Blues On Sunday was recorded at the Philharmonic Hall in Munich during the Munich Piano Summer 1994. Joshua Redman is on saxophone, Brad Mehldau at the piano, Christian McBride on bass and Brian Blade plays drums.
The 1970 Beatles tune Let It Be was performed by the Joshua Redman Quartet in 2013 at Jazz In Marciac. It features Joshua Redman, saxophone; Aaron Goldberg, piano; Reuben Rogers, contrabass; and Gregory Hutchinson, drums.
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.
While most often listed as a saxophonist, I prefer the sound of Frank Wess on the flute. Though the tune is nameless, Flauta Jazz uses the same chords as Ellington/Strayhorn Take The ‘A’ Train. Sound Familiar?
The Very Thought Of You is a jazz and pop standard, first recorded and published in 1934 with music and lyrics by Ray Noble. Frank Wess applies his own magic touch along with big band backing.
The first song is from Shelly Manne’s Check Mate album, based upon the T.V. show (1960-1962) of the same name … it’s called The Isolated Pawn.
Shelly Manne and his Men are comprised of Russ Freeman on piano, Richie Kamuca on tenor, Conte Candoli playing trumpet, Monte Budwig at the bass and, of course, Shelly Manne himself on drums. Shelly has been called “the most musical drummer who ever lived” and virtually any of his solos will bear that out.
The second tune is Speak Low, from the 1943 Broadway play One Touch of Venus and features the same ensemble. Both performances were recorded live in 1962 for Jazz Scene U.S.A. at Shelly’s Manne Hole in Los Angeles, CA.
Stan Kenton’s Artistry In Rhythm was first recorded and released in 1944. It is one of several songs closely associated with this prolific composer, arranger, bandleader and very underrated pianist.
Like Artistry, Tiare features the high powered Kenton Orchestra and is part of a 1972 London concert. Kenton preferred his bands to not swing, instead employing elements of the popular ballroom and classical concert hall.
Mary Lou Williams was one of the few female jazz pianists to achieve fame during the middle of the 20th Century. She was also a much sought after composer, arranger and mentor. Mary Lou wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements, and recorded more than one hundred records (in 78, 45, and LP versions). Williams wrote and arranged for such bandleaders as Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, and she was friend, mentor, and teacher to Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie. Three of her compositions were scored for a Carnegie Hall concert played by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in 1946!
The top video, Willow Weep For Me, is a popular 1932 standard from The Mary Lou Williams Collection 1927-59 and features her trio. The bottom two offerings, The Man I Love (1978) on the left and Mary Lou Plays Some Blues (1980) on the right are live solo performances recorded toward the end of her fabulous career..
Late Lament has become something of a standard that was first popularized by Paul Desmond. The Jarret rendition isn’t quite as mellow as Desmond’s and features the gold standard of trios, with each member in clear communication with the other. Keith Jarret is probably the most ‘athletic’ piano player ever to caress a keyboard. He gets a real workout with Rider, which also features Gary Peacock on bass and Jack Dejohnette on drums. Sometimes I wonder how Keith can make so many moves and still maintain contact with the piano!
Chet Baker and Paul Desmond are not a pairing you hear everyday, which is why I wanted to share them here even though the audio-video synchronization seems a bit off. The addition of Bob James on keyboards, Ron Carter playing contrabass and Steve Gadd’s drums round out a combo with a sound that swirls the Autumn leaves to new heights … and is irresistible if your toes or fingers tend to tap!
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.
Blues in B-Flat was recorded by The Barry Harris Trio live at Dizzy’s in New York, during June of 2017. At the age of 90 he is still going strong both performing and teaching. When he is not on the road, Harris holds weekly music workshop sessions in New York City for vocalists, students of piano and other instruments. Alongside Barry in the trio are bassist Ray Drummond, and drummer Leroy Williams.
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