A Dynamic Duo from Charles Mingus

by | Sep 14, 2018 | Big Band, Quartet/Quintet

Charles Mingus was an American jazz double bassist, pianist, composer and bandleader, and truly one of the most creative musicians in the business, right down to the titles of his tunes!  Who else could have come up with names like “Don’t Be Afraid, The Clown’s Afraid Too” or “The Shoes of the Fisherman’s Wife Are Some Jive Ass Slippers”?  The latter composition is featured in this post.  A major proponent of collective improvisation, Mingus was a man ahead of his time.  Whether big band or small, one listen to his orchestrations and arrangements is all the proof anyone needs.

Celia is a Mingus original from his quintet’s live 1972 performance in Berlin.  It features Charles Mingus on bass, Joe Gardner on trumpet, Hamiet Bluiett playing barry, John Foster at the piano, and Roy Brooks on drums.

The Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jive Ass Slippers

by Charles Mingus | Let My Children Hear Music

A Count Basie Trilogy

by | Aug 31, 2018 | Big Band

This trilogy is from the Show Of The Week T.V. series, recorded in London.  The Count Basie Orchestra for this session consists of Sonny Cohn, Al Aarons, Wallace Davenport, Phil Guilbeau, trumpet; Al Grey, Henderson Chambers, Grover Mitchell, trombone; Bill Hughes, bass trombone; Marshall Royal, Bobby Plater, Eric Dixon, reeds; Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, tenor sax; Charlie Fowlkes, baritone sax; Count Basie, piano; Freddie Green, guitar; Norman Keenan, acoustic double bass; Rufus ‘Speedy’ Jones, drums.

April In Paris

Count Basie and His Orchestra in a live 1965 performance of this classic tune.  It’s exciting to hear his signature arrangement one more once, just as he recorded it on Verve in 1955.

 

Li’l Darlin’

Here’s a jazz standard written by Neal Hefti for The Count Basie Orchestra.  Introduced as an instrumental by The Basie Band in 1957, Lambert, Hendricks and Ross added lyrics a year later.

Jumpin’ At The Woodside

Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis delivers an outrageous solo in this 1965 live performance … also featuring Rufus Jones on drums, Freddie Green on guitar and the rest of the Basie Band in its prime!

Oasis – Dave Grusin & Dave Valentin

by | Aug 24, 2018 | Big Band, Smooth Jazz

Jazz flutist Dave Valentin and pianist Dave Grusin join forces for this session videotaped in 1985, live at the famous Record Plant recording studio in Los Angeles, California.  Grusin and Valentin are joined by Lee Ritenour on guitar, Larry Williams at the sax and keyboards, Carlos Vega as the drummer man and Abraham Laboriel playing bass.

Sing, Sing, Sing – Ed Shaughnessy & The Cincinnati Pops

by | May 4, 2018 | Big Band

Drum virtuoso Ed Shaughnessy adds an entirely new dimension to The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra with driving rhythms and a ride that’s not to be believed.  The great ones make it seem so easy.  Also look for solos from clarinetist Eddie Daniels and the trumpet of Doc Severinsen.  1988 was a very good year!  Thanks to  Drummerworld, where you’ll find performances of many masters of the skins.

What Are You Doing New Years Eve? – Diana Krall

by | Dec 29, 2017 | Big Band, Vocal

When the bells all ring and the horns all blow, with new love also comes the New Year and a desire to welcome it with the object of her affection.   Her plaintive cry is to embrace the dream of new possibilities together.

He loves me, he loves me not …

I’ll Never Smile Again – Frank Sinatra

by | Oct 20, 2017 | Big Band, Vocal Group

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.

Sing, Sing, Sing – Benny Goodman

by | Aug 25, 2017 | Big Band, Video

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!

Li’l Darlin’ – Count Basie / Lambert, Hendricks and Ross

by | Aug 18, 2017 | Audio, Big Band, Vocal Group

Listen carefully to “Li’l Darlin'” both by the Count Basie Orchestra, and by Lambert, Hendricks and Ross with Joe Williams.  The first thing that struck me when I heard these two versions of the song, is that you almost have to listen twice to tell which is the instrumental and which is the vocal.  That’s how precise LH&R’s style and phrasing was!  Here they are side-by-side.  What do you think?

Li'l Darlin'

by Count Basie Orchestra | Basie

Li'l Darlin'

by Lambert, Hendricks and Ross | Sing Along With Basie

Black Coffee – Chris Connor

by | Jul 28, 2017 | Audio, Big Band, Vocal

Chris Connor didn’t just sing a song, she owned it!  Born in Kansas City to a musical family, she was originally trained on the clarinet but made her first on stage appearance as a singer … and a singer she remained forever more.  Her easy going manner and distinctive ability to get ‘inside’ a lyric became her trademark.  Although she performed with big name big bands, including the Stan Kenton Orchestra, Chris preferred smaller groups and established her lasting reputation touring internationally as a solo performer leading her own trio.  She was one of only a handful of white vocalists considered to be, incontestably, pure jazz singers.

Black Coffee

by Chris Connor & Maynard Ferguson | Double Exposure

Birks Works – Frank Wess, Jon Faddis & BJO

by | Jul 21, 2017 | Big Band, Video

Frank Wess, Jon Faddis and The Barcelona Jazz Orquestra play John Birks Gillespie’s classic composition. “Birks Works” has been recorded by many of the greatest in jazz … and “Birks”?  Well, that refers to Dizzy’s middle name! Jazz At Lincoln Center, 11/2012.