Peace is the song of the day.

On the move. Walking south on Rupert to meet Gerald.

Only here to say “Peace” by Steve Turre is the song of the day. Listen and live it brothers and sisters.

yeah, Steve can play the conch. 

Larry Stops By For Django and a Beer

I love Django electrified

Django’s solo on this song (Peche a la mouche) is otherworldly. Eternal. This was recorded more than 60 years ago and you hear that in the band; a bit stilted and old-fashioned, then in comes Django’s solo that sounds like a time-traveler. Ahead of his time. I’m not sure any guitarist today could top him. As soon as Django went electric in the late '40s, I was in love.

[Didn't you buy that biography about him?]

Yeah, I did, but I haven't read it yet. It’s there on the bottom shelf with Gioia and Giddens. It has a yellow cover just like Vicious Dogs. Have you read my book yet?

[No, but one of these days. Linda read it and said it was great but then again she’s always been in love with you.]

That’s ridiculous.

[Don’t give me that. Usually you think every woman is in love with you and now you act like you don’t recognize how Linda always talks about you like you’re some kind a big deal? I mean it’s not like your book was published by Penguin or something. Like, how many copies did you even sell? A couple hundred? Wow Big time author. Watch out Stephen King!]

There’s no need to be an asshole Larry. I just wanted to play you some Django Reinhardt.

[Don’t get offended. I’m just telling it like it is. And you’re right. Django's out of this world.]

linda likes this photo i took of her

You Gotta Love Hank Mobley

I think you made a good point last night, Larry, when you said that if John Coltrane had never existed, Hank Mobley would take his place among the pantheon. No more 'middleweight' champion BS. Yeah, they really called him that while calling Coltrane the heavyweight champion. That must hurt when your nickname digs at you.

Hank Mobley is one of the greats

Yes, I love Hank Mobley too, as anyone who has been following this blog will know. Last night Larry and I were drinking a beer and listening to Another Workout (Blue Note, 1961) that has a stellar band, as all of Mobley's Blue Note albums did.

Hank Mobley - tenor saxophone

Wynton Kelly - piano

Paul Chambers - bass

Philly Joe Jones - drums

You'd be hard pressed to find a better trio to back you up, so no surprise that Mobley shines on this date. We were particularly taken by the ballad "Hello, Young Lovers" which I encourage you to listen to.

Larry also talked about the new Andrew Bird album being out and that he's loving it, but as great as Andrew Bird is, he's not jazz, so we won't discuss him in detail here. Sorry Andrew.

Tanya sounds like Dat Dere

Dexter's a class act

As recent posts will attest, Dexter Gordon has been on my mind lately and I’ve been listening to him a lot. One track in particular caught my ear; it’s one of my favourites. 'Tanya' from the album One Flight Up (Blue Note 1964). It’s another fantastic album with another amazing band.

Dexter Gordon - tenor saxophone

Donald Byrd - trumpet

Kenny Drew - piano

Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen - bass

Art Taylor – drums

I highly recommend the album and encourage you to listen to it as soon as possible.

This morning as I was grooving to 'Tanya' on my way to work, a strange thing happened. I realized that the catchy chorus sounds almost identical to Bobby Timmons’ song 'Dat Dere'. 'Dat Dere' was initially released on This Here Is Bobby Timmons (Riverside, 1960) has been recorded many times and it’s a great tune. 'Tanya' was written by Donald Byrd.

one of the best jazz album covers

I know that the theme doesn’t make the song and that Tanya is 18+ minutes of goodness, but there are similarities there. Borrowing from songs that came before is a natural part of music, especially jazz, so I don’t begrudge Donald Byrd or Dexter Gordon. Maybe he swiped the tune inadvertently, or maybe he loved 'Dat Dere' and wrote his theme as an homage.

I think you should come over and we can crack a craft beer and listen to the songs back to back. I’d appreciate your opinion. How about 8:30 once the kids go to bed?

In case you want to listen ahead of time and formulate some discussion points, here's Tanya and Dat Dere.

Music to Play While Cooking

Dexter's best?

We were making a lovely dinner Saturday night when you called. We chatted briefly and you noted that there was jazz playing in the background, as there so often is. 

I was feeling upbeat that night so we were listening to one of the great jazz albums “Our Man in Paris” (Blue Note, 1963) by Dexter Gordon. By this point, Gordon was living in Europe and so was the rest of the quartet.

