Carmen McRae, Count Basie & Dizzy Gillespie – Rare Birds

by | Mar 30, 2018 | Vocal

This performance of Bye Bye Blackbird is a rare appearance of Carmen McRae with the Count Basie Orchestra.  It’s from a Japanese broadcast in 1974 and Carmen was in her prime.  Well, if you care to figure out which prime that was!

It’s Carmen McRae and Dizzy Gillespie live in concert … two jazz legends performing one classic standard. Dizzy’s gentle backing is second only to Carmen’s incredible phrasing of The End Of A Beautiful Friendship!  Like fine wine, she just got better with age as her voice mellowed.

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.

Terry Gibbs – Now And Then

by | Mar 16, 2018 | Quartet/Quintet

At age 91 Terry Gibbs has a few friends over to jam in the living room of his home, Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea.  Lucky neighbors!

Back in 1987 Terry’s vibes and Buddy DeFranco’s clarinet take some Giant Steps, with John Campbell on piano, Todd Coolman on bass, and Gerry Gibbs playing drums.

Fever – Peggy Lee (Orig. Version)

by | Mar 9, 2018 | Vocal

“Fever” was originally recorded by American R&B singer Little Willie John in 1956.  Fast forward to May 1958 when chanteuse Peggy Lee got a hold of it and it soared to the top of the pop music charts.  While Peggy was technically a jazz singer, a great deal of her work crossed over to the pop side, and in this case, “Fever” pretty much became her signature song.  This is the original Capitol recorded version, to which I added a few visuals for those not quite as hooked on the music itself as I am … although I don’t see how that’s possible.

Santiago / So It Is – Preservation Hall Jazz Band

by | Mar 2, 2018 | Septet/Octet

Preservation Hall Jazz Band has held the torch of New Orleans music aloft for more than 50 years, keeping the history they were founded to preserve alive and well.  This is Santiago, recorded live at One Eyed Jacks.

The second tune by Preservation Hall Jazz Band is called So It Is.  The members of the ensemble are Ben Jaffe, Branden Lewis, Charlie Gabriel, Walter Harris, Kyle Roussel, Ronell Johnson and Clint Maedgen.

Coleman Hawkins and Harry “Sweets” Edison

by | Feb 23, 2018 | Quartet/Quintet

The tune is called Disorder At The Border but the “dream band” performing it is in anything but disorder.  It features the perfection of Coleman Hawkins on tenor sax, Harry Edison on trumpet, Sir Charles Thompson playing piano, the fingers of Jimmy Woode strumming the bass and Jo Jones driving the ensemble on drums.  Recorded in 1964.

Art Tatum Classics

by | Feb 16, 2018 | Quartet/Quintet

First, Art Tatum with Slam Stewart and Tiny Grimes in 1943 perform “Tiny’s Exercise”.  Then “Art’s Blues” from the 1947 film “The Fabulous Dorseys”. It’s Art Tatum plus Tommy Dorsey (TB), Jimmy Dorsey (C), Charlie Barnet (TS), Ray Bauduc (D) and Ziggy Elman (T).

Here is Art Tatum in 1954 with “Yesterdays”, as only he can play it.  Although legally blind, like so many great musicians, the purported handicap seemed to open a little wider window to his soul.

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.

Cry Me A River – Julie London

by | Feb 2, 2018 | Solo/Duo, Vocal

Sexy is, as the commercials say, “often imitated but never duplicated.”  It’s not baring lots of skin or exhibiting a particular sort of behavior but, rather, it is a natural quality that shines even through a high-button housecoat.  In other words, you either have it or you don’t.  Julie London oozed it!  Cry Me A River pretty much became her signature song and nobody ever did it better … it’s amazing how Julie’s simple but sexy rendition so completely outclasses modern ‘Divas’ with all their vocal gymnastics and glory notes!  This cut is from the May 1964 laser disc The Julie London Show with the Bobby Troup Quintet.