The Virtuosity of Eddie Daniels

Eddie Daniels recorded Slipped Disc during a “Benny Rides Again” tribute to Benny Goodman in 1992. The group was made up of Gary Burton (vb),  Makoto Ozone (p), Marc Johnson (b), Martin Richards (d) and of course Eddie Daniels (c).

Stompin’ At The Savoy was recorded in October of 2012 ‘upstairs’ at Vitello’s in LA.  Joe La Barbera (d), Tom Warrington (b) and Tom Ranier (p) provided a familiar rhythm section since they often head East to perform with Daniels in NY.

Hot House – Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie

This performance of Hot House is from a February 24, 1952 broadcast on the pioneering DuMont Television Network.  Broadcasting on the Earl Wilson Show ‘Stage Entrance’, Charlie Parker plays with Dizzy Gillespie in the only footage capturing “Bird” in a true live performance … a historic TV broadcast of the founding fathers of bebop playing together.  It is one of only two known sound films of Parker playing and the only one of him playing live, rather than synching to a prerecorded track.

The quintet playing on this rare video includes Parker on alto saxophone, Gillespie on trumpet, Sandy Block playing bass, Charlie Smith on drums and Dick Hyman at the piano.

The Enduring Freddie Hubbard

God Bless The Child has been interpreted a thousand ways … but I’ll bet you never heard it quite like this (Above)!  In 1991, at Internationale Jazzwoche Burghausen in Germany,  Freddie Hubbard and his quintet dazzled the audience with an arrangement that was both reverent and softly-swinging.  Freddie was joined by Don Braden on tenor, Benny Green at the piano, Jeff Chambers on base and Louis Hayes playing drums.  Earlier, in 1967 (Below), Hubbard teamed up with Kenny Drew (piano), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (bass), and Alex Riel (drums) to perform an original tune named Birdlike at the Molde Jazz Festival in Norway.  You can bet the ‘Bird’ referenced here had a horn but no feathers!

Bag’s Groove Like Never Before!

Milt Jackson, Benny Golson and Art Farmer teamed up at Jazzbaltica in Salzau Germany for an unforgettable concert during the summer of 1997.  The familiar Bag’s Groove featured an unusual new sound with the addition of the fabulous Toots Thielemans‘ harmonica to the group.  Rounding out the all star octet were Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (NHOP) on bass, Kenny Kirkland at the piano, the legendary Max Roach on drums, and Ulf Wakenius playing guitar.

Sweet Georgia Brown / This Masquerade – Gene Harris

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.

Monk Music

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!

Bossa Nova – Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim

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.

Jitterbug Waltz / Old Folks – Bobby Hutcherson

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.

More Flute By Laws

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.