Louis Armstrong: At All About Jazz, C. Michael Bailey reviews Terry Teachout's book, Pops: The Wonderful World Of Louis Armstrong. (Purchase the book from Amazon.com.)
John Coltrane: At NPR's A Blog Supreme, Patrick Jarenwattananon discusses Chuck Stewart's recently discovered photographs of John Coltrane's recording session for A Love Supreme. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
Jaco Pastorius: According to All About Jazz, Jaco Pastorius's album, Modern American Music ... Period! The Criteria Sessions, will be released in April.
George Russell: At The Guardian, John Fordham discusses the career of George Russell, "the composer who thought outside the box."
Jazz pianist John Lewis died on March 29, 2001, in Manhattan, New York, following a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 80 years old.
Lewis is best known as the musical director of the Modern Jazz Quartet, which was formed to provide members of Dizzy Gillespie's band more improvisational freedom. As critic Scott Yanow points out, Lewis had a vision of "making jazz seem respectable by occasionally interacting with classical
ensembles and playing concerts at prestigious venues, but always leaving
plenty of space for bluesy and swinging improvising." Unfortunately, differences between vibraphonist Milt Jackson and Lewis led to the former's departure from the Modern Jazz Quartet in 1974 and the group's break-up.
In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends the Modern Jazz Quartet's album, European Concert (Atlantic). The album is available from Amazon.com.
The Modern Jazz Quartet, with Lewis on piano, plays one of his compositions, "Django," here:
Dave Brubeck: At Jazz Backstory, Monk Rowe discusses the life of the late Iola Brubeck, Dave Brubeck's widow.
Dave Brubeck, Sonny Rollins: At JazzWax, Marc Myers shares a video of Dave Brubeck performing in the 1962 British film, "All Night Long," and a promotional video of the new Sonny Rollins album, Road Shows 3. (Pre-order the Sonny Rollins album from Amazon.com.)
John Coltrane: According to Jeff Tamarkin at JazzTimes, a tenor saxophone owned by John Coltrane and the manuscript for "A Love Supreme" have been added to the Smithsonian Jazz Collection..
Duke Ellington: At Do the Math, Darcy James Argue takes issue with Gunther Schuller's analysis of Duke Ellington's "Diminuendo in Blue."
Bud Powell: At NPR's Fresh Air, Kevin Whitehead discusses the new collection of Bud Powell's music, Birdland 1953. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
Cecil Taylor: On March 25, his birthday, Cecil Taylor was the Jazz Musician of the Day at All About Jazz.
Sarah Vaughan, "The Divine One," was born on March 27, 1924, in Newark, New Jersey.
Critic Scott Yanow says that Vaughan possessed "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century" and that she "ranked with Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday in the very top echelon of female jazz singers."
In his 101 Best Jazz Albums, Lyons recommends the album, Sarah Vaughan and Count Basie (Roulette). Unfortunately, that album is not available in CD or MP3 format, and Jim Determan recommends instead:
Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown (Polygram), available at Amazon.com
No Count Sarah (Mercury/Polygram), available at Amazon.com
Determan adds that the two albums "may be better first choices for Vaughan. ... [Lyons] mentions these as two of Vaughan's best albums, both were out of print at the time, but are available on CD now. The first is small group sessions and was Vaughan's personal favorite, the second is an earlier collaboration with a group from the Basie band (again without the Count). Either would make an excellent first purchase of Vaughan."
Louis Armstrong: According to Jeff Tamarkin at Jazz Times, the Louis Armstrong House Museum will make all of Armstrong’s Ambassador Series discs, all 16, available for sale online for the first time. (The collection can be purchased at LouisArmstrongHouse.org as the museum launches its online museum shop.)
Louis Armstrong: At About Last Night, Terry Teachout shares excerpts from Lyn Murray's book, Musician: A Hollywood Journal ..., in which she reminisces about Louis Armstrong. (Purchase the book from Amazon.com.)
Miles Davis: At All About Jazz, John Kelman reviews Miles at the Fillmore - Miles Davis 1970: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 3. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
Herbie Hancock: Open Culture shares videos of Herbie Hancock delivering the Norton Lectures at Harvard University.
