The Grasso’s Always Greener

by | Nov 9, 2024 | Quartet/Quintet, Trio, Vocal

Pasquale Grasso is an Italian-born jazz guitarist now based in New York City. He is known for a pianistic approach to jazz guitar, largely influenced by Bud Powell’s style; he has somehow managed to transfer the essence of piano language onto guitar. Grasso’s innovative blend of classical-guitar and bebop influences have helped him create a sound that’s completely his own, setting him apart as a one-of-a-kind jazz guitarist … in 2016 Pat Metheny told Vintage Guitar magazine that Grasso was “the best guitar player I’ve heard in maybe my entire life.” Recently, he has been getting more public exposure with several of his own recordings released by Sony Masterworks, and teaming up with super-vocalist Samara Joy on two of her recent hit albums.

(Below upper left) Pasquale Grasso adds his personal touch to the American Songbook Standard, Just One of Those Things, live at The Cutting Room in NYC. Pasquale is on guitar, Phil Stewart plays drums, and Ari Roland is on double bass. Charlie Christian’s Seven Come Eleven (Below upper right) was recorded at Birdland,also in NYC, and features the guitars of Pasquale Grasso, Frank Vignola, and Olli Soikkeli … with Gary Mazzaroppi on bass, and Vince Cherico playing drums. Finally a video (Bottom) with Grasso’s guitar and Samara Joy singing Ellington’s In My Solitude, from his Pasquale Plays Duke album.

Precision Piano By Drew

by | Oct 20, 2024 | Trio

America’s loss was Europe’s gain. Kenny Drew’s move to Paris in 1961, and then to Copenhagen in 1964 proved to be permanent. Although he sacrificed much of the interest of an American jazz audience, he gained a wide following across Europe. Drew was a well-known figure on the Copenhagen jazz scene, but always remained somewhat underrated as a jazz pianist in the USA because of his absence.

His touch was described in the Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz as “precise,” and his playing as “a combination of bebop-influenced melodic improvisation and block chords, that included refreshingly subtle harmonizations”. You’ll hear typical examples of this (below) in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s It Might As Well Be Spring and (below that) in Sonny Rollins’ St. Thomas. Both were recorded in 1992 at the Brewhouse Theater in the UK. Kenny’s trio includes Alvin Queen on drums and Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (NHOP) playing the double bass.

 

The Finest Phineas

by | Sep 21, 2024 | Trio

Phineas Newborn’s life story is as dizzying as his unique style of piano playing. He was born just outside of Memphis –– a city that birthed the careers of such household musical names as Elvis Presley, Otis Redding, Jerry Lee Lewis, Al Green, and countless others –– and was raised in a musical family that included his father, Phineas Newborn, Sr., a drummer in blues bands, and his equally talented jazz guitarist brother Calvin. By his early teenage years, Phineas was not only beginning to master the piano, but trumpet, tenor and baritone saxes, as well. Jazz critics have called him, “One of the three greatest jazz pianists of all time.”

Here are three tunes with his trio from 1962, that included Al McKibbon playing double bass and Kenny Dennis on drums. Upper most is a non-standard treatment of the Strayhorn standard Lush Life. Below that (left) New Blues, and (right) the familiar Oleo, written by Sonny Rollins … just to prove the critics right!

The Christian Thing

by | Aug 24, 2024 | Big Band, Trio

He blazed an extraordinary trail as one of the most preeminent jazz musicians of our time. As a dynamic musician, composer and arranger, as well as a dedicated educator and mentor, bassist Christian McBride has an exceedingly wide wingspan! He has appeared on more than 300 recordings as a sideman, and is an eight-time Grammy Award winner.

The upper video, Fried Pies, features pianist Christian Sands, drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr. and McBride, of course, on bass. It was recorded in 2012 at the KNKX performance studios in downtown Seattle, Washington. The lower video, Black Narcissus Part 2 recorded in 2019, represents a sequel to Black Narcissus Part 1 written in the early 70s by George Duke for Cannonball Adderley … and is something of a departure for McBride into big band territory.

The Most Happy Piano

by | Aug 2, 2024 | Trio

“One of the most distinctive of all pianists” is just one of the descriptions accorded to Erroll Garner. His style has rendered him nearly immortal among jazz pianists. He says, “I just play what I feel. Suddenly I hit a groove that moves me, and then I take off.” Erroll even composes––you may remember a little tune called “Misty”––no easy feat, considering he never learned to read music! In fact, Misty is featured below with a rousing rendition of the perennial favorite I Get a Kick Out of You just above it … both from a 1963 concert filmed in Belgium for television broadcast. The classic Garner trio is rounded out, in both performances, by bassist Eddie Calhoun and drummer Kelly Martin.

Jarrett Gyrations

by | Jul 27, 2024 | Trio

Keith Jarrett is probably the most animated piano player I’ve ever seen! If you’re not familiar with him, you’ll know what I mean from the very first note. Once you settle in with, arguably, one of the finest trios ever put together, Keith’s musical prowess will quickly prevail over any extracurricular exuberance you may witness at the keyboard.  The trio is rounded out by Jack DeJohnette on drums and Gary Peacock on bass.  The uppermost video is a slightly funky rendition of Billy Holiday’s God Bless the Child from Jarret’s Standards Live album.  Below that, It Could Happen to You, recorded live in 1996 at Tokyo’s Hitomi Memorial Hall.

