Byrd In Hand

by | Oct 12, 2024 | Septet/Octet, Tentet, Vocal Group

Cristo Redentor

by Donald Byrd | A New Perspective

Donald Byrd was considered one of the finest hard bop trumpeters of the post-Clifford Brown era. He recorded prolifically as both a leader and sideman from the mid-’50s into the mid-’60s and established a reputation as a solid stylist, with a clean tone and clear articulation. Toward the end of the 1960s, Byrd experimented with funk, fusion, and even dipped a toe into the waters of gospel. Jazz purists utterly despised it, but enraptured fans regard it as some of the most innovative, enduring work of its kind.

Cristo Redentor is reflective of his father’s ministerial influence, and features Byrd on trumpet, Hank Mobley on tenor sax, Herbie Hancock playing piano, Lex Humphries at the drums, Butch Warren on bass, Donald Best on vibes, and Kenny Burrell playing guitar –– talk about a stellar lineup!  (Below) the video is Stevie Wonder’s You’ve Got It Bad Girl, with Donald Byrd playing flugelhorn and trumpet; Fonce Mizell, trumpet; Allan Barnes, tenor and flute; Nathan Davis, soprano sax; Kevin Toney, electric piano; Larry Mizell, synthesizers; Barney Perry, electric guitar; Henry Franklin, electric bass; Keith Killgo, drums, and Ray Armando, congas and percussion –– all recorded live at Montreux on July 5th, 1973.

 

The Hot Sardines

by | Feb 23, 2024 | Septet/Octet, Vocal

The Hot Sardines is not a typical name for a serious jazz group so, even though they’ve been around since 2007, I’ve overlooked them until recently when a friend strongly suggested I check them out. My mistake. A bit glitzy, and more than a little offbeat, their main musical mission is to make old sounds new again … and whether recording on a moving New York City subway or adding a tap dancer to their rhythm section, they’re succeeding.

There have been several permutations of The Sardines, with band members too numerous to mention here, but their music remains timeless and their performances always a feast for your soul as well as your senses.  Take the topmost video rendition of Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen –– the group’s official video –– or the bottom-most video of After You’ve Gone as examples: refreshing and energetic in “let your hair down” settings, bound to bring together people with a common love for just plain good music!

With a hint of nostalgia and a touch of New Orleans jazz in their sound, The Hot Sardines add their own flavor to Duke Ellington’s 1936, Caravan … recorded at WFUV (Fordham Univ).

The sound is infectious, the tune is After You’ve Gone, recorded at The Shanghai Mermaid in Brooklyn, New York. It features Elizabeth Bougerol with vocals and Evan Palazzo on piano.

The Softer Side of Earl Klugh

by | Jul 9, 2023 | Septet/Octet, Smooth Jazz

Generally know for his ability to play beautiful melodies and spin soft solos, Take It From The Top is one of Earl Klug’s more up-tempo arrangements –– swinging quietly and still maintaining his trademark mellow sound.  It was originally recorded for BET on Jazz on The Jazz Channel which launched in 1996 with the emphasis on smooth jazz, and has undergone several metamorphoses since.

Wishful Thinking, recorded in 2018 during a weekend of jazz at the Broadmoor, features Earl on guitar, Al Turner on bass, Tom Braxton playing sax, David Lee at the keyboards, and Ron Otis on drums.

Since You’re Gone adds the amazing George Benson to an already mellow mix of musicians –– the way smooth jazz ought to be played. Arguably, two of the greatest guitarists of the modern era in a rare appearance together.

Battle Of The Saxes

by | May 5, 2023 | Septet/Octet

It’s July 1979 at the North Sea Jazz Festival and five of the world’s greatest tenor saxophone players take the stage.  Illinois Jacquet, Arnett Cobb, Dexter Gordon, Buddy Tate and Budd Johnson perform one of the most sensational sax battles in anyone’s memory.  To complete the perfection, behind them are Hank Jones on piano, Gene Ramey playing bass and Gus Johnson on drums.

Flyin’ Home was written back in 1939 by Lionel Hampton and Benny Goodman. Within a very few years it became a jazz standard recorded by just about everybody.

After blowing the roof off the place for more than an hour, they gave the crowd their one more once with a mellow encore tune called The Hague’s Blues.

Ten years later, I had the pleasure of interviewing Illinois Jacquet, after living for more than twenty years in Paris, and on the eve of his Grammy Award winning album “Jacquet’s Got It!” … his first album since returning to America.  I updated my interview and moved it forward from our Jazz Scene Podcasts page to share with you this week.  When I interviewed him on the phone, I engaged an open friendly voice that pulled you in, much the same way he played his horn.