John McLaughlin: John Kelman reviews John McLaughlin & The 4th Dimension's new album, The Boston Record, at All About Jazz. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
Charlie Parker: At JJA News, Peter Gerler discusses Stanley Crouch's biography of Charlie Parker, Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker. (Purchase the book from Amazon.com.)
Jazz pianist Cecil Taylor turns 85 today. Taylor was born on March 25, 1929, in New York City. He is regarded as one of the most advanced and radical improvisers in jazz, with what one critic described as an "intense atonal percussive approach [that] involves playing the piano as if it were a set of drums."
Taylor's performances at the Five Spot Cafe in the late 1950s, along with those of Ornette Coleman, are generally seen as one of the origins of free jazz.
In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends two albums by Taylor:
Cecil Taylor: Unit Structures (Blue Note), available from Amazon.com.
Cecil Taylor: Silent Tongues (Arista), available from Amazon.com.
Here, an 80-year-old Cecil Taylor performs in Perugia, Italy, in July 2009.
Louis Armstrong: Talk About Jazz shares a clip of Louis Armstrong playing "When You're Smiling." (The song is available on the album, The California Concerts, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)
Dave Brubeck: Marc Myers writes about the death of Dave Brubeck's widow, Iola, at JazzWax.
Miles Davis: At Esquire, Jeff Slate wonders when Miles Davis "slipped in our culture from legend, icon and musical giant to distant historical figure."
Ella Fitzgerald: Talk About Jazz shares a clip of Ella Fitzgerald singing "Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)." (The song is available on the album, Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Songbook, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)
(The song is available on the album, XXX, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)
Ella Fitzgerald: At MacSparky, David Sparks discusses Ella Fitzgerald's 1960 recording on "Mack the Knife." (The song is available on the album, Pure Ella, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)
Jazz guitarist George Benson turns 71 today. Benson was born on March 22, 1943, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Benson first performed professionally as a singer, winning a contest at four and performing in nightclubs at eight. In 1960, he formed a rock band, using a guitar that his stepfather made for him.
Benson, as Len Lyons puts it, "has a warm, clean, melodic delivery along the lines of ... Wes Montgomery," Benson's mentor.
In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends the George Benson album, Weekend in L.A. (Warner Brothers), which is available on CD from Amazon.com.
Jazz saxophonist Lester Young died on March 15, 1959, in New York City at the age of 49. He had just returned to New York from a European tour, during which he ate almost nothing and literally drank himself to death. He is buried at the Cemetery of the Evergreens in Brooklyn.
Young was one of the most important tenor sax players in the history of jazz, and Len Lyons ranks him as "the most innovative instrumentalist in jazz between Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker."
In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends The Lester Young Story, Vol. 1 (Columbia JG 33502, 2 LPs). Unfortunately, this album is only available on vinyl. A good alternative on CD is the British import, The Lester Young Story, which is re-issued on the Proper label and contains four CDs. (Purchase the CD, The Lester Young Story, at Barnes & Noble.)
Young plays "Mean to Me" from a September 1958 broadcast here:
Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis: At Do the Math, Ethan Iverson discusses his reaction to the portrayal of Miles Davis in Terry Teachout's play, "Satchmo at the Waldorf."
Dave Brubeck: JazzTimes reports that Dave Brubeck's widow, Iola, has died at 90 after a battle with cancer.
Miles Davis: At Speakeasy, Eric R. Danton shares a clip of Miles Davis playing "Footprint," from the new album Miles at the Fillmore—Miles Davis 1970: The Bootleg Series Vol. 3. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
Charlie Parker, arguably the most influential jazz musician of all time, died on March 12, 1955, in New York City. The official causes of death were listed as lobar pneumonia and a bleeding ulcer. The coroner who performed his autopsy mistakenly estimated Parker's 34-year-old body to be between 50 or 60 years of age.
Parker was buried in Kansas City's segregated Lincoln Cemetery over the objections of his partner, Chan Parker, who knew that Parker never wanted to return to the city of his birth. Dizzy Gillespie paid for the funeral arrangements.
