Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jacob Varmus was born on October 6, 1973 in San Francisco, California. He first heard the trumpet’s call when he was two years old and ten years later had a trumpet of his own. He began winning top marks at all the California Music Educators’ Association festivals for his work as soloist and chamber musician.
Evolving parallel to his love of music was a talent for using language artistically thru poetry, critical essays, and autobiographical stories. In high school he won awards for poetry and sports journalism as well as music. His first year of college at the University of Iowa, Jacob studied poetry closely with MacArthur grant recipient Jorie Graham and classical trumpet virtuoso David Greenhoe.
An initiation to the music of John Coltrane sent Varmus to focus on jazz. In 1994 he moved to New York City to finish his BFA at the New School Jazz program. There he received timeless lessons from a long list of artists including Arnie Lawrence and Billy Harper. Here he became known to his peers and elders as a composer of harmonically intricate yet compellingly simple and striking tunes.
By his senior year he was being commissioned by the Jazz Composers’ Collective to write a suite combining jazz quintet with string quartet. It featured Ted Nash and Frank Kimbrough. He went on to enroll in composer workshops, receiving a further commission for jazz quartet.
As an educator he is on the faculty of the New York Jazz Academy. Trumpeter and composer Jacob Varmus continues to pursue his highly melodic yet rigorous music.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Michael Steven Bublé was born September 9, 1975 in Burnaby, British Columbia to a fisherman and homemaker. Their surname was originally spelled Bubli. Dreaming of becoming a famous singer since he was two, his interest in jazz began at around age five when his family played Bing Crosby’s White Christmas album. The first time his family noticed his singing talent was during the Christmas holidays, when Bublé was 13 years old, and they heard him powerfully sing the phrase “May your days be merry and bright” when singing on a car ride.
His first singing engagements were in nightclubs at age 16 and were facilitated by his plumber grandfather who offered his plumbing services in exchange for stage time for his grandson and paid for his singing lessons. As a children’s entertainer he used the name Mickey Bubbles.
Bublé grew up listening to his grandfather’s collection of jazz records and credits his grandfather in encouraging his love for jazz music. At 18 he entered a local talent contest and won, but was disqualified for being underage. He went on to enter other contests and perform in clubs, conventions, cruise ships, hotel lounges, and shopping malls.
By 1996 Michael appeared in different roles on television in Death Game, The X-Files, Big Band Boom!, and on the CTV network. He received two Genie Award nominations for Best Original Song in 2000 for I’ve Never Been in Love Before and Dumb ol’ Heart, two songs he wrote for the film Here’s to Life!.
He recorded three independent albums First Dance, Babalu, and Dream before his self-titled debut album in 2003 featuring a range of standards from various eras and genres. He has followed with seven more through 2022 along with tours, a residency, four Grammy awards, 8 Juno awards and numerous nominations. He received the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia.
Vocalist Michael Bublé, who is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songbook, due to his musical influences Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, Elvis Presley, Bobby Darin and Sam Cooke. He continues to perform and tour.
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Requisites
Prancin’ ~ Louis Smith Quintet | By Eddie Carter
The Louis Smith Quintet provides this morning’s subject with their 1979 album, Prancin’ (SteepleChase Records SCS 1121). It was Smith’s second release for the label and his fourth as a leader. This session also marks a reunion with Junior Cook, who he played with briefly in The Horace Silver Quintet twenty-one years earlier. Their only recorded appearance together is on Blue Lights, Volumes 1 and 2 by Kenny Burrell. Here, Louis Smith is featured on flugelhorn (tracks: A2, B2) and trumpet (A1, A3, B1, B3), alongside Junior Cook on tenor sax, Roland Hanna on piano, Sam Jones on bass and Billy Hart on drums. My copy is the original Danish Stereo album.
One For Nils, Smith’s first of five originals, is a tune written for producer and label founder Nils Winther. The quintet sets the beat in its opening chorus. Louis gets right to the point first; then Junior comes in with a smooth, relaxed reading. Roland feeds the finale with fresh ideas ahead of the theme’s reprise and exit. Chanson De Louise is Smith’s beautiful tribute to his wife, Harriet Louise. Hanna introduces this ballad softly, leading to a delicately tender theme by Smith and Cook. The leader’s opening solo is affectionate and touching; next, Hanna provides serene beauty to a short statement into the ensemble’s gentle ending.
