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TGIF Jazz #154

What a year, my friends! I don't know about you, but there were a lot of changes for me; all for the best I'd like to think. I hope you all found blessings in '12, and that they were accompanied by some of the jazz we've shared here together. As we close out another year on Corner Booth, we turn once again to Duke Ellington's 1932 recording of his classic "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)." For me, it's a reminder of how one should approach everything in life: with verve, vigor, and above all, swing. I'll see you all in the new year, every Friday as always, to do what we can to keep this jazzy thing going.

Enjoy, and Happy Friday.

Today's Jazz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9pfsRmO-_Q 

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TGIF Jazz #153

Well folks, if we're hearing Ella Fitzgerald singing my favorite Christmas song, "Sleigh Ride," it can only be because we've arrived at the Friday before Christmas. If we were to have believed those who couldn't read Mayan correctly, we wouldn't even be here right now. In any case, glad that we all made it together swingin'. I want to wish you and yours only the safest and happiest of holidays. Enjoy, and Happy Friday.

Today's Jazz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H52ahrtdF8

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TGIF Jazz #152

Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

David Warren "Dave" Brubeck

December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012

Today's Jazz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxfp9TCyeS0

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TGIF Jazz #151

It's a rainy here in the City of Angels, and perhaps that's why I want to hear some straight-from-the-heart clarinet. Who better to give us that than Pee Wee Russell?

Pee Wee comes from that good ol' traditional jazz stock, but the weird thing is his solos were very unorthodox, as was his style. Esteemed critic Scott Yanow said that his playing was "as if he were thinking out loud." He made his name by playing a lot with bandleader Eddie Condon beginning in the late 30's, but also spent time with Louis Prima, Bix Beiderbecke (!) and Jack Teagarden. Unfortunately he depended heavily on the sauce, nearly killing him at one point in the early 50's. Maybe that's why there's such an unadorned honesty in how he plays, not virtuosic by any stretch, but always expressive and true. How do YOU feel when listening to this rendition of "If I Had You?" For me, it's humble optimism.

Enjoy, and Happy Friday.

Today's jazz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcVG8as_BPA

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TGIF Jazz #150

Dear friends, TGIF Jazz has returned! Enjoy, and Happy Friday.

Today's Jazz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuKPHwGqcDc

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TGIF Jazz #149 - LATIN CURVEBALL

We haven't dropped some Latin flavor on Corner Booth in a while, so let's return to form. Here we have 2 icons of Latin music on one recording.  As far as Cuban singers go, Beny More was one of the most popular ever. During the 40's and 50's, he was a premier, respected vocalist. Son montunos, boleros, mambos, he could sing them all, and his voice is instantly recognizable. Backing him up is one of the Kings of Mambo named Perez Prado (though I've always recognized Tito Puente as the one True King). A composer, arranger and bandleader, he was one of the reasons the mambo craze hit the US in the 50's. His style was loud and brassy, not everyone's cup of tea, but he made it work. You can hear him utter his famous grunt constantly in the background, which became one of his trademarks. If you don't know, now you know. Here's Pachito E'Che. Enjoy, and Happy Friday.

Today's Latin Curveball: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkyulZ1dXMc

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TGIF Jazz #148

There are two things to be impressed with in today's TGIF Jazz Selection. First and foremost, you have Mr. Stan Getz, also known as "The Sound" because, well, I think it's obvious. That's a Rolls-Royce of a tone he produces on tenor (his biggest early influence was Lester Young).  You probably know him from his strong association with bossa nova in the sixties and his recording of "The Girl From Ipanema." But Stan is so much more than that, having played with the big bands of Kenton, Dorsey and Goodman in his youth before becoming a distinguished leader of his own in the 50's. The second thing to appreciate here is that, despite his well-deserved status as one of the greatest jazz pianists ever after Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson was an INCREDIBLE accompanist who knew how to restrain himself and augment the music and soloist. This 1957 collaboration on the song "Pennies From Heaven," which includes Getz, Peterson, bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis (yes, drumless!) will, hopefully, cause a smile. If not, go see your doctor. Enjoy, and Happy Friday. 