I’m not surprised that so many jazz musicians moved to Europe in the 1950s and 1960s. I remember a story I heard about Duke Ellington. He said that one day he was playing a grand performance for Swedish royalty and given every courtesy imaginable, and then he came back to the USA and couldn’t stay in the same hotel as whites. I’m surprised MORE jazz musicians didn’t move to Europe. They didn't face the same level of discrimination and jazz was seen as the art form that it is.

Here's the band:

Dexter Gordon – tenor saxophone

Bud Powell – piano

Pierre Michelot – bass

Kenny Clarke – drums

Other than Michelot, the rest of the band are Legends. Bud Powell is, along with Thelonious Monk, the best pianist of the bebop era, and he died too young, like so many jazz musicians. Kenny Clarke, known as 'Klook', was one of the best jazz drummers ever and he recorded with just about everyone during his long career. In a nice change, he did not die young and lived until he was 71, which might be below the national average, but is positively ancient compared to other jazz musicians. Pierre Michelot, as the name would suggest, was a French bassist who doesn't have the credentials as his band mates, but he plays very well on this recording.

Dexter in Paris

The album is fantastic, as you’d expect from this line up and I highly recommend it.

Dinner was great that night and maybe the music helped. Have a listen to A Night in Tunisia and you’ll see why this album is considered one of the greats.

I’m sorry I didn’t invite you for dinner but it had been a busy day fixing broken dishwasher and leaky bathtubs and wasn’t up for entertaining. Rain check?

Because Sometimes You Need to Strut

love the title track for some serious strutting

Jazz is many things.

It's very diverse, which is why fans like me bristle when someone says they don't like jazz. How can you not like jazz? It's so many things!

I suppose there are those poor people out there who generally don't like music, and they have my deepest sympathy.

Depending on the album you're listening to, jazz can relaxing, energizing, intellectually stimulating, inspiring, fun, beautiful and more.

It can also give you a soundtrack for those days that are going so well that you just need to strut.

Cue "Right On" by Boogaloo Joe Jones. This killer track is from the album Right On Brother (Prestige, 1970). Some of the songs have a bit more organ than I can enjoy, but "Right On" hits that perfect balance.

Life is treating me fine lately, so I think I'll plug in my headphones and strut for 5 mins and 42 seconds while Boogaloo Joe Jones and his band do their thing.

A Unique Take on Monk by Miles Okazaki

This train is worth a ride

If I were to tell you that a jazz musician has put out an album called “The Complete Compositions of Thelonious Monk for Solo Guitar” would your first thought be, like mine, that that album couldn’t work. I mean, one of the great eccentric pianists, a man who played the keys unlike anyone before or since, can’t be brought to life on six strings can it?

If you’ve got the skill of Miles Okazaki, you can pull it off with style.

Trust me my friend, once you listened to Miles Okazaki’s recordings you’d admit, like I did, that these are damn good versions of classic jazz tunes. I’ve been listening to them a lot. I’ll have them spinning tonight.

They’re perfect to write to, perfect for a cocktail party. I urge you to visit his site  http://www.milesokazaki.com/ and listen for yourself. Spend a bit of money and buy it while you’re there.

Remember that? When we used to buy music? Go retro and show Miles some love.

What Time Is It?

he knows what time it is.

Feeling like I need something to pick me up.

Life can push you down sometimes, this isn't news to anyone, but music is the redeemer. Music can obliterate the worst of what life can dump on you.

Today I need some serious firepower so who better than Joe McPhee? He recorded the fantastic track 'Nation Time' in 1970.

I need to write about him but there's no time today so let's just stick with the music. It simplifies things anyways.

My wife doesn't want to know a thing about her favourite musicians in case they turn out to be assholes and that sours the music. I, for instance, wish I didn't know a thing about Woody Allen the man because it makes it damned hard to enjoy Woody Allen the filmmaker (or Woody Allen the old-time clarinetist). So maybe it's best that I don't know anything about Joe McPhee the man. It would be a shame if he turned out to be an asshole. I know Joe McPhee the saxophone player, and he's tops.

Have a listen, dear friends, to Joe McPhee and band kicking serious ass on Nation Time

The New Voyage of Discovery - The Clarinet

It was a great meeting last night. It’s always a pleasure to talk about educating the next generation of musicians, even if these are classical string musicians for the most part. I suppose getting the education first is important and hopefully some of them will realize that jazz is the truest path.

