April Birthday Salutes

This week we salute Alfred Lion (co-founder of Blue Note) with three tracks (Hubbard, Green, Turrentine with James Oscar). Then we add two blues with lyrics by Alberta Hunter, including Bessie Smith's very first recording; the April 'first ladies of song' do Ellington; Ellington does Ellington in three different settings; and Mingus celebrates in Paris (impress your friends by identifying the many Bird tunes quoted!). There's more, so don't be shy. Hit the button, relax and enjoy yourself.

Playlist

• Freddie Hubbard "Philly Mignon" from Here To Stay (Blue Note) 00:00
• Benny Green "Bu's March" from Testifyin' (Blue Note) 05:50
• Jimmy Smith "Red Top" from Pray Meetin' (Blue Note) 10:39
• Lionel Hampton "Hamp's Note" from Live at the Blue Note (Telarc) 18:45
• Alberta Hunter "I've Had Enough" from The Glory of Alberta Hunter (Columbia) 28:52
• Bessie Smith "Down Hearted Blues" from The Complete Recordings (Columbia) 33:01
• Ella Fitzgerald "I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues" from Fitzgerald & Pass Again (Pablo) 37:04
• Carmen McRae "Something to Live For" from I'll Be Seeing You (Decca) 41:36
• Billie Holiday "Solitude" from Lady Day (Columbia) 44:47
• Joey DeFrancesco "Joey D" from Wonderful! Wonderful! (HighNote) 48:20
• Charles Mingus "Parkeriana" from The Great Concert of Charles Mingus (Prestige) 57:47
• Gerry Mulligan "Half Nelson" from Gerry Mulligan-Chet Baker Original Quartet (American Jazz Classics) 1:22:45
• Duke Ellington "REM Blues" from Money Jungle (Blue Note) 1:27:00
• Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong "I'm Just a Lucky So and So" from Together for the First Time (Roulette) 1:31:43
• Duke Ellington "Reminiscing in Tempo" from Complete 1932-1040 Brunswick, Columbia And Master Recordings of Duke Ellington (Mosaic) 1:35:40
• Randy Weston "Let's Climb a Hill" from Randy Weston (Mosaic) 1:48:24