Perfection: Teddy Charles - Borodin Bossa Nova (1963)

In April and May of 1963, Teddy Charles, accompanied by an all-start group of musicians, recorded Russia Goes Jazz: Swinging Themes From the Great Russian Composers (United Artists). The point of the LP, conceived by Teddy, was to record Russian classical works that influenced American popular songs.

One of them was Borodin Bossa Nova, recorded in April 1963, with Jerome Richardson (fl), Zoot Sims (ts), Eric Dolphy (b-cl), Pepper Adams (bar), Teddy Charles (vib), Hall Overton (p), Jimmy Raney (g), Teddy Kotick (b) and Osie Johnson (d).

Alexander Borodin's Gliding Dance of the Maidens, from the Polovtsian Dances in the opera Prince Igor (1890) was adapted by Robert Wright and George Forrest for their musical Kismet (1953) as Stranger in Paradise. Ed Bland wrote the arrangement for the Teddy Charles session.

Only a monster like Teddy could bring together musicians of this caliber. Zoot Sims takes the swinging tenor saxophone solo, then Teddy on the vibes, Jimmy Raney on the guitar, Jerome Richardson on the flute and Pepper Adams on the baritone saxophone.

The concept was ingenious on Teddy's part—and cost-efficient. No royalties were owed, since all of the Russian classical works used were in the public domain.

Here's Ed Bland's terrific, albeit brief, arrangement for Borodin Bossa Nova...