Today's Jazz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3vmDA6cRqQ

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TGIF Jazz #147

It's Labor Day weekend, friends, and there's only one song we play here at Corner Booth every end of August. It's a song that speaks of slow, hot days, when we've had a whole bunch of summer but perhaps we're not quite ready to welcome the fall. I haven't found a person who better understands this dilemma than vibratto aficionado Sidney Bechet. Love it or hate it, this man pressed forth with his soprano sax and became a pioneering soloist in the 20's and 30's. So let's take in his discourse as we spend one last 'official' weekend with summer of 2012. Try the beach, maybe a stroll down a crowded street at night. Wherever you go, this song is the best accompaniment for what I hope is a happy, safe Labor Day weekend for all of you. Here is, of course, "Indian Summer." Enjoy, and Happy Friday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQLFvNd6dSU

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TGIF Jazz #146

While this post is meant to be a little fun and lighthearted, there's nothing light about how well Sonny Rollins is playing on this 1957 track from his first trip out west. He recorded the album 'Way Out West' in Los Angeles, and the cover features him in the desert, standing near a cactus, wearing a huge cowboy hat, holster, and holding his saxophone as his weapon. It's goofy picture, but again, there's no questioning his chops on this Johnny Mercer tune in which he is only accompanied by bassist Ray Brown (an Oscar Peterson cohort) and drummer Shelly Manne. The piano is missing from the traditional rhythm section, which allows Sonny to improvise without any chords. It harkens to the pianoless "west coast" jazz quartet of Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan. It's clean, it's fun and it's substantial in ideas and execution. Here's a song that always make me think of 'I Love Lucy,' the classic "I'm an Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande)." Enjoy, and Happy Friday.

Today's Jazz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enWgnptvDO0

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TGIF Jazz #145

The partnership of Gil Evans and Miles Davis cannot be overstated, but rather than read a book about it, just listen to some of it. What you hear are the successful, epic results of 2 distinct musical talents taking the music into another stratosphere. The combination of Evans' arrangements and Davis' tonal focus is seamless on this 1958 album,Porgy and Bess. The Gershwins' work has been a touchstone for many of the jazz legends, but I think that the Evans/Davis interpretation is one of the most unique of the bunch. Let's listen to the seminal "Summertime." There's no reason not to. Enjoy, and Happy Friday.

Today's Jazz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQtAWKQ_M7w

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TGIF Jazz #144

I wonder sometimes, what was it like to have been Fred Astaire? Consider this: Vaudevillian, beloved actor, buddies with one of my musical idols George Gershwin (not to mention ORIGINATOR of some of his greatest songs), one of the pinnacles of sartorial elegance, being tied with Gene Kelly (in my book) as the greatest dancer of all time, and finally, incredible singer. Astaire must have had a fascinating experience while on this planet. A complete entertainer, he didn't have the greatest voice in the world, but it was sweet and sincere. You'd be surprised how many songs he sang first that then became standards, made famous by others. All the miracles of timing and rhythm that occurred with his feet made it into phrasing, yet he's quite underrated. In 1952, Verve wisely recorded Astaire singing with a band that included piano god Oscar Peterson, bassist Ray Brown, guitarist Barney Kessel, and other members of Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic. These sessions are a thing of beauty. Here's "Steppin' Out With My Baby." Enjoy, and Happy Friday the 13th.

Today's Jazz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfzpag9LugU

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TGIF Jazz #143

A lot of people can sing "On the Sunny Side of the Street," but Billie Holiday isn't most people. While she definitely made an impact with that melancholy, I've-lived-through-it-all quality to her voice, here's an example of her distinct style bringing a sort of understated happiness and wit to this upbeat number. Perhaps after a rough week at work or in life, just blasting "I'm Walking On Sunshine" is too on the nose to make you feel better. You need something to sneak in there, unexpectedly, and get at you. I think this is one of those recordings. Enjoy, and Happy Friday.

