The Jazz Voyager

Last week the Jazz Voyager was in Nashville checking out Rudy’s Jazz Room and had a great experience. This week he’s on his way and looking forward to another wonderful experience in Kansas City, Missouri at The Black Dolphin located at 1813 Grand Boulevard. Planning to catch an early set with the Tim Whitmer Quartet, I’ll be hanging around for the late hit by the Reyes Brothers Trio, both on Friday night..

Depending on which set you catch you can dine in or eat beforehand and then enjoy a full bar of cocktails, mocktails, wine and beer. The first set begins at 6:30~9:30pm followed by the second set 10:00pm ~ 1:00am. Rated $$, come and enjoy an evening of good music. For additional information, the number is 816-215-2954.



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The Jazz Voyager

The Jazz Voyager is grabbing a plane for a quick hop to Music City for some jazz. It’s my first club outing since the pandemic lockdown so I’ll be wearing my mask at all times indoors. This week’s destination is Rudy’s Jazz Room located at 809 Gleaves Street, Nashville, Tennessee.

This Saturday I will be catching a triple threat of jazz from the Joel Frahm Trio, Jody Nardone Trio and Don Aliquo with a late afternoon start at 5:30 pm and heading well into midnight and beyond. Rudy’s Jazz Room embodies the history and spirit of traditional jazz clubs, where musicians played their hearts out while people gathered to listen, dance, eat, drink and socialize in a swingin’ atmosphere.

The evening’s performances have a cover charge of $15.00, $20.00 and $10.00 at the door and I plan on giving up my $45.00 when I arrive for the first show. I like going in my pocket one time for things. Doors at 5:00pm, dinner and late night bites are available, however, for additional information, the number is 615.988.2458 and web address is rudysjazzroom.com.



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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

As the Jazz Voyager continues to social distance and wears his mask inside stores when grocery shopping and following doctor office protocol, he is still finding time to listen to great jazz. This week coming off the shelves is an album titled Blossom Time at Ronnie Scott’s by pianist and vocalist Blossom Dearie and is a live recording at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in Soho, London, England in 1966. This was her first live album and was  released on the British record label, Fontana. The liner notes were written by Jimmy Parsons.

Her personal favorite recording, the swinging trio will intoxicate you with this set of songs just as if you were there in the intimate space listening. Her girlish, soft voice is her signature as she executes each song with style. This is the first of four albums she will record on the Fontana label.

Track List | 39:23

  1. On Broadway (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) ~ 3:55
  2. (Ah, the Apple Trees) When the World Was Young (Michel Philippe-Gérard, Angele Vannier, Johnny Mercer) ~ 4:20
  3. When in Rome (Cy Coleman, Carolyn Leigh) ~ 4:45
  4. The Shadow of Your Smile (Johnny Mandel, Paul Francis Webster) ~ 4:13
  5. Ev’rything I’ve Got (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) ~ 4:29
  6. Once Upon a Summertime (Eddie Barclay, Michel Legrand, Eddy Marnay, Johnny Mercer) ~ 3:51
  7. I’m Hip (Dave Frishberg, Bob Dorough) ~ 2:48
  8. Mad About the Boy (Noël Coward) ~ 5:05
  9. The Shape of Things (Sheldon Harnick) ~ 2:42
  10. Satin Doll” (Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Billy Strayhorn) ~ 5:15
Trio
  • Blossom Dearie ~ piano, vocals
  • Jeff Clyne ~ double bass
  • Johnny Butts ~ drums

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

This week while maintaining social distancing and continued mask wearing I’ve selected the 1974 album Skylark saxophonist Paul Desmond featuring Gábor Szabó. It was recorded on November 27~28 and December 4, 1973 at Van Gelder Sturio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. The recording engineer was Rudy Van Gelder, the producer was Creed Taylor, and Don Sebesky wrote all the arrangements. It was released in 1974 on Taylor’s CTI label.

Desmond adapted to the changing times music was facing as did Taylor with his innovative photography used as his covers injected a sense of adventure, a bit of fantasy and a freedom that the 1970s exuded. It’s a change of pace for the saxophonist and a welcomed addition to the label’s stable.

