Top Jazz Album for the Week :: February 27

Jimmy Owen, The Monk Project (IPO)

For the entire top 50, see Elements of Jazz.

Recent Links :: 24 February 2012

• Count Basie: Marc Myers shares a video of the Count Basie Orchestra played in Sweden in 1962 at JazzWax.
  
• Ornette Coleman: Eric Miller reviews several albums from what he calls Coleman's "missing years" at All About Jazz. For albums are featured, all available from Amazon.com: Ornette at 12 (vinyl only), Crisis (vinyl only), Friends and Neighbors (CD), and Live in Paris 1971 (CD).
  
• Bill Evans, Modern Jazz Quartet, Thelonious Monk, Oscar Peterson: Open Culture features four clips from a 1960s BBC program, "Jazz 625." The clips feature a Bill Evans Trio, the Modern Jazz Quartet, a Thelonious Monk quartet, and an Oscar Peterson trio.
  
• Wes Montgomery: Raul D'Gama Rose reviews the new Wes Montgomery album, Echoes of Indiana Avenue, at All About Jazz. (Purchase the CD, Echoes of Indiana Avenue, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Lester Young: On President's Day, Marc Myers celebrates Lester "Prez" Young at JazzWax.
  

Robert
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Top Jazz Album for the Week :: February 20

Jimmy Owen, The Monk Project (IPO)

For the entire top 50, see Elements of Jazz.

Recent Links :: 19 February 2012

• Louis Armstrong: The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong discusses the cut, "Angel Child," from Armstrong's album, Louis and the Angels. (Purchase the CD, Louis and the Angels, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald: Thomas Carroll reviews the 1963 album by Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie, Ella and Basie!, at All About Jazz. (Purchase the CD, Ella and Basie!, at Amazon.com.)
  
• John Coltrane: Peter Hum discusses Paolo Parisi's recent graphic biography of John Coltrane, Coltrane, at the Ottawa Citizen. (Purchase the book, Coltrane, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Miles Davis: Miles Davis Online links to an academic thesis that explores Davis's role in the development of modal jazz.
  
• Bill Evans: Bob Kenselaar shares a long interview from 1979 with pianist Bill Evans at All About Jazz.
  
• Thelonious Monk: According to the Ottawa Citizen, Denzel Washington is interested in playing Thelonious Monk in a movie.
  

Robert
http://www.facebook.com/corejazz?sk=wall

RIP, Thelonious Monk (1917-1982)

Jazz pianist Thelonious Monk died of a stroke on February 17, 1982, in Englewood, New Jersey. He was 64 years old.  Monk is buried in Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York. In 1993, he was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2006, he was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation.

Monk was one of the greatest jazz pianists ever, a founder of bebop, and according to some sources, the second most-recorded jazz composer after Duke Ellington. In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends three albums by Monk:

• The Complete Genius (Blue Note), available only on vinyl. (Purchase at amazon.com.)
  
• Brilliance (Milestone), available only on vinyl and hard to find at that.
  
• Pure Monk (Mileston), available only on vinyl. (Purchase at amazon.com.)
  

Jim Determan, who has updated the Lyons list, recommends these alternatives in CD format:

• The Genius of Modern Music, Volume 1 (Blue Note) (Purchase at Barnes & Noble)
  
• The Genius of Modern Music, Volume 2 (Blue Note) (Purchase at Barnes & Noble)
  
• Brilliant Corners (Riverside) (Purchase at Barnes & Noble)
  
• Five by Five by Monk (Riverside) (Purchase at Barnes & Noble)
  
• Alone in San Francisco (Original Jazz Classics) (Purchase at Barnes & Noble)
  
• Thelonious Himself (Riverside) (Purchase at Barnes & Noble)
  

Monk and his quartet play "Blue Monk":

Robert
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Recent Links :: 14 February 2012

• Louis Armstrong: Ricky Riccardi writes about Louis Armstrong's song, "That's for Me," at The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong.
  
• Chick Corea: Chick Corea's solo performance on "500 Miles High," from the album, Forever, has won the Grammy for Best Improvised Jazz Solo, according to The International Review of Music. (Purchase the CD, Forever, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Chick Corea: The Chick Corea-Stanley Clarke-Lenny White album, Forever, has won the Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, according to The International Review of Music. (Purchase the CD, Forever, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Charles Mingus: The Jazz Session features an interview with Charles Mingus's wife, Sue.
  
• Sonny Rollins: Sonny Rollins's solo performance on "Sonnymoon for Two," from the album, Road Shows Vol. 2, has been nominated for a Grammy for Best Improvised Jazz Solo, according to All About Jazz. (Purchase the CD, Road Shows Vol. 2, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Sonny Rollins: The Sonny Rollins album, Road Shows Vol. 2, has been nominated for a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, according to All About Jazz. (Purchase the CD, Road Shows Vol. 2, at Amazon.com.)
  

Robert
http://www.facebook.com/corejazz?sk=wall

Top Jazz Album for the Week :: February 13

Jimmy Owen, The Monk Project (IPO)

For the entire top 50, see Elements of Jazz.

RIP, Eubie Blake (1887?-1983)

The American composer, lyricist, and jazz pianist Eubie Blake (1887?-1983) died on February 12, 1983, in Brooklyn, New York. He was 96 years old. (He claimed that he was 100 years old, but the official government documents of his birth record his birth year as 1887.) He was interred in the Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, with a head stone,engraved with the musical notation for his composition "I'm Just Wild About Harry."

Blake was known both as a composer and lyricist for many Broadway shows in the 1920s and, in his later years, as the last living link to ragtime. He and singer Noble Sisser wrote songs for "Shuffle Along," the first all-black musical, in 1921, and his song, "I'm Just Wild About Harry," was used by Harry Truman in his 1948 Presidential campaign.

