Requisites
Midnight Sugar ~ Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio | By Eddie Carter
This morning’s choice from the library is one of my absolute favorites because each time I hear it, I’m transported back to one of my happiest memories as a young adult. If any of you lived in Cleveland, Ohio during the seventies and eighties, Audio Craft at 3915 Carnegie Avenue was the place to go if you wanted to purchase a quality entry-level, mid-level, or high-end audio system. My uncle Bob Franks was the manager there for many years and I got to help him on Monday and Thursday evenings, and each Saturday. He was instrumental in teaching me about excellent audio equipment, helping me put together my first system, and introducing me to The Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio.
Midnight Sugar (Three Blind Mice TBM-23) is the group’s 1974 debut for the Japanese jazz label and has long been a favorite to demonstrate high-end audio equipment at audio shows and audio salons worldwide. It’s also become a collector’s item, a mint original LP or the 1977, 1979, and 1982 Stereo reissues can cost a few hundred dollars. Joining the pianist are two giants in their own right, Isoo Fukui on bass and Tetsujiro Obara on drums. My copy used for this report is the 1977 Japanese Stereo reissue (Three Blind Mice TBM-2523) and LP collectors take note. Only the 1977, 1979 (TBM(P)-2523) and 1982 (Trio Records – Three Blind Mice PAP-2006) reissues list the group’s name as Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio. All other LP reissues and the original release show the pianist’s last name first.
Midnight Sugar is a slow tempo blues beginning Side One with a brief bowed bass introduction by Isoo before Yamamoto takes over on the melody. Tsuyoshi is the only soloist and is at his best on a lengthy interpretation that’s sublimely soulful and one of the highlights on the album, thanks to the rhythmic harmony provided by his colleagues. I’m A Fool To Want You was written in 1951 by Frank Sinatra, Jack Wolf, and Joel Herron. Sinatra recorded the song for Columbia Records, making it a hit. It opens with a graceful introduction and wistful delivery of the melody. The pace moves to midtempo for Yamamoto’s solo performance and he responds with a mesmerizing display and emotional depth preceding the closing chorus ending with fingertip delicacy.
The Nearness of You starts Side Two and was written in 1937 by Hoagy Carmichael and Ned Washington. It became a hit for Ray Eberle who recorded it with The Glenn Miller Orchestra in 1940. The trio dresses up this timeless evergreen with a blissful theme treatment and a sentimental swing on the song’s only interpretation by Yamamoto drawing the listener into this beautiful standard at a leisurely pace. It Could Happen To You is by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke, this popular song was written in 1943 and was first recorded by vocalist Jo Stafford with the Paul Weston Orchestra. Its first film appearance was in the 1944 musical comedy And The Angels Sing. The trio’s interaction is stunning on the dreamy melody. Tsuyoshi’s reading is skillfully constructed with tender lyricism on one of the most beautiful ballads ever written.
The album closes with Yamamoto’s Sweet Georgia Blues, an uptempo original sharing some similarities with the 1925 jazz and pop classic, Sweet Georgia Brown by Ben Bernie, Ken Casey, and Maceo Pinkard. It opens with a vivacious theme by the trio, then a brief comment preceding Obara giving a short workout of explosive fireworks. Tsuyoshi wraps up the album with a few final remarks of fun leading to the lively closing chorus.
Three Blind Mice began in 1970 with the premise of showcasing emerging jazz artists. The label produced one-hundred thirty albums over thirty years and was known for their outstanding sound. TBM also was instrumental in the development of Japanese jazz. Many of the stars from Japan now known around the world recorded their debut albums on the label. The album was produced by Takeshi Fujii who ran TBM for many years and recorded by Yoshihiko Kannari, the distinguished Japanese engineer who worked for TBM at the time, and now runs his own organization, Studio Lion since 2000.
The sound on Midnight Sugar is spectacular and a perfect choice to demonstrate any mid-level or high-end audio system. Your sweet spot is right in the studio with the musicians because of the incredible lifelike detail coming from the piano, bass, and drums. Tsuyoshi Yamamoto has an incredible discography of music, is still performing today and all of his albums on Three Blind Mice are worth occupying a spot in your library. If you’re looking for a jazz trio album for the library or are a fan of piano jazz specifically, I happily submit for your approval, Midnight Sugar by Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio. An album that’s quite a value for the music, sound quality, and a title that’ll provide its owner many hours of listening pleasure.