Len Lyons put it best when he said, "If you have never heard Charlie Parker, the experience could permanently change the way you think about music." Parker led the development of bebop, which differed from the straightforward, dance-able tunes of the swing era, replacing these with rapid tempos, fragmented asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that did more than just keep time.
In his 101 Best Jazz Albums, Lyons recommends two of Parker's albums:
The Very Best of Bird (Warner Brothers 2WB 3198, 2 LPs)
Unfortunately, both are available only on vinyl. Instead, Jim Determan (who has updated the Lyons list for CD) recommends the following:
The Legendary Dial Masters, Vols. 1 and 2 (Jazz Classics) (Purchase the CD at Barnes & Noble.)
Best of The Complete Savoy & Dial Studio Recordings (Purchase the CD at Barnes & Noble.)
The Complete Savoy & Dial Master Takes (Purchase the CD at Barnes & Noble.)
The Complete Savoy & Dial Studio Recordings 1944-1948 (Purchase the CD at Barnes & Noble.)
About the latter three, Determan says, "Three reissues let you choose the depth to which you want to delve into this material. These recordings are the basis of bop, so I would recommend the 3 CD Complete Master Takes set, which covers most of what was on the two double albums [Len Lyons] recommended. If you’re not sure and want to try out just a cross-section, then pick up the first disk. If you already know you are a serious fan, then you may be inclined to go for the Complete Recordings."
Louis Armstrong: At The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong, Ricky Riccardi discusses Louis Armstrong's 1929 recording of "Knockin' a Jug." (The song is available on the album, The Complete Hot Five & Hot Seven Recordings, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)
Louis Armstrong: At About Last Night, Terry Teachout discusses his play about Louis Armstrong, "Satchmo at the Waldorf," which is playing off Broadway.
John McLaughlin: According to Jeff Tamarkin at JazzTimes, John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimeson will release a new album, entitled The Boston Record, in March. (Pre-order the album from Amazon.com.)
John McLaughlin: According to All About Jazz, John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimeson will begin an Asian tour in March.
Wes Montgomery: At About Last Night, Terry Teachout shares a video of Wes Montgomery playing Horace Silver's "Nica's Dream" in 1965.
Jazz cornetist Bix Beiderbecke (1903-1931) was born on March 10, 1903, in Davenport, Iowa. Beiderbecke was one of the first great soloists of jazz and played a sensitive, "cool" style of jazz that contrasted with the hot, hard playing of someone like Louis Armstrong. Jazz critic Terry Teachout called Beiderbecke and Armstrong "the two most influential figures in the early history of jazz."
In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends The Bix Beiderbecke Story: Bix and Tram, Vol. 2 (Columbia). Unfortunately, this album is not available in CD or MP3 format. According to Jim Determan, who has updated the Lyons book for CD, there are two good alternatives:
Bix Beiderbecke: Singin' the Blues, Volume 1 (Sony), which Determan says "is a better collection than [The Bix Beiderbecke Story], since it includes the best tracks from the LP, has more cuts, and includes Bix's unique piano solo, 'In a Mist.'" It is available on CD from Amazon.com.
Bix Beiderbecke: Bix & Tram (JSP), which Determan claims "has superior remastering by John R. T. Davies on most tracks, and makes an excellent choice, especially for those who want more than one Beiderbecke disc." It is available on CD from Amazon.com.
Beiderbecke is featured in this 1927 recording of "Singin' the Blues" by Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra. Beiderbecke's cool, balladic cornet solo starts at 1:03.
Jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman turns 84 today. Coleman, who was born on March 9, 1930, in Fort Worth, Texas, is best known as one of the great innovators in the "free jazz" movement of the 1960s.
Coleman's music, which was quite controversial, focused on the mood or feeling of the melody and moved away from the chord changes that had dominated jazz in the 1950s and 1960s. As Coleman said, "Let's play the music, not the background."
In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends two Ornette Coleman albums, both of which are available on CD:
Ornette Coleman: The Shape of Jazz to Come (Atlantic), available from Amazon.com. Lyons calls this "perhaps the boldest album in the history of jazz" and "certainly ... the first to depend primarily upon collective improvisation."
