On The Bookshelf
3 SHADES OF BLUE | JAMES KAPLAN
Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans And The Lost Empire Of Cool
1959 saw Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans and the other members of Miles’s sextet come together to record the best selling jazz album of all time: Kind of Blue. That year, America’s great indigenous art form, jazz, reached the height of its power and popularity. Black geniuses, so legendary that they go by one name – Mingus, Monk, Rollins, Ornette, Blakey, Cannonball, Brubeck and Miles. They changed the music landscape and introduced a new sound. Kind of Blue is widely considered the most iconic jazz album of all time and certainly the bestselling.
3 Shades of Blue follows the paths of Miles, Coltrane and Evans to the mountaintop of 1959 and their roads on from there. It’s a book about music and business, race and heroin, and an astonishing meditation on creativity and the strange hothouses that can produce its full flowering. But above all this is the story of three very different men – their struggles, their choices, their inspiration. The tapestry of their lives is, in James Kaplan’s hands, an American Odyssey.
Requisites
Major Changes ~ Frank Morgan and The McCoy Tyner Trio | By Eddie Carter 6.15.25
During the five years I lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, Everybody’s Records was a favorite shop I regularly visited. It was there that I heard Major Changes (Contemporary Records C-14039) by Frank Morgan and the McCoy Tyner Trio spinning on the turntable. As I listened, memories of when I first became a jazz fan came rushing back, and I picked it up immediately. Frank was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and began playing the guitar at a young age. His father introduced him to Charlie Parker, who inspired him to play the clarinet at age seven. Morgan later graduated to the soprano sax, then the alto sax, which became his primary instrument. Rounding out the ensemble are McCoy Tyner on piano, Avery Sharpe on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. My copy of the album is the 1988 U.S. stereo release.
The quartet kicks off the first side with Changes by McCoy Tyner. The pianist’s brisk introduction sets the tone for their feisty melody. McCoy takes the first bite of this jazzy apple with a high-spirited solo. Frank follows with a vigorous statement, then Avery’s vivacious interpretation guides the group back to the theme’s reprise and fadeout. Irving Berlin’s How Deep Is The Ocean starts on a deceptively slow note, with the alto sax and piano sharing a private conversation ahead of the foursome’s sprightly theme. Tyner leads the charge with a swinging opening statement. Morgan builds on this momentum with a feisty reading. Sharpe rounds out the solos with a brief presentation leading to the out-chorus and exit.
Emily is a lovely composition by Johnny Mandel and Johnny Mercer. Frank begins delicately expressing each note of the melody with heartfelt sensitivity. McCoy’s opening solo is delivered with tenderness and warmth. Frank concludes with a gentle presentation, leading to a serene and graceful finish. Search For Peace by McCoy Tyner begins with Hayes’s introduction, leading into the quartet’s theme, which moves at a bright and brisk clip. The pianist starts the opening solo with remarkable precision and vibrant enthusiasm. Sharpe and Hayes share a brief interlude, then Morgan effortlessly glides over the rhythm section, perfectly attuned to Hayes’s flawless timing, until the closing chorus fades into nothingness.
McCoy Tyner announces Frank’s Back with a smooth lead-in, segueing into the opening ensemble at medium-tempo to begin the second side. Frank sets a stellar example for the group in the first solo. McCoy follows with a charismatic interpretation, then Frank and Louis share an exchange of notes, leading back to the reprise and conclusion. Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern’s All The Things You Are opens with the saxophonist’s soothing introduction ahead of the group’s mellow theme. Morgan’s opening statement starts strong and doesn’t let go until Tyner takes his turn. The pianist launches into a taut second reading that holds the listener’s attention until Morgan returns briefly, leading to the theme’s reprise and a graceful exit.
Theme From Love Story by Francis Lai and Carl Sigman comes from the 1970 romantic drama. The rhythm section’s introduction is simultaneously delicate and inviting, leading Frank to explore the intricately beautiful melody. McCoy captures the song’s essence with lively exuberance in the opening statement. Frank then weaves a tapestryof grace and elegance before the theme resurfaces, and the quartet fades into a poignant stillness. Richard Bock produced Major Changes. Ed Rak was the engineer behind the direct-to-digital recording, and George Horn mastered this release. The album boasts a superb soundstage that envelops the listener’s sweet spot, as if they’re seated in the studio alongside the musicians.
