a.k.a. "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire"
written by Mel Tormé and Bob Wells in 1944 (Mel Tormé was 19 years old at the time). Nat King Cole recorded this tune four different times, and the last of them still gets a lot of air play during the Christmas season.
But here are two jazz guitar versions -- take your pick!
Performed by jazz guitarist Bob Champagne
Performed by jazz guitarist Sean Harkness
...from Mark Evanier:
I want to tell you a story about Mel Tormé, a generation gap, and “The Christmas Song”...
The scene is Farmer's Market – the famed tourist mecca of Los Angeles. It's a quaint collection of bungalow stores, produce stalls and little stands where one can buy darn near anything edible one wishes to devour. You buy your pizza slice or sandwich or Chinese food or whatever at one of umpteen counters, then carry it on a tray to an open-air table for consumption. On a winter weekday, not long before Christmas, the crowd was mostly older folks, dawdling over coffee and Danish. I arrived, headed for my favorite barbecue stand and, en route, noticed that Mel Tormé was seated at one of the tables.
Mel Tormé. My favorite singer. Just sitting there, sipping a cup of coffee, munching on an English Muffin, reading The New York Times. Mel Tormé.
I had never met Mel Tormé. Alas, I still haven't, and now I never will. He looked like he was engrossed in the paper that day, so I didn't stop and say, "Excuse me, I just wanted to tell you how much I've enjoyed all your records." I wish I had.
Instead, I continued over to the BBQ place, got myself a chicken sandwich and settled down at a table to consume it. I was about halfway through when four Christmas carolers strolled by, singing "Let It Snow," a cappella.
They were young adults with strong, fine voices and they were all clad in splendid Victorian garb. The Market had hired them (I assume) to stroll about and sing for the diners — a little touch of the holidays.
"Let It Snow" concluded not far from me to polite applause from all within earshot. I waved the leader of the chorale over and directed his attention to Mr. Tormé, seated about twenty yards from me.
"That's Mel Tormé down there. Do you know who he is?"
The singer was about 25, so it didn't horrify me that he said, "No."
I asked, "Do you know 'The Christmas Song?'"
Again, a "No."
I said, "That's the one that starts, 'Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...'"
"Oh, yes," the caroler chirped. "Is that what it's called? 'The Christmas Song?'"
"That's the name," I explained. "And that man wrote it." The singer thanked me, returned to his group for a brief huddle...and then they strolled down towards Mel Tormé. I ditched the rest of my sandwich and followed, a few steps behind. As they reached their quarry, they began singing, "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..." directly to him.
A big smile formed on Mel Tormé's face — and it wasn't the only one around. Most of those sitting at nearby tables knew who he was and many seemed aware of the significance of singing that song to him. For those who didn't, there was a sudden flurry of whispers: "That's Mel Tormé...he wrote that..."
As the choir reached the last chorus or two of the song, Mel got to his feet and made a little gesture that meant, "Let me sing one chorus solo." The carolers — all still apparently unaware they were in the presence of one of the world's great singers — looked a bit uncomfortable. I'd bet at least a couple were thinking, "Oh, no...the little fat guy wants to sing."
But they stopped and the little fat guy started to sing...and, of course, out came this beautiful, melodic, perfectly-on-pitch voice. The look on the face of the singer I'd briefed was amazed at first...then properly impressed.
On Mr. Tormé's signal, they all joined in on the final lines: "Although it's been said, many times, many ways...Merry Christmas to you..." Big smiles all around.
And not just from them. I looked and at all the tables surrounding the impromptu performance, I saw huge grins of delight...which segued, as the song ended, into a huge burst of applause. The whole tune only lasted about two minutes but I doubt anyone who was there will ever forget it.
I have witnessed a number of thrilling "show business" moments — those incidents, far and few between, where all the little hairs on your epidermis snap to attention and tingle with joy. Usually, these occur on a screen or stage. I hadn't expected to experience one next to a falafel stand — but I did.
Tormé thanked the harmonizers for the serenade and one of the women said, "You really wrote that?"