A piano roll recorded live when Eubie Blake was 86 of "I'm Just Wild About Harry" can be heard here:

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends the 1969 Eubie Blake album, "The 86 Years of Eubie Blake" (Columbia), which led to a revived interest in Blake's music. Unfortunately, that album is only available in vinyl, usually used from Amazon.com.

Blake's Memories of You, available from Amazon.com, may be the best alternative on CD.

Robert
http://www.facebook.com/corejazz?sk=wall

Recent Links :: 9 February 2012

• Louis Armstrong: Ricky Riccardi discusses the Louis Armstrong album, Louis and the Angels, at The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong. (Purchase the CD, Louis and the Angels, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Dave Brubeck: NPR's Jazz Profiles has a documentary on Dave Brubeck from 2008.
  
• Miles Davis: Miles Davis Online discusses the design of the new Miles Davis stamp.
  
• Miles Davis: Miles: The Autobiography is now available as an audiobook, according to Miles Davis Online. (Purchase the audiobook, Miles: The Autobiography, at Audiogo.com.)
  
• Duke Ellington: NPR Jazz Profiles has a two-part documentary on Duke Ellington: Part 1 and Part 2.
  
• Charlie Parker: NPR's jazz blog, A Blog Supreme, documents a 1944 short in which Charlie Parker and Coleman Hawkins play-synched a performance.
  
• Oscar Peterson: NPR's Jazz Profiles has a documentary on Oscar Peterson from 2008.
  
• Sonny Rollins: R.J. DeLuke has a great piece on Sonny Rollins at All About Jazz.
  

Robert
http://www.facebook.com/corejazz?sk=wall

Top Jazz Album for the Week :: February 6

Jimmy Owen, The Monk Project (IPO)

For the entire top 50, see Elements of Jazz.

Happy Birthday, Eubie Blake

The American composer, lyricist, and jazz pianist Eubie Blake (1887?-1983) was born on February 7, 1887 (or 1883, depending on which source you believe), in Baltimore, Maryland.

Blake was known both as a composer and lyricist for many Broadway shows in the 1920s and, in his later years, as the last living link to ragtime. He and singer Noble Sisser wrote songs for "Shuffle Along," the first all-black musical, in 1921, and his song, "I'm Just Wild About Harry," was used by Harry Truman in his 1948 Presidential campaign.

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends the 1969 Eubie Blake album, "The 86 Years of Eubie Blake" (Columbia), which led to a revived interest in Blake's music. Unfortunately, that album is only available in vinyl, usually used from Amazon.com.

Blake's Memories of You, available from Amazon.com may be the best alternative on CD.

Blake plays his composition, "Memories of You," here:

Robert
http://www.facebook.com/corejazz?sk=wall

RIP, Luckey Roberts (1887-1968)

Jazz pianist Charles Luckeyeth "Luckey" Roberts died on February, 1968, in New York. He was 80 years old and had been in poor health for a number of years, having suffered two strokes and been injured in an automoibile accident.

Along with James P. Johnson and Willie "The Lion" Smith, Roberts developed stride piano in the years following World War I. He is reported to have had very large hands, which allowed him to span 14 keys on the piano. He had incredible dexterity as well and his right hand was particularly fluid. He played for the Vanderbilts, Astors, and other wealthy families in New York.

Roberts plays his own composition, "Pork and Beans," here:

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends the album, Luckey and the Lion: Harlem Piano (Good Time Jazz S10035). (Buy the CD at Barnes & Noble.)

Robert

Recent Links :: 2 February 2012

• Art Blakey: Marc Myers discusses the Art Blakey album, Des Femmes Disparaissent, at JazzWax. (Purchase the CD, Des Femmes Disparaissent, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Chick Corea: S. Victor Aaron reviews the Chick Corea-Eddie Gomez-Paul Motian album, Further Explorations, at Something Else. (Purchase the CD, Further Explorations, at Amazon.com.)
  
• Chick Corea: Chick Corea will appear at Tanglewood on August 26, according to All About Jazz.
  
• Miles Davis: Miles Davis Online pulls together six stories about Miles from around the Web.
  
• Miles Davis: Miles Davis Online shares an unofficial poster for Don Cheadle's Miles Davis biopic.
  
• Keith Jarrett: Nate Chinen reviews Keith Jarrett's solo piano concert at Carnegie Hall in the New York Times.
  
• Charles Mingus: Tim Niland discusses the just re-released Charles Mingus double album, Black Saint And The Sinner Lady/Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus, at Music and More. (Purchase the CD, Black Saint And The Sinner Lady/Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus, at Amazon.com.)
  

Robert
http://www.facebook.com/corejazz?sk=wall

Happy Birthday, James P. Johnson

The great stride pianist James P. Johnson (1894-1956) was born on February 1, 1894, in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Johnson, one of the giants of the Harlem Stride piano style, grew up listening to the ragtime music of Scott Joplin and composed a number of hit tunes, including "Charleston." His style differed from ragtime by featuring a more freely swinging rhythm, a degree of anticipation of the left hand by the right hand, elements of the blues, more complex harmonies, and the beginnings of improvisation.

He plays his composition, "Carolina Shout," here:

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends Johnson's album, "The Original James P. Johnson" (Folkways).  Jim Determan also recommends his "Snowy Morning Blues" (Verve) and "Father of the Stride Piano" (Sony).

• "The Original James P. Johnson" (Folkways).  Purchase the CD at Barnes & Noble.
• "Snowy Morning Blues" (Verve).  Purchase the CD at Barnes & Noble.
• "Father of the Stride Piano" (Sony).  Purchase the CD at Amazon.com.

Robert
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