Three’s a Charm!

by | Feb 21, 2026 | Big Band, Orchestral

Ella, Ray, and Pete have the blues! Pete Kelly’s Blues may just be the greatest jazz motion picture of all time … featuring appearances by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee (who received an Academy Award nomination as best supporting actress), with much of the music played by Matty Matlock. Pete Kelly’s Blues‘ main title is performed here by Ray Anthony, who accompanies Ella’s vocal with a trumpet that captures the essence of the film. Fitzgerald follows with her rendition of Hard Hearted Hannah –– hear and see her original clip from the movie in our June 9, 2017 post.

It’s June in February

by | Feb 6, 2026 | Big Band, Vocal

Although she was the epitome of the vocal cool movement of the 1950s, June Christy was a hypnotically warm vocalist, whose audiences either loved her or were confused by her unusual, sometimes off-key phrasing. She was able to stretch out her impressive voice on uptempo swing tunes, as well as on laid back ballads, and set herself apart from other vocalists with her deceptively simple enunciation. Midnight Sun originally an instrumental composed by Lionel Hampton and Sonny Burke in 1947 –– now considered a jazz standard –– receives a very gentle yet powerful interpretation by June when she was with the Stan Kenton Orchestra. For more June Christy and further examples of the versatility that made her one of the top jazz vocalists of the 50’s era, see our post of September 19, 2019, “June Christy and Friends.”

It’s Christmas!

by | Dec 23, 2025 | Audio, Soundtrack, Video

Arguably, the greatest Christmas movie ever made is Irving Berlin’s star-studded White Christmas.  The video (above) is the grand finale from that motion picture, guaranteed to catapult you into the Christmas spirit … in case you’re not already there.  Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney appeared in full-throated splendor, while Vera Ellen––whose real strength was in her dancing––had her singing dubbed by a young lady named Trudy Stevens; the only exception was the “Sisters” duet, where Rosie Clooney sang both parts! Below (left) is Snow, another Irving Berlin tune specially written for the picture. Below (right) is the classic restaurant scene from A Christmas Story, where Ralphie and his family discover ‘Chinese turkey.’

Just (below), I have brought The Christmas Show forward from our Jazz Scene Podcast page … featuring songs for the season by Maynard Ferguson, Tony Bennett, The Swingle Singers, Mel Torme, Count Basie, The Gene Harris Quartet, Lou Rawls, The Manhattan Transfer, Kenny G, Billy Taylor, Carol Sloan, plus a few of my own thoughts about the magic of Christmas. Finally, at the (bottom) Kenny G takes a stroll down memory lane with clips from five of the best traditional holiday movies ever. There’s good reason they are viewed continually by millions every year … nothing compares, period! With Hollywood icons like Burgess Meredith and Jimmy Stewart in the background of Kenny’s gently nostalgic performance of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, the experience is nothing less than pure emotional magic.

The Christmas Show

by Fred Masey | Jazz Scene Podcast

Admittedly, except for “The Christmas Show,” much of what you hear here may not be jazz … but IT’S CHRISTMAS! May you enjoy every minute of this uniquely wonnnderful time of year, and have the Merriest of all Christmases with the ones you love!

A Marsalis-Torme Christmas

by | Dec 12, 2025 | Big Band, Holiday, Vocal

Jingle Bells is one of the most commonly sung and widely recognized Christmas songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont and published in 1857 as “The One Horse Open Sleigh.” It was originally thought to be a drinking song, and had no real connection to Christmas until it eventually became associated with winter and Christmas in the 1860s and 1870s. Wynton Marsalis and his Jazz Big Band (above), with one of the thousands of recordings of the song, gives it the most powerful treatment you’re ever likely to hear … horses at a full gallop! The Christmas Song (below), also known as “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”, was written by 19-year-old Mel Tormé and 22-year-old Bob Wells on a scorching summer day in Los Angeles as a means of keeping cool (much like the composition of “White Christmas”). Ironically, while Torme wrote the music, it was Nat ‘King’ Cole who had, not one, but three popular recordings, one of which resides in the Library of Congress!

Mellow McRae

by | Oct 4, 2025 | Quartet/Quintet, Vocal

Carmen McRae is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th Century. She was known for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpretation of lyrics, both of which seemed to come to her quite naturally. Carmen didn’t just sing a song, she owned it! The three tunes below are prime examples, and while McRae could swing with the best of them, I always felt she shone brightest in a mellow mood.

(Topmost) is the 1935 standard I’m in the Mood for Love, with Carmen accompanying herself on the piano. She was joined by Scott Colley on bass and Mark Pulice playing drums, in 1990 at the Good Day Club in Tokyo. Ruby My Dear (middle) may be the most beautiful Thelonious Monk composition since ‘Round Midnight. It was recorded in 1988 at the Newport Jazz Festival, with Clifford Jordan playing tenor and Eric Gunnison on piano, joining Carmen and her rhythm section on stage. At the Bern Jazz Festival, also in 1988, she eschews the usual uptempo arrangements of Have You Met Miss Jones (bottom) in favor of a more heartfelt version all her own. Dizzy Gillespie adds a few notes of counterpoint to her amazing vocal.

The Incomparable Cleo Laine

by | Aug 2, 2025 | Orchestral, Vocal

Cleo Laine was a British singer blessed with an agile contralto voice, boasting an incredible four-octave range!  She became not only the most creative and materially successful jazz singer the UK music scene has known, but also gained a worldwide reputation as one of a mere handful of truly original, jazz-inspired vocalists. Cleo was actually quite comfortable in almost any idiom, from jazzy standards to the frontiers of classical music and even opera … she was the only female singer to receive Grammy nominations in jazz, popular and classical categories. At the tender age of 97, Dame Cleo Laine passed away only last week, July 24, 2025, but leaves her magical touch on all musical genres for the inspiration of future enthusiasts.

