Harlem Nocturne – Sam “The Man” Taylor

by | Apr 12, 2019 | Audio, Quartet/Quintet

Three weeks ago, I posted Five Faces of Harlem Nocturne and had several inquiries as to why I left out the original 1955 hit recording by Sam “The Man” Taylor. Sam was a jazz and blues player who set the standard for tenor sax solos in both rock ‘n roll and rhythm and blues … and became one of the most requested session sax players in New York during the 1950s.  Since I’ve always considered this to be the definitive version in the first place, I have no excuse.  None whatsoever.  Here to bail me out is Sam “The Man” with The Sixth Face of Harlem Nocturne.

Harlem Nocturne

by Sam "The Man" Taylor | Blue Mist

A Child Is Born – Pepper Adams

by | Apr 5, 2019 | Quartet/Quintet

This rendition of the Thad Jones standard A Child Is Born is from a French TV Broadcast, La Grande Parade du Jazz, from Nice on July 16, 1978.  The great Bill Evans is at the piano with Marc Johnson on bass, Philly Joe Jones playing drums and the perennially underrated Pepper Adams delivering a memorable solo on baritone sax.

Gettin’ Dizzy With Sonny Stitt

by | Mar 15, 2019 | Quartet/Quintet

Sunny Side of the Street is an easy, swinging piece recorded in Belgium in 1958, as were all three selections.  After solos by Sonny Stitt and Dizzy Gillespie, they cap it with a rare vocal duet … in fact, this may be a first!

Lover Man [Oh Where Can You Be] has become a standard.  Laid back and mellow, Sonny’s solo on this one shows why his playing has frequently been compared with Charlie Parker.

Blues Walk is an uptempo tune that seems to completely absorb Stitt.  Everyone is clearly having fun here … watch, particularly, the drummer’s face as Sonny soars and Dizzy patiently waits his turn!

All That Jazz Is LeGrand!

by | Feb 15, 2019 | Quartet/Quintet, Septet/Octet

If you’re like most people, when you think of Michel LeGrand you think of film scores, orchestras and swirling strings.  Well fasten your seatbelt because he was one whale of a jazz pianist as well and swung with the best of them!  His pen and his baton will be sorely missed, Michel having passed away last month at the age of 87.

“You Must Believe In Spring” was recorded at the Festival International de Jazz in Montreal.  It features Michel Legrand (p), Phil Woods (as), Eric Lagace (b) and Ray Brinker (d).

“The Jitterbug Waltz” was recorded in 1958 in New York for the album “LeGrand Jazz”.  It’s an interesting mix of Michel with artists such as Herbie Mann, Barry Galbraith, Miles Davis, Phil Woods, Jerome Richardson, Eddie Costa, Paul Chambers and Kenny Dennis.  Listen for the silky smooth changes in tempo and subtle harp glissandos of Betty Giamann … not your everyday addition to a jazz combo.

The Jitterbug Waltz

by Michel LeGrand & Miles Davis | LeGrand Jazz

Hackensack – John Coltrane & Stan Getz

by | Jan 11, 2019 | Quartet/Quintet

John Coltrane and Stan Getz together is a rare find … especially when performing with a who’s who on the other instruments.  Recorded in Germany in 1960, here is just such a combo with Oscar Peterson on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb rounding out the rhythm section on drums.  The tune Hackensack is a Thelonious Monk composition, as if you couldn’t tell from the note structure.

Red Cross / The Summer Knows – Art Farmer Quartet

by | Nov 16, 2018 | Audio, Quartet/Quintet

Red Cross is a Charlie Parker tune performed live by The Art Farmer Quartet at the Smithsonian in 1982. The group includes Art on flugelhorn, Fred Hersch on piano, Denis Irvin playing bass and Billy Hart is the drummer.

The Summer Knows is a beautiful, romantic song from the motion picture “Summer of ’42.”  Here, Art Farmer does it gentle justice on his flugelhorn, along with Cedar Walton on piano, Sam Jones at the bass, and Billy Higgins on drums.

The Summer Knows

by Art Farmer Quartet | The Summer Knows

Three Great Guitars – Burrell, Kessel & Green

by | Nov 12, 2018 | Quartet/Quintet

Here’s some rare footage of 3 of the top jazz guitarists of all time, Kenny Burrell, Barney Kessel and Grant Green.  The videos were recorded in 1969 for a French TV show that never aired … along with Burrell, Kessel and Green, are Larry Ridley on bass and Don Lamond on drums.  The video TO THE RIGHT features all 3 guitarists with an easy swinging tune of “Rhythm Changes”.  

BELOW on the upper left all 3 men again collaborate on the familiar blues theme “Blue Mist”.  Although the performance is incomplete, I included it because of some great guitar licks that’ll make you glad you have ears!  Upper right Kenny steps forward with “Imagination.”  Lower left offers Barney with “I’m Glad There Is You”, while at the lower right Grant dazzles with his virtuosity on “I Wish You Love.”

Take The ‘A’ Train – Billy Taylor & Dave Brubeck

by | Oct 7, 2018 | Quartet/Quintet

This rare performance of A-Train is from the Legends of Jazz, Piano Masters series with Ramsey Lewis hosting. For the first time in more than forty years, a American national network, PBS, aired a weekly program devoted to jazz.  The series aired in 2006 and lasted only 13 weeks, but has become available on both DVD and CD for continuing enjoyment by jazz buffs everywhere.