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.
Joey Alexander must be experienced. Words don’t do it. He is a 13 year old from Indonesia, who taught himself to play the piano at age 6 by listening to his dad’s jazz records. The word ‘prodigy’ isn’t really strong enough … he plays, composes, and can take apart and reassemble a song on the fly, on the spot! He’s a bit of Bill Evans, a smattering of Chick Corea and a whole lot of Joey. This is an in-studio performance of the title track from his latest album, together with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr. Fasten your seatbelt, and plan to see many more postings of this astonishing young jazz musician here on Mark Of Jazz!
Ella Fitzgerald in a scene from the 1955 movie “Pete Kelly’s Blues”, starring Jack Webb, Lee Marvin and a host of young stars. Like Ella, Peggy Lee also has a cameo role and a couple of great songs in the film.
A beautiful acapella rendition of the 1939 British classic with lyrics by Eric Maschwitz and music by Manning Sherwin. The late Tim Hauser, Janis Siegel, Cheryl Bentyne and Alan Paul transport you to London towne for a romantic evening, as only The Manhattan Transfer can do!
If you prefer the more contemporary sound of jazz, guitarist Earl Klugh sets the standard. George Benson’s roots lie in traditional jazz but migrated more toward the pop or ‘smooth’ side during the 70s and 80s, establishing his own instantly recognizable musical stye.
The Beegie Adair Trio provides a gentle swinging version of the jazz classic “Autumn Leaves,” written by Joseph Kosma (English lyric by Johnny Mercer), live at the Nashville Jazz Workshop in Nashville, Tennessee. Listen for the way bassist Roger Spencer throws a few bars of “Suicide Is Painless” from M*A*S*H* into his solo!
Beegie is a huge but lesser known talent who never fully received the recognition she deserves. She has been playing piano since the age of five … originally from Kentucky, she now lives in Nashville. Her rendition of “Pete Kelly’s Blues” (one of my favorites) is the best I’ve heard outside of the movie soundtrack.
A little adventure into Jazz/R&B with two incredible organists, Jimmy Smith and Jimmy McGriff. Also featuring Herman Riley (sax), Carl Lockett (guitar), and James Levy (drums). Recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival, July 1992.
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