He nodded. "A wonderful songwriter named Bob Wells and I wrote that...and, get this — we did it on the hottest day of the year in July. It was a way to cool down."
Then the gent I'd briefed said, "You know, you're not a bad singer." He actually said that to Mel Tormé.
Mel chuckled. He realized that these four young folks hadn't the velvet-foggiest notion who he was, above and beyond the fact that he'd worked on that classic Christmas song. "Well," he said. "I've actually made a few records in my day..."
"Really?" the other man asked. "How many?"
Tormé smiled and said, "About ninety."
Mel Tormé worked on the Judy Garland television show in the 1960s (as arranger and performer), and this clip has them performing “The Christmas Song” as a duet; Miss Garland flubs the lyrics in several places, and Mr. Tormé takes it all in stride. Here, Mel plays piano, but he was also a jazz drummer of note. Click on "How High the Moon" in the column to the right, and you can see and hear Mel play drums while Nat King Cole plays a mean piano backing up vocalist June Christy. Both men later gave up their respective instruments to perform exclusively as vocalists. Trivia: Mr. Tormé also appeared as an actor in more than 20 films.
Showing posts with label Ballads. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ballads. Show all posts
Monday, December 7, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
All about Ronnie - Chris Connor
Venerated jazz singer Chris Connor died August 29, 2009, at the age of 81. Her career reached its peak in the 1950s, but she performed until 2004.
Here is her rendition of "All about Ronnie," a jazz classic written in 1953 by Joe Greene. It is a smouldering ballad of romantic obsession. Connor's voice is much in the mold of June Christy, whom she replaced in the Stan Kenton band in 1952.
Here is her rendition of "All about Ronnie," a jazz classic written in 1953 by Joe Greene. It is a smouldering ballad of romantic obsession. Connor's voice is much in the mold of June Christy, whom she replaced in the Stan Kenton band in 1952.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Speak Low - drummer Shelly Manne
Speak Low
from One Touch of Venus (1943)
Lyrics by Ogden Nash; music by Kurt Weill
Sheely Manne and his Men:
Shelly Manne, drums
Conte Candoli, trumpet
Richie Kamuca, tenor sax
Russ Freeman, piano
Monty Budwig, bass
Trivia:
One Touch of Venus – When Marlene Dietrich backed out of the title role, deeming it too profane and sexual, Mary Martin stepped up to the plate and established herself as a Broadway star.
Another take:
This one takes its time to heat up, but by 3:00 or so the pot starts to boil. Maestro Rybicki’s extended bass solo at the 5:30 mark is outstanding (and more than 2 minutes long).
Matthew Rybicki Quartet
Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Jazz at Lincoln Center (NYC).
Matthew Rybicki, bass
Dan Nimmer, piano
Dominick Farinacci, trumpet
Marion Felder, drums
from One Touch of Venus (1943)
Lyrics by Ogden Nash; music by Kurt Weill
Sheely Manne and his Men:
Shelly Manne, drums
Conte Candoli, trumpet
Richie Kamuca, tenor sax
Russ Freeman, piano
Monty Budwig, bass
Trivia:
One Touch of Venus – When Marlene Dietrich backed out of the title role, deeming it too profane and sexual, Mary Martin stepped up to the plate and established herself as a Broadway star.
Another take:
This one takes its time to heat up, but by 3:00 or so the pot starts to boil. Maestro Rybicki’s extended bass solo at the 5:30 mark is outstanding (and more than 2 minutes long).
Matthew Rybicki Quartet
Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Jazz at Lincoln Center (NYC).
Matthew Rybicki, bass
Dan Nimmer, piano
Dominick Farinacci, trumpet
Marion Felder, drums
Monday, June 15, 2009
Blame It on My Youth
Keith Jarrett Trio
In this sensitive performance by pianist Keith Jarrett, the influence of Bill Evans is obvious.
This song, composed by Oscar Levant in 1934, has a remarkable lyric by Edward Heyman:
If I expected love when first we kissed, blame it on my youth.
