Jane Monheit and John Pizzarelli add their own smooth and swingin’ touch to George and Ira Gershwin’s You Can’t Take That Away From Me. In this performance they were featured on Ramsey Lewis’ “Legends Of Jazz” series in 2006 and, needless to say, stole the show!
Gene Harris had the unique ability of combining traditional jazz piano with the blues and creating an absolutely distinctive style that set him apart from every other pianist. Every time you hear Gene play is just like the first time! The old chestnut Sweet Georgia Brown is from a 1998 performance at The International Jazz Festival in Bern, Switzerland. The quartet combines Gene Harris with Jim Mullen on guitar, Andrew Clayndert on bass and Martin Drew at the drums.
This Masquerade was recorded at a live 1994 performance for PBS in San Diego. It features a quartet made up of Gene Harris at the piano, Ron Eschete on 7-string guitar, Luther Hughes playing bass, and Paul Humphrey on drums.
PLEASE NOTE: This will be the last new weekly posting on the site until mid to late September, at which time we expect to resume business as usual. In the meanwhile, please be sure to explore the many other features on our website, especially the more than 4 years of great PAST PERFORMANCES dating all the way back to February of 2017. Thank you for visiting and especially for following Mark Of Jazz.com.
In April 1966 Thelonious Monk and his quartet performed a live television concert in Oslo, Norway. The quartet included Monk playing piano, Charlie Rouse on tenor sax, Larry Gales playing bass and Ben Riley on drums. They performed a number of Monk standards including Blue Monk (Above) and Monk’s own ‘Round Midnight (Below). Monk’s playing style is positively unique, using sparse voicings and omitting notes to add dissonance. His music is almost its own genre, often seeming to inhabit its own musical universe. Thelonious is something of an acquired taste … one well worth acquiring!
In 1967 Frank Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim recorded a spectacular album together that was nominated for an album of the year Grammy, best male pop vocal and best vocal performance. The music was arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman, accompanied by a studio orchestra. Here is a medley from that album by the two artists in a wonderfully relaxed setting … exactly the way Bossa Nova is most naturally presented: Corcovado, Change Partners, I Concentrate On You, and Jobim’s own The Girl From Ipanema.
In 2007 at Jazz Baltica, Bobby Hutcherson and his quartet introduced their exciting arrangement of Fats Waller’s Jitterbug Waltz to the audience in Salzau, Germany. The players were Bobby on vibes, Joe Gilman playing piano, Dwayne Burno on bass and Eddie Marshall at the drums. The complete 1 hour 25 minute concert is available on YouTube.
On Old Folks, Hutcherson added Joe Locke, also on vibes … rounding out a quintet with Don Friedman on piano, Martin Wind on bass, and Andi Haberl playing drums.
Dat Dere is from the 2016 Zipper Hall Concert. Hubert Laws plays piccolo on this one with David Budway (p), Rob Mullins (kb), John Leftwich (b) and Clayton Cameron (d).
At Jazzwoche Burghausen in 2010, Laws gently combines Duke’s Sophisticated Lady with Corcovado, to create a wonderfully comfortable, laid back feeling. Russell Malone is featured on guitar with Lan Doky on piano.
Igor Stravinsky’s controversial ballet “The Rite Of Spring” caused a near riot with its introduction in 1913. More recently, Hubert Laws’ jazz interpretation of the score has become synonymous with Laws himself and his willingness to innovate with classical music as well as more traditional jazz and even pop.. This performance was recorded at Zipper Hall in Los Angeles during November of 2016. The players were Hubert Laws on flute, David Budway at the piano, Rob Mullins on keyboards, John Leftwich on bass and Clayton Cameron playing drums. Next week we’ll feature a pair of more traditional tunes that also demonstrate Hubert’s ability to move around comfortably within the jazz idiom.
In 2020, in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, pianist Patrice Rushen together with a trio of jazz giants doffed their masks and socially distanced in order to bring you a virtual jazz concert in a salute to The 25th Annual Central Avenue Jazz Festival in Los Angeles. It’s a bit strange not hearing any cheers or applause … but the artistry and energy of the performers leaves no doubt that a live audience would have torn down the house! The first song is Home Light, an original tune by Ernie Watts. The bottom video is Shorty’s Portion, written by Patrice herself.
Both performances from the concert feature the dazzling Patrice Rushen at the piano, Reggie Hamilton on bass, Ernie Watts playing sax and Marvin “Smitty” Smith on drums.
Maynard Ferguson went through several musical transitions during his more than 40 years on the jazz scene but one of my favorite periods was during the 1950s when he was first introduced to the general public. Newly arrived from Canada, while he was only 22 years old and playing with the Stan Kenton Orchestra, Maynard’s introductory appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show established him as one of the premier trumpet players of the era. He was fearless during those years. The video below is from that appearance. A year later, in 1951, he recorded What’s New … not only one of my favorite tunes but one that truly demonstrates his ability to play notes which, theoretically, can’t be played on a trumpet.
Although Joe Temperley’s name recognition is not as great as Gerry Mulligan or Pepper Adams, he is generally regarded to be one of the top ten greatest baritone sax players of all time. Joe performed with everyone from Duke Ellington to Wynton Marsalis, and was an original member of “Jazz At Lincoln Center”. For 25 years, the baritone saxophone chair of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra was held by this ‘son of Scotland’, until his passing in 2016. Temperley posted tons of credits to his Curriculum Vitae, especially with big bands: Thad Jones, Mel Lewis, Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Clark Terry and — most notably — the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Blue And Bluesy places him in a more intimate small group setting … in front of a large group audience!
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