately to Brazilian music with its Bossa Nova beat and soft pop stylings. His music is timeless and his name and Brasil ’66 have become household words worldwide and across generations.
Frank Sinatra, Jo Stafford and The Pied Pipers with The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in a scene from the 1941 film, “Las Vegas Nights”. This was Sinatra’s first screen appearance in the movies. Unfortunately, His one song was interrupted by a stream of trivial dialogue, which I took the liberty of editing out. Frank went on to establish one of the greatest film careers of all time, featured in both singing and non-singing roles.
This is Thelonious Monk in Japan in 1963, playing with the kind of group that suited him best … a quartet. Charlie Rouse is the saxophonist who understood Monk’s music best and provided the perfect complement.
In 1948, four young men created a sound that forever changed the way vocal jazz harmony was heard and performed. Known as The Four Freshmen, the group started with two brothers, Don and Ross Barbour, their cousin Bob Flanigan, and friend Hal Kratzsch. With a soaring, true tenor in Bob Flanigan, the group created a sound that has endured for over 6 decades. This is the second iteration of The Four Freshmen, circa about 1956. Performing are Bob Flanigan, Ross Barbour, Don Barbour and Ken Albers, who replaced Hal.
Upper left is Love Is Just Around The Corner, upper right Somebody Loves Me, lower left It’s A Blue World, and lower right There Will Never Be Another You. (Our thanks to Ray Anthony TV)
Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor Baron Thielemans, known professionally as Toots Thielemans, was a Belgian-American jazz musician. He was known for his harmonica playing, as well as his guitar, whistling skills, and composing. Possibly his most important contribution was in championing the ‘humble’ harmonica and making it into a legitimate voice in jazz. His own composition, “Bluesette”, which Toots typically performs on harmonica or while playing the guitar and whistling in unison, has now become a jazz standard. He said, “If there’s a piece of music that describes me, it’s that song.” This rendition was recorded in Rotterdam, Netherlands in 2009.
The Great Guitars are Bucky Pizzarelli, Mundell Lowe, and John Pisano. Here they prove that, for the great ones, groovin’ on a guitar is just like riding a bike … the ability stays with you and never gets old. These are live performances of “Tangerine” (Top) and “In A Mellow Tone” (Bottom) at the KPLU studios in Seattle. There may be snow on the roof but there is still a fire in the fingers!
From the 1945 movie “State Fair,” It Might As Well Be Spring was written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. It’s a tune that has been covered by many of the greatest singers through the years, but when it comes to instrumental treatments, Erroll Garner demonstrates the reason the piano was invented!
When it came to mastering his domain, Max Roach took a back seat to no one! His smooth, energetic style placed him in the constant company of jazz icons like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Coleman Hawkins, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, and Sonny Rollins, to name just a few.
This is a Max Roach drum solo from “Jazz At Massey Hall” recorded live in Toronto, Canada. A pioneer of bebop, Max worked comfortably in many other styles of music as well, and is generally considered to be one of the most important drummers in history.
This is a compilation of dance scenes from the 1935 movie “Roberta” and other films featuring the incredible Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Their timeless steps are set to the classic “Sing, Sing, Sing (With A Swing)” performed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra, with the legendary Gene Krupa keeping a driving beat on the drums. The song and its lyrics were written by Louis Prima in 1936 who originally recorded it with The New Orleans Gang. The more popular 1937 Goodman recording lasted 8 minutes 43 seconds and took up both sides of a 78RPM record!
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