If only just for you, I did exist, blame it on my youth.
I believed in everything, like a child of three.
You meant more than anything, all the world to me.
If you were on my mind all night and day, blame it on my youth.
If I forgot to eat, and sleep and pray, blame it on my youth.
If I cried a little bit, when first I learned the truth,
Don't blame it on my heart, blame it on my youth.
UPDATE:
Jazz stylist, composer, singer and acoustic guitarist Kenny Rankin lost his life to lung cancer in Los Angeles on June 7, 2009. He was 69 years old.
In the following audio clip, Kenny Rankin injects the trademarks of his laid-back vocal style: portamento and condensing the timing of a phrase (rushing notes ahead of their rhythmic placement as originally composed). Like a true jazz singer, he abandons the printed melody more often than not, adding his distinctive mark to the entire track.
In this sensitive performance by pianist Keith Jarrett, the influence of Bill Evans is obvious.
This song, composed by Oscar Levant in 1934, has a remarkable lyric by Edward Heyman:
If I expected love when first we kissed, blame it on my youth.
If only just for you, I did exist, blame it on my youth.
I believed in everything, like a child of three.
You meant more than anything, all the world to me.
If you were on my mind all night and day, blame it on my youth.
If I forgot to eat, and sleep and pray, blame it on my youth.
If I cried a little bit, when first I learned the truth,
Don't blame it on my heart, blame it on my youth.
UPDATE:
Jazz stylist, composer, singer and acoustic guitarist Kenny Rankin lost his life to lung cancer in Los Angeles on June 7, 2009. He was 69 years old.
In the following audio clip, Kenny Rankin injects the trademarks of his laid-back vocal style: portamento and condensing the timing of a phrase (rushing notes ahead of their rhythmic placement as originally composed). Like a true jazz singer, he abandons the printed melody more often than not, adding his distinctive mark to the entire track.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
But Beautiful -- Charles McPherson, alto sax
The jazz ballad But Beautiful has music by Jimmy Van Heusen, lyrics by Johnny Burke.
Charles McPherson – alto sax
Steve Kuhn – piano
David Williams – bass
Leroy Williams – drums
Charles McPherson was born in Joplin, Missouri, but moved to Detroit at age nine. McPherson started playing jazz professionally at age 19, moving to New York in 1959. He performed with Charles Mingus from 1960 to 1972, collaborating frequently George Coleman (tenor sax).
McPherson was recently featured at Lincoln Center showcasing his original compositions and arrangements with a seven piece ensemble. McPherson has recorded as guest artist with Charlie Mingus, Barry Harris, Art Farmer, Kenny Drew, Toshiko Akiyoshi, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. Charles was also the featured alto saxophonist in the Clint Eastwood film "Bird," a biography about Charlie Parker.
McPherson remains a strong, viable force on the jazz scene today. He is at the height of his powers. His playing combines passionate feeling with intricate patterns of improvisation. Throughout his four decades of being an integral performer of the music, Charles has not merely remained true to his BOP origins, but has expanded on them.
The distinctive lyrics, with their clever rhymes, come through clearly in this interpretation by Nat King Cole:
Love is funny, or it's sad,
Or it's quiet, or it's mad.
It's a good thing, or it's bad,
But beautiful...
Beautiful to take a chance
And if you fall, you fall,
And I'm thinking,
I wouldn't mind at all.
Love is tearful, or it's gay,
It's a problem, or it's play.
It's a heartache either way,
But beautiful...
And I'm thinking, if you were mine,
I'd never let you go.
And that would be but beautiful,
I know.
Charles McPherson – alto sax
Steve Kuhn – piano
David Williams – bass
Leroy Williams – drums
Charles McPherson was born in Joplin, Missouri, but moved to Detroit at age nine. McPherson started playing jazz professionally at age 19, moving to New York in 1959. He performed with Charles Mingus from 1960 to 1972, collaborating frequently George Coleman (tenor sax).