Ryan’s Groove is dedicated to a friend and fellow teaching colleague and takes off from the quintet’s rousing theme. Junior gets things off to a sizzling start; then Louis slices through the second reading like a hot knife through butter. Roland comes in next, followed by Sam’s brisk bass, leading to the climax. The title tune, Prancin’, starts Side Two with Hanna’s introduction segueing into the group’s lively melody. In the opening solo, Cook immediately gets the listener’s attention; then Smith keeps the temperature up in the following statement. Hanna makes the third solo come alive with a nice, happy feeling. Hart closes with a quick exchange between both horns preceding the finish.
I Can’t Get Started by Vernon Duke and Ira Gershwin is one of the timeless jazz standards. Louis is the only horn, and the rhythm section works in perfect symmetry on the opening chorus. The leader’s flugelhorn brings out the song’s lyrical beauty in a gorgeous interpretation that’s the icing on the cake into a gentle conclusion. Fats is Smith’s tribute to trumpeter Theodore “Fats” Navarro. The album’s closer gets off to a good start with the front line’s introduction and melody. Hanna, Cook, Smith, and Jones give four solos that provide a perfect exclamation point to this enjoyable blowing session.
Nils Winther produced Prancin’, and Elvin Campbell was the recording engineer. The album sounds incredible from start to finish. It has a breathtaking soundstage that brings the musicians to your listening room with exceptional clarity. The record is also a great pressing that’s silent until the music starts. Louis was an equally excellent composer, as the tunes here demonstrate. If you’re in the mood for Hard-Bop and Modal Jazz, I offer Prancin’ by The Louis Smith Quintet for your consideration on your next record shopping trip. It’s a terrific album with tight musicianship that hits it out of the park and is an absolute delight!
~ Blue Lights, Volume 1 (Blue Note BLP 1596/BST 81596), Blue Lights, Volume 2 (Blue Note BLP 1597/BST 81597) – Source: Discogs.com ~ I Can’t Get Started – Source: JazzStandards.com © 2023 by Edward Thomas Carter
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Matthew Mitchell was born in Hamilton, New Zealand on August 9, 1973 and didn’t start studying jazz until late in his teens, beginning on guitar at the age of 17. Four years later he attended what became the Massey University Wellington School of Music majoring in jazz. By 1998 he became a member of the New Zealand Youth Jazz Orchestra and toured with ex-Buddy Rich trumpeter John Hoffman.
First achieving prominence on the New Zealand jazz scene the following year when he won the Wellington Fringe Festival Music Award. His study of Indian classical music produced cohesive results and Matthew toured the country with Master Tabla drummer Dr. Tarlochan Singh from Delhi, India and then with New York vibraphonist Arthur Lipner. He then put together his own trio featuring Paul Dyne and Rick Cranson and they released two CDs, one of which was a big band work.
Moving to London, England in 2000 he continued work with his trio and rapidly became a prominent member of the jazz scene and joined Byron Wallen’s As Is project touring the UK and performing at a number of international festivals. He went on to perform and tour with German saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, as well as Japanese electronic music artists Takagi Masakatsu and Ogorusu Norihide and with countryman electronics artist Signer.
Guitarist Mattewh Mitchell continues to tour regularly throughout Europe with his own groups and release recordings.
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Requisites
Two Loves is an album led by pianist Duke Jordan recorded on November 25th and December 2, 1973, at Sound Track in Copenhagen, Denmark. My Old Flame, Wait And See, and I’ll Remember April was recorded during the December session. The album was released the following year in 1974 on the Danish label, SteepleChase.
The producer was Nils Winther, the engineer was Ole Hansen, the liner notes were written by Roland Baggenæs and the photography, design, and cover was taken and created by Lissa Winther.
A bebopper of the first generation, this album is evidence of Jordan’s gentle touch, his simply constructed chords, and his preference for medium tempos.
Track List | 40:55 ~ 62:27 with CD Bonus Tracks-
- Subway Inn – 8:11
- My Old Flame (Sam Coslow, Arthur Johnston) – 8:45
- Blue Monk (Thelonious Monk) – 5:14
- Two Loves – 3:05
- Embraceable You (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 7:15
- Wait And See – 2:44
- I’ll Remember April (Gene de Paul, Patricia Johnston, Don Raye) – 5:34
- Lady Dingbat – 4:08
- Jordu – 5:19
- Duke Jordan – piano
- Mads Vinding – bass
- Ed Thigpen – drums
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