The Quarantined Jazz Voyager
Another week has passed and life goes on. To continually relax in between working on a few projects, I’m kicking back with Blue Light ’til Dawn. This studio album by jazz singer Cassandra Wilson. Her first album on the Blue Note label, it was released in 1993. It contains Wilson’s interpretations of songs by various blues and rock artists, as well as three original compositions.
The album marked a shift in Wilson’s recording style, mostly dropping the electric instruments of her earlier albums in favor of acoustic arrangements. A critical and commercial breakthrough, the album was re-released in 2014 with three bonus tracks recorded live somewhere in Europe during the Blue Light ’til Dawn Tour. The eponimous single was nominated for the Grammy Award as Best Jazz Vocal Performance.
As of March 1996, the album sold over 250 000 copies. While recording the album, Wilson’s father, jazz bassist Herman Fowlkes, died. In an interview for New York Magazine Wilson explained that the album’s name refers to a certain time of night. Says Wilson “At a party you have a blue light to have a certain vibe. The title refers to that light, that blue, giving way to the dawn. It’s after after hours, the predawn twilight”. The album peaked at #10 on the U.S. Billboard Chart.
Track Listing | 34:22- You Don’t Know What Love Is (Gene DePaul, Don Raye) ~ 6:05
- Come On In My Kitchen (Robert Johnson) ~ 4:53
- Tell Me You’ll Wait For Me (Charles Brown, Oscar Moore) ~ 4:48
- Children Of The Night (Thom Bell, Linda Creed) ~ 5:19
- Hellhound On My Trail (Johnson) ~ 4:34
- Black Crow (Joni Mitchell) ~ 4:38
- Sankofa (Cassandra Wilson) ~ 2:02
- Estrellas (Cyro Baptista) ~ 1:59
- Redbone (Wilson) ~ 5:35
- Tupelo Honey (Van Morrison) ~ 5:36
- Blue Light ’til Dawn (Wilson) ~ 5:09
- I Can’t Stand the Rain (Don Bryant, Bernard Miller, Ann Peebles) ~ 5:27
- Cassandra Wilson – vocals
- Olu Dara – cornet
- Don Byron – clarinet
- Charlie Burnham – violin, mandocello
- Tony Cedras – accordion
- Gib Wharton – pedal steel guitar
- Chris Whitley – resophonic guitar
- Brandon Ross – acoustic guitar
- Kenny Davis – bass
- Lonnie Plaxico – bass
- Lance Carter – drums, percussion
- Bill McClellan – drums, percussion
- Cyro Baptista – percussion
- Jeff Haynes – percussion
- Kevin Johnson – percussion
- Vinx – percussion
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Requisites
To Diz With Love ~ Dizzy Gillespie | By Eddie Carter
For this morning’s choice from the library, I’ve chosen a CD-album to honor a true pioneer. John Birks Gillespie, known throughout the world by his nickname Dizzy was a renowned bandleader, composer, singer, teacher, and trumpet player. He, alongside Charlie Parker, changed the face of jazz forever by creating and becoming the inspirational voice of Bebop. At the time of this CD-album’s release in October 1992, he was celebrating his 75th Birthday. The folks at Telarc Jazz recognized this significant achievement with their first release performed earlier in the year at The Blue Note in New York City. Forty-seven shows in all were recorded by Telarc over an entire month resulting in one of the best live albums that year. To Diz With Love (Telarc Jazz CD-83307) also features the talents of Doc Cheatham, Jon Faddis (track: 3), Wynton Marsalis (tracks: 2 & 4), Claudio Roditi, Wallace Roney (tracks: 1 & 5), and Charlie Sepulveda (track: 4) on trumpet, Red Rodney (track: 2) on fluegelhorn, Junior Mance on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums.
The opener, Billie’s Bounce by Charlie Parker was composed in 1945 and dedicated to Gillespie’s agent, trumpet player, Billy Shaw. Shaw was also the inspiration for Gillespie’s composition, Shaw ‘Nuff, written a year later. The ensemble starts this standard with a vivacious introduction by the rhythm section that grows into a rapid run of the opening chorus led by the front line. Claudio kicks off this uptempo cooker with a high-energy drive that builds its emotional level enthusiastically. Wallace produces a very hot flame of exhilarating verses on the second solo. Dizzy takes the next statement for a sizzling uptempo ride. Then, Junior takes charge, swinging with an intense and passionate feeling on the fourth interpretation. Peter keeps the ingredients stirring on the next performance with a soulful groove, and Kenny wraps up the solos with a fierce attack on the finale preceding the closing chorus and climax.