McPherson was recently featured at Lincoln Center showcasing his original compositions and arrangements with a seven piece ensemble. McPherson has recorded as guest artist with Charlie Mingus, Barry Harris, Art Farmer, Kenny Drew, Toshiko Akiyoshi, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. Charles was also the featured alto saxophonist in the Clint Eastwood film "Bird," a biography about Charlie Parker.
McPherson remains a strong, viable force on the jazz scene today. He is at the height of his powers. His playing combines passionate feeling with intricate patterns of improvisation. Throughout his four decades of being an integral performer of the music, Charles has not merely remained true to his BOP origins, but has expanded on them.
The distinctive lyrics, with their clever rhymes, come through clearly in this interpretation by Nat King Cole:
Love is funny, or it's sad,
Or it's quiet, or it's mad.
It's a good thing, or it's bad,
But beautiful...
Beautiful to take a chance
And if you fall, you fall,
And I'm thinking,
I wouldn't mind at all.
Love is tearful, or it's gay,
It's a problem, or it's play.
It's a heartache either way,
But beautiful...
And I'm thinking, if you were mine,
I'd never let you go.
And that would be but beautiful,
I know.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye
Words & music by Cole Porter (1944)
The Seven Lively Arts was a Broadway revue starring Beatrice Lillie that featured songs by Cole Porter, ballet music by Igor Stravinsky, scenery by Salvador Dali, and a pit orchestra conducted by Benny Goodman. The show played at the Zeigfeld Theater, which had a foyer decorated by Dali to illustrate each of the seven lively arts: architecture, painting, sculpture, dance, drama, music and literature.
Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye, a haunting ballad, is the only song from the overwrought production to survive as a standard, and this composition is often used as an example of words and music in a perfect marriage. It begins with an unusual feature – a single note repeated eight times, and the harmonies that follow are constantly shifting. Most critics maintain that this is among the very finest of Cole Porter’s songs. The words are particularly evocative, expressing the sentiments of lovers parting.
Ev'ry time we say goodbye, I die a little.
Ev'ry time we say goodbye, I wonder why a little.
Why the gods above me, who must be in the know,
Think so little of me, they allow you to go.
When you’re near, there’s such an air of spring about it,
I can hear a lark somewhere begin to sing about it,
There’s no love song finer, but how strange the change from major to minor,
Ev’ry time we say goodbye.
Natalie Cole
The Seven Lively Arts was a Broadway revue starring Beatrice Lillie that featured songs by Cole Porter, ballet music by Igor Stravinsky, scenery by Salvador Dali, and a pit orchestra conducted by Benny Goodman. The show played at the Zeigfeld Theater, which had a foyer decorated by Dali to illustrate each of the seven lively arts: architecture, painting, sculpture, dance, drama, music and literature.
Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye, a haunting ballad, is the only song from the overwrought production to survive as a standard, and this composition is often used as an example of words and music in a perfect marriage. It begins with an unusual feature – a single note repeated eight times, and the harmonies that follow are constantly shifting. Most critics maintain that this is among the very finest of Cole Porter’s songs. The words are particularly evocative, expressing the sentiments of lovers parting.
Ev'ry time we say goodbye, I die a little.
Ev'ry time we say goodbye, I wonder why a little.
Why the gods above me, who must be in the know,
Think so little of me, they allow you to go.
When you’re near, there’s such an air of spring about it,
I can hear a lark somewhere begin to sing about it,
There’s no love song finer, but how strange the change from major to minor,
Ev’ry time we say goodbye.
Natalie Cole
Friday, February 27, 2009
This Bitter Earth – Gladys Knight
This philosophical ballad was composed by Clyde Otis in 1959 for Dinah Washington. This rendition by blues singer Gladys Knight is remarkable for its jazz style (click on the link).
www.last.fm/music/Gladys+Knight/_/This+Bitter+Earth?autostart=1
This bitter earth, what fruit it bears,
What good is love that no one shares?
And if my life is like the dust that hides the glow of a rose,
What good am I? Heaven only knows.