(Above) she teams up with husband John Dankworth on Sophisticated Lady, a clip from the BBC film, “A Salute to Duke Ellington” on his seventieth birthday. (Immediately below) is a performance, again teaming with Dankworth, at the 1982 MDA Telethon. It’s the old favorite, I Don’t Know Why I Love You Like I Do, plus a surprise medley with a couple of mind-blowing Cleo twists toward the end! Finally (at the bottom) is a pair of tunes from a live performance in 1968, with Dame Laine truly in her prime … Come Rain or Come Shine (L) and Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone (R).

Dizzy Is as Dizzy Does

by | Jul 19, 2025 | Quartet/Quintet, Vocal

John Birks Gillespie earned the name “Dizzy” with his playful, even mischievous behavior both on and off stage … his bent-bell trumpet is sort of a reflection of that off-beat character, although its ‘birth’ was accidental. One day someone fell over his horn, and he liked the new sound so well that he had his trumpets constructed with that special bend from then on. Gillespie’s effect on jazz can’t be overstated; his trumpet playing influenced every player who came after him. His compositions have become part of the jazz canon, and his bands have included some of the most significant names in the business. During the early 40s, along with Charlie Parker, Dizzy was one of the major leaders of the bebop movement.

On (top) is a 1951 Gillespie jazz standard, Birk’s Works. Most often heard with a big band, this quartet arrangement has Dizzy on trumpet, Ray Brown on bass, Ed Cherry playing guitar, Tommy Campbell at the drums, and Valerie Capers playing piano. It was recorded in Belgrade in 1981.  While I’m not a huge fan of scat singing, this one had to be shared. Gillespie is joined at the 1985 Jazz Festival in Bern by James Moody (bottom) to give even Mel Torme a run for his ‘scatting’ money on Oop-Pop-A-Da. They’re backed by Gene Harris on piano, Ray Brown playing bass, and Grady Tate on drums.

 

Sassy and Sultry Diana Krall

by | May 23, 2025 | Quartet/Quintet, Vocal

Some of Diana Krall’s fans are not necessarily jazz fans. Many seem to want a stronger focus on the vocals, which is quite understandable given how great Krall is at the microphone … and they want her to sing in a more straightforward, singer-songwriter/pop fashion, rather than using her voice as a jazz instrument or inserting improvisational passages into her piano playing.  But, that’s not who Diana is. She’s a jazz artist who puts on jazz shows. She has been playing since the age of four and performing since the age of fifteen.

During her concerts, vocals are just a part of the attraction. True jazz fans get this, and appreciate the lengthy spotlights given to Krall’s band mates as well: bassist John Clayton, drummer Jeff Hamilton, and guitarist Anthony Wilson are all phenomenal players with so much to say musically that is absolutely worth hearing. (Above) is something on the soft side from the group with Cry Me a River and (below) they pick up the tempo with East of the Sun. See what you hear!

Gambarini Carolina Style

by | Apr 20, 2025 | Big Band, Vocal

On April 12, 2025 three time Grammy nominated, international vocal powerhouse, Roberta Gambarini joined forces with eighteen of the most outstanding jazz musicians, soloists and band leaders from across the Carolinas at the Harbison Theater in Irmo, South Carolina. Together with the South Carolina Jazz Masterworks Ensemble she brought the house down … and I was lucky enough to be there!

Of eleven songs, in two sets, Roberta performed nine of them … ranging from uptempo scat to gentle classics straight from the heart. Meanwhile, the SCJME orchestra, and their uniquely creative arrangements, demonstrated why ‘the house’ is always packed when they play. I was able to record three of the numbers that evening from row G, seat #118. Since I was working only with my I-Phone, the audio and video quality isn’t as professional as I would have liked –– but all of it is most enjoyable, and the best I could do to put you in the seat next to me! The first tune is a Slide Hampton arrangement of Hammerstein/Romberg’s Lover Come Back to Me.

Next is a change of pace with Roberta and the orchestra tweaking our chordae tendineae with their rendition of Thelonius Monk’s 1943 jazz standard, ‘Round Midnight.

Finally some cool scat from Roberta as she joins the SCJME orchestra for a walk On the Sunny Side of the Street. Pay particular attention to her incredible vocal range!

Jazz Italian Style

by | Apr 6, 2025 | Big Band, Quartet/Quintet, Vocal

Funny, but she sounds awfully American! Roberta Gambarini came to America in 1998 from Turin, Italy, and took the jazz world by storm. Roberta has toured and sung with the greatest in the business … from Dizzy Gillespie to Jimmy Heath, from Clark Terry to Paquito D’Rivera.  I’ll be seeing her perform live for the first time next Saturday, with the South Carolina Jazz Masterworks Ensemble. Keep you posted. (Above) Gambarini is reflective with a heartfelt rendition of Every Time We Say Goodbye. She was recorded live in 2009 at Jazz A Vienne (France) with the Roy Hargrove Big Band. (Below) Roberta steps up the tempo with Joe Lovano (ts), Cyrus Chestnut (p), James Genus (b), and Antonio Sanchez (d) in 2021, singing When Lights Are Low at the 10th annual celebration of International Jazz Day, featuring top musicians from all over the world.