From Warsaw To Saratoga – Stéphane Grappelli

by | Apr 27, 2018 | Quartet/Quintet

Here’s Grappelli in a rare 1991 live appearance in Warsaw, Poland.  It’s a surprising arrangement of How High The Moon.  Stéphane Grappelli had something very few musicians have … although it’s hard to imagine, like fine wine he got even better with age!

When this recording of Fascinating Rhythm was made Grappelli had been playing with his trio for two years.  Performed in Saratoga, California at the Paul Masson Winery on the 4th of July1982, musicians include the always amazing Stéphane Grappelli (v), Diz Disley (rhythm g), Martin Taylor (g), and Jack Sewing (b).

Between Two Worlds – Andre Previn

by | Apr 13, 2018 | Orchestral, Trio

Andre Previn is a pianist, composer, conductor and arranger masterfully standing astride two musical genres … both classical music and jazz. Many fans don’t realize that he had one foot in jazz before his other became firmly planted as a classical musician. Here we sample a touch of his conducting, arranging and piano artistry with “Rhapsody In Blue” before stepping back a few years into a swinging performance of Lerner and Loewe’s “Get Me To The Church On Time.”

The Great Drum Solo – Joe Morello

by | Apr 6, 2018 | Stuff

Wanna’ hear a guy play the hide off some drums?  Bassist Gene Wright really got into his solo and apparently overstayed his welcome.  Joe Morello seems to have become just a bit perturbed and, after providing some increasingly not so gentle hints, he launched into the most awesome drum solo never seen!  This is some rare footage provided to Drummerworld from the archives of Andy Lüscher.  Notice the one handed action early on and how easy Joe makes it all look.

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.

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.