Lord, this bitter earth can be so cold.
Today you’re young, too soon, you’re old.
But while a voice within me cries,
I’m sure someone may answer my call,
And this bitter earth may not be so bitter after all.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Here's That Rainy Day
How times change -- Frank Sinatra sings under an open tasseled umbrella and smokes his way through this poignant ballad about a love that turns into a cold, rainy day. From the pen of Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke, this song was the only success from a 1953 Broadway musical titled "Carnival in Flanders," which closed after just six performances.
The song has sophisticated, complex harmonies and an unusual bass line, but the melody is perhaps its most distinctive feature; it never goes where one would expect.
Solo piano version from pianist Bill Evans (album was called "Alone"):
www.last.fm/music/Bill+Evans/_/Here%27s+That+Rainy+Day?autostart
The song has sophisticated, complex harmonies and an unusual bass line, but the melody is perhaps its most distinctive feature; it never goes where one would expect.
Solo piano version from pianist Bill Evans (album was called "Alone"):
www.last.fm/music/Bill+Evans/_/Here%27s+That+Rainy+Day?autostart
Sunday, February 8, 2009
I Can’t Get Started
Music by Vernon Duke, lyrics by Ira Gershwin
This rendition features the complete lyrics and a superb (but uncredited) saxophonist.
This song was introduced by Bob Hope, who sang it to Eve Arden in “Ziegfeld Follies of 1936.” It was sung for laughs, while Eve Arden made caustic comments about Bob Hope’s passionate interest.
“Ziegfeld Follies of 1936" trivia:
This was Fanny Brice’s last appearance in a Broadway show and George Balanchine’s Broadway debut as a choreographer. Despite the name, Florenz Ziegfeld had been dead for over three years (the Schubert Brothers had purchased the rights to Ziegfeld’s name).
Bunny Berigan (trumpet & vocals - 1937)
This rendition features the complete lyrics and a superb (but uncredited) saxophonist.
This song was introduced by Bob Hope, who sang it to Eve Arden in “Ziegfeld Follies of 1936.” It was sung for laughs, while Eve Arden made caustic comments about Bob Hope’s passionate interest.
“Ziegfeld Follies of 1936" trivia:
This was Fanny Brice’s last appearance in a Broadway show and George Balanchine’s Broadway debut as a choreographer. Despite the name, Florenz Ziegfeld had been dead for over three years (the Schubert Brothers had purchased the rights to Ziegfeld’s name).
Bunny Berigan (trumpet & vocals - 1937)
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Black Coffee
Vocalist Sarah Vaughan.
A blues song written in 1948; music by Sonny Burke and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. Sarah Vaughan's 1949 recording on Columbia made the charts.
Perhaps the definitive bop version of this song is by Sonny Criss (alto saxophone):
www.last.fm/music/Sonny+Criss/_/Black+Coffee?autostart
Trivia: Lyricist Paul Francis Webster holds the record among lyricists for the most number of Academy Award nominations — sixteen.
I'm feeling mighty lonesome, haven't slept a wink.
I walk the floor and watch the door and in between I drink
Black coffee. Love's a hand me down brew.
I'll never know a Sunday in this weekday room.
I'm talking to the shadows from 1 o'clock til 4.
And lord, how slow the moments go when all I do is pour
Black coffee. Since the blues caught my eye
I'm hanging out on Monday my Sunday dreams to dry.
Now a man is born to go a lovin', a woman's born to weep and fret,
To stay at home and tend her oven
And drown her past regrets in coffee and cigarettes.
I'm moaning all the morning, and mourning all the night
And in between it's nicotine and not much heart to fight
Black coffee. Feelin' low as the ground.
It's driving me crazy just waiting for my baby
To maybe come around... around
I'm waiting for my baby to maybe come around.
My nerves have gone to pieces, my hair is turning gray
All I do is drink black coffee since my man's gone away.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another rendition by vocalist K.D. Lang
and saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr.
