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Bill Evans: Here's That Rainy Day
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
I've always loved Bill Evans's solo interpretation of Here's That Rainy Day from Alone in 1968. He opens with enormous sensitivity and delivers a measured ballad reading, followed by rising intensity and swing as the tempo quickens. The master take that appears on the album never fails to thrill me. Yet despite his beauty, Evans didn't bother to hold onto it like some other songs. Perhaps he felt that the Alone version was as good as he was ever going ...
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Bill Evans: On Green Dolphin Street
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
To the best of my knowledge, there are only 10 known recordings of Bill Evans playing On Green Dolphin Street. Composed in 1947 by Bronisław Kaper (with lyrics by Ned Washington), the song was written for the film Green Dolphin Street, which was based on the 1944 novel of the same name by Elizabeth Goudge. The song suited Evans perfectly. Here are all 10 renditions: Evans first recorded the jazz standard in 1958 with the Miles Davis Sextet, a spectacular ...
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Documentary: Jimmy Wormworth, 2015
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Jimmy Wormworth was determined to play drums from an early age. Born in Utica, N.Y., he quickly became part of the “Upstate Guys"—a local nickname that referred to the sizable number of jazz musicians who grew up and gigged in the center of New York state. In the 1950s, Jimmy toured in Europe, and in the U.S. with Nellie Lutcher. Starting in 1960, Jimmy gigged with Charles Mingus, Horace Parlan, Charlie Rouse and played and recorded with Lou Donaldson, Lambert, ...
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Video: Lionel Hampton in Belgium, 1958
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Sadly, Lionel Hampton's vital role in the rise of jazz, R&B and rock 'n' roll is all but forgotten. In 1936, Benny Goodman saw Hampton perform on vibes in Los Angeles and hired him for his trio with drummer Gene Krupa and pianist Teddy Wilson. They were the first A-list integrated jazz ensemble. Here's Hampton in the Benny Goodman Quartet in 1937... In the 1940s, Hampton led a first-rate band that included future jazz stars such as Illinois Jacquet, Arnett ...
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Duke Ellington at Grinnell College, 1957
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
On January 10, 1957, during a snowy Thursday evening, the Duke Ellington Orchestra played a concert at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. The performance was taped by the school with sophisticated gear, and the subsequent LP was released in limited supply. As a result, it has always been a highly sought-after album. Last week, Carl Woideck emailed with news that all the tracks were up on YouTube. Which is great to hear, since copies of vinyl copies very hard to ...
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Backgrounder: João Gilberto, 1998
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
In the early spring of 2008, I planned to see João Gilberto in Boston. That is until he cancelled at the last minute. Gilberto had a reputation for such things throughout his career. Some I've interviewed have said he had agoraphobia—a psychological fear of being outside. Others have claimed he was hyper-finicky about things he wanted, especially regarding the sound system, and if he didn't get them, he was a no-show. My next opportunity to see him in concert came ...
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Videos: Count Basie in 1971
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
In 1971, Count Basie toured Europe twice, once with just the band and again with the band plus Ella Fitzgerald and the Tommy Flanagan Trio. Yesterday, I came across four clips from these tours, courtesy of Reelin' in the Years Archive. Here's alto saxophonist Curtis Peagler blowing on Neal Hefti's Cherry Point in 1971, with some especially crafty piano by Basie... Here's alto saxophonist Bobby Plater soloing on his arrangement of Meditation... Here's baritone saxophonist Cecil Payne soloing on Meeting... ...
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Backgrounder: Art Pepper and the Marty Paich 4
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
In August 1956, Art Pepper was teamed with Marty Paich on piano, Buddy Clark on bass and Frank Capp on drums on a Hollywood recording session for Tampa Records. The label was founded in Los Angeles a year earlier by Robert Scherman and Irving Shorten, and the album was Pepper's first since 1954 due to time spent in jail for drugs. On The Marty Paich Quartet Featuring Art Pepper, the alto saxophonist plays with a mournful jubilation, sailing up and ...
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