June Christy and Friends

by | Sep 19, 2019 | Big Band, Vocal

How High The Moon is the top video in more than one way.  Besides the fabulous June Christy doing the vocal, two other legendary singers don’t utter a solitary note!  Instead, Mel Torme is on drums and Nat ‘King’ Cole plays piano, which of course was his original musical calling.  Lower left is June in her prime with That Old Feeling and on the lower right she is featured with the Stan Kenton Orchestra Just A-Sittin’ And A-Rockin’.  Christy, of course, was the replacement chanteuse for the incredible Anita O’Day after she left the Kenton band … one of the few singers who could have filled O’Day’s stylish ‘pumps’ fronting that powerful, creative Orchestra.

Movin’ Wess

by | Sep 13, 2019 | Big Band, Quartet/Quintet

While most often listed as a saxophonist, I prefer the sound of Frank Wess on the flute. Though the tune is nameless, Flauta Jazz uses the same chords as Ellington/Strayhorn Take The ‘A’ Train.  Sound Familiar?

The Very Thought Of You is a jazz and pop standard, first recorded and published in 1934 with music and lyrics by Ray Noble. Frank Wess applies his own magic touch along with big band backing.

Cool Water – Stan Kenton & Tex Ritter

by | Sep 1, 2019 | Audio, Big Band, Vocal

Cool Water is a supplement to this week’s initial Stan Kenton post.  It is from the album Ritter made with Kenton’s Orchestra that convinced him it was time to move from Hollywood to Nashville. At the conclusion of the recording session, however, Tex received a standing ovation from the entire orchestra..  Overall this wasn’t the world’s worst idea but the public never bought it, and the album was removed from print.  As a result, today it is a rarity.

Cool Water

by Stan Kenton & Tex Ritter | Stan Kenton! Tex Ritter!

Artistry In Rhythm / Tiare – Stan Kenton

by | Aug 31, 2019 | Big Band

Stan Kenton’s Artistry In Rhythm was first recorded and released in 1944. It is one of several songs closely associated with this prolific composer, arranger, bandleader and very underrated pianist.

Like Artistry, Tiare features the high powered Kenton Orchestra and is part of a 1972 London concert. Kenton preferred his bands to not swing, instead employing elements of the popular ballroom and classical concert hall.

Big Bands, Big Sound – Jimmy Smith

by | Aug 23, 2019 | Audio, Big Band

This 1994 version of Down By The Riverside features Jimmy Smith together with Kenny Burrell and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band. It is a live performance of his 1966 rendition on the album “Dynamic Duo” with Wes Montgomery doing the guitar chores.

“Peter And The Wolf” has always been one of my favorite Jimmy Smith Albums … and the Finale – Parade and Peter Plays Some Blues, for me, captures the essence of the other 5 movements.  The album only recently made it to CD and download.  I tried for several years to, at least, obtain the vinyl and finally discovered a single used copy in a little record shop in Detroit for the unheard of price of $3.72!  I had even called Rudy Van Gelder at Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey only to learn that the session tapes had been lost.  I’m glad they found them!

Down By The Riverside

by Jimmy Smith & Kenny Burrell | The Jazz Masters

Finale - Parade / Peter Plays Some Blues

by Jimmy Smith & Oliver Nelson | Peter And The Wolf

Thad Jones & Mel Lewis Big Band

by | Jun 15, 2019 | Big Band

The Thad Jones & Mel Lewis Big Band was formed in New York City in 1965, but performed in countries all around the world for decades, including The Soviet Union during The Cold War years.  Come Sunday is a Duke Ellington composition written in 1942 as part of the first movement of a suite entitled Black, Brown and Beige.  The Groove Merchant is a Jerome Richardson original written for the band’s Central Park North album.

Both tunes performed here are from a September 1969 concert in Soburg, Denmark.  The personnel roster reads like a “Who’s Who” of jazz musicians, most of whom went on to individual greatness with their own bands.  Featured are Thad Jones (flhrn); Snooky Young, Al Porcino, Richard Williams, Danny Moore (tp); Jimmy Knepper, Eddie Bert, Astley Fennell (tb); Cliff Heather (b-tb); Jerry Dodgion, Jerome Richardson (as); Eddie Daniels, Joe Henderson (ts); Pepper Adams (bars); Sir Roland Hanna (p); Richard Davis (b); Mel Lewis (d).

Sun Valley Serenade – Glenn Miller

by | Mar 29, 2019 | Big Band, Stuff

In The Mood is one of those songs that when you hear it, you naturally think of Glenn Miller. Here, it is in the forefront of “Sun Valley Serenade” a 1941 movie that was the first of only two motion pictures featuring the Glenn Miller Orchestra.  The other was 1942’s “Orchestra Wives”.

Chattanooga Choo Choo is also from “Sun Valley Serenade” which, in addition to the Miller Band, features Sonja Henie, John Payne and MIlton Berle,  You’ll also enjoy the harmonies of The Modernaires and a dazzling dance performance by The Nicholas Brothers.

Five Faces Of Harlem Nocturne

by | Mar 22, 2019 | Big Band, Orchestral

Harlem Nocturne was written in 1939 by Earle Hagen and Dick Rogers for the Ray Noble Orchestra, of which they were members at the time.  It quickly became a jazz standard and has since been recorded by nearly 100 artists!  Here are just 5 different versions, including the very first recording of the tune on Columbia Records by Ray Noble.  Then there was a recording by The Viscounts that ran up the Billboard charts, not once but twice … in 1959 and again in1966.  Lyrics were eventually added and in 1963 Mel Torme painted a lonely picture of nighttime in New York.  While many of the others smack of a certain “stripperesque” quality, the fourth arrangement imparts a certain elegance we’ve learned to expect from Duke Ellington.  Finally, a treatment of Harlem Nocturne by Illinois Jacquet that makes all the hairs on the back of my neck stand at full attention!

Harlem Nocturne

by The Viscounts | Harlem Nocturne

Harlem Nocturne

by Mel Torme | Songs Of New York

Harlem Nocturne

by Duke Ellington | Blues

Harlem Nocturne

by Illinois Jacquet | Swing's The Thing

The Several Sides of Sammy

by | Mar 8, 2019 | Big Band, Vocal

Sammy Davis Jr. shows his versatility on the old Ed Sullivan Show by playing drums and vibes with the big band.  Then two of my favorite Davis vocals, where he equals even Ol’ Blue Eyes’ ability to make a song his own.  Though not strictly a jazz musician, Sammy could swing!

In The Still Of The Night

by Sammy Davis, Jr. | At The Cocoanut Grove

Bye Bye Blackbird

by Sammy Davis Jr. | The Essentials

Shiny Stockings – Dee Dee Bridgewater & J.J. Johnson

by | Mar 1, 2019 | Big Band, Vocal

“Shiny Stockings”, one of the most enduring songs in jazz, was written by Frank Foster in 1955 while he was with the Count Basie Orchestra.  Not being very savvy about such things at the time, Frank gave away the rights and royalties to what has now become a jazz standard.

For years the tune was recorded by artist after artist with the revenues flowing to a company that collected on the publishing rights to songs it had acquired.  It wasn’t until the early 2000’s when a close examination of U.S. Copyright Laws finally enabled Foster to collect the royalties that were rightfully his.

Now listen to Dee Dee Bridgewater, J.J. Johnson and Kenny Burrell with the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band in a live performance of that swinging homage to hosiery!