Jazz In Film

Violer er blå(Violets are Blue) is a 1975 film made in Denmark and directed by Peter Refn. The movie made in Denmark stars Lisbet Lundquist, Annika Hoydal and Lisbet Dahl and is about a group of professional people unable to accept their roles in modern life.

Music Director Bent Fabricius Bjerre uses as source music two Duke Ellington small group recordings featuring Johnny Hodges plus Ben Webster playing How Long Has This Been Going On?

More Posts: film

Requisites

The Last Concert: The Modern Jazz Quartet broke up after this concert documented on this two-fer, double LP recording. After a glorious 22-year career, it would be nearly seven years before the group would come back together but it certainly went out on top. Mostly revisiting their greatest hits, MJQ is heard playing inspired versions of Softly As In A Morning Sunrise, Bag’s Groove, Skating In Central Park, Confirmation, The Golden Striker and Django. This set is a real gem and an essential addition for all serious jazz collections.

Personnel: Milt Jackson – vibraphone, John Lewis – piano, Percy Heath – bass and Connie Kay – drums

Record Date: November 25, 1974

Songs:  Disc 1 – Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise, The Cylinder, Summertime, Really True Blues, What’s New?, Blues in a Minor, Confirmation, ‘Round Midnight, A Night in Tunisia, Tears from the Children, Blues in H (B), England’s Carol

Disc 2 – The Golden Striker, One Never Knows, Trav’lin’, Skating in Central Park, The Legendary Profile, Adagio from the Guitar Concerto: Concerto de Aranjuez, The Jasmine Tree, In Memoriam, Django, Bag’s Groove

More Posts: bass,collectible,drums,piano,vibraphone

Jazz In Film

The Unsuspected: This 1947 film directed by Michael Curtiz, starred Claude Rains, Joan Caulfield, Audrey Trotter and Constance Bennett follows the story of a girl that has been murdered. A woman cannot remember a man who claims to be her husband. Her uncle hosts a radio murder mystery show called “The Unsuspected”. Who killed the girl? Why? And who is this mystery husband? Are all question to be answered.

This highly polished and thoroughly enjoyable thriller includes a chilling performance by Rains and features a nightclub sequence with drummer Jo Jones leading the group performing “I Got Rhythm”.

More Posts: film

Requisites

SOULTRANE: This album continues the reinforcement of Trane’s importance as a stylist. As in Coltrane and John Coltrane and the Red Garland Trio, his first two albums as a leader for Prestige, the material in SOULTRANE is away from the ordinary. The rhythm section is a perfect accompanying unit for Trane who, by this time, was acknowledged to be – along with Sonny Rollins – one of the two most influential tenor saxophonists in jazz.

Personnel: John Coltrane – tenor saxophone, Red Garland – piano, Paul Chambers – bassArthur Taylor – drums

Supervised by: Bob Weinstock

Record Date: Hackensack, New Jersey / February 7, 1958

Cover: Esmond Edwards

Songs: Good Bait, I Want To Talk About You, You Say You Care, Theme For Ernie, Russian Lullaby

More Posts: collectible,saxophone

Jazz In Film

Top Of The Heap:  This 1972 film was written, directed and starred Christopher St. John along with Paula Kelly and Florence St. Peter. The story evolves around a Washington, D.C. cop who is mistrusted and despised by his own black people.

J. J. Johnson scored the excellent and effective music for the film.

More Posts: film