Harlem Nocturne – Sam “The Man” Taylor

by | Apr 12, 2019 | Audio, Quartet/Quintet

Three weeks ago, I posted Five Faces of Harlem Nocturne and had several inquiries as to why I left out the original 1955 hit recording by Sam “The Man” Taylor. Sam was a jazz and blues player who set the standard for tenor sax solos in both rock ‘n roll and rhythm and blues … and became one of the most requested session sax players in New York during the 1950s.  Since I’ve always considered this to be the definitive version in the first place, I have no excuse.  None whatsoever.  Here to bail me out is Sam “The Man” with The Sixth Face of Harlem Nocturne.

Harlem Nocturne

by Sam "The Man" Taylor | Blue Mist

Sun Valley Serenade – Glenn Miller

by | Mar 29, 2019 | Big Band, Stuff

In The Mood is one of those songs that when you hear it, you naturally think of Glenn Miller. Here, it is in the forefront of “Sun Valley Serenade” a 1941 movie that was the first of only two motion pictures featuring the Glenn Miller Orchestra.  The other was 1942’s “Orchestra Wives”.

Chattanooga Choo Choo is also from “Sun Valley Serenade” which, in addition to the Miller Band, features Sonja Henie, John Payne and MIlton Berle,  You’ll also enjoy the harmonies of The Modernaires and a dazzling dance performance by The Nicholas Brothers.

Hackensack – John Coltrane & Stan Getz

by | Jan 11, 2019 | Quartet/Quintet

John Coltrane and Stan Getz together is a rare find … especially when performing with a who’s who on the other instruments.  Recorded in Germany in 1960, here is just such a combo with Oscar Peterson on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb rounding out the rhythm section on drums.  The tune Hackensack is a Thelonious Monk composition, as if you couldn’t tell from the note structure.

Auld Lang Syne – Frank, Dean & Friends

by | Dec 29, 2018 | Lighter Side, Vocal

On New Years Eve everybody sings this tune but most people don’t know what it means.  Actually, it’s an old Scottish folk song and the phrase “Auld Lang Syne” roughly translates to “Times gone by”.  While no one seems to know who wrote it,  a Scotsman named Robert Burns was the first to put it on paper and so is most frequently credited with its composition.  Meanwhile Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and a few friends use it here to help us welcome in 2019 with this compilation of TV and movie scenes … and extend my wishes to you  for a very HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR!

Three Great Guitars – Burrell, Kessel & Green

by | Nov 12, 2018 | Quartet/Quintet

Here’s some rare footage of 3 of the top jazz guitarists of all time, Kenny Burrell, Barney Kessel and Grant Green.  The videos were recorded in 1969 for a French TV show that never aired … along with Burrell, Kessel and Green, are Larry Ridley on bass and Don Lamond on drums.  The video TO THE RIGHT features all 3 guitarists with an easy swinging tune of “Rhythm Changes”.  

BELOW on the upper left all 3 men again collaborate on the familiar blues theme “Blue Mist”.  Although the performance is incomplete, I included it because of some great guitar licks that’ll make you glad you have ears!  Upper right Kenny steps forward with “Imagination.”  Lower left offers Barney with “I’m Glad There Is You”, while at the lower right Grant dazzles with his virtuosity on “I Wish You Love.”

Flying Home – Lionel Hampton

by | Nov 2, 2018 | Big Band

Lionel Hampton was in the Benny Goodman Band and a gig in 1939 required them to fly from Los Angeles to Atlantic City New Jersey.  It was the first time Hampton had been on a plane. He began whistling a tune while waiting for the plane to taxi and Goodman asked him what it was.  Lionel simply said, “I don’t know. We can call it Flying Home, I guess.” (Hampton later confessed that the tune was a way for him to keep his mind off of the upcoming flight.)  They played it for the first time with the Goodman Quartet that night and later that year Goodman recorded the first version of the song. This rendition was filmed in 1965 and features a baritone sax solo that would have made Gerry Mulligan blush!

A Count Basie Trilogy

by | Aug 31, 2018 | Big Band

This trilogy is from the Show Of The Week T.V. series, recorded in London.  The Count Basie Orchestra for this session consists of Sonny Cohn, Al Aarons, Wallace Davenport, Phil Guilbeau, trumpet; Al Grey, Henderson Chambers, Grover Mitchell, trombone; Bill Hughes, bass trombone; Marshall Royal, Bobby Plater, Eric Dixon, reeds; Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, tenor sax; Charlie Fowlkes, baritone sax; Count Basie, piano; Freddie Green, guitar; Norman Keenan, acoustic double bass; Rufus ‘Speedy’ Jones, drums.

April In Paris

Count Basie and His Orchestra in a live 1965 performance of this classic tune.  It’s exciting to hear his signature arrangement one more once, just as he recorded it on Verve in 1955.

 

Li’l Darlin’

Here’s a jazz standard written by Neal Hefti for The Count Basie Orchestra.  Introduced as an instrumental by The Basie Band in 1957, Lambert, Hendricks and Ross added lyrics a year later.

Jumpin’ At The Woodside

Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis delivers an outrageous solo in this 1965 live performance … also featuring Rufus Jones on drums, Freddie Green on guitar and the rest of the Basie Band in its prime!

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.

Song For My Father – Horace Silver Quintet

by | Mar 23, 2018 | Quartet/Quintet

This performance of “Song For My Father” was recorded in Copenhagen, Denmark during the Fall of 1964.   While the quintet was in transition at this point, I believe the personnel we are seeing here are Joe Henderson (ts), Carmell Jones (t), Teddy Smith (b), and Roger Humphries (d) … joining Horace Silver (p) in what is so instantly recognizable as the classic Blue Note sound of that era.  The song, which was dedicated to Horace‘s father John Tavares Silva, and the ensuing 1965 album of the same name, were inspired by a trip the pianist made to Brazil earlier that year.