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Sir Charles Thompson in 15 Tracks
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Pianist Sir John Thompson could play anything. And he did, from swing and jump blues to bebop and pop, on recording session after recording session. Lester Young dubbed him “Sir" in the early 1940s when they were both performing at Cafe Society in New York. Prez laid the moniker on Thompson to honor his elegant keyboard style, and it stuck. [Photo above of Sir Charles Thompson] Remarkably, Thompson lived to be 98. I say remarkably because being a jazz musicians ...
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Rise – The Iconic Composition On The Album 'Alma Libre'
Source:
Two for the Show Media
The composition “Rise" composed by Andy Armer and Randy ‘Badazz’ Alpert was released in 1979. “Rise” wasn’t just a song—it was a statement, a new sound for a new era. It proved that instrumental music could be modern, emotionally powerful, and commercially successful—it hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979. RISE was one of the first pop hits recorded on a digital tape machine—the 3M 32-track System. This gave it a crisp, noise-free sound that stood out from ...
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Perfection: Paul Smith - Under My Skin (1957)
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Last weekend, I posted a video clip that included pianist Paul Smith accompanying Frank Sinatra. Smith belonged to a small group of superb West Coast jazz studio pianists that included Lou Levy, Jimmy Rowles and Pete Jolly. In the late 1950s, Smith recorded four albums for Capitol that became known as the Liquid Sound sessions. One of them was Delicate Jazz, recorded in November 1957. For this week's Perfection clip, I've chosen I've Got You Under My Skin. I'm not ...
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Video: Kenny Clarke Plays 'Black Knight' (1957)
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
On November 12, 1957, drummer Kenny Clarke was in a recording studio in Paris recording Kenny Clarke Plays Christian Chevallier for French Columbia. His band included composer-arranger Christian Chevallier, Ack van Rooyen (tp), Nat Peck (tb), Hubert Fol and Jean Aldegon (as), Georges Grenu (ts), Armand Migiani (bar), Maurice Vander (p) and Pierre Michelot (b). They were there to record a tricky Chevallier tune called Black Knight. Here it is... Fortunately, a French TV crew was in the studio filming ...
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Backgrounder: Spud Murphy - Gone With the Woodwinds
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Lyle “Spud" Murphy was one of the more fascinating figures in jazz and today is among the least known. Murphy was a multi-instrumentalist, bandleader and arranger. He was one of Benny Goodman's arrangers in the mid-1930s and wrote charts for many other bands. But his claim to fame was his 12-volume course in composing, arranging, and orchestration for the professional musician titled The Equal Interval System. He taught mostly in Los Angeles. His EIS was a modern system of music composition ...
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Perfection: Doug Raney - 'Lean Years' (1979)
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Guitarist Doug Raney was one of the greats. The son of guitarist Jimmy Raney, Doug spent much of his career in Copenhagen. Doug was a hard-wired addict. As his brother, Jon, told me soon after Doug's death in 2016, at age 59: Doug was struggling with prior drug addiction and was on the program for a long time. But it was really his addiction to alcohol, in excess, that did him in. He was a different type of drunk than ...
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Lew Tabackin: My 15 Favorite Tracks
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
The best way to appreciate Lew Tabackin is through a cross-section of his work over the years. Lew will be making a rare live appearance on New York's Upper East Side at 92NY on Saturday, July 19, at 7:30 p.m. You can attend in-person at the cultural institution (starting at $40 per seat) or purchase an online ticket (starting at $20) and stream from anywhere in the world. His appearance is part of 92NY's annual Jazz in July Festival. The ...
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The Gilmore Releases Exclusive Concert Video Of Mehldau-McBride-Gilmore Trio on July 8, 2025
Source:
AMT Public Relations
Available on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. EST via YouTube Dr. Pierre van der Westhuizen, Executive and Artistic Director of The Gilmore, announced today the premiere video release of a recent concert by three Grammy-winning jazz artists: acclaimed pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist extraordinaire Christian McBride, and increasingly renowned drummer Marcus Gilmore. Performed before a sold-out audience at The Gilmore in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on April 13, 2025, the powerhouse trio shared the stage for an 80-minute set stocked with ...
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