Recent Links :: 28 September 2014

Ornette Coleman: Open Culture discusses a 1997 interview of Ornette Coleman by philosopher Jacques Derrida.

John Coltrane: In the Groove looks at the September 23 birthday shared by John Coltrane and Ray Charles.

Chick Corea: USA Today has an article about Chick Corea's use of electronic gadgets while on the road.

Coleman Hawkins, Willie Smith: At JazzWax, Marc Myers shares an amazing video of Coleman Hawkins and Willie "The Lion" Smith from a 1958 television show.

Bud Powell: On September 27, his birthday, Bud Powell was the Jazz Musician Of The Day at All About Jazz.

Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, Miles Davis, Benny Goodman, Keith Jarrett, Art Tatum: Sinfini Music has an interesting piece on the intersection of classical music and jazz, including short discussions of:

• The Dave Brubeck Quartet's album, Bernstein Plays Brubeck Plays Bernstein. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett's 1985 performance of Mozart’s Concerto in E flat for Two Pianos and Orchestra.
• Miles Davis's collaboration with Gil Evans and particularly their version of Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez
• Aaron Copland's Clarinet Concerto, written for Benny Goodman.
• Art Tatum's version of Dvořák’s Humoresque.

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RIP, Miles Davis (1926-1991)

Jazz trumpeter Miles Davis died on September 28, 1991, at the age of 65 from the combined effects of a stroke, pneumonia, and respiratory failure in Santa Monica, California. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx.

Davis helped found several of the major genres of modern jazz, including bebop, cool jazz, hard bop, modal jazz, and jazz fusion. His groups included many musicians who went on to greatness, including John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, John McLaughlin, Paul Chambers, Ron Carter, Elvin Jones, Philly Joe Jones, and Jack DeJohnette. His album, Kind of Blue, is generally regarded as the best selling jazz album of all times and one of the most influential albums in jazz.

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends seven albums by Miles Davis, more than any other artist. These include:

• 'Round About Midnight (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
  
• Porgy and Bess (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
  
• Milestones (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
  
• Kind of Blue (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
  
• Four & More (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
  
• Miles Smiles (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
  
• Bitches Brew (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
  

Davis's second quintet can be heard on the 1965 recording of "E.S.P.," which features a long, six-chorus solo by Davis, beginning at 1:23.

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Happy Birthday, Bud Powell

Jazz pianist Bud Powell (1924-1966) was born on September 27 in New York City. Powell was one of the great bebop musicians and is often known as "the Charlie Parker of the piano."

The great jazz pianist Bill Evans said of Powell, "If I had to choose one single musician for his artistic integrity, for the incomparable originality of his creation and the grandeur of his work, it would be Bud Powell. He was in a class by himself."

Powell's technique — the sharp, jabbing chords of the left hand and the rapid improvisations of the right hand — can be heard in "Tempus Fugit":

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends The Amazing Bud Powell, Volume 1, which is available on CD from Amazon.com.

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RIP, Betty Carter (1929-1998)

Jazz singer Betty Carter died on September 26, 1998, of pancreatic cancer at the age of 69.  Carter was cremated, and the location of her ashes is unknown.

Fellow vocalist Carmen McRae once claimed that "there's really only one jazz singer - only one: Betty Carter."

Carter was especially known for her ability to capture the instrumental timbres in her voice. In fact, she insisted that the voice was as legitimate an instrument in jazz as any other. She was also fiercely independent and had her own Bet-Car label in the 1970s.

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends the album Betty Carter (Bet-Car MK 1002). Jim Determan, who updated the Lyons list, also recommends The Audience with Betty Carter, which was not available when Lyons wrote his book.

• Betty Carter (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
  
• The Audience with Better Carter (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
  

Carter sings "How High the Moon" here:

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RIP, Bessie Smith (1894-1937)

Blues singer Bessie Smith died on September 26, 1937, at the age of 43, in Clarksdale, Mississippi, following an automobile accident.

Smith was known as the Empress of the Blues, but she was also the first major jazz singer and can be said to have used the blues in jazz. Her phrasing, in particular, allowed her to transcend the rigid framework of the blues.

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends Bessie Smith's album, Nobody's Blues But Mine (Columbia CG 31093, 2 LPs). Unfortunately, the album is only available in vinyl. (There is a CD with the same title but without the same tracks.) Jim Determan, who updated the Lyons list, recommends instead the following:

• Bessie Smith: The Essential Bessie Smith (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
  
• Bessie Smith: Bessie Smith - The Collection (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
  
• Bessie Smith: The Complete Recordings, Vol. 1 (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
  
• Bessie Smith: The Complete Recordings, Vol. 2 (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
  
• Bessie Smith: The Complete Recordings, Vol. 3 (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
  
• Bessie Smith: The Complete Recordings, Vol. 4 (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
  
• Bessie Smith: The Complete Recordings, Vol. 5 (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
  

An excellent example of Smith's singing is "Reckless Blues," which she sings with accompaniment by Louis Armstrong on the cornet and Fred Longshaw on the reed organ. The call and response between Smith and Armstrong is remarkable.

