Requisites
Porgy and Bess, subtitled Swingin’ Impressions by Hank Jones is an album recorded in 1958 for Capitol Records by pianist Hank Jones and released in 1959, the same year the movie was released starring Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Sammy Davis Jr., Brock Peters and Pearl Bailey. It featured interpretations of music from George Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess.
On this session Hank is supported by bassit Milt Hinton, guitarist Kenny Burrell and his brother Elvin, the latter displaying a light touch of the drums to compliment his sibling’s crisp, minimalist piano approach to these compositions. The quartet are perfectly matched to enhancing the subdued, intimate feel of this unusually pared down production.
All ten compositions are by George Gershwin and are not received in the order of the original opera. Summertime, There’s a Boat Dat’s Leavin’ Soon for New York, My Man’s Gone Now, A Woman Is a Sometime Thing, Bess, You Is My Woman Now, It Ain’t Necessarily So, I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’, Oh, I Can’t Sit Down, Oh Bess, Oh Where’s My Bess? and I Ain’t Got No Shame.
This cool jazz recording session was produced were Dave Cavanaugh and Andy Wiswell. The illustration was created by Boyle and the liner notes were written by Edward Jablonski.
More Posts: choice,classic,collectible,collector,history,instrumental,jazz
Requisites
Stan Getz Plays is a compilation album of previously released material by tenor saxophonist Stan Getz recorded in 1952 but wasn’t released until 1955 on the Norgran label. The album, however, features tracks (1,3-12) that were previously released on two 10-inch LPs on Clef Records, (13-14) originally released on Verve, and (15 & 16) previously released on MGN. Tracks 12-16 were bonus tracks on the CD reissue.
Stella By Starlight, Time on My Hands, Tis Autumn, The Way You Look Tonight, Lover, Come Back to Me, Body and Soul, Stars Fell On Alabama, You Turned The Tables On Me, Thanks For The Memory, Hymn Of The Orient, These Foolish Things, How Deep Is The Ocean?, Nobody Else But Me, Down By The Sycamore Tree, I Hadn’t Anyone Till You and With The Wind And The Rain In Your Hair.
Recorded in New York City on December 12, 1952 (tracks 1-8) and December 29, 1952 (tracks 9-12). The Los Angeles, CA session was on January 23, 1954 (tracks 13-16). The album cover was designed by Tom Hughes and the photograph was taken by Phil Stern.
The personnel on these recording were: Stan Getz on tenor saxophone, with guitarist Jimmy Raney on tracks 1-12, pianists Duke Jordan on tracks 1-12 and Jimmy Rowles on tracks 13-16, Bill Crow on tracks 1-12 and Bob Whitlock on tracks 13-16 shared bass duties, and Frank Isola on tracks 1-12 and Max Roach on tracks 13-16 were the drummers.
More Posts: choice,classic,collectible,collector,history,instrumental,jazz
Requisites
Like Someone In Love is a 1960 album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. It was recorded for the Blue Note label at the Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey and ran 39 minutes and 56 seconds. It was produced by Alfred Lion and the cover design was created by Reid Miles with photograph provided by Francis Wolff.
The title is taken from the popular song of the same name composed in 1944 by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was written (along with “Sleigh Ride in July”) for the 1944 film Belle of the Yukon, and has since become a jazz standard.
The personnel on this session were leader and drummer Art Blakey, Lee Morgan on trumpet and flugelhorn, tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Bobby Timmons and Jymie Merritt on bass.
The album was recorded in two sessions on August 7 (#3, 4, 6) and August 14 (#1, 2, 5), 1960 rendering the tunes Like Someone in Love, Johnny’s Blue (Morgan), Noise in the Attic (Shorter), Sleeping Dancer Sleep On (Shorter), Giantis (Shorter), and Sleeping Dancer Sleep On (Alternate Take and Bonus Track On CD).
More Posts: choice,classic,collectible,collector,history,instrumental,jazz,keyboard,music
Requisites
Maurice Vander is the self-titled album recorded in 1955 by Maurice Camille Gustave Vanderschueren, better known as his stage sir name Vander. This bop session was recorded in Paris, France on the Disques Vega label and the cover art/photography was designed by Roberlus Tervueren. The band, unfortunately, is uncredited on this session.
Eight standards were set for this recording session that included Pennies From Heaven, I’ll Remember April, The Nearness Of You, Strike Up The Band, How About You, There’ll Never Be Another You, Everything Happens To Me and Get Happy.
To my dismay and probably to that of others, I can find no audio version of this album and this album is out of print but there are a few used copies on the market that one may be able to claim and make a part of their collection.
More Posts: choice,classic,collectible,collector,history,instrumental,jazz,music,piano
Hollywood On 52nd Street
Something’s Gotta Give was composed by Johnny Mercer for his friend Fred Astaire who starred in the 1955 film Daddy Long Legs. It is the love song duet between him and Leslie Caron. The song playfully uses the irresistible force paradox – which asks what happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object – as a metaphor for a relationship between a vivacious woman and an older, world-weary man. The man, it is implied, will give in to temptation and kiss the woman.
The film also stars Terry Moore, Thelma Ritter, Fred Clark and Ray Anthony who appears as himself with his orchestra. Filming took place on location at 20th Century Fox Studios in Hollywood and the Andrew Carnegie Mansion in Manhattan.
Storyline
On a trip to France, millionaire Jervis Pendleton III (Astaire) sees an 18 year old girl Julie Andre (Caron) in an orphanage. Immediately enchanted with her, but mindful of the difference in their ages and what the press may report should his involvement be discovered, he anonymously sponsors her to attend fictional college in New England. She writes him letters, which he doesn’t read. After 3 years, he goes to visit her at a dance, not telling her that he is her benefactor. They fall in love, but the usual movie-type difficulties get in the way before they can get together at the end.
