The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

Reveling in my space during this time of temporary seclusion, I am with my music and having lit a few candles, a couple of sticks of incense burning I prepare myself for the talented alto saxophonist and composer Benny Carter. As I drop the needle on his  self-produced Aspects album, I kick back, stretch out and enjoy. Recorded in late summer of 1958 in Los Angeles, California it was released the following year on United Artists.

Except where noted, all compositions by Benny Carter 

1. June in January (Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin) ~ 3:12
2. February Fiesta (Hal Schaefer) ~ 1:54
3. March Wind ~ 3:16
4. I’ll Remember April (Gene de Paul, Patricia Johnston, Don Raye) ~ 3:21
5. One Morning in May (Hoagy Carmichael, Mitchell Parish) ~ 2:49
6. June Is Bustin’ Out All Over (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II) – 2:59
7. Sleigh Ride in July (Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke) ~ 2:50
8. August Moon ~ 3:39
9. September Song (Kurt Weill, Maxwell Anderson) ~ 2:39
10. Something for October ~ 2:52
11. Swingin’ in November ~ 3:02
12. Roses in December (Ben Oakland, Herb Magidson, George Jessel) ~ 2:36

• Benny Carter – alto saxophone, arranger

• Pete Candoli, Conrad Gozzo, Uan Rasey, Shorty Sherock – trumpet
• Herbie Harper, Tommy Pederson, George Roberts – trombone
• Buddy Collette, Chuck Gentry, Justin Gordon, Bill Green – saxophone
• Arnold Ross – piano
• Larry Bunker – vibraphone
• Bobby Gibbons – guitar
• Joe Comfort – bass
• Shelly Manne – drums

• Joe Gordon, Al Porcino, Ray Triscari, Stu Williamson – trumpet
• Russ Brown, Tommy Pederson, Frank Rosolino – trombone
• Buddy Collette, Jewell Grant, Bill Green, Plas Johnson – saxophone
• Gerald Wiggins – piano
• Barney Kessel – guitar
• Joe Comfort – bass
• Shelly Manne – drums

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

It’s All Over But The Swingin’ is a studio album by Sammy Davis, Jr. that was recorded on July1~2 and 9~10, 1957 and released the same year on the Decca Record label. The music was arranged by Jack Pleis and Morty Stevens and the session was produced by Lee Gillette.

1. Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne) ~ 4:43
2. But Not for Me (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) ~ 3:24
3. Where’s That Rainbow? (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) ~ 3:27
4. I Cover the Waterfront (Johnny Green, Edward Heyman) ~ 3:19
5. Don’t Blame Me (Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh) ~ 2:52
6. Better Luck Next Time (Irving Berlin) ~ 2:43
7. Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Gal (Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern) ~ 4:53
8. It Never Entered My Mind (Hart, Rodgers) ~ 4:05
9. Someone to Watch over Me (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin) ~ 3:23
10. I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face (Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe) ~ 2:47
11.      Spring Is Here” (Hart, Rodgers) ~ 4:03
12. I Can’t Get Started” (Vernon Duke, I. Gershwin) ~ 3:29

• Sammy Davis, Jr. – vocal
• Dan Lube, M. Sosson – violin
• Al Dinkin, Paul Robyn – viola
• Eleanor Slatkin – cello
• Harry Klee – flute
• Harry Edison, Conrad Gozzo, Virgil Evans, Mannie Klein – trumpet
• Milt Bernhart, Frank Howard, George Roberts – trombone
• Harry Klein, Ronnie Lang – alto saxophone
• Babe Russin, Don Raffell – tenor saxophone
• Bob Lawson – baritone saxophone
• Roger Renner – piano
• Tony Rizzi, Bob Bain – guitar
• Mort Cobb, Joe Comfort – double bass
• Irving Cottler, Alvin Stoller – drums

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

My social distancing and masks continues amidst the on-going vaccinations. This week the album I’m puting on the turntable is an album from a member of a family who are vocal royalty. The album is a 2018 titled My Mood Is You by Freddy Cole.

Recorded on the HighNote label The album features Cole’s working band. Arrangements are by Randy Napoleon and John DiMartino. This album received a nomination for a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album on December 7, 2018.

