String Along With Turtle Island

by | Oct 18, 2019 | Quartet/Quintet

The Turtle Island String Quartet is an unconventional musical ensemble which plays jazz standards and original compositions that cross several styles, including blues, classical, jazz, and world music. Violinist David Balakrishnan got the idea for a jazz string quartet in 1985.

As a child, David was inspired by Jimi Hendrix and later discovered jazz through the music of the David Grisman Quartet.  The group has performed with the likes of Billy Taylor, Manhattan Transfer, Modern Jazz Quartet, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and many others.  Since its founding, TIQ has had many members come and go, but their uniqueness, intensity and musical integrity has always remained.

Blue Rondo A La Turk is a jazz composition in 9/8 time written by Dave Brubeck. It first appeared on his classic Time Out album in 1959.  His choice of rhythm was inspired by the Turkish aksak time signatures.

Moment’s Notice, a John Coltrane composition, was recorded live in Brussels featuring David Balakrishnan playing violin, Mark Summer on cello,  Mateusz Smoczynski also on violin and Benjamin von Gutzeit on viola.

Blues On Sunday / Let It Be – Joshua Redman

by | Oct 5, 2019 | Quartet/Quintet

Blues On Sunday was recorded at the Philharmonic Hall in Munich during the Munich Piano Summer 1994.  Joshua Redman is on saxophone, Brad Mehldau at the piano, Christian McBride on bass and Brian Blade plays drums.

The 1970 Beatles tune Let It Be was performed by the Joshua Redman Quartet in 2013 at Jazz In Marciac.  It features Joshua Redman, saxophone; Aaron Goldberg, piano; Reuben Rogers, contrabass; and Gregory Hutchinson, drums.

Everyday I Have The Blues – Jimmy McGriff

by | Jul 12, 2019 | Quartet/Quintet

Everyday I Have The Blues is a blues song that has been recorded in a variety of styles over the years, with the two most familiar versions by the Count Basie Orchestra and B.B. King.  The McGriff/Crawford arrangement brings it back from a big band setting to it’s funkier roots, opening up with Jimmy uncharacteristically playing piano, along with the more familiar Hammond that is featured throughout.

The tune was recorded in San Diego California in 1989 with Jimmy at the organ, Hank Crawford on alto sax, Bob DeVos on guitar and Jimmy Smith at the drums. You can hear the B.B. King and Basie [with Joe Williams] recordings just below the video.

Everyday I Have The Blues

by B.B. King

Everyday I Have The Blues

by Count Basie/Joe Williams

The Trumpet of Blue Mitchell

by | May 24, 2019 | Quartet/Quintet

Blue Mitchell was the complete trumpet player, with a direct, lightly swinging sound that fit right in with Blue Note records’ musical mindset of the 1960s. That sound comes through loud and clear on “Hi-Heel Sneakers” as he is joined by Junior Cook on tenor sax, Chick Corea piano, Gene Taylor on bass and Al Foster playing drums.

Hi-Heel Sneakers

by Blue Mitchell | Down With It

Mitchell often tends to be overlooked today, perhaps because he spent most of his career as a much sought after side man. Given that he led his own group for only a short period of time, he never really had the chance to stand out in the public eye, despite his considerable talent. Listening to “Park Avenue Petite” it’s easy to hear where he got the nickname “Blue”. Here he’s joined by Wynton Kelly at the piano, Sam Jones on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums.

Park Avenue Petite

by Blue Mitchell | Blue Soul

Poinciana – Ahmad Jamal

by | May 3, 2019 | Quartet/Quintet

“Poinciana” was written in 1936 by Nat Simon and Buddy Bernier, based on a Cuban folk song called “La canción del árbol”.  Ahmad Jamal included a jazz cover version of the song in his album “Poinciana”, released in 1963, and it has since become associated with him to the extent that it might actually be considered his theme song.  It is certainly his most requested song during personal appearances.

Thelonious Monk In Japan

by | Apr 19, 2019 | Quartet/Quintet

Bolivar Blues was recorded in 1963 in Japan just two days after the concert that produced the Columbia set Monk in Tokyo.  This studio session was created for TV broadcast while Thelonious Monk was touring the country, 

Evidence was part of that same studio session and featured Monk on piano, Frankie Dunlop drums, Butch Warren playing bass and the incomparable Charlie Rouse on sax. Charlie has the uncanny ability to match Thelonious’ unique style note for note!

A Child Is Born – Pepper Adams

by | Apr 5, 2019 | Quartet/Quintet

This rendition of the Thad Jones standard A Child Is Born is from a French TV Broadcast, La Grande Parade du Jazz, from Nice on July 16, 1978.  The great Bill Evans is at the piano with Marc Johnson on bass, Philly Joe Jones playing drums and the perennially underrated Pepper Adams delivering a memorable solo on baritone sax.

Five Faces Of Harlem Nocturne

by | Mar 22, 2019 | Big Band, Orchestral

Harlem Nocturne was written in 1939 by Earle Hagen and Dick Rogers for the Ray Noble Orchestra, of which they were members at the time.  It quickly became a jazz standard and has since been recorded by nearly 100 artists!  Here are just 5 different versions, including the very first recording of the tune on Columbia Records by Ray Noble.  Then there was a recording by The Viscounts that ran up the Billboard charts, not once but twice … in 1959 and again in1966.  Lyrics were eventually added and in 1963 Mel Torme painted a lonely picture of nighttime in New York.  While many of the others smack of a certain “stripperesque” quality, the fourth arrangement imparts a certain elegance we’ve learned to expect from Duke Ellington.  Finally, a treatment of Harlem Nocturne by Illinois Jacquet that makes all the hairs on the back of my neck stand at full attention!

Harlem Nocturne

by The Viscounts | Harlem Nocturne

Harlem Nocturne

by Mel Torme | Songs Of New York

Harlem Nocturne

by Duke Ellington | Blues

Harlem Nocturne

by Illinois Jacquet | Swing's The Thing

All That Jazz Is LeGrand!

by | Feb 15, 2019 | Quartet/Quintet, Septet/Octet

If you’re like most people, when you think of Michel LeGrand you think of film scores, orchestras and swirling strings.  Well fasten your seatbelt because he was one whale of a jazz pianist as well and swung with the best of them!  His pen and his baton will be sorely missed, Michel having passed away last month at the age of 87.

“You Must Believe In Spring” was recorded at the Festival International de Jazz in Montreal.  It features Michel Legrand (p), Phil Woods (as), Eric Lagace (b) and Ray Brinker (d).

“The Jitterbug Waltz” was recorded in 1958 in New York for the album “LeGrand Jazz”.  It’s an interesting mix of Michel with artists such as Herbie Mann, Barry Galbraith, Miles Davis, Phil Woods, Jerome Richardson, Eddie Costa, Paul Chambers and Kenny Dennis.  Listen for the silky smooth changes in tempo and subtle harp glissandos of Betty Giamann … not your everyday addition to a jazz combo.

The Jitterbug Waltz

by Michel LeGrand & Miles Davis | LeGrand Jazz