As I drove home along Hazelwood I was listening to a great album led by a man on a clarinet. The clarinet gets a bad rap and I haven’t written about it often here. If you were to ask ten jazz buffs their list of the Top Ten Jazz Musicians Of All Time (and you know we love making those kinds of lists), how many clarinetists would there be? Not many.

The exception would be those people who favour the old-time stuff. Woody Herman or Artie Shaw might make it. I like Woody best when he sings songs for hip lovers. The last clarinetist that was cool and hugely famous was probably Artie Shaw. He was a big star and was married to Lana Turner and Ava Gardner, though not at the same time. 

Not bad for a clarinetist

Last night it was neither Artie Shaw nor Woody Herman that was spinning, but Buddy DeFranco playing with the Oscar Peterson Quartet. This is a killer band, which doesn’t hurt, but Buddy holds his own with that legendary quartet.

Clarinet – Buddy De Franco

Piano – Oscar Peterson

Guitar – Herb Ellis

Bass – Ray Brown

Drums – Louis Bellson

The track that hit me as I drove those country roads was ‘PickYourself Up’. Yeah, I can hear you say that the title is appropriate given my current gloomy perspective. Buddy shows how it’s done on this track. Just trace his solo around the 5:50 mark and hear him piling phrase on phrase and Oscar and the band humming beneath him and you know you’re onto something special.

Maybe the clarinet should be our voyage of discovery for this new year. What do you say? Jimmy Giuffre anyone?

The Sermon has been found

The Sermon. It didn't move me to religious ecstasy.

not terribly inspired

It took some digging but I found the album deep in my collection and it’s been spinning this afternoon. The trio is top-notch: Hampton Hawes – piano, Leroy Vinnegar – bass and Stan Levey – drums. You’d think that trio would be killer and on another date they would have been. On this night however, it just doesn’t come together. There isn’t that magic that appears when a band and the material is right. 

Maybe that’s the problem: the material.

I get that Hampton was looking ahead to years in prison and that may have left him thinking of the beyond but the choice to do an all spirituals album didn’t work, at least not to my ears. The music isn’t bad, it just isn’t as great as you’d expect from these three.

So let me give a recommendation since I know I piqued your interest about Hampton Hawes these past few days. What album should you buy?

I’ll give you options.

1. I spoke about the ‘All Night Sessions’ album and that’s a classic.

2. If that’s not enough, you could pick up ‘The Trio: Complete Sessions with Red Mitchell and Chuck Thompson'. 35 tracks of goodness that you could pick up cheap.

3. If you want to hear him in different context with a horn player, which you don’t get to hear often with him, how about ‘For Real!’ Harold Land plays some fantastic sax on this album. It’s also one of the few recordings made with Scott LeFaro who would join Bill Evans in June 1961 for his seminal Live at the Village Vanguard recordings (and die tragically in July).

If you want a taste, have a listen to the title track. It starts with Scott LeFaro walking us in and then comes the band. It's a swinging 11 minutes that I know you'll enjoy.

It happened the night of November 12-13, 1956.

I’ve written elsewhere about the scourge of heroin in jazz. (I should immediately add that it was the policing and criminal sentences handed down to jazz drug users that hurt the music during its height, not just death or illness from using.)

Surely we’ve all wondered what musical landscapes Charlie Parker may have discovered had he reached the age of 35. I know you and I have discussed it at a party once, years ago.

Hampton was so cool and so busted

I’m listening to one of the great jazz quartets and one you may not be familiar with.

Hampton Hawes was one of the great pianists of the West Coast scene in the 1950s. It’s easy to focus on the legendary horn players: Art Pepper, Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Bud Shank, Jimmy Guiffre; but the keys had no shortage of heavyweights: Claire Fischer, Russ Freeman, Jimmy Rowles; and Hampton Hawes was right there with them.

I’m listening to Hawes’ All Night Sessions album (Contemporary, 1956).  

It was originally released as three albums. The title is accurate. All of the music, seventeen tracks, almost two hours of top-notch jazz, was recorded in a single night session in Los Angeles November 12-13, 1956. It’s not unusual for jazz groups to make maximum use of studio time and get as much onto tape as possible and maybe the fast pace led to the recordings a vibrancy that lifts each track. You need to get your hands on these recordings.

Jim could play that thing

Jim Hall had a large role to play in the greatness. To me, he’s one of the top 3 or 4 guitarists in jazz and I’ve written before about what a fan I am of his playing. (I remember having you over for coffee and going on about his trio recorded in Toronto). He’s masterful in his accompaniment and during his moments to shine.

