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.

Five Faces Of Harlem Nocturne

by | Mar 22, 2019 | Big Band, Orchestral

Harlem Nocturne was written in 1939 by Earle Hagen and Dick Rogers for the Ray Noble Orchestra, of which they were members at the time.  It quickly became a jazz standard and has since been recorded by nearly 100 artists!  Here are just 5 different versions, including the very first recording of the tune on Columbia Records by Ray Noble.  Then there was a recording by The Viscounts that ran up the Billboard charts, not once but twice … in 1959 and again in1966.  Lyrics were eventually added and in 1963 Mel Torme painted a lonely picture of nighttime in New York.  While many of the others smack of a certain “stripperesque” quality, the fourth arrangement imparts a certain elegance we’ve learned to expect from Duke Ellington.  Finally, a treatment of Harlem Nocturne by Illinois Jacquet that makes all the hairs on the back of my neck stand at full attention!

Harlem Nocturne

by The Viscounts | Harlem Nocturne

Harlem Nocturne

by Mel Torme | Songs Of New York

Harlem Nocturne

by Duke Ellington | Blues

Harlem Nocturne

by Illinois Jacquet | Swing's The Thing

Gettin’ Dizzy With Sonny Stitt

by | Mar 15, 2019 | Quartet/Quintet

Sunny Side of the Street is an easy, swinging piece recorded in Belgium in 1958, as were all three selections.  After solos by Sonny Stitt and Dizzy Gillespie, they cap it with a rare vocal duet … in fact, this may be a first!

Lover Man [Oh Where Can You Be] has become a standard.  Laid back and mellow, Sonny’s solo on this one shows why his playing has frequently been compared with Charlie Parker.

Blues Walk is an uptempo tune that seems to completely absorb Stitt.  Everyone is clearly having fun here … watch, particularly, the drummer’s face as Sonny soars and Dizzy patiently waits his turn!

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

Shiny Stockings – Dee Dee Bridgewater & J.J. Johnson

by | Mar 1, 2019 | Big Band, Vocal

“Shiny Stockings”, one of the most enduring songs in jazz, was written by Frank Foster in 1955 while he was with the Count Basie Orchestra.  Not being very savvy about such things at the time, Frank gave away the rights and royalties to what has now become a jazz standard.

For years the tune was recorded by artist after artist with the revenues flowing to a company that collected on the publishing rights to songs it had acquired.  It wasn’t until the early 2000’s when a close examination of U.S. Copyright Laws finally enabled Foster to collect the royalties that were rightfully his.

Now listen to Dee Dee Bridgewater, J.J. Johnson and Kenny Burrell with the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band in a live performance of that swinging homage to hosiery!

Body and Soul / Cantabile – Michel Petrucciani

by | Feb 22, 2019 | Trio

Body and Soul is an old favorite with a new twist.  Michel’s arrangement is reverent but with serious chops.  Petrucciani is joined by bassist Miroslav Viteous and drummer Steve Gadd, two of the best in jazz.

Cantabile is an Italian word that means “singable” or “songlike”.  In instrumental music, it is a particular style of playing designed to imitate the human voice.  The trio recorded both tunes in Munich during July of 1997.

All That Jazz Is LeGrand!

by | Feb 15, 2019 | Quartet/Quintet, Septet/Octet

If you’re like most people, when you think of Michel LeGrand you think of film scores, orchestras and swirling strings.  Well fasten your seatbelt because he was one whale of a jazz pianist as well and swung with the best of them!  His pen and his baton will be sorely missed, Michel having passed away last month at the age of 87.

“You Must Believe In Spring” was recorded at the Festival International de Jazz in Montreal.  It features Michel Legrand (p), Phil Woods (as), Eric Lagace (b) and Ray Brinker (d).

“The Jitterbug Waltz” was recorded in 1958 in New York for the album “LeGrand Jazz”.  It’s an interesting mix of Michel with artists such as Herbie Mann, Barry Galbraith, Miles Davis, Phil Woods, Jerome Richardson, Eddie Costa, Paul Chambers and Kenny Dennis.  Listen for the silky smooth changes in tempo and subtle harp glissandos of Betty Giamann … not your everyday addition to a jazz combo.

The Jitterbug Waltz

by Michel LeGrand & Miles Davis | LeGrand Jazz

Nat & Natalie Cole – Piano and Duet

by | Feb 8, 2019 | Orchestral, Vocal

Natalie Cole is one of only a handful of performers whose apple didn’t fall very far from the tree.  In the top video she proves it by singing a duet with Nat that was cleverly constructed in 1991, by mixing his 1951 recording with Natalie’s live performance.  It’s Unforgettable … and it really is!  Like her dad, she was probably best known for her work in ‘pop’ music but, oh, she could swing!

As for Nat ‘King’ Cole, many who only knew him as a singer didn’t realize that he was one helluva piano player.  In fact, some might say he was a great piano player who just so happened to know how to sing.  In the bottom video, sample both the voice and fingers of ‘The Velvet Rasp’ himself.

Satin Doll – Joe Pass

by | Jan 25, 2019 | Trio

You know a musician is truly great when you can literally listen to him play all day long and still want more. Joe Pass was one of those musicians … arguably the finest jazz guitarist of the Twentieth Century and one of the best jazz guitarists of all time!  Even his imperfections were so enjoyable that nobody cared.  He was a most serious musician who felt deeply about his music but liked to have fun with it at the same time.  Here, he performs the Ellington-Strayhorn classic Satin Doll with Bob Magnusson on bass and Joe Porcaro playing drums.

Hear my interview with Joe on our Jazz Scene PODCAST page.