Frank Morgan battled heroin addiction for much of his life, mirroring the path of Charlie Parker. This struggle led him to spend a significant portion of his adult years in and out of prison. However, by the mid-1980s, he managed to overcome his dependency, remaining clean for the final two decades of his life, though he continued taking methadone daily. Morgan recorded twenty-one albums as a leader and contributed to twelve more as a sideman. Despite suffering a stroke in 1998, he made a remarkable recovery and continued to perform and record music during the last nine years of his life. Toward the end of his career, Morgan successfully completed his first European tour. He passed away from complications of colorectal cancer on December 14, 2007, just nine days before his seventy-fourth birthday.
The album’s title reflects the significant shifts in Morgan’s life and music, while highlighting the extraordinary chemistry between the musicians. Whether you're a seasoned jazz aficionado or a newcomer to Morgan’s music, Major Changes by Frank Morgan and the McCoy Tyner Trio is a treasure trove of captivating tracks and stunning solos. It also serves as a delightful showcase of his talent, and I wholeheartedly recommend checking it outthe next time you’re out record-shopping!
~ All The Things You Are – Source: JazzStandards.com
~ Theme From “Love Story” – Source: Wikipedia.org
© 2025 by Edward Thomas Carter
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On The Bookshelf
JAZZ SINGING | WILL FRIEDWALD
America’s Great Voices From Bessie Smith To Bebop and Beyond
Jazz Singing is a biographical guide for those who desire to be knowledgeable about those voices that made the 20th century a great time in the creation of music. This treatise of 832 pages covers 210 singers from Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra to Elvis Presley, Johnny Mathis and Patti Page, to lesser known Jackie Paris, David Allyn, Edythe Wright, Irene Reid and everyone in between.
This book is not meant to be read from covers to cover. One should take a sip, uncovering nugget by nugget of information and insight on the classic blues stylists of the 1920s who laid the foundation on which the two greatest singers in our history, Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby, built a tradition.
Jazz Singing reveals how the master jazz and pop singers created, what made them great, and why their music has the power to touch us so profoundly.
Requisites
Explorations ~ Bill Evans Trio | By Eddie Carter
My admiration for Bill Evans runs very deep, and I have cherished the pianist’s music since childhood. This morning’s selection from my library holds a special place in my heart. It was one of my mom’s favorites during our Sunday family dinners. Explorations (Riverside RLP 351/RLP 9351) by the Bill Evans Trio is a 1961 release and one of four outstanding albums featuring Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums. Its timeless charm makes it an essential addition for any jazz piano lover. I could stop here, but I won’t leave you with just a small taste; instead, I’ll share the entire eight-course meal with you. My copy is no. 843 of the 2024 U.S. Craft Recordings stereo audiophile reissue (Riverside CR 00825).
Israel by John Carisi opens the album, setting the tone for the trio’s introduction and medium melody. Bill solos first with a cheerfully carefree groove. Scott adds his voice to a lighthearted reading that flows like a lovely stream. Bill returns to exchange notes with Paul before a marvelous conclusion. Haunted Heart is a gorgeous tune by Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz that begins with Evans’s brief, poignant introduction blossoming to the ensemble’s deeply touching theme. Bill takes center stage as the soloist, delivering each verse with grace and sensitivity, matched by Scott and Paul’s subtle support into a gentle climax.
Beautiful Love, by Haven Gillespie, Wayne King, Egbert Van Alstyne, and Victor Young, presents the trio with a delightful opportunity to pay homage to the 1930s classic at a toe-tapping beat during the melody. Bill’s respect for the original composition is evident in a joyful opening solo, followed by Scott’s inspired walk in the subsequent reading, leading to the closing chorus and exit. The trio treats Earl Zindars’s Elsa with endearing care, crafting an opening chorus that sparkles like a night on the town with that special someone. Bill guides each note of the first solo elegantly. Paul follows with a soothing and refined performance, preceding a tender reprise of the theme.