Here’s the band:

Hampton Hawes - piano

Jim Hall - guitar

Red Mitchell - bass

Eldridge Freeman – drums

Red Mitchell's no slouch on the bass and as for Eldridge Freeman...I don't know him. Lays downs some nice brush strokes.

Why did I mention drugs? The jazz world lost Hampton for five years beginning in 1958 after he was convicted for heroin charges. He was later pardoned by John F. Kennedy, but that’s another story. What song to offer? Toss a coin really but how about Hampton’s Pulpit. You'll see what I mean about the fantastic interplay between Hampton and Jim.

Let’s talk soon. Rodney called me and you won’t believe what he told me.

This One's For Doris

Sitting in my car. Lunchtime. Shelley Manne's "Live at the Blackhawk" is playing. Wonder Why. Victor Feldman has a light touch on the keys in this one. The band's channeling the Ahmad Jamal Trio.

(Though let’s be honest: I enjoy Feldman’s playing, but it doesn’t have those astonishing otherworldly moments of Jamal.)

The season is finally turning over. I think spring is here to stay. A lot of change in the world right now. A new day job for me in a few days. A new book percolating and maybe ready to come out.

Lets agree that Wonder Why will be my soundtrack for the coming weeks. Upbeat. Cool. Relaxed yet propelled forward at a steady pace.


Turn off the news, sweet Doris. There’s nothing we need there today. 

Ahmad Jamal smiles, as we all do when we hear him play

Recorded Live at The Black Hawk

buy every volume. you won't regret it

Tonight as I get dinner together I’m listening to one of my all-time favourites. I’m making pizza and about to spread some flour and decide whether I should open a Belgian or Canadian beer.

‘Summertime’ is playing. It’s been recorded hundreds of times and with the exception of Billy Stewart’s classic, this might be my favourite recording of it.

Manne is the drummer, but he doesn't dominate the recordings, as someone like Buddy Rich or Art Blakey can do. He put together a killer band and he let them do their thing. They were settling into a long stand at the club and they seemed relaxed together. They played like men who loved what the others on the bandstand were playing, and were uplifted by it.

Other than Manne, they're not very well known outside of jazz circles, though they were all solid West Coast players:

Shelley Manne - drums
Joe Gordon - trumpet
Richie Kamuca - tenor sax
Victor Feldman - piano
Monty Budwig - bass

This band is tight. They sound like they've been playing together for years. For me, the stand out is Victor Feldman, who I listened to a lot after I discovered this recording. An English musical prodigy, he was primarily a vibist and percussionist and the legend goes that he didn't play piano until shortly before this recording was made. I'm not sure if that's true, but I like the story enough that I choose to believe it.

Just now I realize that I have to track down some of Richie Kamuca recordings so we can talk about them next time we get together.

The lovely Blue Daniel just started. Such a great song, especially now that things are feeling pretty heavy at home and around the world.

Head over any time. Pizza will be ready soon.

Belgian it is.

Fabulous Flamenco on a Winter's Morn

Miles & Bill - I wish they had recorded 100 albums together...

Friends, I know I've spoken a great deal about spending a lot of time listening to lesser known jazz musicians and while this is true, the track that accompanied me through my drive to work on this unseasonably mild January morning (what happened to northern winters?) was the absolutely lovely "Flamenco Sketches" from Miles Davis' seminal recording Kind of Blue. You know that I am in love with Bill Evans and to hear him playing with Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Paul Chambers, Cannonball Adderley and Jimmy Cobb... well it doesn't get much better than that, does it?

Enjoy this classic, my friends.

Kind of Blue is the best-selling jazz album of all time for a very good reason, don't you think? After all, I named it an Essential Album That All Humans Should Own, so I imagine you've already bought it, listened to it constantly like I did upon first hearing it, then rushed out and bought as much Bill Evans as you could afford.

Eddie Costa, Another One Who Died Too Young

happy hipster

I've been on a real kick of exploring some of the lesser known lights of jazz, as my last few posts will attest. Have you heard of the incredible Eddie Costa? He was a West Coast player who was equally proficient on piano and vibes, he had a percussive attack on the keys that really is all his own.

He played some great music with Bill Evans handling the keys while Eddie played vibes. Another great group in the history of jazz.

