Steps – Chick Corea Freedom Band – Pt. 1

by | Mar 27, 2021 | Quartet/Quintet

Christian McBride’s amazing opening bass solo flows into Chick Corea’s unmatched piano prowess on the tune called Steps.  Not to be outdone, Keith Jarrett’s sax soliloquy communicates the passion personified by drummer Roy Haynes, much to the delight of their audience and fellow musicians.  I’ve never been a particularly huge fan of jazz fusion but Chick and this 2010 concert in Marciac, France have captured enough of my attention to inspire a deeper dive into that genre.  Although Chick Corea left us in February (2021), his musical legacy has made an indelible mark on the international jazz scene.

Slow Freight – Junior Mance & Ray Bryant

by | Mar 19, 2021 | Quartet/Quintet

Very few things are as addictive as salted peanuts … betcha’ can’t eat just one!  That’s why they employed two pianos and twenty golden fingers to perform the super bluesy Ray Bryant composition, Slow Freight.  The tune was recorded in 1993 for a Japanese TV special and features both Junior Mance and Ray Bryant on pianos, Bob Cranshaw on bass and Alan Dawson playing drums.

Two Of A Kind / Dat Dere – Art Blakey

by | Mar 6, 2021 | Big Band, Quartet/Quintet

Drummer Art Blakey and the 1989 version of his Jazz Messengers (with trumpeter Brian Lynch, tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson, trombonist Frank Lacy, pianist Geoff Keezer and bassist Buster Williams) celebrated the leader’s 70th birthday by welcoming back several notable alumni: trumpeters Freddie Hubbard and Terence Blanchard, altoists Jackie McLeanand Donald Harrison, tenors Wayne Shorter and Benny Golson, pianist Walter Davis Jr. and trombonist Curtis Fuller.  The opening song of that all star  performance was Two Of A Kind … and that set the tone for the next couple of hours.

The lower video features the original Jazz Messengers in 1961 with the slightly comedic Bobby Timmons tune Dat Dere … featuring Blakey on drums, the great Lee Morgan playing trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor sax, Bobby Timmons playing piano and Jymie Meritt on bass.

Oscar, Carmen and Dex

by | Jan 16, 2021 | Quartet/Quintet, Vocal

When it comes to sharing the spotlight, Oscar Peterson is the poster boy.  For example, at the Bern Jazz Festival in 1988 Oscar added several numbers by the incredible Carmen McRae … such as “Sometimes I’m Happy”.  Peterson played piano, naturally, while Dave Young was on bass and Martin Drew on drums to round out the trio.  In a more intimate setting back in 1969, the trio had Sam Jones playing drums and Bobby Durham on bass, and shared the spotlight with yet another superstar in the person of Dexter Gordon.  The tune is an uptempo arrangement of “You Stepped Out Of A Dream”.

Doxy / Speak Low / Soul Sauce – Cal Tjader

by | Jan 11, 2021 | Quartet/Quintet

Cal Tjader is most often associated with Latin Jazz, sometimes combining the two and other times moving easily between them.  As you’ll hear on Doxy and Speak Low, he swings with an easy, relaxed feeling … while on his well known 1964 hit Soul Sauce the Latin flavor is very apparent.  The video was recorded live in1959 at Hugh Hefner’s original Playboy Mansion in Chicago.

Speak Low

by Cal Tjader | La Onda Va Bien

Soul Sauce

by Cal Tjader | Soul Sauce

Freddie Freeloader

by | Dec 11, 2020 | Quartet/Quintet, Trio

Freddie Freeloader

by Miles Davis | Kind Of Blue

Landmark album, stellar players … Miles Davis on trumpet, “Cannonball” Adderley on alto sax, Jimmy Cobb plays drums, John Coltrane on tenor sax, Wynton Kelly at the piano and Paul Chambers bass.

Freddie Freeloader

by Wes Montgomery | Profiles

Freddie gets a more uptempo treatment here with a trio consisting of Wes Montgomery on guitar, Melvin Rhyne playing organ and George Brown on drums.

Freddie Freeloader

by Bill Evans | You Must Believe In Spring

Here is a more intimate version of the Miles Davis tune, featuring Bill Evans on Piano, the amazing Eddie Gomez playing bass and Elliott Zigmund at the drums.

Freddie Freeloader

by Jon Hendricks and Friends | Freddie Freeloader

It’s Miles Davis’ classic tune with lyrics by Hendricks, featuring Bobby McFerrin singing Wynton Kelly’s piano solo, Al Jarreau singing Davis’ solo, Hendricks singing Coltrane’s tenor solo and George Benson singing Cannonball Adderley’s alto solo. One amazing track.

Just Call Her Deedles

by | Dec 4, 2020 | Quartet/Quintet, Vocal

You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To is from a live 2005 Seattle (DVD) concert entitled “Deedles Is My Name”.  Diane Schuur is backed by Maynard Ferguson and his powerful Big Bop Nouveau Band, although many of the songs feature the more intimate setting of a quartet.  It’s fascinating to hear Diane trade riffs with Maynard, mimicking his exuberant, high-flying sound.

Billy Joel’s New York State Of Mind, featuring Diane together with the sensuous sax of Stan Getz, was first released as a 45 RPM single and on her “Deedles” album with Dave Grusin in 1984… then again on her “Best Of” album in 1995.  Below you’ll hear the original 45 release, nostalgic clicks, pops and all.  By the way if you ever wondered where Diane Schuur’s nickname “Deedles” came from, it was an affectionate name her mother called her as a child and it just sort of stuck!

New York State Of Mind

by Diane Schuur | Original 45 RPM Single

The Wonderful World of Satchmo

by | Nov 23, 2020 | Quartet/Quintet, Vocal

If the world ends someday, this song will be the credits.  What A Wonderful World was first recorded and popularized by Louis Armstrong in 1967.  Although there have been many recordings by other significant performers, Satchmo’s rendition continues to stand above the others.  This arrangement is a mellow jazz instrumentation rather than the more common version with strings.  While it isn’t really a jazz tune, I defy anyone to tell me it shouldn’t be included here.

In 1965 The Cold War was raging and the Berlin Wall stood strong, not to keep people out, but to keep people in!  On March 22nd, despite the political tensions and human oppression, the ambassador of jazz Louis Armstrong, gave a legendary concert in East Berlin at the Friedrichsstadt Palast.  The bottom two videos, Mack The Knife and When The Saints Go Marching In are just two of the powerful performances from that evening.

Don’t Blame Me / Bolivar Blues – Thelonious Monk

by | Nov 14, 2020 | Quartet/Quintet, Solo/Duo

Thelonious Monk is something of an acquired taste.  As Monk himself has said, “The piano ain’t got no wrong notes” … but once that taste is acquired, the listening experience is singular and thoroughly enjoyable!  The impression is one of almost hitting the note by playing around it, implying the expected note by actually creating a new version of it.  Monk is the very definition of avant-garde … half pianist, half painter.  As for Charlie Rouse adding his tenor to the mix, Charlie rents space inside Monk’s head.  Together they are musical twins joined at the hip!

Recorded in 1966 in Denmark, Don’t Blame Me puts Monk’s quartet on hold for a solo performance of the time-tested classic.

Monk’s Bolivar Blues was recorded in Japan in 1963.  The quartet is Thelonious at the piano, Charlie Rouse on tenor saxophone, Frankie Dunlop playing drums and Butch Warren on bass.