1. My Mood Is You ~ 5:47
2. Temptation ~ 4:55
3. Almost In Love ~ 5:39
4. I’ll Always Leave The Door A Little Open ~ 5:45
5. First Began ~ 6::21
6. The y Didn’t Believe Me ~ 4:34
7. My Heart Tells Me ~ 6:32
8. The Lonely One ~ 5:12
9. Love Like This Can’t Last ~ 4:17
10. Marie ~ 3:20

• Freddy Cole ~ piano, vocal
• Randy Napoleon ~ guitar
• Elias Bailey ~ bass
• Quentin Baxter ~ drums
• John DiMartino ~ piano
• Joel Frahm ~ tenor saxophone

This pandemic is here for the long haul. In the meantime, stay vigilant, wear masks and remain healthy and we’ll all be jet setting sooner than we think.

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

OPEN ON ALL SIDES IN THE MIDDLE

Having settled into a routine over the past year of wearing masks and social distancing life is so much easier for this jazz voyager. So continuing my uninterrupted time to kick back, relax and listen to music, I have selected the album Open On All Sides In The Middle, the 1986 recording by pianist Geri Allen. The recording session was in December 1986 at Sound Suite Recording Studio in Detroit, Michigan. The album was produced by Allen, who also composed all the songs, and released on the German Minor Music label.

Track List | 43:47

1. “Open on All Sides / The Glide Was in the Ride…” – 6:45
2. “Forbidden Place” – 4:24
3. “The Dancer” – 2:33
4. “In the Middle” – 4:01
5. “Ray” – 4:17
6. “I Sang a Bright Green Tear for All of Us This Year…” – 12:46
7. “Drummer’s Song” – 2:24
8. “In the Morning” – 5:03
9. “The Dancer Part 2” 1:34

The Players

• Geri Allen – piano, keyboards, backing vocals
• Rayse Biggs – trumpet, flugelhorn
• Robin Eubanks – trombone
• David McMurray – soprano saxophone, flute
• Steve Coleman – alto saxophone
• Jaribu Shahid – bass
• Tani Tabbal – drums
• Shahida Nurullah – lead vocals
• Marcus Belgrave – flugelhorn (track 8)
• Mino Cinelu – cymbals, bells, congas, timbales, electronic drums, udu
• Lloyd Storey – tap dance

This pandemic is here for the long haul. In the meantime, stay vigilant, wear masks and remain healthy and we’ll all be jet setting sooner than we think.

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

Adapting and accepting the mask wearing, social distancing and self-quarantining has made life so much easier from this jazz voyager’s perspective. As we experience continued spikes in the coronavirus as the vaccine is rolled out, we still need to make the conscious effort to do our individual part to stave the spread.

So continuing my uninterrupted time to kick back, relax and listen to music, the album I have chosen The Sting Variations by vocalist Tierney Sutton. The recording session was arranged and produced by Trey Henry at LAFX Recording Services, The Doghouse Studio in May 2016, and released on September 9, 2016 for BFM Records.

The album was engineered and mixed by Zackary Darling, mixed and mastered by Michael Aarvold– mastering, mixing and earned the Tierney Sutton Band a Grammy Award nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

1. Driven To Tears ~ 5:47
2. If You Love Somebody Set them Free ~ 5:53
3. Seven Days ~ 6:17
4. Shadows In The Rain ~ 4:37
5. Walking In Your Footsteps ~ 3:50
6. Fragile/Gentle Rain (Sting/Luis Bonfa/Matt Dubey) ~ 4:37
7. Message In A Bottle ~ 4:27
8. Fields Of Gold ~ 4:45
9. Fortress Around Your Heart ~ 4:04
10. Language Of Birds (Sting/Rob Mathes) ~ 5:09
11. Every Little Thing He Does Is Magic ~ 3:02
12. Every Breath You Take ~ 4:46
13. Synchronicity ~ 4:11
14. Consider Me Gone ~ 5:35

• Tierney Sutton – vocals
• Christian Jacob – piano
• Ray Brinker – drums, percussion
• Kevin Axt – double bass
• Trey Henry – double bass, bass guitar

This pandemic is here for the long haul. In the meantime, stay vigilant, wear masks and remain healthy and we’ll all be jet setting sooner than we think.

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