Ornette Coleman: Free Jazz (Atlantic), available from Amazon.com.
Coleman's quartet plays "Lonely Woman," from "The Shape of Jazz to Come," here:
Louis Armstrong: Open Culture shares several videos of Louis Armstrong playing behind in Iron Curtain in 1965.
Louis Armstrong: At his blog, About Last Night, Terry Teachout shares a video from a documentary about Louis Armstrong filmed at the 1970 Newport Jazz Festival.
Keith Jarrett: According to Peter Hum at Ottawa Citizen, Keith Jarrett will give a solo concert at the 2014 Montreal International Jazz Festival in June.
Thelonious Monk: New Jazz United shares a video of the Thelonious Monk Quartet playing "Round Midnight" in 1966 in Norway.
Brazilian jazz singer Flora Purim was born on March 6, 1942, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She is known as the "Queen of Brazilian jazz."
Purim met and married percussionist Airto Moreira in Brazil in the late 1960s and then moved with him to the United States, where she worked with Stan Getz and pianist Duke Pearson before joining Chick Corea, Joe Farrell, Stanley Clarke, and Moreira in the original Return to Forever band in 1972.
In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends the Flora Purim and Airto Moreira album, 500 Miles High/At Montreux (Milestone), which is available on CD from Amazon.com.
Purim sings "Light as a Feather" from the Chick Corea and Return to Forever album of the same name here:
Jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery (1923-1968) was born on March 6 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists in Jazz.
Montgomery played with his thumb rather than with a pick, and this gave his playing a uniquely round and soft sound. Jazz critics Dave Miele and Dan Bielowsky said that Montgomery "was certainly one of the most influential and most musical guitarists to ever pick up the instrument" and that he "took the use of octaves and chord melodies to a greater level than any other guitarist, before or since."
In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends the Wes Montgomery album, While We're Young (Milestone). Unfortunately, the album is only available on vinyl. For CDs, Jim Determan recommends the following:
Wes Montgomery: Incredible Jazz Guitar (Original Jazz Classics), available from Amazon.com.
Wes Montgomery: So Much Guitar! (Riverside), available from Amazon.com.
Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington: At Jazz Lives, Michael Steinman discusses two children's books, Travels with Louis and Riding on Duke's Train. (Purchase Travels with Louis from Amazon.com. Purchase Riding on Duke's Train from Amazon.com.)
Chick Corea: According to Jeff Tamarkin at JazzTimes, Chick Corea will perform a solo piano concert at the Town Hall in New York in April.
Duke Ellington: New Jazz United shares a clip of Ethel Waters singing "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" with the Duke Ellington Orchestra.
John Coltrane: At The Guardian, John Fordham reviews the John Coltrane compilation, Out of This World. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
Billie Holiday: Take the "A" Train shares photos of Billie Holiday taken in 1949 by the American essayist, novelist and photographer, Carl Van Vechten.
Jazz guitarist Charlie Christian died on March 2, 1942, in New York City, a year after he contracted tuberculosis. He was just 25 years old. He is buried in the Gates Hill Cemetery in Bonham, Texas.
Christian was a key figure in the history of the electric guitar, and his technique helped establish the guitar as a legitimate solo instrument. He gained national exposure as a member of the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra from August 1939 to June 1941 and was a major influence in the development of bebop and cool jazz.
In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends Christian's album, Solo Flight (Columbia CG 30779), but this has not been issued on CD or MP3. Instead, Jim Determan recommends the three alternatives listed below. As he notes, the box set "is the definitive reissue [but for] those wanting a single Charlie Christian CD, the first Columbia single CD makes a good choice." The third CD, according to Determan, "has good sextet material, but Christian's role is less prominent."
Charlie Christian: Genius of the Electric Guitar, Box Set (Sony) (Available at Amazon.com.)
Charlie Christian: Genius of the Electric Guitar (Columbia/Sony) (Available at Amazon.com.)
Charlie Christian: The Benny Goodman Sextet Featuring Charlie Christian (Columbia/Sony)