Luckily Eddie left some fine music behind before his tragic car accident (wait, ignore that - we avoid talking about the details of the bad endings that came to jazz musicians, though perhaps if I am feeling particularly nihilistic one day I could write all about it) and one of my favourites, at least as of this morning as I drove to work, is his rendition of 'Get Happy'. Friends, listen for a few seconds and you'll see what I mean about his wonderful rhythmic talents. It's a gem of a song and I urge you to seek him out.

Lou Blackburn on the Trombone

Lou Blackburn is a revelation. If you're going to download one album from iTunes this holiday season, may I suggest Lou Blackburn's "The Complete Imperial Sessions" which features the trombonist in partnership with trumpeter Preddie Hill. Never heard of either man? That's okay. He is newish to me too but don't let his lack of fame disuade you.

This is some killer music will be a perfect soundtrack to your holiday cocktail parties.

I know that by now you trust my judgement and are likely already downloading this album, but to alleviate any doubts, or to entertain you while the download continues, have a listen to Perception. That's a great groove isn't it? That's hard bop at its finest.

The Art of the Trio - Barney Kessel

I've written a fair deal about how I have recently been enjoying the jazz trio and the vast variety of sounds that can be produced, and that isn't just with the piano at the centre; the guitar trio also offers delights.

I have been loving Barney Kessel lately and this amazing song 'Crisis' is not only a great example of Barney's swinging style, but, like the Bill Evans Trio, shows how large a role the drummer and bassist play in the song. This isn't just Barney saying 'Listen to me! Aren't I amazing??' since from those opening moments of Shelly Manne and Ray Brown (both giants in their own right) laying down a captivating beat, you are aware that this group is a strong and cohesive unit.

I know you will enjoy this one my friends!

Ladies and gentlemen, Ray Crawford

you don't get much cooler than this

I am new to the music of Ray Crawford, and friends, I wish he recorded more. His incredible album Smooth Groove has been in constant rotation this week, making for a very groovy few days.

I am familiar with him from his recordings with the great Ahmad Jamal (he played on his earliest recordings before Vernel Fournier joined the group. I would have loved to hear what Crawford and Fournier would have done together!), but on Smooth Groove (1961) he has a bluesy feel that I can't get enough of. Have I mentioned that I wish he recorded more? Cecil Payne is a stand-out on baritone sax and the entire band is in top form.

Have a listen to the delightful "Miss April" then do yourself a favour and buy this disc immediately.  Weekend is upon us and you'd be hard pressed to find a better summer weekend soundtrack. If only he'd recorded more...

The Art of the Trio

Erroll Garner on the keys

I know you've heard me talk before about being a recent devotee to the piano trio. I am constantly amazed by the different sounds available to those three musicians. Today I was listening to one of the all-time classic jazz recordings: 'Misty' by Erroll Garner from the album 'Contrasts' (1954).

This song is such a classic that it would be easy to dismiss it, much the same way you could dismiss the Dave Brubeck Quartet's 'Take Five'. Dismiss 'Misty' at your peril! Some things are popular for a reason. It didn't hurt the legendary status of the song that Clint Eastwood made a movie called 'Play Misty For Me.'

Have a listen (and take a look) to a live version. He really did have a sound of his own. Perfect music for a blustery spring day.

Because you know how much I love to share music with you,  let's listen to the incomparable Johnny Smith's version. We need to discuss Mr. Smith some time soon!

The Piano Player in my Dreams is Named Phineas?

Though I have little acuity on the keys, when I dream I am often a gifted jazz pianist. I wake and feel certain that if I were to have a piano placed in front of me I would be able to play; that the unconscious ability would remain for at least a moment. They are vivid and joyous dreams.

the best men wear glasses

Today I realized that when I am dreaming, my piano playing sounds like that of Phineas Newborn, Jr.

Now I admit I have heard the name, and even heard some of his music but I never really heard it until today. That is, I never heard it while I was awake...

I read a great article at Jazz Profiles that prompted me to listen to his album 'Here Is Phineas' that features the great Oscar Pettiford on bass and Kenny Clarke on drums. The fact that the album is subtitled 'The Piano Artistry of Phineas Newborn Jr' should give you some idea of the breathtaking nature of the 23-year-old's recording debut. It's an incredible display of virtuosity that I can't recommend highly enough to fans of jazz piano.

Phineas, like Monk, Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum (quite the list of names to be placed with!) has a unique voice that will surely become instantly recognizable to me after a few more listens. I suspect my collection of Phineas (pronounced by him as 'Fine as' by the way) will be growing in the coming weeks. Lucky me!

I hope when I sleep tonight I will again sound like this.