Three Wishes

Once Nica questioned Milt Sealey about three wishes he replied with:

1. 1. “I wish I could be immortal in jazz. You know, go down with a nice name.”

   2. “I’d wish that my family ~ my wife, my child, and myself ~ would live a happy and healthy life.”

   3. “I wish that people… that I live to see the day when people will accept one another more humanly. As people, you know? Period. Well, that’s it. You know?”

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Jørgen Emborg was born in Copenhagen, Denmark on March 29, 1953 and was influenced by Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett.

He has played at international festivals since 1975, releasing his first album, Sargasso in 1979 on the Kong Pære label. In the following years he belonged to Six Winds with Marilyn Mazur, Uffe Markussen and Alex Riel and formed with Palle Mikkelborg, Bjarne Roupé, Bo Stief and Ole Theill the ensemble Alpha Centauri.

By1986 he recorded with Bjarne Rostvold and through the Nineties he performed and/or recorded with Thomas Hass and Tomas Franck. Emborg teamed up with Alex Riel again and recorded Over The Rainbow on the Storyville label, with the saxophonist Fredrik Lundin, the bassist Steve Swallow. He played in the Tolvan Big Band and the Per Carsten Quintet.

Jørgen has also composed music for children, rhythmic choir music, big band, a cappella work, ironworks and piano quizzes. He taught piano, theory and composition at the Rytmisk Conservatory of Music from 1988 to 2016.

In 1981, his LP en 20:33 with Alpha Centauri received an award from Statens Kunstfond, the State Art Foundation. He received the Ben Webster Prize with the Frontline Fusion Group as well as others.

Pianist and composer Jørgen Emborg, who ensures there is a Nordic feel to his compositions, continues to perform and compose.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Randolph E. Brooks was born on March 28, 1917 in Sanford, Maine and began on trumpet at age six. By 11 he was discovered by Rudy Vallee and appeared on his Fleischman Hour radio show. He became a permanent member where he played thrilling trumpet solos, but was not allowed to play with the brass section of the band. By the time he was eighteen he was working with Jerry Blane for an entire summer in western New Jersey, followed by Gene Kardos and then Ruby Newman at the Rainbow Room in New York City.

Hired by Hal Kemp, he cut his first records for the Victor label in 1939. After Kemp’s death late in 1940, he stayed with the band when Art Jarrett took leadership. But by 1942 he moved on to a brief relationship with Claude Thornhill, followed by Bob Allen, but within a year he was playing with Les Brown before founding his own band in early 1945.

John Benson Brooks, who was not related, contributed arrangements to the ensemble that included Stan Getz in 1946. Among his hits for Decca Records were Tenderly, Harlem Nocturne, and The Man With The Horn, but unfortunately his swing-based style and large ensemble were out of step with the times, and his success eroded toward the end of the decade.

He married singer and bandleader Ina Ray Hutton and moved to Los Angeles, California where he suffered a stroke and was unable to continue as a musician. Trumpeter and bandleader Randy Brooks transitioned at the age of 49 of smoke inhalation in a fire at his Sanford, Maine apartment.on March 21, 1967.

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Requisites

Giant Steps (In Memory of John Coltrane) ~ Tommy Flanagan | By Eddie Carter

This morning’s choice from the library was recommended to me years ago because of my love of piano trios. I finally acquired a copy and am pleased to submit it for your approval. Giant Steps (Enja Records 4022) is a terrific 1982 album that’s a loving tribute to John Coltrane by pianist Tommy Flanagan. The tenor saxophonist composed all the tunes on this date and five of them appeared on his album Giant Steps (1960). Here, he’s working with an outstanding rhythm section, George Mraz on bass and Al Foster on drums. My copy used in this report is the original German Stereo release.

Side One opens with Mr. P.C., John’s tribute to bassist Paul Chambers who alongside Flanagan first recorded it with him. After the trio swings in unison on the melody, Tommy constructs the first solo vigorously. George gives an inspired statement next, then Al shares the spotlight with the leader on an energetic exchange into the reprise.

Central Park West is the first of two pretty ballads on the album and was first heard on Coltrane’s Sound (1964). Flanagan starts the song tenderly, then the rhythm section joins him to complete the melody. The pianist handles the opening chorus with great sensitivity and delicacy. Next up is Mraz who provides a brief thoughtful expression, then the pianist reappears for a concise comment preceding a gentle ending.

Syeeda’s Song Flute is Coltrane’s original written for his then ten-year-old daughter and returns the ensemble to an upbeat mood with a collective happy theme. Tommy captures the sheer joy of this tune in the opening statement. George responds with a cheerfully carefree interpretation that bounces along into Al’s zesty brushwork on the third performance. The pianist makes a few final points ahead of the ensemble’s culmination.

Side Two gets underway with Coltrane’s song about his Cousin Mary. The group is in perfect harmony on the melody. Flanagan starts it off with a vivaciously spirited solo that’s sure to have the listener tapping their toes to this irresistible beat. Mraz makes an indelible impression next, and Foster dazzles in an exchange with the leader ahead of the trio’s sprightly climax. Naima is John’s gorgeous tribute to his first wife and the trio opens with a heartfelt melody. Tommy paints a beautiful portrait as soft as an affectionate embrace on the song’s only solo with George and Al supplying the subtle support into an enchanting ending.

Giant Steps completes the album in high spirits from the start of the trio’s brisk theme. Flanagan leads off with an exhilarating reading, then Mraz greets the next solo enthusiastically. Foster and Flanagan share a lively exchange ahead of the closing chorus and finish.

Giant Steps was produced by Horst Weber and Matthias Winckelmann, and the album’s recording engineer was David Baker. The sound quality is excellent with superb fidelity across the highs, midrange, and low end that transports the trio to your listening room vividly. Tommy Flanagan was one of the most admired pianists in jazz and it might be easier for me to tell you who he didn’t play with because his discography is so extensive. Flanagan recorded forty albums as a leader, appeared on over two hundred more as a sideman and his career lasted over fifty years. He passed away on November 16, 2001, at the age of seventy-one. If you’re a fan of jazz piano, piano trios, or are new to the music of Tommy Flanagan, I invite you to seek out Giant Steps on your next vinyl hunt. It’s an exceptional album that’s worth checking out for a spot in your library!

~ Coltrane’s Sound (Atlantic 1419/SD 1419), Giant Steps (Atlantic 1311/SD 1311) – Source: Discogs.com ~ Giant Steps, Naima – Source: JazzStandards.com © 2022 by Edward Thomas Carter

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Stacey Kent was born March 27, 1965 in South Orange, New Jersey. After graduating from Sarah Lawrence College, she crossed the pond to study music at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England where she met and married saxophonist Jim Tomlinson.

In the 1990s, she began her professional career singing at Café Bohème in London’s Soho. After two or three years, she began opening for established acts at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London. By 1995, she appeared in the film Richard III singing Come Live with Me and Be My Love. Her debut album, Close Your Eyes, was released in 1997.

In 2020, Kent released a series of singles and EPs, including “Christmas in the Rockies”, “Three Little Birds”, “Lovely Day”, “Landslide”, “I Wish I Could Go Travelling Again”, “Bonita” and “Craigie Burn” as a duet with her longtime pianist Art Hirahara. Several of these singles become part of an album released on Sept 17, 2021, called “Songs From Other Places.”

She has received several awards and honors including receiving the Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) in 2009. Grammy-nominated vocalist Stacey Kent has recorded nearly two dozen albums and continues to explore the realm of her music.

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