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Two Dozen More Versions of 'So Rare'
Following my post on Jimmy Dorsey's So Rare, I received a flood of emails from readers who are fans of the late 1950s version and had favorites. The addictive tune was written by composer Jerry Herst and lyricist Jack Sharpe, but before it was published in 1937, Fred Astaire sang the song early that year on ...
Red Rodney, Before Charlie Parker
Before joining the Charlie Parker Quintet in late 1949, trumpeter Red Rodney (Robert Chudnick) had quite an illustrious and prolific career in big bands. Born in Philadelphia, Rodney turned pro at 15 and played in the horn section of major bands, from 1944 to 1949. Here's the list in order: Jimmy Dorsey, Elliot Lawrence, Gene Krupa, ...
Backgrounder: Os Poligonais (1964)
Os Poligonais (The Polygonals) was a Brazilian instrumental quintet formed by pianist Vicente Salvia in the early 1960s to capitalize on the bossa nova trend. Joining him were Vidal Sbrighi on tenor sax, clarinet and flute, Edmar Tomy on guitar, Álvaro Galati on bass and Pedro dos Santos Eduardo on drums. The group's first, eponymous album ...
Perfection: Serge Chaloff - 'The Most!' (1949)
One of jazz's many paradoxes is that West Coast jazz was created largely by East Coast jazz musicians, and East Coast jazz was heavily influenced by West Coast musicians. Shorty Rogers, Gerry Mulligan, Shelly Manne, Terry Gibbs, Don Fagerquist and Dave Pell, to name just a handful, were artists who grew up on the East Coast. ...
Mike Abene's Charts for Maynard Ferguson
Following my Perfection post last week on Mike Abene's rip-roaring composition and arrangement of The Fox Hunt for Maynard Ferguson in 1962, Bill Kirchner sent along a treat. As post-1960 jazz orchestral arrangers go, Mike is among the finest, and his charts for Ferguson's big band are gracefully ferocious. Bill's treat? He put together all 17 ...
Take Five With Clarinet And Composer Kinan Azmeh
by AAJ Staff
Meet Kinan Azmeh Hailed as a “virtuoso, intensely soulful" by The New York Times and “spellbinding" by the New Yorker, Syrian-born, Brooklyn-based genre-bending composer, clarinetist and improvisor Kinan Azmeh has been touring the globe with great acclaim. He has collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma, John McLaughlin, Daniel Barenboim and the New York Philharmonic, among others. Azmeh is ...
Kenny Wheeler Legacy: The Lost Scores
Kenny Wheeler isn't a household name in many American jazz circles. The Canadian trumpeter, flugelhornist and composer was based in the U.K. starting in the 1950s. As a composer and arranger of jazz orchestral scores, he was among the most inventive, daring and gifted in the post-1960 era. [Photo above of Kenny Wheeler in 1988, courtesy ...
Brazilian Vocalist: Dóris Monteiro (1934-2023)
Dóris Monteiro was a Brazilian radio and recording vocalist and actress who became a national star before the bossa nova emerged on LPs in 1957. Once the pop craze took hold, Monteiro switched to the genre and had many hit albums and television appearances. What I love about her voice is her relaxed, lyrical approach and ...
Backgrounder: Art Farmer and Hal McKusick, 1956-58
Two of the prettiest and most sophisticated players in the 1950s were trumpeter Art Farmer and alto saxophonist Hal McKusick. They recorded often throughout the decade in big bands and ensembles but they only recorded 19 tracks in the quintet format—two albums in all. In the years before Hal died, in 2012, we spoke often by ...
Take Five with violinist and ETHEL member Kip Jones
by AAJ Staff
Meet Kip Jones Kip Jones (violin) is known for his ebullient and innovative solo performances in a style he describes as “experimental folk." Kip is a member of the acclaimed ETHEL string quartet and can often be found performing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as its Ensemble-in-Residence. Kip is preparing to premiere Monk arrangements for ...
