Song For My Father – Horace Silver Quintet

by | Mar 23, 2018 | Quartet/Quintet

This performance of “Song For My Father” was recorded in Copenhagen, Denmark during the Fall of 1964.   While the quintet was in transition at this point, I believe the personnel we are seeing here are Joe Henderson (ts), Carmell Jones (t), Teddy Smith (b), and Roger Humphries (d) … joining Horace Silver (p) in what is so instantly recognizable as the classic Blue Note sound of that era.  The song, which was dedicated to Horace‘s father John Tavares Silva, and the ensuing 1965 album of the same name, were inspired by a trip the pianist made to Brazil earlier that year.

Terry Gibbs – Now And Then

by | Mar 16, 2018 | Quartet/Quintet

At age 91 Terry Gibbs has a few friends over to jam in the living room of his home, Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea.  Lucky neighbors!

Back in 1987 Terry’s vibes and Buddy DeFranco’s clarinet take some Giant Steps, with John Campbell on piano, Todd Coolman on bass, and Gerry Gibbs playing drums.

Coleman Hawkins and Harry “Sweets” Edison

by | Feb 23, 2018 | Quartet/Quintet

The tune is called Disorder At The Border but the “dream band” performing it is in anything but disorder.  It features the perfection of Coleman Hawkins on tenor sax, Harry Edison on trumpet, Sir Charles Thompson playing piano, the fingers of Jimmy Woode strumming the bass and Jo Jones driving the ensemble on drums.  Recorded in 1964.

Art Tatum Classics

by | Feb 16, 2018 | Quartet/Quintet

First, Art Tatum with Slam Stewart and Tiny Grimes in 1943 perform “Tiny’s Exercise”.  Then “Art’s Blues” from the 1947 film “The Fabulous Dorseys”. It’s Art Tatum plus Tommy Dorsey (TB), Jimmy Dorsey (C), Charlie Barnet (TS), Ray Bauduc (D) and Ziggy Elman (T).

Here is Art Tatum in 1954 with “Yesterdays”, as only he can play it.  Although legally blind, like so many great musicians, the purported handicap seemed to open a little wider window to his soul.

The Flying Scotsman / Wallflower – Gerry Mulligan

by | Jan 26, 2018 | Quartet/Quintet, Video

Brilliant performance of The Flying Scotsman at the 1990 International Jazz Festival in Bern Switzerland … featuring Gerry Mulligan (bs), Bill Charlap (p), Dean Johnson (b) and David Ratajczak (d).

Gerry Mulligan is at his soulful best as the quartet performs Wallflower at the 1990 Jazz Festival in Bern. The first festival took place in 1976 and has been thrilling fans with world class jazz every spring since.

On Green Dolphin Street – John Coltrane

by | Dec 1, 2017 | Quartet/Quintet, Video

This video was taken on March 28, 1960 in Düsseldorf, West Germany during Coltrane’s first time in Europe. The band is one of Miles Davis’s first great quintets, but without Miles who chose to sit out this particular night.  It’s John Coltrane on tenor with sidemen Wynton Kelly on Piano, Paul Chambers bass and Jimmy Cobb drums … all stars in their own right.  The clip is sourced from the John Coltrane “Jazz Icons” DVD.

The Summer – Salut Salon

by | Nov 17, 2017 | Lighter Side, Quartet/Quintet

Competitive Foursome

While this is technically chamber music, they do blow some jazz … and anyone who has even a glimmer of musical savvy will appreciate their performance.  The Salut Salon Quartet, from Hamburg Germany, is comprised of Angelika Bachmann (violin), Iris Siegfried (violin), Anne-Monika von Twardowski (piano) and Sonja Lena Schmid (cello). They have been called “the Harlem Globetrotters of string quartets.”  Here, “The Summer” composed by Antonio Vivaldi, becomes the stage for a musical competition with a special sense of humor and musical dexterity!