This Is Illinois Jacquet

by Fred Masey | Podcast #006

Locksley Wellington ‘Slide’ Hampton

by | Oct 30, 2021 | Big Band, Orchestral, Septet/Octet

If some of the video images look as though they were reversed, they weren’t.  It’s only that Slide Hampton has the trombone slung over his right shoulder instead of his left.  As a child, he acquired a trombone set up for left handed musicians and continued to play it for the rest of his life … even though he was right handed!  In 1971, Slide was invited to Italy by Franco Cerri, one of the greatest Italian jazz guitarists of the time.  He was featured on an episode of the Italian TV variety show “No Network” and the result was the topmost video Night Never Come, which also appeared on his 1975 album Jazz From Italy with the Slide Hampton Quartet.

The Lower video is Side’s Blues.  It’s part of an 85th birthday celebration for Slide on April 22, 2017 at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola.  It’s a Slide Hampton Original featuring Slide Hampton (trombone) with: Sam Dillon (tenor saxophone); Frank Basile (baritone saxophone); Marshall Gilkes & Ryan Keberle (trombones); Tony Kadleck & Fabien Mary (trumpets); David Wong (bass) and Charles Ruggiero (drums).

The two audio cuts below are both from Hampton’s album “Something Sanctified” recorded in 1960. His Octet was comprised of Slide Hampton (tb, b-horn, arr), Charles Greenlee (tb, b-horn), Richard Williams & Hobart Dotson (tp), George Coleman (ts), Jay Cameron (bs,b-cl), Larry Ridley (b) and Pete La Roca (ds).  In 1962 a revised ensemble, maintaining the same full-throated sound, toured the U.S. and Europe featuring the horns of Booker Little, George Coleman and Freddie Hubbard.

On The Street Where You Live

by Slide Hampton Octet | Somethin' Sanctified

Milestones

by Slide Hampton Octet | Somethin' Sanctified

Bag’s Groove Like Never Before!

by | Oct 16, 2021 | Septet/Octet

Milt Jackson, Benny Golson and Art Farmer teamed up at Jazzbaltica in Salzau Germany for an unforgettable concert during the summer of 1997.  The familiar Bag’s Groove featured an unusual new sound with the addition of the fabulous Toots Thielemans‘ harmonica to the group.  Rounding out the all star octet were Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (NHOP) on bass, Kenny Kirkland at the piano, the legendary Max Roach on drums, and Ulf Wakenius playing guitar.

A Super Saxy Battle

by | Oct 2, 2020 | Septet/Octet

On July 15, 1979 at the North Sea Jazz Festival something very special happened.  Five legends of the tenor saxophone descended upon The Hague in the province of South Holland … they were Illinois Jacquet, Dexter Gordon, Arnett Cobb, Buddy Tate and Budd Johnson.   They were joined by Hank Jones at the piano, Gene Ramey on bass and Gus Johnson playing drums.  It was an all-star cast and a performance those jazz fans will never forget!

Two of my favorite performances were Lionel Hampton’s Flying Home (Top video) and The Hague Blues in ‘C’ (Below) which was written especially for the occasion.

September Song / 2:19 Blues – Wynton Marsalis & Sarah Vaughan

by | Mar 6, 2020 | Orchestral, Septet/Octet, Vocal

To open we have three musical icons, Wynton Marsalis and Sarah Vaughn teaming up to present the classic September Song.  The third legendary artist is John Williams conducting the Boston Pops Orchestra … or is that four musical icons? 

Next Wynton is in Marciac France with his Septet in another live performance.  2:19 Blues was recorded in 2015 and features Marsalis doubling on trumpet and handling vocals … together with Walter Blanding and Victor Goines playing saxophones, Sam Chess on trombone, Dan Nimmer at the piano, Carlos Henriquez with his bass, and Jason Marsalis on drums.  It’s down and dirty blues at its best!

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

The Great Jam Session 1958

by | Aug 17, 2018 | Septet/Octet, Vocal

A  jam session in jazz is a completely spontaneous moment in time that occurs only once. The music never happened before and will never happen again … not exactly the same way. After the crowd is gone and it’s only the musicians, maybe a few staff, that’s when the blowin’ really begins. It’s strictly from the heart. Here, Cozy Cole, Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Johnny Guamieri, Barry Galbraith, Milt Hinton and Carol Stevens stretch out after hours.

Legendary New York DJ William B. Williams narrates the festivities. Thanks to Drummerworld.com for the video.