Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Ian Shaw was born June 2, 1962 in St. Asaph, Wales and received his music degree from the University of London. He began his professional career singing in the 1980s on the Alternative Cabaret Circuit, while playing in piano bars and at festivals in London and throughout Europe.
In 1990 he began touring Europe and recording with fellow singer Carol Grimes, ultimately collaborating with Claire Martin, Linda Lewis, Liane Carroll and Sarah Jane Morris. By mid-decade he was a regular performing at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club and two albums on the club’s Jazzhouse label – Ghosthouse and a Rodgers & Hart tribute Taking It To Hart.
In 1996, Shaw led his own “Very Big Band” on a UK tour and by the late 90s he was performing regularly in USA. In 1999 he released In A New York Minute the first of two albums on the Milestone label, followed by Soho Stories in 2001. He has worked with Cedar Walton, Lew Soloff and Eric Alexander. His next release in 2003, A World Still Turning saw him working with Billy Childs, Peter Washington and Mark Murphy.
Ian continues to work regularly with Claire Martin, co-hosting the 2004 BBC Jazz Awards and appearing on the BBC’s Big Band Special. He won in the Best Jazz Vocalist category at the BBC Jazz Awards in 2004 and 2007. He has cut three more albums – Drawn To All Things, Lifejacket and Somewhere Towards Love. In 2011 Splashpoint Records released The Abbey Road Sessions where Shaw backed by a band. Shaw continues to perform regularly at festivals and jazz clubs in the UK and around the world, has delved into film acting and mounting a one-man show.
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Nelson Riddle was born Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. on June 1, 1921 in Oradell, New Jersey and later moved with his family to Ridgewood. He began taking piano lessons at age eight and trombone lessons by age fourteen. After his graduation from high school Nelson spent his late teens and early 20s playing trombone in and occasionally arranging for various local dance bands, culminating in his association with the Charlie Spivak Orchestra.
In 1943, Riddle joined the Merchant Marines, studied orchestration under Alan Shuman, joined Tommy Dorsey in 1941, drafted into WWII shortly before the end of the war. Upon discharge he moved to Hollywood and started his arranging career for radio and record projects.
In 1950, Riddle was hired by composer Les Baxter to write arrangements for a recording session with Nat King Cole, becoming his first association with Capitol Records. He would go on to work with Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Kate Smith, Judy Garland, Dean Martin, Keely Smith, Sue Raney, Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Mathis, Rosemary Clooney, Ed Townsend and Frank Sinatra, who reluctantly but successfully re-launched his career with the Riddle arrangement of “I’ve Got The World On A String”.
Riddle would arrange for such films as High Society with Bing Crosby and Paint Your Wagon with Lee Marvin, Clint Eastwood and Jean Seberg, in conjunction to leading his successful orchestra.
Arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator Nelson Riddle, whose career spanned over four decades, passed away on October 6, 1985 of cardiac and kidney failure at age 64.
Requisites
Rollins Plays For Bird ~ Sonny Rollins Quintet With Kenny Dorham and Max Roach | By Eddie Carter
On May 25, 2026, the jazz world lost a true legend, Sonny Rollins, who passed away at the age of 95. Today’s discussion is one of my favorites by the tenor saxophonist, which doesn’t get talked about as much. In 1956, he went into the Van Gelder Studios and recorded three albums: Saxophone Colossus, Tenor Madness, and this morning’s album submitted for your approval, Rollins Plays For Bird (Prestige PRLP 7095). In this tribute to Charlie Parker, the tenor saxophonist is joined by Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Wade Legge on piano, George Morrow on bass and Max Roach on drums. The copy I own is the 2021 Analogue Productions U.S. mono audiophile-remastered reissue, sharing the original catalog number from The Prestige Mono Series.
Side One gets underway with the side-long Bird Medley. Rollins and Legge’s introduction leads into I Remember You by Victor Schertzinger and Johnny Mercer. After establishing an easy groove in the melody, Sonny is the dominant presence here and plays in the opening solo with authority. He and Max have a brief conversation before Legge changes gears to My Melancholy Baby by Ernie Burnett and George A. Norton. Dorham takes the lead during the melody and the first solo, delivering a remarkably disciplined performance. The trumpet shares a brief spotlight with Roach, leading to Wade taking center stage as the trio shines on the melody of Old Folks by Willard Robison and Dedette Lee Hill. Wade opens with a charming solo, then he and Max exchange ideas briefly before the ensemble moves into the next song.
Rollins returns as the Bird Medley continues with They Can’t Take That Away From Me by George and Ira Gershwin. The quartet lets us know we’re in for a treat with a bright theme, then Rollins steps into the opening statement with a passionately playful solo. He again shares a well-executed conversation with Roach, before Dorham gets his second turn in the spotlight with Just Friends by John Klenner and Sam A. Lewis. The trumpeter is merry and playful on the melody, and glides with ease in the opening solo. Dorham and Roach get together again in a gentle swing ahead of the trio’s second appearance to present My Little Suede Shoes by Charlie Parker. Legge gets things off to a good start with an opening presentation that soothes the soul and eases the mind, preceding his short exchange of riffs with Roach into the close.
