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Video / DVD

Video: Eric Ineke Recalls Frans Elsen

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
August 12, 2022

During the summer of 1970, Dutch pianist Frans Elsen (1934-2011) decided to vacation in Norway. Inspired by the desolate environment and the small towns that surrounded him, Elsen wrote and arranged a Norwegian cycle. Upon returning to the Netherlands, he played the music backed by a group more contemporary than his usual ensembles. In the early 1970s, the pianist fell in love with the Fender Rhodes electric piano and sought musicians who would rise to the sound of the singular ...

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Video / DVD

Backgrounder: Antonio Carlos Jobim's 'Wave'

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
August 11, 2022

The ever beautiful Getz/Gilberto may have been the album that popularized the bossa nova when released in 1964, but Antonio Carlos Jobim's Wave was, for me, its instrumental peer. Both albums were produced by Creed Taylor, the former on Verve and the latter on Creed's CTI imprint at A&M Records. This Jobim masterpiece was arranged by Claus Ogerman and recorded in 1967 on May 22, 23 and 24 and on June 15. Jobim played guitar, piano and harpsichord. Recorded at ...

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Video / DVD

Video: Joan Chamorro and the WDR Big Band

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
August 10, 2022

Earlier this week, Kurt Kolstad send along an email that included a link to the following clip. In May, Germany's WDR Big Band performed Darn That Dream, arranged and conducted by Joan Chamorro, the musical director of the Sant Andreu Jazz Band in Barcelona, Spain. Alba Esteban (below) of the Sant Andreu Jazz Band, performed the baritone saxophone solo with grace and beauty. Frankly, it's one of the most endearing ballad solos on the instrument that I've heard in some ...

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Video / DVD

Backgrounder: Horace Silver, 'Horace-Scope'

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
August 5, 2022

One of my favorite Horace Silver albums is Horace-Scope. Recorded on July 8 and 9 in 1960, the Horace Silver Quintet at the time consisted of Horace Silver on piano, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor saxophone, Gene Taylor on bass and Roy Brooks on drums. The tracks are Strollin', Where You At?, Don Newey's Without You, Horace-Scope, Yeah!, Me and My Baby and Nica's Dream. Here's the full album that you can listen to without ads or ...

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Video / DVD

Chet Baker in Paris in June 1980

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
August 1, 2022

On June 25, 1980, trumpeter Chet Baker was in Paris on tour. That night, he performed at the Dreher Club, located in the basement of the building at 1 Rue Saint-Denis, at the corner of Place du Châtelet. He was backed by Nicola Stilo on flute, Karl Ratzer on guitar, Ricardo Del Fra on bass and Al Levitt on drums. The performance was taped by Germany's Circle Records.. Though the music was released 25 years ago on vinyl, the audio ...

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Video / DVD

WDR Big Band: 'Watching the River Flow'

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
July 30, 2022

I almost never post on music that isn't out yet, but when I received this video clip last night from Michael Bloom, I couldn't wait. The clip features Germany's WDR Big Band conducted and arranged by Michael Abene, with drummer Steve Gadd, bassist Eddie Gomez and baritone saxophonist Ronnie Cuber. Soloists are Karolina Strassmayer on alto saxophone, Ronnie on baritone, Bruno Müller on piano and Eddie on bass. They're playing Michael Abene's arrangement of Bob Dylan's Watching the River Flow. ...

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Video / DVD

Song Dive: "Two Different Worlds"

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
July 28, 2022

Sid Wayne and Al Frisch wrote and published Two Different Worlds in 1956. Don Rondo, a pop vocalist with an operatic style, was first to record the song, which reached No. 11 on Billboard's singles chart in the fall of that year. Here's Rondo's single... Here's Rondo on To Tell the Truth in February 1957 at 16:43... On December 7, 1956, Earl Coleman joined Sonny Rollins at Rudy Van Gelder's Hackensack, N.J., studio and recorded what is easily the definitive ...

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Video / DVD

Video: Burrell, Kessel and Green

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
July 26, 2022

In October 1969, jazz guitarists Kenny Burrell, Barney Kessel and Grant Green were on a brief tour in Europe. Backed by Larry Ridley on bass and Don Lamond on drums, the quintet performed on a French TV show with a live audience that, for some reason, never aired. The music appeared more recently on the album Funk in France: From Paris to Antibes 1969-1970 (Resonance). Then they performed at Ronnie Scott's in London. Here's that half-hour French TV show, from ...

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