Shades of Mahogany

by | Jul 14, 2024 | Trio, Vocal

Since I Fell For You

by Kevin Mahogany | Double Rainbow

Kevin Mahogany became prominent in the 1990s and became particularly known for his scat singing. His singing style has sometimes been compared with that of Billy Eckstine, and Joe Williams, with many of his more mellow tones containing a touch of Johnny Hartman. Since I Fell For You (above) is from Kevin’s first album Double Rainbow in 1993, where his vocals were paired with the piano of Kenny Barron, sax of Ralph Moore, drums of Lewis Nash and bass from Ray Drummond.

[On] Green Dolphin Street features Kevin Mahogany with the vocal chores, Larry Fuller playing piano, Ray Brown on bass, and George Fludas on drums.

Like Green Dolphin Street, My Foolish Heart was recorded with The Ray Brown Trio at Internationale Jazzwoche Burghausen 2001 in Germany.

A Horn Named Shirley

by | Jun 15, 2024 | Orchestral, Quartet/Quintet, Trio

Shirley Horn was both a jazz singer and pianist.  She formed her first jazz trio at the age of 20, and collaborated with many legendary musicians, including Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Toots Thielemans, Ron Carter, Carmen McRae, Wynton Marsalis, and others. She was most noted for her ability to accompany herself with near-incomparable musical independence on the piano as she sang.  This was an ability described by arranger Johnny Mandel as “like having two heads.”  Her rich, lush voice, a smoky contralto, was once described by noted producer and arranger Quincy Jones as “like clothing, as she seduces you with her voice.”

The video above is Nice and Easy, recorded in concert at the 1990 International Bern Jazz Festival in Switzerland … and, as the title indicates, it swings comfortably.  Below [left] Shirley  performs an uptempo Just In Time, at the 1992 Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, Rhode Island … while below [right] she eases back with a haunting rendition of How Insensitive.

Finally, [bottom-most] Shirley Horn reaches for your heartstrings and tugs a bit with a quiet look at life, as she performs Here’s to Life at the 1994 North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands.  She is backed by the Metropole Orchestra and a sea of lush strings.

Billy Taylor – America’s Jazz Ambassador

by | May 5, 2024 | Quartet/Quintet, Stuff

Musician, composer, teacher and all around jazz ambassador, Dr. Billy Taylor’s musical career is legendary. More than just an avid spokesman for “America’s Classical Music”, he fought for the recognition of Black musicians as key contributors to the American music scene … promoting jazz as a commentary against racial prejudice. Despite being one of the most remarkable jazz pianists of all time, the recipient of honors and awards worldwide, through it all, Billy always managed to remain a true gentleman of honor and humility.

The top video is The Way You Look Tonight, at a 1997 Anniversary Concert with Dr. Taylor accompanied by his trio, plus Stanley Turrentine and Gary Burton. In the center is my updated 1989 interview with Billy, brought forward from our Jazz Scene Podcast Page. Finally, bottom most is a light Bossa-Nova rendition of Here’s That Rainy Day … recorded in 2001 with Billy Taylor (p), Chip Jackson (b), and Winard Harper (d), joined by jazz violinist John Blake, Jr.

Time Out With Billy Taylor

by Fred Masey | Podcast #007

Mary Lou Williams

by | Apr 29, 2024 | Solo/Duo, Trio

One of the greatest jazz pianists, composers, and arrangers of all time, Mary Lou Williams was a swing and bebop icon with few equals. A musical prodigy, at the age of two she was able to pick out simple tunes, and by the age of three she was given piano lessons by her mother.  Mary Lou Williams played piano out of necessity at a very young age … when only six, she supported her ten half-brothers and sisters by playing at neighborhood parties. She began performing publicly at the age of seven, when she became known admiringly in Pittsburgh as “The Little Piano Girl” of East Liberty. She became a professional musician at the age of 15, and recorded more that one-hundred records (78s,45s, and 33-1/3 LPs) throughout her lifetime. She was a friend, mentor, and teacher to many of the greats, including the likes of Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Bud Powell, and Dizzy Gillespie.

Above is a performance of an original Williams composition, Medition II, recorded for a popular 1974 television program.  It features Sy Oliver on trumpet, Milton Suggs on bass, and Walter Perkins playing drums. Below left, she partners with Stan Getz in 1978 with the familiar My Blue Heaven … and below right Mary Lou ‘noodles’ Some Blues.  The video quality is poor but her brief solo was so classically blues, I had to include it!

Below is a track from her landmark 1975 album, “Live at the Cookery.”  It’s Mary Lou Williams rendition of the Miles Davis tune, All Blues, with bassist Brian Torff.  The album is a series of duets, essentially taking listeners on a trip through the history of jazz … from hymns and blues to stride, swing, and bop (including “All Blues”).

All Blues

by Mary Lou Williams | Live at the Cookery