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Recent Links :: 24 September 2014

Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Herbie Hancock, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins: At The Village Voice, Joseph Lapin lists "Ten Jazz Albums to Hear Before You Die." They include:

• The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Time Out. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Ornette Coleman, The Shape of Jazz to Come. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• John Coltrane, Blue Train. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Miles Davis, Bitches Brew. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Miles Davis, Kind of Blue. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, Ella and Louis. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Herbie Hancock, Head Hunters. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Charles Mingus, Ah Um. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• The Thelonious Monk Quartet, Monk's Dream. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Sonny Rollins, The Bridge. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk: At The Notes You Don't Play, Peter Blasevivk shares a 1960 piece from Downbeat in which John Coltrane talks about the influence of Thelonious Monk.

John Coltrane: On September 23, his birthday, John Coltrane was Jazz Musician of the Day at All About Jazz.

John Coltrane: At Music and More, Tim Niland reviews the John Coltrane album, Offering: Live at Temple University. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Herbie Hancock: At Jazz Truth, George Colligan reviews a concert in Portland given by the Herbie Hancock Quartet.

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Happy Birthday, John Coltrane

September 23 is the birthday of a real giant in the world of jazz, John Coltrane (1926-1967), who "challenged himself artistically to a greater extent than any saxophonist in jazz's history," according to Len Lyons.

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends four albums by Coltrane, all of which are available in CD:

• Giant Steps (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
  
• My Favorite Things (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
  
• Live at the Village Vanguard (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
  
• A Love Supreme (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
  

Coltrane plays "Giant Steps" (with animated sheet music) here, a good example of what critic Ira Gitler referred to as the "sheets of sound" that Coltrane produced.

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RIP, Jaco Pastorius (1951-1987)

Bassist Jaco Pastorius died on September 21, 1987, at the age of 35, at the Broward General Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The cause of death was a massive brain hemmorhage caused by injuries he sustained in a scuffle with a night club bouncer. Pastorius was buried at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Cemetery in North Lauderdale.

Pastorius is best known for his work with Weather Report and is generally regarded as one of the most influential bass players of all time. He is one of only four bassists to be inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame.

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends Weather Report's album, 8:30. The album features Pastorius on cuts like "Black Market," "Teen Town," and "Slang." (Purchase from Amazon.com.)

Pastorius plays "A Portrait of Tracy" from a Weather Report concert in Germany in 1978 here:

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Recent Links :: 18 September 2014

Cannonball Adderley: At The Notes You Don't Play, Peter Blasevick shares a video of Cannonball Adderley on "American Bandstand" in 1967.

Cannonball Adderley: On September 15, his birthday, Cannonball Adderley was the Jazz Musician Of The Day at All About Jazz.

John Coltrane, Miles Davis: At JazzTimes, Jeff Tamarkin announces the December 2 release of a 4-CD box set of live recordings of the Miles Davis Quintet, featuring Miles Davis and John Coltrane.

Miles Davis: Shaun Brady discusses the Don Cheadle movie about Miles Davis, "Miles Ahead," at JazzTimes.

Duke Ellington: The "One LP" feature at All About Jazz has Kenny Burrell discussing Duke Ellington's album, The Great Paris Concert. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Oscar Peterson: At Take the "A" Train, Ehsan Khoshbakht discusses the album, Stan Getz and the Oscar Peterson Trio. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Joe Sample: More writers paid tribute to Joe Sample, including:

• John Fordham at The Guardian
• Peter Hum at The Ottawa Citizen
• Peter Keepnews at the New York Times
• Anthony Dean-Harris at Nextbop.com

Joe Sample: At JazzWax, Marc Myers shares Joe Sample's last interview, from March 2014.

Horace Silver, McCoy Tyner: At All About Jazz, C. Andrew Hovan reviews four Blue Note reissues, including:

• Horace Silver, Song For My Father. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• McCoy Tyner, The Real McCoy. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

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Happy Birthday, Jon Hendricks

Jazz singer and lyricist Jon Hendricks was born on September 16, 1921 in Newark, Ohio. He was a member of the trio Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross and is one of the originators of vocalese, a technique that adds lyrics to existing instrumental songs. The great jazz singer Al Jarreau called Hendricks "pound-for-pound the best jazz singer on the planet."

