Cal Tjader is most often associated with Latin Jazz, sometimes combining the two and other times moving easily between them. As you’ll hear on Doxy and Speak Low, he swings with an easy, relaxed feeling … while on his well known 1964 hit Soul Sauce the Latin flavor is very apparent. The video was recorded live in1959 at Hugh Hefner’s original Playboy Mansion in Chicago.
You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To is from a live 2005 Seattle (DVD) concert entitled “Deedles Is My Name”. Diane Schuur is backed by Maynard Ferguson and his powerful Big Bop Nouveau Band, although many of the songs feature the more intimate setting of a quartet. It’s fascinating to hear Diane trade riffs with Maynard, mimicking his exuberant, high-flying sound.
Billy Joel’s New York State Of Mind, featuring Diane together with the sensuous sax of Stan Getz, was first released as a 45 RPM single and on her “Deedles” album with Dave Grusin in 1984… then again on her “Best Of” album in 1995. Below you’ll hear the original 45 release, nostalgic clicks, pops and all. By the way if you ever wondered where Diane Schuur’s nickname “Deedles” came from, it was an affectionate name her mother called her as a child and it just sort of stuck!
If the world ends someday, this song will be the credits. What A Wonderful World was first recorded and popularized by Louis Armstrong in 1967. Although there have been many recordings by other significant performers, Satchmo’s rendition continues to stand above the others. This arrangement is a mellow jazz instrumentation rather than the more common version with strings. While it isn’t really a jazz tune, I defy anyone to tell me it shouldn’t be included here.
In 1965 The Cold War was raging and the Berlin Wall stood strong, not to keep people out, but to keep people in! On March 22nd, despite the political tensions and human oppression, the ambassador of jazz Louis Armstrong, gave a legendary concert in East Berlin at the Friedrichsstadt Palast. The bottom two videos, Mack The Knife and When The Saints Go Marching In are just two of the powerful performances from that evening.
Open Country was recorded at the Storyville nightclub in Boston during 1956. His famous ‘pianoless’ quartet at that time included Bob Brookmeyer (tb), Gus Johnson (dr) & Wyatt Ruther (b).
Song For An Unfinished Woman was recorded in 1982 at the North Sea Jazz Festival at the Hague. Solos are by Dave Glenn on trombone, Harold Danko playing Piano and Chris Rogers on flugelhorn
Mind Games is a wonderfully rhythmic piece that plays more tricks with your feet than your mind. Bob James is, of course, at the piano, Billy Kilson plays drums and James Genus is on bass.
Topsail is another live performance by The Bob James Trio from their ‘Espresso’ album, recorded live in studio. Bob switches over to the keyboard for this one, with the rest of the trio remaining the same.
The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. In 1982, Lionel Hampton and Peggy Lee paid tribute to that year’s honoree Benny Goodman. Lionel performed “Air Mail Special” and “Sing, Sing, Sing” while Peggy performed “Where or When” in a star-studded gala at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C. Master of ceremonies Andre Previn introduces the segment.
On July 15, 1979 at the North Sea Jazz Festival something very special happened. Five legends of the tenor saxophone descended upon The Hague in the province of South Holland … they were Illinois Jacquet, Dexter Gordon, Arnett Cobb, Buddy Tate and Budd Johnson. They were joined by Hank Jones at the piano, Gene Ramey on bass and Gus Johnson playing drums. It was an all-star cast and a performance those jazz fans will never forget!
Two of my favorite performances were Lionel Hampton’s Flying Home (Top video) and The Hague Blues in ‘C’ (Below) which was written especially for the occasion.
The Peter Beets trio performs Waltz in C#m with the world famous Residentie Orkest The Hague (The Hague Philharmonic) at Paard (The Hague). Jazz improvisations on Chopin music were arranged for trio and symphony orchestra by Rob Horsting and Marijn van Prooijen. The trio consists of Peter on piano, Marius Beets playing double bass and Gijs Dijkhuizen on drums.
Through the years, the definitive version of One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) has been associated with Frank Sinatra … but Dianne Reeves gives ‘Old Blue Eyes’ a run for his money on this one. It’s from her 2008 appearance at the Jazzopen Music Festival in Stuttgart, Germany. Her band is comprised of Peter Martin on piano, Peter Sprague playing guitar, James Genus on bass, and Kendrick Scott on drums. Even with all of the energy Reeves typically puts into her performances, she has a lower, slower gear … and I’ve selected two of my more mellow favorites from her live concerts.
Stormy Weather was taken from Dianne’s 2012 performance at Jazzwoche Burghausen, also Germany. It’s a jazz/pop standard that she infuses with anything but a standard feeling … featuring Peter Martin at the piano, Romero Lubambo on guitar, Reginald Veal on bass, and Terreon Gully playing drums behind the vocal instrumentation of Ms. Reeves.
In 2003 a concert was held for Dismas House in St. Louis Missouri, the first halfway house in the country. It featured The Rat Pack … Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. performing at their relaxed, professional finest! The Count Basie Orchestra, led by Quincy Jones, provided much of the accompanying music.
I’ve chosen to highlight Sinatra in this video and selected Get Me To The Church On Time and Luck Be A Lady Tonight from the concert, because their performances are so very, very Sinatra. Old Blue Eyes’ ability to make a song his own is one of the elements that makes him so appealing and these tunes so enjoyable. Now … someone tell me that Frank is not actually jazz or that he doesn’t swing and I’ll be glad to send you some polka records!
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