Sweet Georgia Brown / This Masquerade – Gene Harris

by | Sep 23, 2021 | Quartet/Quintet

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

by | Jul 18, 2021 | Quartet/Quintet

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!

Jitterbug Waltz / Old Folks – Bobby Hutcherson

by | Jul 3, 2021 | Quartet/Quintet

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.

The Virtual Patrice Rushen

by | Jun 7, 2021 | Quartet/Quintet

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.

2021 Jazz Masters Virtual Concert

by | Apr 25, 2021 | Big Band, Quartet/Quintet, Vocal

On April 22, 2021, the National Endowment for the Arts, in collaboration with SFJAZZ, presented a virtual tribute concert celebrating the 2021 NEA Jazz Masters. Topsy, originally written for the Country Basie Orchestra is performed in the top video. It featured Wynton Marsalis on trumpet, Dan Nimmer playing piano, Vince Giordano on both guitar and bass, and Jason Marsalis playing drums.  For more background and the complete concert, click the link above.

Below is the Irving Berlin standard Cheek To Cheek, swung by Dee Dee Bridgewater, backed by the SFJAZZ High School All Stars Big Band. Yes, High School!

Steps – Chick Corea Freedom Band – Pt. 1

by | Mar 27, 2021 | Quartet/Quintet

Christian McBride’s amazing opening bass solo flows into Chick Corea’s unmatched piano prowess on the tune called Steps.  Not to be outdone, Keith Jarrett’s sax soliloquy communicates the passion personified by drummer Roy Haynes, much to the delight of their audience and fellow musicians.  I’ve never been a particularly huge fan of jazz fusion but Chick and this 2010 concert in Marciac, France have captured enough of my attention to inspire a deeper dive into that genre.  Although Chick Corea left us in February (2021), his musical legacy has made an indelible mark on the international jazz scene.

Slow Freight – Junior Mance & Ray Bryant

by | Mar 19, 2021 | Quartet/Quintet

Very few things are as addictive as salted peanuts … betcha’ can’t eat just one!  That’s why they employed two pianos and twenty golden fingers to perform the super bluesy Ray Bryant composition, Slow Freight.  The tune was recorded in 1993 for a Japanese TV special and features both Junior Mance and Ray Bryant on pianos, Bob Cranshaw on bass and Alan Dawson playing drums.

Oscar, Carmen and Dex

by | Jan 16, 2021 | Quartet/Quintet, Vocal

When it comes to sharing the spotlight, Oscar Peterson is the poster boy.  For example, at the Bern Jazz Festival in 1988 Oscar added several numbers by the incredible Carmen McRae … such as “Sometimes I’m Happy”.  Peterson played piano, naturally, while Dave Young was on bass and Martin Drew on drums to round out the trio.  In a more intimate setting back in 1969, the trio had Sam Jones playing drums and Bobby Durham on bass, and shared the spotlight with yet another superstar in the person of Dexter Gordon.  The tune is an uptempo arrangement of “You Stepped Out Of A Dream”.

Just Call Her Deedles

by | Dec 4, 2020 | Quartet/Quintet, Vocal

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!

New York State Of Mind

by Diane Schuur | Original 45 RPM Single

Moonglow And Theme From Picnic – (Soundtrack)

by | Nov 28, 2020 | Orchestral, Soundtrack

Take the 1933 song “Moonglow”, popularized by The Benny Goodman Quartet, blend it carefully with the theme from a 1955 Academy Award winning movie … then add Kim Novak and William Holden, and you have the recipe for a genuine box office blockbuster!  This is the famous dance scene from “Picnic” that was considered so daring and erotic for a movie of that day.

While not strictly a jazz tune, the music [written by George Dunning and scored by Morris Stoloff] became highly popular, and to this day remains one of my favorite songs … and the movie one of my favorite films.. By merging the two songs a truly unique sound was achieved and the combination was successfully recorded by a variety of artists from both the pop and jazz idioms.