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends the Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross album, The Best of Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross (Columbia C-32911 or JCS-8198). Unfortunately, the album is only available in vinyl. Jim Determan, who has updated Lyons's list of albums for CD, recommends instead the following title:

• Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross: Everybody's Boppin' (Columbia Jazz Masterpieces) (Purchase from Amazon.com.)

A good example of vocalese is Hendricks's version of the Herbie Hancock piece, "Watermelon Man":

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Recent Links :: 16 September 2014

John Coltrane: At The Daily Beast, Ted Gioia speculates on what John Coltrane might have achieved had he not died at age 40.

Duke Ellington: According to BillboardBiz, New York's highest court will hear arguments by Duke Ellington's heirs, who are attempting to reinstate their lawsuit against publisher EMI and are seeking half the royalties from the foreign sales of Ellington's music.

Bill Evans, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Art Tatum: At Amazon.com, Charlie Haden provides his "list of music you should hear." Included are several jazz albums and pieces:

• Bill Evans: Sunday at the Village Vanguard. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Charlie Parker: The track "Kim" from the 10-CD box set Bird: Complete Charlie Parker on Verve. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Bud Powell: Jazz Giant. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
• Art Tatum: Piano Starts Here: Live at the Shrine. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Billie Holiday, Annie Ross: Downbeat provides an interview with Annie Ross, who discusses her album in memory of Billie Holiday, To Lady With Love.

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RIP, Bill Evans (1929-1980)

Pianist Bill Evans died on September 15, 1980, in New York City of a bleeding ulcer, cirrhosis of the liver, and bronchial pneumonia. Evans's friend Gene Lees called Evans's struggle with drugs as "the longest suicide in history." He is buried at Roselawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum, Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana.

Critic Richard S. Ginell says of Evans that he is "an entire school unto himself for pianists and a singular mood unto himself for listeners. There is no more influential jazz-oriented pianist." He had an impressionistic sound and an introverted style that allowed him to expand the traditional jazz repertoire and introduce a more European, classical style of playing.

An excellent biography of Evans is Peter Pettinger's Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings. (Purchase from Amazon.com.)

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends two albums by Evans:

• The Village Vanguard Sessions (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
• Intuition (Purchase from Amazon.com.)

Evans plays "My Foolish Heart" here:

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Happy Birthday, Cannonball Adderley

Alto saxophonist Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley was born on September 15, 1928, in Tampa, Florida. Adderley is best known for his 1966 single "Mercy Mercy Mercy," which was a crossover hit on the pop charts, and for his work with trumpeter Miles Davis, including the iconic 1959 album, Kind of Blue.

Critic Scott Yanow says that Adderley "had an exuberant and happy sound that communicated immediately to listeners" and that his "intelligent presentation of his music (often explaining what he and his musicians were going to play) helped make him one of the most popular of all jazzmen."

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends Cannonball Adderley's album Coast to Coast. Unfortunately, the album is only available in vinyl. Jim Determan, who has updated Lyons's list of albums for CD, recommends instead the following titles:

• Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Francisco (Purchase at Amazon.com.)
• Cannonball Adderley Sextet in New York (Purchase at Amazon.com.)

A good example of Adderley's hard bop style is "Autumn Leaves," from his 1958 album, Somethin' Else, which included Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Sam Jones, and Hank Jones:

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Recent Links :: 14 September 2014

Louis Armstrong: At The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong, Ricky Riccardi discusses the Louis Armstrong song, "Some of These Days." (The song is available on the album, Louis In New York, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)

Anthony Braxton: Julian Eidenberger reviews Trio New Haven 2013 by Anthony Braxton, Tomas Fujiwara, and Tom Rainey at The Free Jazz Collective. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Clifford Brown: At All About Jazz, Victor L. Schermer reviews "Brownie Speaks," a video documentary about the life of trumpeter Clifford Brown. (Purchase the DVD from Jazzbooks.com.)

Joe Sample: Joe Sample, who was one of the founding members of the Crusaders, passed away on September 12. Among those remembering his life are:

• Chicago Now
• Houston Chronicle
• Los Angeles Times
• The Jazz Line
• Jazz Times
• NPR
• Toshiba

Horace Silver: At All About Jazz, Marc Davis reviews the album, Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers . (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

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RIP, Joe Zawinul (1932-2007)

Jazz keyboardist and composer Joe Zawinul died on September 11, 2007, in Vienna, Austria, at the age of 75. Zawinul was hospitalized in his native Vienna after concluding a five-week European tour and died from a rare form of skin cancer. He is buried in the Zentralfriedhof Cemetery in Vienna.

