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Video / DVD

Billy Eckstine: Mr. B in Paris

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
December 27, 2018

One of the least known albums recorded by singer Billy Eckstine is one of his best—Mr. B in Paris. Recorded for Britain's Felsted label while Eckstine was on tour in Europe between releases for Roulette, the album features the baritone singing 12 songs in French backed by the Bobby Tucker Orchestra. Mr. B in Paris was produced by Quincy Jones and arranged by Jones, Billy Byers and Bobby Tucker. The orchestra was recorded in Paris in 1957 while Eckstine's vocal ...

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Video / DVD

Have yourself a jazzy, merry Christmas

Source: Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes
December 26, 2018

Best wishes to you, your families and friends for a very Merry Christmas 2018, joyous New Year—and hopeful 2019—from the Jazz Notes staff. A toast to you all as we share some vintage musical cheer from among our holiday favorites. Raise your glass, whatever your favorite libation! The holiday season would not be complete without the delightful animated video of The Drifters’ doo-wopping their way through “White Christmas” with feeling. This animated cartoon by Joshua Held is excellent—and quite special. ...

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Video / DVD

J.J. Johnson: Broadway Express

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
December 26, 2018

Back in the 1960s, jazz guitarist Mundell Lowe was busy. In addition to recording as a leader and sideman, he arranged and conducted sessions for his own band and for others, always with enormous taste. His albums as an arranger, conductor and player included Satan in High Heels (1961), a film score; Hey! This is Kevin Gavin (1962); Jerry Winters Again (1962); Alice Darr (1962); The Happiness of Joe Mooney (1963); The Greatness of Joe Mooney (1963); and two tracks ...

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Video / DVD

Shorty Rogers: Nutcracker

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
December 24, 2018

What do Shorty Rogers, Larry Clinton, Les Brown, Hal Mooney, Duke Ellington, Herbie Fields, the Nutty Squirrels and Gene Krupa have in common? All recorded a jazz interpretation of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. Of the bunch, Rogers's The Swingin' Nutcracker is probably the hippest and most fun to hear. It still jumps like caramel popcorn on a hot skillet. The album was recorded for RCA in three sessions—one with a sax quintet and two with a big band. Overture for Shorty, Nutty ...

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Video / DVD

Hot Track: Someone in Love

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
December 21, 2018

Unfamiliar with Shirley Horn? Like Someone in Love, from her album Embers and Ashes (1960), is as good an entry point as any. Horn sings and accompanies herself on piano, backed by Joe Benjamin (b) and Herbie Lovelle (d). The song was written by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Johnny Burke, for the film Belle of the Yukon (1944). In the movie, the song was sung by Dinah Shore. Here's Shirley Horn singing Like Someone in Love... And here's ...

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Video / DVD

9 Nancy Wilson Video Clips

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
December 17, 2018

The late Nancy Wilson worked tirelessly during her long singing and acting career. Days off were rare. Weekends meant work and holidays meant work. If she wasn't touring to support one of her Capitol albums she was appearing at one of the country's top supper clubs. Or she was in Las Vegas or on television variety shows. Or she was acting in dramas. People forget that Nancy was quite a good actress. When she announced her retirement from touring in ...

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Video / DVD

Jaki Byard: Anything for Jazz

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
December 14, 2018

Back in the early 1980s, I'd head down to Barry Harris's Jazz Cultural Theater on New York's Eighth Avenue in the 20s to hear Jaki Byard & the Apollo Stompers. As I recall, you never knew who you'd see in the band. There often were guys in the trumpet section who played Broadway shows. But the biggest surprise of all was hearing Byard play the piano. There was a lot of abstraction in his attack, but there always was a ...

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Video / DVD

Hot Track: A Gal in Calico

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
December 13, 2018

A Gal in Calico was written by Leo Robin and Arthur Schwartz for a rather dumb film from Warner Bros. called The Time, the Place and the Girl. Released the day after Christmas in 1946, the B-movie was a post-war good-time jubilee featuring a dopey plot and a mess of stage talent and dance numbers. But nestled within the movie mess was a Western scene with lariat twirlers. The Oklahoma-like production needed a song, so Robin and Schwartz wrote A ...

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