The medley’s longest tune, Star Eyes by Don Raye and Gene DePaul, concludes the first side. The rhythm section brings the song to life, segueing into the opening ensemble. Sonny’s with effervescent enthusiasm is sure to have your fingers snapping and toes tapping. Kenny follows with a solo that’s nearly a scene-stealer, then Wade takes over with a captivating presentation. Sonny, Max, and Kenny share their thoughts, driving straight into the theme’s reprise and fadeout. Side Two opens with the quintet’s leisurely introduction and theme of Kids Know by Sonny Rollins. Sonny steps out first with an almost stately solo. Kenny comes next with a relaxing reading that flows effortlessly, then Wade steps in with a laid-back statement. The front line shares a few moments with Max before the drummer wraps up everything ahead of the finale.
The group slows the pace down for I’ve Grown Accustomed To Your Face by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. The quartet opens with an intensely personal melody. Sonny’s opening solo is filled with sensitive warmth, and then Wade maintains the loveliness in the next performance with simple, effective empathy. Sonny punctuates the solos with a few final thoughts, leading to a restatement of the theme and a gentle ending. It’s a strong summation of an album that sparkles with marvelous music throughout, exciting, evocative solos, and exceptional performances by the Sonny Rollins Quintet. Bob Weinstock supervised the initial session, and Rudy Van Gelder managed the recording console. Kevin Gray mastered the reissue, and its sonics are sensational, with crystal-clear sound across the highs, midrange, and bass.
The front cover of this AP reissue is a deluxe high-gloss, tip-on album jacket. The vinyl is a 200-gram pressing by Quality Record Pressings and is dead silent until the music starts. Sonny Rollins was a celebrated jazz tenor saxophonist who is regarded as one of the most influential musicians in jazz history. Most self-taught, Rollins joined a high school band where he performed with classmates who would also become prominent jazz figures. Over his career spanning 70 years, Rollins released more than 60 albums as a leader and contributed to 26 releases as a sideman. He was called “the greatest living improviser,” and was the final surviving member among 57 iconic jazz musicians featured in the 1958 photograph, A Great Day in Harlem.
Throughout Rollins Plays For Bird, Sonny Rollins and company demonstrate remarkable technical skill and a profound appreciation for Charlie Parker’s influence. The album stands out not only as a heartfelt homage but also as a platform for each musician’s individual artistry. Sonny Rollins commands the session with confidence, Kenny Dorham contributes lyrical elegance, and Max Roach provides a steady, energetic foundation. If you’re already a fan or just beginning to discover his artistry, I invite you to check out Rollins Plays For Bird by the Sonny Rollins Quintet. It’s an overlooked gem, perfect for any time of day or when the house is quiet after a long day or week, and it should make a welcome addition to any jazz library!
~ Saxophone Colossus (Prestige PRLP 7079), Tenor Madness (Prestige PRLP 7047) – Source: Discogs.com ~ I Remember You, Just Friends, My Melancholy Baby, Old Folks, Star Eyes, They Can’t Take That Away From Me – Source: JazzStandards.com ~ I’ve Grown Accustomed To Your Face – Source: Wikipedia.org © 2026 by Edward Thomas Carter
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Paulinho da Costa was born Paulo Roberto da Costa on May 31, 1948 in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Learning to play percussion as a child of five by exploring the different sounds of everything he could get his hands on. While still in his early teens, he joined several musical groups, traveling extensively throughout the world. Upon arriving in the United States, the multi-versed percussionist carved a sizable niche in the music community,
Over the course of five decades Paulinho has participated in thousands of recording sessions, performed on the soundtracks of nearly two hundred films and television shows, recorded seven albums as a leader for A&M, Concord and Pablo record labels, and has been a part of several Grammy winning albums.
He playing has crossed over to work in a variety of music genres including Brazilian, blues, Christian, country, disco, gospel, hip hop, jazz, Latin, pop, R & B, rock, soul and world.
He has performed, collaborated and recorded with an impressive list of musicians and vocalists from A to Z not limited to Bill Cunliffe, Chico Freeman, Chicago, Miles Davis, Earth Wind and Fire, Ricky Martin, Eliane Elias, Toots Thielemans, Sammy Nestico, Dizzy Gillespie, Cher, The Gap Band, Bobby McFerrin, Michael Jackson, Ramsey Lewis, Chet Atkins, Sadao Watanabe, Tori Amos, Stix Hooper and Quincy Jones to name just a few.
Percussionist Paulinho Da Costa is currently proficient on more than two hundred percussion instruments and is considered one of the most recorded musicians of modern times.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Darrell Grant was born on May 30, 1962 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but his family moved to Denver, Colorado while still a young child. He started piano lessons before his teens and was considered enough of a prodigy to join and tour for two years with the Boulder-based Pearl Street Jazz Band, from the age of fifteen.
At 17 Grant won a scholarship to the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York and while at Eastman focused on performance studies over theory, which he covered in his graduate studies in jazz theory and composition at the University of Miami.
Relocating to New York in the mid-’80s, Grant concentrated on a series of low-profile sideman gigs with the likes of Betty Carter, Chico Freeman and Greg Osby before finally stepping out as a bandleader for the first time. His 1994 Black Art was well received and reviewed and sold respectably, and his sophomore project The New Bop was an even bigger critical success.
He has recorded for 32 Jazz, Criss Cross, Monarch, Lair Hill and Origin record labels, has relocated to the Pacific Northwest and has added teaching credits to his resume of performance, composition and bandleader and sideman in Tony Williams’ quintet as he continues in the tradition of bop and post-bop jazz.
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