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Maynard Ferguson: Jam Sessions
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Born in Verdun, Canada, Maynard Ferguson quickly outgrew the dance bands he played with in Montreal and Quebec. Though his main instrument was the trumpet, Ferguson could play a range of brass instruments in his teens. By the late 1940s, he was being courted by bandleaders in the U.S. who were eager for a hot trumpet—the rock guitar of its day—especially one who could double on instruments. When Ferguson came down to the States in 1948, he intended to join ...
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Johnny Costa: Mr. Rogers' Piano
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
Two jazz pianists come to mind when talk turns to children. The first and best known is Vince Guaraldi, the composer of songs and incidental music for the Charlie Brown specials and the pianist who played them. Guaraldi died in 1976. The second keyboard player is Johnny Costa, the musical director and keyboard player on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood from 1968 until his death in 1996. Costa was born in Arnold, Pa., about a half hour from Pittsburgh. He began studying ...
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For Labor Day: “Work”
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Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
The admonition above may seem contradictory, since Labor Day was designed to honor those who labor by giving them the day off. We presume that workers in the US and in Canada (where this is Labour Day), are observing the intent with picnics, ball games, jugs of lemonade and family festivities of all kinds. It is unlikely that Thelonious Monk had Labor Day in mind when he composed “Work” for his first Prestige recording session. But for our purposes, let’s ...
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10 Favorite September Songs
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
With the arrival of September, summer is unofficially over and autumn is sort of here. It's just a matter of time now in New York when the temperature will downshift into the low 70s and then the 60s. Apples, suede and boots follow, with Central Park turning color and the distant smell of brownstone fireplaces on Manhattan's Upper West Side. So today, I figured I'd welcome the ninth month with 10 of my favorite September songs: Here's Artie Shaw in ...
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Videos: Irish Jazz Guitar
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
The dean of the jazz guitar in Ireland was the late Louis Stewart. Ireland has a special place in its heart for the jazz guitar that probably has a lot to do with the music's poetry and the intimate relationship artists seem to have with the instrument, especially on ballads. Here are a handful of Irish jazz guitarists I found on YouTube... Here's Louis Stewart with the Phil Ware Trio playing Four... Here's Hugh Buckley... Here's Buckley in action... Here's ...
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Serbia's EYOT's First Single 'Drifters' Announces Their New Release "Concert For Nature"
Source:
EYOT
Eyot has recorded Concert for Nature on a 1505m high Suva Mountain peak in Serbia and will release the concert on DVD this autumn. To celebrate the band's first decade of existence, this “best of" collection will include two compositions from each of their four albums. EYOT has released a video for their first single “Drifters". (scroll down to view) Praise for EYOT “This highly original quartet unites jazz, classical, folk and rock elements in an intoxicating mix ...
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Electrifying Clip: Cute Tomato
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
In March 1955, producer Ozzie Cadena was given the green light by Herman Lubinsky, the owner of Savoy Records, to record a session with drummer Kenny Clarke and arranger-saxophonist Ernie Wilkins. Cadena had a bit of an agenda. Three of the songs he wanted waxed were his. When he met with Clarke and Wilkins, they went over all of the songs they planned to record. In addition to Cadena's three, Wilkins brought in three gems and the seventh was Now's ...
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Electrifying Track: Cathexis
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
In February 1964, pianist Denny Zeitlin recorded Cathexis, his first leadership album for Columbia. Denny was joined by Ben Tucker on bass and Ben Riley on drums. The title track is a word found in psychoanalysis to mean an acute amount of psychic energy directed toward a person or thing. At the time of the album's recording, Denny was studying medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, en route to becoming a psychiatrist. The song's spirit bears some resemblance ...
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