The Old and The New – Lionel Hampton

by | May 25, 2024 | Big Band, Orchestral

Lionel Leo Hampton was an iconic jazz musician and bandleader, known for the rhythmic vitality of his playing and his showmanship as a performer. Best known for his work on the vibraphone, Hampton was also a skilled drummer (his original instrument), pianist, and singer.  During a recording session in 1930, while accompanying Louis Armstrong, Satchmo asked Lionel to play a vibraphone that had been fortuitously left in the studio. The results were “Memories of You” and “Shine,” the first jazz recordings to feature improvised vibraphone solos. From that point on, the vibes became Hampton’s main instrument.  Above, you’ll hear an excitingly different treatment of In The Mood, –– like Glenn Miller never played it –– featuring the St. Petersburg State Orchestra and Lionel Hampton, still at his finest in 1994.

Midnight Sun was originally an instrumental composed by Lionel Hampton and Sonny Burke in 1947; it is now considered a jazz standard. This performance was around 1948.

This Kennedy Center performance of Air Mail Special is from a 1982 tribute to Benny Goodman.  You’ll probably recognize several well-known dignitaries in the audience.

SCJME Meets The NY Voices

by | May 12, 2024 | Big Band, Vocal Group

The South Carolina Jazz Masterworks Ensemble is a powerful 18 piece orchestra, comprised of the most outstanding jazz musicians, soloists, arrangers, and bandleaders from across the Carolinas. The group was created to perform the original American art form at the highest artistic level … and they consistently succeed in their mission, concert after amazing concert!  A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of attending yet another in their regular series of performances, as they were joined by the New York Voices.   Although the quality is marginal, having been recorded from the audience with my iPhone, I couldn’t help but share a few bits and pieces of that musical evening here at The Mark of Jazz. It was much too enjoyable to simply leave the echoes hanging in the air over row ‘G’ seat 15!

The top video is the 1936 Louis Prima tune, Sing, Sing, Sing, followed by 3 audio segments, including a SC Jazz Masterworks Ensemble instrumental of a 1959 Frank Foster original, from the Count Basie album Chairman Of The Board.  The bottom video features everyone––including the audience––and closed the concert with the mildly raucous, Smack Dab in the Middle.

Avalon

by NY Voices | SCJME

Who Me?

by SCJME | Instrumental

Save Your Love for Me

by NY Voices | SCJME

Symphony In Black – Duke Ellington

by | Apr 5, 2024 | Big Band, Video

In September 1935, Paramount Pictures released a nine-minute movie that was particularly remarkable for the times … Symphony In Black: A Rhapsody of Negro Life.  It was one of the earliest cinematic explorations of African-American culture made for a mass audience.  It features Duke Ellington and his orchestra performing ‘The Duke’s’ first extended composition, “A Rhapsody of Negro Life”.   Just as noteworthy, it stars Billie Holiday in her first filmed performance.

The film represents a landmark in musical, cultural, and entertainment history and is a member of the first generation of non-classically arranged orchestral scores.   Perhaps most significantly, Symphony In Black is one of the first films written by an African-American, describing African-American life, to achieve wide distribution.

The Irresistible Peggy Lee – Pt. 2

by | Feb 16, 2024 | Big Band, Vocal

(Upper left) is an early Peggy Lee, in 1943 with the Benny Goodman Orchestra offering a classic rendition of Why Don’t You Do Right? She joined the Goodman band in August 1941 and made her first recording, singing “Elmer’s Tune.”  Peggy stayed with Benny for two years, having replaced Helen Forrest … she left in ’43 to become a housewife and mother, but fate and her talent told her the best was yet to come. (Upper right) finds Peggy Lee on the Frank Sinatra Show in 1957, singing a duet with Frank … Nice Work If You Can Get It. See if you notice a little ‘spark’ between them, just a touch beyond mere performance.

(Below) Peggy’s eventual trademark –– the original 1958 version of –– Fever.  I took the liberty of adding some video from several of her incarnations as a legendary performer … singer, songwriter, actress, and composer.