Today's Jazz: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/cornerbooth/new/text

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TGIF Jazz #142

Alto saxophonist Jackie McLean's neighbors and friends while he was a teen were Sonny Rollins, Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk. That's a little like saying you grew up with the X-Men living on your block. No stranger to the musical world (his father was a noted guitarist), his first decade of playing was with people like the Jazz Messengers, George Wallington, and even Charles Mingus. Throughout the '60s, Jackie was a huge player in the hard bop world, also trying out free jazz, but by the 70's turned to the world of jazz educator. He kept his intensity and passionate playing all the way to the end, and with his 21 Blue Note albums from 1959-1967, we have quite a witness from the era that we can turn to for inspiration.

A great number from his 1960 album 'Jackie's Bag,' here's "Appointment in Ghana." Enjoy, and Happy Friday.

Today's Jazz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtKGXRRxG74

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TGIF Jazz #141

A slight addendum to something I said in TGIF 140: Along with hard bop and traditional New Orleans jazz, stride piano sends me to an extremely happy place. The greats have been covered in this series: Luckey Roberts (my fave), Fats Waller and such. Those guys were bred during the heyday of stride in the 20's and 30's. However, here's a gentleman who came up during the 40's, the bebop era, yet succeeded as one of the great stride pianists throughout a career that lasted into the '80's. His playing is tinged with a little bebop, but the foundation comes from learning one-on-one with the grandaddies of this formidable niche style.

Dick Wellstood was a surgeon on the piano, a player of great skill and command of the genre. Despite having been a below-the-radar performer, we have some great recordings. I think you'll smile as much as I did when you first hear his take on the Sesame Street/Muppet song, "Rubber Duckie," which is then followed by one of the great all-time standards, "After You've Gone." Enjoy, and Happy Friday.

Today's Jazz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGtFDQkB5Xw

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TGIF Jazz #140

During my freshman year of college, a friend had told me how much he loved Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, a group I knew nothing about at the time. He lent me the album MOANIN' and that pretty much changed everything for me as far as jazz went. I bought every Blakey album afterwards, as well as those of his sidemen in the Messengers, like the great Lee Morgan, Bobby Timmons, and our TGIF Jazz artist of the day, Horace Silver. I think this type of jazz is, apart from Traditional New Orleans, the one that resonates with me the most.

If you stop and think about it, this group was a magical thing, from its inception to the quality of its output and players throughout its illustrious history. Groups of this caliber don't come together very often in which everyone was a superstar and their contributions were critical. Chief among these individuals was Mr. Silver, whose music writing abilities were something else. It's been a while since we have shared some of Silver's music, so here we have 'Doodlin''. This is off the very first Jazz Messengers album from 1955. Enjoy, and Happy Friday.

Today's Jazz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu4o65SwUIw

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TGIF Jazz #139

I'm feeling Bop-centric today, and Mr. Barry Harris is just the kind of pianist we need on this Friday to bring our week to a pleasant close. Harris is out of the Motor City, and he made his name as a serious bop pianist in the 50's and 60's. He has two sick abilities: he can resemble Bud Powell in style and can do a good Thelonious Monk impression on the keys. However, this just speaks to his chops. He has his own intricate style, always swingin'. Max Roach, Cannonball Adderly and Sonny Stitt are just a few of the luminaries he's collaborated with over a 60-plus year career. As a jazz educator, he fulfills that most important of roles by being a teacher for future generations. Keep on boppin', Mr. Harris. Here's Moose the Mooche, a Charlie Parker original. Enjoy, and Happy Friday.

Today's Jazz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh-wpcvo-Oo

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TGIF Jazz #138 - Latin Curveball

Rhythm unites us all. Dave Brubeck commented in an interview that it's a common aspect of music that unites all the cultures, as he discovered when traveling the world. Being Latin, I am utterly intoxicated by the things that came out of the Caribbean, Central and South America. By the way: they were all heavily influenced by the African contributions to rhythm. Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo are kind enough to break it down for us in today's Latin Curveball. From the 1957 album TOP PERCUSSION, we have these gentlemen at the height of Afro-Cuban music in America. Bass, timbales, congas and bongos. That's all we have here in a pure distillation of rhythm. Dig this flavor called "Ti Mon Bo" (get it?). Enjoy, and Happy Friday.

Today's Latin Curveball: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXBgJ2ajjQs&feature=related