Parker’s Confirmation, written in 1946 adds Marsalis on trumpet and Rodney on flugelhorn to join Dizzy. The rhythm section provides a medium beat for the horns to strut comfortably during the melody. Marsalis solos first with full-toned ease at a relaxing momentum. Dizzy is up next using the mute to offer an endearing whispery reading. Rodney follows with a subtle tone and cool modality that winks to “Bird”. The front line provides a few more statements, then Mance delivers a soft, dreamy solo preceding the climax. Up next is Mood Indigo by Duke Ellington, Barney Bigard, and Irving Mills featuring Cheatham and Jon Faddis. It was written in 1930 for a radio broadcast and originally titled Dreamy Blues. The public went wild after hearing it, Mills renamed the song Mood Indigo and wrote the lyrics for it. Doc leads off the solos with a profoundly sensitive statement. Jon conveys an emotional impact on the next reading and Dizzy delivers the blues with subtle elegance. Junior expresses delight in a brief statement before the ensemble wraps it up.
Thelonious Monk’s Straight, No Chaser was written in 1951 and is given a spirited treatment with Marsalis and Sepulveda as the featured soloists. Wynton starts swiftly on the lead solo with phenomenal energy, then Charlie burns strongly on the next scintillating statement. Dizzy shows the depth of his intensity on the third interpretation, followed by Junior who says a mouthful on the next reading. Peter provides some powerful brushwork on the closing statement.
A Night In Tunisia is Gillespie’s signature and most famous tune. It was written in 1942 and opens with an invigorating theme by the ensemble collectively. Claudio is ablaze right from the start of the first interpretation. Dizzy lights an intense fire on the second solo, then Wallace responds with a torrid reading that burns fiercely. Junior embarks on an aggressive performance that’s executed beautifully. Kenny puts the final stamp on the standard with a fierce groove on the drums. The treat though, comes at the end when during the closing chorus, Dizzy brings Lew Soloff up from the audience to lead the group into the song’s conclusion.
Telarc has created a sonic masterpiece that’s a joy to listen to by engineers Jack Renner (one of the founders of the iconic label) and Michael Bishop. To Diz With Love is not just a celebration, but an exceptional musical performance by one of the undisputed masters of Bebop. It’s also the first of three final Gillespie performances recorded before his passing and is highly recommended for any jazz fan’s collection. The other two releases are To Bird With Love, and Bird Songs: The Final Recordings!
~Bird Songs: The Final Recordings (Telarc Jazz CD-83421); To Bird With Love (Telarc Jazz CD-83316) – Source: Discogs.com
~ Billie’s Bounce – source: JazzStandards.com
~ Mood Indigo – source: Wikipedia.org
© 2020 by Edward Thomas Carter
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Requisites
Dear Old Stockholm ~ John Coltrane | By Eddie Carter
Fans of modern Jazz know that during his lifetime, John William Coltrane redefined the sound of jazz on the tenor sax, making some of his most important contributions while recording for Impulse Records from 1961 to his passing in 1967. It’s with one of the lesser-known releases in his discography that I begin this first report of 2021. Dear Old Stockholm (Impulse GRD-120) is a 1993 CD-album featuring Coltrane playing to the beat of a different drummer, Roy Haynes. Roy replaced the quartet’s regular drummer, Elvin Jones on the two sessions comprising this delightful album, April 29, 1963 (tracks: 1 and 2), and May 26, 1965 (tracks: 3 to 5). McCoy Tyner on piano, and Jimmy Garrison on bass complete the quartet.
Dear Old Stockholm is a traditional Swedish folk song that Miles Davis liked enough to record several times. John adapts this tune as easily as if it were created for jazz with a very impressive opening statement, weaving gracefully in unison with Jimmy’s bass and Roy’s assertive timekeeping. McCoy contributes some stirring solo work on the finale before the foursome takes the song out.
After The Rain is one of the most beautiful compositions Coltrane ever wrote and opens with a passionate gracefulness by the saxophonist on the melody. He continues with an intimate reading conveying a refined elegance leading to a hauntingly beautiful climax. The quartet returns to uptempo on the saxophonist’s One Down, One Up. John charges into the lead solo of this fire-breathing cooker with an incandescent performance relentlessly. McCoy continues the aggressive beat with a dynamic high-octane reading that’ll leave the listener’s ears sizzling. The tenor man gives a few final exhilarating statements before the song’s closing moments. After The Crescent opens with an introduction to the children’s song, Ring Around The Rosie. The similarity ends there because Trane and his bandmates take us on an exuberant joyride with two ferocious readings from Tyner and Coltrane. The walloping tones from Garrison’s bass and the brilliant brushwork by Haynes give both soloists a propulsive lift that’s exciting preceding the ensemble’s closing chorus.