~ I’m A Fool To Want You (Columbia 39425); It Could Happen To You (Capitol Records 158); ~ The Nearness of You (Bluebird B-10745) – Source: Discogs.com
~ It Could Happen To You, The Nearness of You – Source: JazzStandards.com
~ I’m A Fool To Want You, Sweet Georgia Brown, Three Blind Mice – Source: Wikipedia.org
© 2021 by Edward Thomas Carter
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BILL CHARLAP QUARTET
Hailing from New York City and a musical family, this celebrated jazz pianists and Grammy winner Bill Charlap brings the celebrated soloist, composer, bandleader and outstanding saxophonist Nicole Glover exclusively to Bern for one week for the first time.
He has performed with many of the leading artists of our time including: Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ron Carter, Phil Woods, Gerry Mulligan and Tony Bennett. The album, “Tony Bennett and Bill Charlap: The Silver Lining, The Songs of Jerome Kern” (RPM) won a 2016 Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.
Currently, Nicole is a member of Ursa Major, led by bassist Christian McBride, and she performs often with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. In August 2023, she toured Australia with JLCO, performing Marsalis’ symphonic work “All Rise” with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
The Band: Bill Charlap, piano | Nicole Glover, saxophone | David Wong, bass | Carl Allen, drums
Tickets: First Show ~ CHF 54 ($61.22) | Second Show ~ CHF 44 ($49.88)
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Barry Miles was born Barry Miles Silverlight on March 28, 1947 in Newark, New Jersey and grew up in North Plainfield, New Jersey. In 1956 he joined the musicians union at age nine as a child prodigy on drums, piano and vibraphone appearing with Miles Davis and John Coltrane among other talents of the day. He appeared live and on television shows including To Tell the Truth, Dick Van Dyke’s variety show, and The Andy Williams Show.
In 1961 at age fourteen he made his solo artist debut recording, “Miles of Genius”, as drummer and composer with sidemen Al Hall and Duke Jordan. Miles continued to perform with his own band in the early 1960s in which he composed the material that enabled up and coming talents such as Woody Shaw, Eddie Gómez and Robin Kenyatta to display their talents.
While a student at Princeton University he concentrated on his piano playing, recording a live album in 1966 entitled Barry Miles Presents His Syncretic Compositions. He followed in 1969 with the eponymously titled album, Barry Miles, incorporating electric instruments.
The Seventies saw him recruiting his brother Terry Silverlight on drums along with guitarists Pat Martino and John Abercrombie to record his White Heat album, which is regarded as one of the pioneering fusion jazz recordings. For the next decade, Miles recorded several albums in which he developed the principle of fusing styles together in jazz.
In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, Barry went on to work as Roberta Flack’s musical director for a stint that lasted fifteen years. During that time he composed, produced and recorded songs that Flack recorded in the film Bustin’ Loose, and on her album Oasis. He established a long-lasting relationship with Al Di Meola as his performing, recording and co-producing keyboardist.
He wrote the instruction book, “Twelve Themes With Improvisations”, and is currently out of print. In 2013, he released Home and Away, Volume One, his first album as a leader in 27 years. Pianist, record producer and author Barry Miles continues to perform, record and produce.
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The Jazz Voyager
Heading back up to the Big Apple, this time motoring up the highway on 95 North. I’ll get in early and will be catching the sights and sounds of the city until it’s time to make my way to Columbus Circle. There it will be my fortune to be in the house that Wynton Marsalis helped build, as an audience member in Dizzy’s Club. Overlooking the New York skyline, the lights of the night will only enhance the performance.
This week this jazz voyager will be taking a very talented organist, pianist and composer, Akiko Tsuruga. Landing in New York City from Osaka, Japan she quickly immersed herself into the jazz scene. Sitting in and playing gigs, she eventually recorded with Frank Wess, Jimmy Cobb, Grady Tate and other top NY musicians. In 2006 she joined Lou Donaldson’s quartet.
Performance Lineup:
Akiko Tsuruga, organ Joe Magnarelli, trumpet Myron Walden, tenor & baritone, saxophone, flute Byron Landham, drums Charlie Sigler, guitar
Tickets: $20.00 ~$50.00
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SULLIVAN FORTNER
Sullivan Fortner has established himself as a multifaceted jazz talent over the past decade, showcasing his exceptional abilities as a pianist, composer and ensemble leader while maintaining his distinctive artistic voice. Originally from New Orleans, Louisian but now calls New York home, this Grammy Award winner has garnered worldwide recognition both for his solo performances and his collaborative work.
His musical partnerships span a diverse range of acclaimed artists, including vocalist-composer Cecile McLorin Salvant, legendary singer-songwriter Paul Simon, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves, and guitar virtuoso John Scofield.
Tickets: $65.00
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