Sun Valley Serenade

by | Aug 19, 2023 | Big Band, Stuff, Vocal Group

The Glenn Miller Orchestra appeared in only two movies, the first of which was “Sun Valley Serenade” in 1941.  Chatanooga Choo-Choo (top) and a colorized version of In The Mood (lower) are both from that film.  “Chattanooga Choo-Choo” features a lot more than just the band, with performances by the Nicholas Brothers, The Modernaires, Dorothy Dandridge, and skating star Sonja Henie.  The song, which was nominated for a best song Oscar, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1996, and was awarded the first Gold Record for sales of 1.2 million.

“In The Mood” was one of the best known tunes of the 1940s and was the biggest hit of Glenn Miller’s career … helping to make him the top bandleader in the world!  By the way, the other movie that featured the Miller Band was called “Orchestra Wives” the following year, in 1942.

The Legendary Buddy Rich

by | Jun 11, 2023 | Big Band

“The Jet Song” from West Side Story never sounded quite like this. On August 20, 1982 at the Frank Sinatra Concert for the Americas, at age 64, Buddy Rich performed what may have been one of the greatest drum solos by one of the greatest drummers ever. Wincing from chest pains, which caused him to go to the hospital afterword, he gave his usual flawless performance––once again demonstrating his fierce life force and love for the music.

This performance of “Hawaiian War Chant” was recorded on January 5, 1987. Just a few months later, on April 2, 1987 Buddy Rich died of heart failure following surgery for a malignant brain tumor. He was 69 and maintained his unparalleled, life-long excellence right to the end. It’s hard to believe Buddy was self-taught and didn’t read music!

Big Band Mulligan

by | May 19, 2023 | Big Band

Gerry Mulligan fronting a big band is a long way from his pianoless quartet of the early 1950s with trumpeter Chet Baker … still historically regarded as one of the best cool groups in jazz.  Out Back Of The Barn [left] features Gary Teller on tenor trading fours and more with Mulligan, while Song For Strayhorn [right] offers a captivating piano solo by Harold Danko.

Although the original quartet  lasted fewer than two years, it had a profound effect upon jazz that extends even to this day.  It was comprised of Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax and Chet Baker on trumpet, with a rhythm section of either Larry Bunker or Chico Hamilton playing drums, and either Joe Mondragon or Bob Whitlock playing bass … depending upon the session.

Walkin' Shoes

by Gerry Mulligan | Complete Recordings

The Incredible Jimmy Smith

by | Apr 1, 2023 | Big Band, Quartet/Quintet

Organ Grinder’s Swing (Top) was recorded at the Vienne Jazz Festival on July 7, 1993 in Vienne, France.  They rattled the cobblestones in the streets of that quaint old town with the likes of Jimmy on the Hammond, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Herman Riley playing tenor and Grady Tate at the drums.  Also in 1993, Smith performed Walk On The Wild Side with The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band In a special salute to the Jazz Masters.  We’re more used to hearing collaborations with Oliver Nelson on big band arrangements but the quartet merged equally well with the Carnegie group, as you can hear (Below, left).

While we don’t usually think of Elmer Bernstein when speaking of jazz, I’ve included the credits opening and original rendition of Walk On The Wild Side (Below, right) … because it may just be the greatest opening a motion picture ever had! Well-l-l-l, it certainly rates up there.

Rat Pack Rides Again!

by | Feb 23, 2023 | Big Band, Vocal Group

It was 1965 in St. Louis and The Rat Pack performed Birth Of The Blues live as only Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. could.  However, you may notice one new member of the group for this particular performance … Johnny Carson!  Actually, he held up his end pretty well and his voice wasn’t terrible either.  Great song, fast company and some unforgettable shtick.

We Need A Little Christmas

by | Dec 23, 2022 | Big Band, Vocal, Vocal Group

‘Tis the season to be snowy!  New York Voices is the Grammy Award winning vocal ensemble renowned for their excellence in jazz and the art of group singing. Like the great groups that came before, such as Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, Singers Unlimited, Manhattan Transfer and, of course, The Four Freshmen, they have learned from the best and taken their musical form to new levels.  I couldn’t resist adding some visuals to their marvelous rendition of the Sammy Cahn – Jule Styne tune, Let It Snow … written in July 1945!

Marshmallow World may not be jazz, but it is definitely Christmas … and these two characters are definitely Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra (in a 1967 TV special).

Finally, I have brought The Christmas Show forward from our Jazz Scene Podcast page.  May you enjoy every minute of this musical Christmas card and have the Merriest of all Christmases with the ones you love!

The Christmas Show

by Fred Masey | Jazz Scene Podcast