Results for "Nostalgia"

Tommy Tucker

Born: May 18, 1903

Tommy Tucker was a popular swing-era bandleader, pianist, accordionist and trombonist who led one of the most refined "sweet" bands of the 1930s and '40s. Born Gerald L. Duppler on May 18, 1903, in Souris, North Dakota, Tucker adopted his stage name during his rise in the Midwest dance band circuit. His orchestra gained national attention through novelty recordings for labels such as Columbia and Vocalion, and also by maintaining a polished, danceable style that contrasted with the hotter swing bands of the time. Though not a jazz innovator in the same way as Duke Ellington or Earl "Fatha" Hines, Tucker’s ensemble featured skilled sidemen and occasional jazz soloists, and his music remains a perfect example of the elegant ballroom tradition

Lawrence Welk

Born: March 11, 1903

Before he became a household name as the host of his own self-titled television show, Lawrence Welk was a hardworking bandleader shaped by the rural Midwest, European folk traditions, and the rhythms of early American dance music. Born in 1903 in North Dakota to German-Russian immigrants, Welk’s first musical instrument was the button accordion, and his early gigs were steeped in polka, waltz, and regional styles that prioritized rhythm and melody for the dance floor.

By the 1920s and '30s, Welk was leading bands across the Midwest, developing a style that would eventually be dubbed "champagne music" - smooth, tightly arranged, and bouyant. Beneath its polished surface, however, his orchestras absorbed the styles of the jazz music that was evolving around them. While his band didn't swing in the way that Goodman or Basie's did, they found great success in foxtrots, rumbas and even jazz standards, bended to match their smoothness.

Freddy Martin

Born: December 9, 1906

Freddy Martin (December 9, 1906 - September 30, 1983) was an American tenor saxophonist and bandleader best known for his smooth, danceable arrangements and his adaptations of classical melodies for modern swing music lovers. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Martin began his musical career as a saxophonist and formed his own band in the early 1930s. He gained national attention with his orchestra during the big band era, performing at prestigious hotel ballrooms and being featured on widely-heard radio broadcasts.

Martin's band was known for its sweet style, appealing to audiences who favoured melodic arrangements over the harder "hot" sounds that were also popular at the time. In 1941, he had a major hit with "Tonight We Love," a song based on Tchaikovsky’s "Piano Concerto No. 1 in B Flat." This piece helped define his orchestra's unique classical-pop-jazz fusion approach and naturally became his theme tune. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Martin's band continued to tour and record and featured prominent vocalists such as Clyde Rogers and Merv Griffin.

The Modernaires

Active since: 1934

Formed in the mid-1930s, the Modernaires began as a male vocal quartet known for their tight harmonies and polished sound, initially gaining attention through radio broadcasts and studio work. Their big break came in 1941 when they joined forces with bandleader Glenn Miller, adding Paula Kelly as the female lead and completing the signature lineup. With Miller, the group became a cornerstone of the swing era, contributing to classics like “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and “Juke Box Saturday Night.” Their smooth blend and rhythmic precision helped redefine vocal jazz, bridging the gap between pop sensibility and jazz sophistication in an era dominated by big bands.

Fats Navarro: Nostalgia, 1946-'47

September 13, 2024

One of jazz's greatest losses due to drug addiction was the death of Fats Navarro in 1950 at age 26. The trumpeter's promise was extraordinary and only partly expressed and fulfilled. After Dizzy Gillespie, Navarro was probably a close second in terms of sheer sound, technique, improvisation prowess and the ability to navigate bebop from its ...

Nostalgia

By Annie Lennox

Label: Blue Note Records
Released: 2015
Track listing: Memphis In June, Georgia On My Mind, I Put A Spell On You, Summertime, I Cover the Waterfront, Strange Fruit, God Bless the Child, You Belong To Me, September In the Rain, I Can Dream, Can't I?, The Nearness of You, Mood Indigo

Annie Lennox: Nostalgia

by Jeff Winbush
January 31, 2015

You can't fault Annie Lennox if she gives the impression Nostalgia is her first swipe at a “serious" jazz record. Back in the 90's she entered the scene as the gender-bending vocalist of the Eurythmics turning out perfect synth pop. Lennox turned 60 this year and along with her closely-cropped grey hair, she displays the full ...

Nostalgia

By Ryan Michael Anthony

Label: Lone Guitar Records
Released: 2014
Track listing: Nostalgia in Times Square; Besame Mucho; Dearly Beloved; The Touch of Your Lips; Avalon; Blue Daniel; Little Bird; Ode to Billy Joe; Anthropology; Lover; Mambo Inn; But Beautiful; Soon.

Michael Anthony Natural Instincts Trio: Nostalgia

by Jack Bowers
October 2, 2014

Guitarist Michael Anthony, whose warm salute to mentor and friend Howard Roberts, Recollections, was reviewed here in June, recorded another tribute album seven years earlier (2007), this one dedicated to another longtime friend and colleague, the late Al Viola, who passed away in February of that year. Anthony says he was fortunate to have met Roberts ...

Nostalgia

By Mambo Kings/Richard DeLaney

Label: Self Produced
Released: 2008
Track listing: N.P.S. 7 Steps To Heaven Armando's Bomba Nostalgia My Favorite Things Moliendo Café Summertime Lágrimas Negras Tio's Tune