Open Country was recorded at the Storyville nightclub in Boston during 1956. His famous ‘pianoless’ quartet at that time included Bob Brookmeyer (tb), Gus Johnson (dr) & Wyatt Ruther (b).
Song For An Unfinished Woman was recorded in 1982 at the North Sea Jazz Festival at the Hague. Solos are by Dave Glenn on trombone, Harold Danko playing Piano and Chris Rogers on flugelhorn
At the impressionable age of fourteen, Opus de Jazz was the first jazz album I ever bought. While the other kids were rocking to Buddy Holly, The Del Vikings and The Platters, I was getting hooked on the likes of Gerry Mulligan, Dave Brubeck and Count Basie! It wasn’t until I became a disc jockey (Back when we actually played those round things made of vinyl) that I developed a nodding acquaintance with Rock music … but my love affair with jazz has only intensified to this day.
Opus de Funk and Opus And Interlude were recorded at a Savoy Records session in New York, October 1955 and were released on the album Opus de Jazz (subtitled A Hi-Fi Recording for Flute, Vibes, Piano, Bass, Drums) along with two other songs in 1956. All featured Frank Wess on flute (tenor sax on one tune), Milt Jackson on vibes, Kenny Clarke playing drums, Hank Jones at the piano and Eddie Jones on bass.
Through the years, the definitive version of One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) has been associated with Frank Sinatra … but Dianne Reeves gives ‘Old Blue Eyes’ a run for his money on this one. It’s from her 2008 appearance at the Jazzopen Music Festival in Stuttgart, Germany. Her band is comprised of Peter Martin on piano, Peter Sprague playing guitar, James Genus on bass, and Kendrick Scott on drums. Even with all of the energy Reeves typically puts into her performances, she has a lower, slower gear … and I’ve selected two of my more mellow favorites from her live concerts.
Stormy Weather was taken from Dianne’s 2012 performance at Jazzwoche Burghausen, also Germany. It’s a jazz/pop standard that she infuses with anything but a standard feeling … featuring Peter Martin at the piano, Romero Lubambo on guitar, Reginald Veal on bass, and Terreon Gully playing drums behind the vocal instrumentation of Ms. Reeves.
The first video is one of only two existing pieces of footage of Charlie Parker in performance. This session was recorded in October 1950 in an effort to add video to some previously recorded audio tracks. Bird was smiling because Hawkins, Rich and company were trying to mime their own improvised solos and it wasn’t working out so well. Bird had a good time with it until he got into “trouble” with the producer for laughing at Hawkins. I believe the tune they are attempting to re-dress is called Celebrity.
The second video is the other piece of performance footage and is entitled Hot House. It was recorded in 1951 and ‘co-features’ Dizzy Gillespie in the days before his trumpet developed its trade mark distinctive ‘curve’. The two audio selections, Lover Man and They Can’t Take That Away From Me are simply more ‘Bird’ at his best, including a cut from his album with strings.
In this session Bird was, of course, on alto, Coleman Hawkins on tenor, Hank Jones played piano, the great Ray Brown played bass, and you’re sure to recognize Buddy Rich on drums.
When Parker got together with Dizzy Gillespie to jam, you knew the music had to be hot, so the tune was bound to be a few degrees above normal, too! If you look closely toward the end, you’ll spot Dick Hyman at the piano.
In celebration of “Bird’s” Centennial”, August 29, 2020, here are a couple of tunes from, perhaps, the greatest recording session of all time at the WOR Studios in New York on November 26,1945. In addition, the video features the original Charlie Parker Quintet playing Out Of Nowhere, also recorded at the WOR Studios a few years later in1947 … with Miles Davis (trumpet), Charlie Parker (alto sax), Duke Jordan (piano), Tommy Potter(bass), Max Roach (drums).
Ko-Ko, which sort of became Bird’s theme song, and Billie’s Bounce are both from the 1945 session. It was the first session in two years due to a ban on such recording to save on shellac as part of the war rationing effort. The dream date called for Parker, of course, Miles Davis on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Curly Russell on bass, and Max Roach on drums. However, Bud Powell couldn’t make the date and Dizzy Gillespie ended up playing piano, as well as sitting in for Miles on a few sets!
Next week Bird’s Centennial Celebration Part 2 features the only two existing pieces of footage showing Charlie Parker in performance.
Kenny Burrell and Jimmy Smith were a “dynamic duo” on many jazz recordings throughout the years, mostly albums headlined by Jimmy. Jumpin’ Blues, recorded at NYC Town Hall in February of 1985, can be found on Smith’s blockbuster album Midnight Special. It features Kenny Burrell on guitar, Jimmy Smith playing the Hammond B-3, Grady Tate on drums and adds Stanley Turrentine on tenor sax to add yet another dimension to the already potent trio.
Greensleeves was recorded 20 years earlier in 1965 and netted Gil Evans a Grammy Award nomination in 1966 for Best Instrumental Arrangement. The album itself was nominated for Best Instrumental Jazz Performance. Burrell is on guitar, with Roger Kellaway on piano, Grady Tate at the drums, Willie Rodriguez on conga and Joe Benjamin playing double bass. The tune starts out like a lamb, as you would expect, and morphs into a very swinging lion before all is said and done!
For nearly 70 years, Sonny Rollins has been one of the most influential saxophonists in jazz. Like Miles Davis, he has experimented with many different sounds and evolved through several stylistic periods … but I prefer his more straight ahead stuff the most, as exemplified here.
Here’s To The People is an original tune, recorded live in 1992 at the Philharmonic Hall in Munich, Germany. Sonny’s sextet includes Clifton Anderson on trombone, Mark Soskin at the piano, Jerome Harris on electric guitar, the great Bob Cranshaw on electric bass, and Yoron Israel playing drums. If you like a driving tenor sax, this one’s for you!
I’m An Old Cowhand incorporates Rollins and a couple of the most innovative collaborators in jazz, with a highly creative effort that will take you back to the cowboy movies of your kidhood. Listen for Shelly Manne on drums and Ray Brown on bass escorting you across musical lines to the days of Bob Steele, Lash LaRue and Johnny Mack Brown!
Ballads. Put your feet up on a rainy Sunday afternoon and let the music wash away the week. In a rare appearance together, John Coltrane and Stan Getz were actually supposed to be playing Autumn In New York … but it’s the one tune they don’t play! The medley they do play consists of Autumn Leaves, What’s New and Moonlight In Vermont. Besides Coltrane and Getz on tenors, Wynton Kelly is at the piano, Paul Chambers is on bass and Jimmy Cobb plays the drums.
Unsquare Dance is a song written by Dave Brubeck in 7/4 time … a most unusual time signature that seems to be as much fun to play as it is to hear! Brubeck recorded the video for PBS broadcast in 2001, live with the London Symphony Orchestra. His son Chris appears at the piano as well. Below that is the original 1961 recording of Unsquare Dance by Dave and his quartet. If you listen closely at the end, drummer Joe Morello sighs relief from the intensity of the tune with a quiet laugh and a “Yaaa!”
In the simplest terms … Oscar Peterson plays more notes per measure than are able to be played with only 10 fingers and 88 keys. But, he plays them just the same and makes it look easy! Joe Pass is his perfect complement, as you’ll hear in both Cakewalk, also called ‘Noreen’s Nocturne’ (The top tune) and Soft Winds (The bottom one). Notice the red circles on the music sheet … that’s what Peterson’s chart typically looks like and, if you are familiar with Oscar, you know how it sounds.
He is joined on both songs by Dave Young on bass, Martin Drew playing drums and of course the Pass magic on guitar. Are these guys having fun, or what??
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