Critic Richard S. Ginell describes Zawinul as "a category unto himself — a European from the heartland of the classical music tradition (Vienna) who learned to swing as freely as any American jazzer, and whose appetite for growth and change remained insatiable."

Zawinul first played with Cannonball Adderley and Miles Davis before co-founding the groups Weather Report and the world fusion group Zawinul Syndicate. He was also a pioneer in the use of the electric piano and synthesizers in jazz and was named "Best Electric Keyboardist" 28 times by the readers of Down Beat magazine.


In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends the Weather Report album, 8:30 (Columbia), which is available from Amazon.com.

Weather Report plays "In a Silent Way," one of the more lyrical pieces from the 8:30 album, here:

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Recent Links :: 10 September 2014

John Coltrane: New Jazz United shares a recording of John Coltrane playing "The Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost" from 1965. (The song is available on the album, Meditations, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)

John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk: At New Books in Jazz, Doc Stull reviews the book, Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall by Gabriel Solis. (Purchase the book from Amazon.com.)

Miles Davis, Charlie Parker: New Jazz United shares a recording of Miles Davis and Charlie Parker playing "Embraceable You" from 1947. (The song is available on the album, Bird & Miles, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)

Herbie Hancock: At Music and More, Tim Niland reviews the new release, Herbie Hancock - The Warner Bros. Years 1969-1972. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Wes Montgomery: At The Notes You Don't Play, Peter Blasevick shares a video of Wes Montgomery on the television show, "People in Jazz," in 1968.

Sonny Rollins: On September 7, his birthday, Sonny Rollins was the Jazz Musician Of The Day at All About Jazz.

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Happy Birthday, Sonny Rollins

September 7 is the birthday of arguably the greatest living jazz saxophonist, Sonny Rollins, born in 1930 in New York City.

As critic Michael G. Nastos says, Rollins "will go down in history as not only the single most enduring tenor saxophonist of the bebop and hard bop era, but also the greatest contemporary jazz saxophonist of them all. His fluid and harmonically innovative ideas, effortless manner, and easily identifiable and accessible sound have influenced generations of performers, but have also fueled the notion that mainstream jazz music can be widely enjoyed, recognized, and proliferated." Rollins is also known for the energy and exuberance of his live concerts, a feeling that some critics have argued cannot be captured in studio recordings.

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends Saxophone Colossus and More (Prestige P-24050, 2 LPs) and More from the Vanguard (Blue Note BN-LA475-H2, 2 LPs).  Jim Determan, who has updated the Lyons list for CD, also recommends the last three CDs in the list below.

• Saxophone Colossus and More (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
• Saxophone Colossus (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
• Rollins Plays for Bird (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
• Plus 4 (Purchase from Amazon.com.)
• A Night at the Village Vanguard (Purchase from Amazon.com.)

Rollins plays his composition, "St. Thomas," here:

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Recent Links :: 5 September 2014

Louis Armstrong: At The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong, Ricky Riccardi discusses two Armstrong standards: "That Lucky Old Sun" and "Blueberry Hill."

Chick Corea: At All About Jazz, John Kelman reviews the Chick Corea Trio's album, Trilogy. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)

Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett: According to Jeff Tamarkin at JazzTimes, ECM will release several titles via Apple’s Mastered for iTunes. These include:

• Chick Corea: Return To Forever
• Keith Jarrett: Sleeper

Sonny Rollins: In anticipation of Sonny Rollins's birthday, Marc Myers discusses the legendary saxophonist at JazzWax.

Wayne Shorter: Peter Blasevick shares a video of Wayne Shorter discussing his music on International Jazz Day at The Notes You Don't Play.

Horace Silver: On September 2, his birthday, Horace Silver was the Jazz Musician Of The Day at All About Jazz.

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Happy Birthday, Horace Silver

September 2 is the birthday of Horace Silver, whom Len Lyons referred to as one of the "founding fathers of funky hard bop." Jazz critic Chris Kelsey agrees, noting that "it is clear that few jazz musicians have had a greater impact on the contemporary mainstream than Horace Silver."

Silver was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, in 1928 and was influenced by the Cape Verdean folk music of his Portuguese-born father as well as gospel and Latin American music.

In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends Silver's album, Doin' the Thing: At the Village Gate (Blue Note), which can be purchased from Amazon.com.

Silver's autobiography, Let's Get to the Nitty Gritty: The Autobiography of Horace Silver is also available from Amazon.com.

Silver plays one of his best-known compositions, "Song for My Father," here:

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