Side Two opens with an enchanting rendition of Nardis, one of Miles Davis’s prettiest compositions that Bill initially recorded with Cannonball Adderley. The trio’s pretty theme sets things in motion. Scott takes the lead with an elegant opening statement. Bill then shares his intimate, sincere thoughts in the second solo, leading to a gorgeous reprise and conclusion. The trio probes one of Irving Berlin’s loveliest questions next, How Deep Is The Ocean? They swing softly in a luscious melody. Again, the song’s only soloist, Bill’s interpretation is the epitome of grace and beauty, preceding a beautiful closing chorus that showcases their musical fluency and understanding of each other’s playing.
I Wish I Knew, by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren, is a beautiful ballad from the 1940s. The ensemble introduces it at a gentle, unhurried tempo, leading to the theme. Bill offers a serene and heartfelt interpretation that concludes in a tender finale by the trio. Sweet and Lovely by Gus Arnheim, Jules LeMare, and Harry Tobias is pure fun from start to finish. After the trio’s melody, Bill begins a solo that evolves from a quiet, spoken tone to a playful and spirited one. The pianist and drummer engage in a brief dialogue before Paul delivers a concise solo that ties everything together, leading back to the theme’s reprise and a delightful conclusion.
Orrin Keepnews was at the helm of Explorations, Bill Stoddard was the recording engineer, and Jack Matthews mastered the initial session. Bernie Grundman mastered the reissue from the original tapes. The record is pressed on 180-gram vinyl, using Neotech’s VR900 vinyl compound, and manufactured using a one-step lacquer process. The sound quality of this reissue is exceptional, offering an impressive soundstage that brings the musicians to your listening room with stunning fidelity. This limited-edition box set is 2,500 copies, each individually numbered and presented in a foil-stamped, linen-wrapped slipcase featuring an acrylic inset of the original artwork. The record is protected by an archival-quality, anti-static, non-scratching inner sleeve.
Explorations marked Bill Evans’s final studio collaboration with Scott LaFaro. He was a brilliant hard-bop bassist, admired and celebrated for his playing of uptempo tunes or ballads. His contributions brought an outstanding level of sophistication, maturity, and precision to the four albums he recorded with The Bill Evans Trio. Tragically, just ten days after the trio’s 1961 performance at the Village Vanguard, LaFaro’s life was cut short due to a car accident. This devastating loss deeply affected Evans, who withdrew from live performances and recording for several months. If you’re discovering his music or are already a Bill Evans fan, I urge you to listen to Explorations by the Bill Evans Trio at your earliest opportunity. It’s an outstanding showcase of jazz that I can’t recommend enough for your library!
~ Portrait In Jazz (Riverside RLP 12-315/RLP 1162), Portrait of Cannonball (Riverside RLP 12-269), Sunday at The Village Vanguard (Riverside RLP 376/RLP 9376), Waltz For Debby (RLP 399/RLP 9399) – Source: Discogs.com
~ How Deep Is The Ocean, Sweet and Lovely – Source: JazzStandards.com
~ Beautiful Love, Israel, Nardis – Source: Wikipedia.org
© 2025 by Edward Thomas Carter
More Posts: choice,classic,collectible,collector,history,instrumental,jazz,music,piano
On The Bookshelf
WHAT JAZZ IS | JONNY KING
Drawing on the unique insight of a seasoned jazz pianist, What Jazz Is offers an illuminating journey into the heartbeat of America’s original art form. With clarity and passion, Jonny King breaks down the essential building blocks of jazz, tempo, harmony, and melody, demystifying the role each instrument plays in creating the genre’s unmistakable sound.
Through the eyes and ears of a performer, he reveals the hidden structure behind improvisation, showing that what often sounds spontaneous is guided by a deep internal logic and shared musical language. Far from abstract theory, his explanations come to life through vivid examples and personal reflections.
King pays tribute to the giants who shaped jazz, Art Blakey’s explosive rhythms, John Coltrane’s spiritual intensity, Thelonious Monk’s angular genius, while also spotlighting the brilliance of modern innovators like Kenny Garrett, Christian McBride, and Joshua Redman.
Part guide, part homage, What Jazz Is invites readers to hear jazz not just as music, but as a conversation—one that’s rich with history, soul, and ever-evolving creativity.