Tracks |53:28
  1. Take Ten (Paul Desmond) ~ 6:08
  2. Romance De Amor (Traditional) ~ 9:40
  3. Was A Sunny Day (Paul Simon) ~ 4:52
  4. Music For A While (Henry Purcell) ~ 6:45
  5. Skylark (Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer) ~ 5:21
  6. Indian Summer (Al Dubin, Victor Herbert) ~ 4:00
Bonus Track On CD Reissue
  1. Music For A While [alternate take] (Purcell) ~ 5:56
  2. Skylark” [alternate take] (Carmichael, Mercer) ~ 5:39
  3. Indian Summer” [alternate take] (Dubin, Herbert) ~ 5:27
Musicians From the original liner note
  • Paul Desmond ~ alto saxophone
  • Bob James ~ piano, electric piano
  • Gene Bertoncini ~ guitar
  • Gábor Szabó ~ guitar (all solos)
  • Ron Carter ~ bass
  • Jack DeJohnette ~ drums
  • Ralph MacDonald ~ percussion
  • George Ricci ~ cello

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

This week we continue to safeguard ourselves from those who consider the variants not a threat but this jazz voyager is opting on the side of caution as we select our next album. I’ve chosen the studio album Devil’s Got Your Tongue by Abbey Lincoln. It’s her fifteenth and her third for Verve Records. It was recorded on February 24 & 25, 1992 at BMG Studios in New York City and released on October 13, 1992. 

The album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart on April 10, 1993. Verve allowed this icon of jazz to record nine of her compositions along with two classics for a very gratifying set. 

Tracks | 68:56 All tracks are written by Abbey Lincoln, unless otherwise noted.
  1. Rainbow (with The Noel Singers) (Abbey Lincoln, Melba Liston) ~ 4:42
  2. Evalina Coffrey (The Legend Of) ~ 7:04
  3. Story Of My Father (with The Staple Singer) ~ 5:28
  4. A Child Is Born (with The Noel Singers) (Thad Jones, Alex Wilder) ~ 6:20
  5. People In Me (with The Noel Singers) ~ 6:13
  6. A Circle Of Love (with The Noel Singers) ~ 5:53
  7. Jungle Queen ~ 6:09
  8. The Merry Dance ~ 7:48
  9. Devil’s Got Your Tongue ~ 5:49
  10. Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year (Frank Loesser) ~ 7:46
  11. The Music Is The Magic (with The Staple Singers) ~ 5:44
Musicians
  • Abbey Lincoln – vocals
  • Rodney Kendrick – piano
  • Marcus McLaurine – bass
  • Grady Tate – drums (tracks 2–4, 10–11)
  • Yoron Israel – drums (tracks 1, 5, 6, 8–9)
  • James Louis “J.J.” Johnson – trombone (tracks 2, 4, 10)
  • Stanley Turrentine – tenor saxophone (tracks 5, 8, 10–11)
  • Maxine Roach – viola (tracks 2, 6)
  • Babatunde Olatunji – Ngoma, Djembe, Ashiko & Shekere drums (track 7)
  • Kehinde O’Uhuru – Ashiko drum (track 7)
  • Sule O’Uhuru – Agogô bells, Djembe (track 7)
  • Gordy Ryan – Jun-jun drum (track 7)
  • The Staple Singers – backing vocals
    • Pops Staples, Mavis Staples, Cleotha Staples
  • The Noel Singers – backup singers
    • Ivan Archer, Giselle Brown, Queinton Caesar, Ronnie David, Shelby Ellis, Daylene Hunt, Clevie Jordan, Marie Leveque, Lucila Martinez, Jason Moses, Gregory Norman, Leigh-Ann Oadmore, Aleata Prince, Natasha Reeves, Tiffany Rivera, Linda Sanchez, Joann Santiago Sherrille Shabazz, Chante Slater, Karen Thompson, Teddy Turrene, Merlene West, Tasha Woodward
Production
  • Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard
  • Engineer (First Engineer) – Rick Applegate
  • Engineer (Second Engineer) – Jay Newland
  • Engineer (Assistant Engineer) – Doug McKean
  • Engineer (Assistant Engineer) – Sandy Palmer

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