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Duke Ellington: Berlin 1959
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
After my post last week on 16 jazz geniuses, I predictably received a flood of emails asking why Duke Ellington was missing from my list. As I explained, while Duke was exceptional, his piano didn't change the direction of jazz nor did a school emerge that emulated his approach. But the emails did give me pause. Perhaps Duke's influence was more subliminal, I thought. That's when it came to me. Ellington's genius was beauty and greater artistic self-worth. Prior to ...
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Sixteen Geniuses of Jazz
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
Yesterday, I received an email from clarinetist and saxophonist Pete Neighbor to wish JazzWax a happy 14th birthday. He also had a question on something I wrote in my Harold Land post. I took issue with those who refer to Land as a genius, since in my mind there were only about 10 true jazz geniuses. Pete wondered who was on my list. To recap, my definition of a genius is an artist whose playing was so innovative and influential ...
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Thad Jones/Mel Lewis: Groove Merchant
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra was one of the last great big bands. Formed in 1965, the orchestra played Monday nights at New York's Village Vanguard and recorded and toured extensively, including a swing through the Soviet Union in 1972. When Jones decided to move to Copenhagen in 1978, the band became known as the Mel Lewis Orchestra. When Lewis died in 1990, it became the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. The band won two Grammys, one in 1979 and the other ...
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Doug Raney: New York Visits
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
In 1977, 20-year-old guitarist Doug Raney was touring Europe with his father, guitarist Jimmy Raney. Doug fell in love with the soul there and appreciation of club audiences and decided to move to Copenhagen at age 21. That's where he began his recording career and that's where he remained until his death at 59 in 2016. He made only a few trips back to the States, in 1993 and 1996. In the first case, I suspect he returned to visit ...
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JoAnne Brackeen + Art Blakey
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
JoAnne Brackeen is a jazz pianist with thunderous talent. She's an original who soars as a soloist, in duets, in trios, quartets and beyond. Her hands hit the keyboard with enormous power and her churning style mixes abstraction, bop and hard bop, turning standards inside out and setting her own originals on fire. I love her playing. It's daring, fierce and doesn't take prisoners. She's all in and always finds her way out. Born in Ventura, Calif. in 1938, Brackeen ...
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Half Nelson: Cool Perfection
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
For those who don't quite get East Coast cool jazz or why it's special, I have two words for you: Half Nelson. The song, credited to Miles Davis, was first recorded for Savoy in 1947 by the Miles Davis All Stars, featuring Miles Davis (tp), Charlie Parker (ts), John Lewis (p), Nelson Boyd (b) and Max Roach (d). Originally a bebop tune, the song was later picked up by Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh, two exponents of the cool school. ...
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Dom Um Romão: Rio, 1964
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
Dom Um Romão is probably best known as the percussionist who replaced Airto Moreira in the fusion band Weather Report from 1972 to '74. If you read my post last week that featured video clips of singer Astrud Gilberto, you probably remember this one, featuring Dom Um Romão on drums. Dom Um Romão was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1925 and began playing in Rio ballrooms and cabarets in the 1940s. He was then hired by Rádio Tupi’s orchestra. ...
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Astrud Gilberto: 30 Years of Videos
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
We began the week with my post on Astrud Gilberto's last three Verve albums. Let's end with videos of the Brazilian singer in action from 1965 to 1983. As you will see, you really can't have too much Astrud Gilberto: Here's Gilberto in 1965 singing Agua de Beber... Here's Gilberto in 1966 singing Bim Bom... Here's Gilberto in Italy in 1967 singing or (lip-syncing) Samba de Verão in Italian... Here's Gilberto in 1972 singing (or lip-syncing) Goodbye Sadness... Here's Gilberto ...
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