Satin Doll – Joe Pass

by | Jan 25, 2019 | Trio

You know a musician is truly great when you can literally listen to him play all day long and still want more. Joe Pass was one of those musicians … arguably the finest jazz guitarist of the Twentieth Century and one of the best jazz guitarists of all time!  Even his imperfections were so enjoyable that nobody cared.  He was a most serious musician who felt deeply about his music but liked to have fun with it at the same time.  Here, he performs the Ellington-Strayhorn classic Satin Doll with Bob Magnusson on bass and Joe Porcaro playing drums.

Hear my interview with Joe on our Jazz Scene PODCAST page.

Watermelon Man – Herbie Hancock

by | Jun 1, 2018 | Trio

Herbie Hancock performs “Watermelon Man”, first as originally written in 1962, then in the jazz fusion style he embraced with both hands eleven years later.  Hancock’s first version was released as a grooving hard bop record, and featured improvisations by Freddie Hubbard and Dexter Gordon.  He radically re-worked the tune, combining elements of funk, for his album Head Hunters in 1973.

Between Two Worlds – Andre Previn

by | Apr 13, 2018 | Orchestral, Trio

Andre Previn is a pianist, composer, conductor and arranger masterfully standing astride two musical genres … both classical music and jazz. Many fans don’t realize that he had one foot in jazz before his other became firmly planted as a classical musician. Here we sample a touch of his conducting, arranging and piano artistry with “Rhapsody In Blue” before stepping back a few years into a swinging performance of Lerner and Loewe’s “Get Me To The Church On Time.”

Emily – Bill Evans

by | Feb 9, 2018 | Trio

“Emily” was composed by Johnny Mandel, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, as the title song for the 1964 film The Americanization of Emily. (The song wasn’t sung in the movie, which is the reason that it couldn’t be nominated for an Academy Award.) It has since been recorded by numerous artists, notably Bill Evans and Tony Bennett.  “Emily” became particularly associated with Bill Evans, who recorded it for the first time for his 1967 album Further Conversations with Myself. Here’s a bit of Evans genius with Bill on piano, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Marty Morell playing drums.

Walkin’ – Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Billy Cobham

by | Jan 12, 2018 | Trio

Composition of the tune “Walkin'” is often attributed to pianist Richard Carpenter, although it is believed the real credit belongs to either Miles Davis or Gene Ammons.  Whoever actually wrote it would be blown away by Hancock, Carter and Cobham’s performance, recorded at Palazzo dei Congressie, Lugano January 26, 1983.

Evidence – Joey Alexander

by | Nov 1, 2017 | Trio

I told you that piano prodigy Joey Alexander would be back.  Here he performs Thelonious Monk’s “Evidence” live at the Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center … from his album ‘Joey.Monk.Live!’.  What Joey may lack in experience at 15, he more than makes up for with instinct.  Got genes?

Tangerine / In A Mellow Tone – The Great Guitars

by | Sep 15, 2017 | Trio, Video

The Great Guitars are Bucky Pizzarelli, Mundell Lowe, and John Pisano.  Here they prove that, for the great ones, groovin’ on a guitar is just like riding a bike … the ability stays with you and never gets old.  These are live performances of “Tangerine” (Top) and “In A Mellow Tone” (Bottom) at the KPLU studios in Seattle.  There may be snow on the roof but there is still a fire in the fingers!

It Might As Well Be Spring – Erroll Garner

by | Sep 8, 2017 | Trio, Video

From the 1945 movie “State Fair,”  It Might As Well Be Spring was written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. It’s a tune that has been covered by many of the greatest singers through the years, but when it comes to instrumental treatments, Erroll Garner demonstrates the reason the piano was invented!

Blues Of Louisiana – Illinois Jacquet

by | Jun 30, 2017 | Trio, Video

Here are some low down blues from 1973 … featuring Illinois Jacquet (ts), Wild Bill Davis (org) and Al Bartee (d). Although pure jazz, Illinois is credited with introducing a sound later recognized as the first R&B sax solo ever recorded.  He was also one of the few jazz musicians to play bassoon.