The closer is a mid~tempo tune by John titled Dear Lord. This song is a perfect vehicle for a passionate performance by John Coltrane who shows his lyrical side on the first solo with charming simplicity. McCoy makes an indelible impression on the closing statement with a delicately tender interpretation, ahead of John’s return for the emotionally touching coda. The album was originally recorded by Rudy Van Gelder and digitally remastered by Robert Stoughton.
In my opinion, he did a fantastic job because the sound quality is superb with a stunning soundstage that brings the musicians into your listening room for your enjoyment. To some fans, this CD-album may not have the infinitely explosive spirit of the classic Coltrane quartet with Elvin Jones that so many are acquainted with. However, in my opinion, Dear Old Stockholm is an enticing invitation to explore and enjoy a fascinating album showing John Coltrane’s versatility as one of the legendary masters of jazz! Do your ears a favor and check it out, it’s sure to become a welcome addition to your jazz collection!
Dear Old Stockholm – Source: Wikipedia.org
© 2020 by Edward Thomas Carter
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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager
The continual disregard of the health and safety of others during this medical state of our country by certain factions who want the recently removed days of old by contributing new surges in Covid cases, gives me added incentive to remain sequestered and listening to great music. This week I am turning to a resident of Cannes, France and pulling from the shelves the March 12, 1991 released album Rooms In My Fatha’s House by Vinx.
To claim him as a vocalist would be an injustice, Vinx owns the songs on this debut release, where up is the only way he can go. His unique, interpretive phrasing and melodic presentation expresses so much more that I was taken from the first note of his voice, which is why I have enjoyed this over the years and recommend it for your listening pleasure.
The session was produced by Greg Poree, John Eden, Sting, and by Vinx on track 2. It was released on the Pangea record label and distributed by Capitol Records-EMI Of Canada.
Tracklist | 54:43- Tell My Feet ~ 4:44
- I Should Have Told Her ~ 3:41
- My TV ~ 4:19
- While The City Sleeps ~ 4:46
- I’ll Give My All To You ~ 4:23
- Captain’s Song ~ 4:32
- Somehow Did You Know ~ 4:44
- Little Queen ~ 3:44
- Temporary Love ~ 4:07
- Porch Light ~ 6:02
- Don’t Got to Be That Way ~ 5:16
- A Little Bit More ~ 6:24
- Sting ~ Bass, Backing Vocals
- Herbie Hancock ~ Piano
- Sheryl Crow ~ Vocal, Guitar
- Taj Mahal ~ Guitar, Vocal
- Branford Marsalis ~ Saxophone
When the curtain goes up and the pandemic is controlled I will return to flying around the globe discovering the best of jazz. Until that time arrives, stay safe and healthy.
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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager
In preparation for the next wave of the pandemic to hit our shores, continual social distancing is a requirement for me as I hope it will be for you. This Quarantined Jazz Voyager is looking forward to listening to the talents of pianist Eric Reed and an album that encompassed some of Broadway’s finest compositions titled Pure Imagination.
Produced by Tommy LiPuma, all songs are written with lyrics by famous songwriters of said productions except for the opening and closing tracks composed by Reed himself, who chose to perform and record them as instrumentals.
This 1998 album was recorded on July 28~29, 1997 and released by Impulse! Records. It contains reinterpretations of traditional songs from classic Broadway and Hollywood productions such as The King & I, Porgy and Bess, and A Little Night Music, among others. Pure Imagination and peaked at #8 on Billboard’s Top Jazz Album charts.
Track Listing | 49:52- Overture
- Maria (Leonard Bernstein, Richard Rodgers, & Stephen Sondheim)
- Hello, Young Lovers (Rodgers and Hammerstein)
- Pure Imagination (Leslie Bricusse, & Anthony Newley)
- 42nd Street (Harry Warren & Al Dubin)
- in the Clowns (Stephen Sondheim)
- My Man’s Gone Now/Gone, Gone, Gone (DuBose Heyward, George, & Ira Gershwin)
- Nice Work If You Can Get It (George & Ira Gershwin)
- You’ll Never Walk Alone (Rodgers and Hammerstein)
- Eric Reed – Piano
- Brian Bromberg – Bass
- Reginald Veal – Bass
- Gregory Hutchinson – Drums
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