The Fabulous Baker Boys

by | Dec 6, 2019 | Solo/Duo, Vocal

The Fabulous Baker Boys is a movie about two guys and a girl, that play against one incredible jazz-based soundtrack!  Toss in some sibling rivalry and you have a motion picture that feels good no matter how many times you see it.

Michelle Pfeiffer does all of her own singing … and is quite a nice surprise, considering we previously only knew her as a most enjoyable actress.   Jeff and Beau Bridges play some of their own piano, although Dave Grusin does most of the keyboard work with the Bridges brothers very convincingly miming it.

Music flows from one end of the story to the other and the plot is a sound one, especially if you happen to have grown up with an obverse brother or sister … or just had a really close best friend.  Here’s a small sample.

Diana Ross Sings Billie Holiday

by | Nov 22, 2019 | Vocal

Her true versatility is on full display as Diana Ross moves seamlessly from R&B to jazz in the 1972 motion picture Lady Sings The Blues … the life story of the legendary Billie Holiday. My Man is one of the featured songs.

Riding atop the power of a big band, with All Of Me Diana shows she can swing with the best of them, in addition to melting your heart with her poignant approach to a ballad.

Give Me A Pig Foot And A Bottle Of Beer is a familiar Billie Holiday song that unquestionably distances Diana Ross far from her original Motown days with The Supremes.

God Bless The Child (That’s Got His Own) has been recorded by several top artists but NOBODY ever did it like Billie Holiday … although Diana comes pretty darn close.  Another tune featured in Lady Sings The Blues.

That Ain’t Right – Fats Waller & Ada Brown

by | Sep 27, 2019 | Lighter Side, Vocal

In a scene from the 1943 film “Stormy Weather” Fats Waller and Ada Brown perform with legendary dancer Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, drummer Zutty Singleton, bassist Slam Stewart, Trumpeter Benny Carter and singer Lena Horne, just to mention a few.  The film is considered one of the best Hollywood musicals with an African-American cast. It was viewed as a primary showcase of some of the top Black performers of the time, during an era when actors and singers of color rarely appeared in lead roles in mainstream movie productions,

June Christy and Friends

by | Sep 19, 2019 | Big Band, Vocal

How High The Moon is the top video in more than one way.  Besides the fabulous June Christy doing the vocal, two other legendary singers don’t utter a solitary note!  Instead, Mel Torme is on drums and Nat ‘King’ Cole plays piano, which of course was his original musical calling.  Lower left is June in her prime with That Old Feeling and on the lower right she is featured with the Stan Kenton Orchestra Just A-Sittin’ And A-Rockin’.  Christy, of course, was the replacement chanteuse for the incredible Anita O’Day after she left the Kenton band … one of the few singers who could have filled O’Day’s stylish ‘pumps’ fronting that powerful, creative Orchestra.

Cool Water – Stan Kenton & Tex Ritter

by | Sep 1, 2019 | Audio, Big Band, Vocal

Cool Water is a supplement to this week’s initial Stan Kenton post.  It is from the album Ritter made with Kenton’s Orchestra that convinced him it was time to move from Hollywood to Nashville. At the conclusion of the recording session, however, Tex received a standing ovation from the entire orchestra..  Overall this wasn’t the world’s worst idea but the public never bought it, and the album was removed from print.  As a result, today it is a rarity.

Cool Water

by Stan Kenton & Tex Ritter | Stan Kenton! Tex Ritter!

My Man / Fine and Mellow – Billie Holiday

by | Jul 26, 2019 | Vocal

My Man is another intoxicating performance by Billie Holiday, assisted by Jimmy Rowles at the piano. Her message is delivered with all of the raw honesty that made her so beloved.  As nearly as I can determine, this rendition was recorded in the late 50s or early 60s.

Fine and Mellow was recorded in 1957 together with Billie’s All Star Big Band.  While a big band doesn’t generally lend itself to a feeling of intimacy, there is no denying Holiday’s ability to rise above the power of all those instruments and pull you up close.

An Earlier, Gentler Sarah

by | Jun 7, 2019 | Vocal

Just two words:  Sarah Vaughan.  That pretty much says it all.  Notice the slight nervousness of a young girl who wasn’t quite yet “Sassy” in this 1958 recording of Lover Man.

Eleven years later, Sarah shows greater polish and raises some goosebumps with Polka Dots And Moonbeams.  Her trio of Johnny Veith (p), Gus Mancuso (b) and Eddy Pucci (d) offer the perfect complement for The Divine One.

Honeysuckle Rose / Tea For Two – Anita O’Day

by | May 17, 2019 | Vocal

Anita O’Day was one of the most original and unique voices of 20th century jazz. Since Anita never sang a song the same way twice, I hope you enjoy this rendition of Honeysuckle Rose, because you aren’t likely to hear it again!.

Frequently, Anita liked to combine a bit of vocalese with bebop, as she did here with Tea For Two.  It’s a surprising arrangement, featuring both her trio and the usual self-confidence that was her hallmark.

Makin’ Whoopee – Dr. John & Ricki Lee Jones

by | Apr 12, 2019 | Video, Vocal

Combine some blues with pop, add a dash of jazz, stir in a bit of boogie woogie with a smattering of rock and roll — not to mention the occasional touch of Louisiana voodoo — and you have the recipe for Dr. John!  His music is a perfect example of the influence and integration of jazz with other musical styles, or the other way around if you like.  Serve up Ricki Lee Jones as a delicious side dish to provide the Good Doctor with a gentle counterpoint, and it is impossible to keep your feet still whether you usually prefer Led Zeppelin or Miles Davis!

The Several Sides of Sammy

by | Mar 8, 2019 | Big Band, Vocal

Sammy Davis Jr. shows his versatility on the old Ed Sullivan Show by playing drums and vibes with the big band.  Then two of my favorite Davis vocals, where he equals even Ol’ Blue Eyes’ ability to make a song his own.  Though not strictly a jazz musician, Sammy could swing!

In The Still Of The Night

by Sammy Davis, Jr. | At The Cocoanut Grove

Bye Bye Blackbird

by Sammy Davis Jr. | The Essentials