A blues song written in 1948; music by Sonny Burke and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. Sarah Vaughan's 1949 recording on Columbia made the charts.
Perhaps the definitive bop version of this song is by Sonny Criss (alto saxophone):
www.last.fm/music/Sonny+Criss/_/Black+Coffee?autostart
Trivia: Lyricist Paul Francis Webster holds the record among lyricists for the most number of Academy Award nominations — sixteen.
I'm feeling mighty lonesome, haven't slept a wink.
I walk the floor and watch the door and in between I drink
Black coffee. Love's a hand me down brew.
I'll never know a Sunday in this weekday room.
I'm talking to the shadows from 1 o'clock til 4.
And lord, how slow the moments go when all I do is pour
Black coffee. Since the blues caught my eye
I'm hanging out on Monday my Sunday dreams to dry.
Now a man is born to go a lovin', a woman's born to weep and fret,
To stay at home and tend her oven
And drown her past regrets in coffee and cigarettes.
I'm moaning all the morning, and mourning all the night
And in between it's nicotine and not much heart to fight
Black coffee. Feelin' low as the ground.
It's driving me crazy just waiting for my baby
To maybe come around... around
I'm waiting for my baby to maybe come around.
My nerves have gone to pieces, my hair is turning gray
All I do is drink black coffee since my man's gone away.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another rendition by vocalist K.D. Lang
and saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most
Song (1955) lyrics by Frances Landesman; music by Thomas Wolfe, Jr.; Recorded in 1961 by Ella Fitzgerald (another Virginia native!), her version contributed to the tune's becoming a jazz standard. Her final phrase descends to the very lowest end of her register, for an unforgettable effect (click on the link, then click on the PLAY button in the upper right hand window).
http://www.last.fm/music/Ella+Fitzgerald/_/Spring+Can+Really+Hang+You+Up+the+Most
Trivia: Lyricist Fran Landesman, born in New York, is known as the Dorothy Parker of jazz. She continues working from her present-day home in London.
The poignant lyric can perhaps trace an inspiration back to T. S. Eliot's "April Is the Cruelest Month," the opening lines from "The Waste Land" (1922). Quite a pedigree! The song is a narrative about being out of phase with the seasons, describing a winter romance that faded long before the arrival of spring, a time when everyone else is focused on the hope and bloom of new love. "All I've got to show is a splinter for my little fling...love seemed sure around the New Year, now it's April and love is just a ghost...spring arrived on time, only what became of you, dear? Spring can really hang you up the most."
Here, a contemporary performance by chanteuse Jane Monheit.
And a video of a live performance by tenor sax man Stan Getz:
A complete performance of the song by June Christy (arranged by Pete Rugolo)
www.last.fm/music/June+Christy/_/Spring+Can+Really+Hang+You+Up+The+Most?autostart
http://www.last.fm/music/Ella+Fitzgerald/_/Spring+Can+Really+Hang+You+Up+the+Most
Trivia: Lyricist Fran Landesman, born in New York, is known as the Dorothy Parker of jazz. She continues working from her present-day home in London.
The poignant lyric can perhaps trace an inspiration back to T. S. Eliot's "April Is the Cruelest Month," the opening lines from "The Waste Land" (1922). Quite a pedigree! The song is a narrative about being out of phase with the seasons, describing a winter romance that faded long before the arrival of spring, a time when everyone else is focused on the hope and bloom of new love. "All I've got to show is a splinter for my little fling...love seemed sure around the New Year, now it's April and love is just a ghost...spring arrived on time, only what became of you, dear? Spring can really hang you up the most."
Here, a contemporary performance by chanteuse Jane Monheit.
And a video of a live performance by tenor sax man Stan Getz:
A complete performance of the song by June Christy (arranged by Pete Rugolo)
www.last.fm/music/June+Christy/_/Spring+Can+Really+Hang+You+Up+The+Most?autostart
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Something Cool
Performed by June Christy (1955)
Written by Hollywood composer/lyricist Billy Barnes.
"Something Cool" is an unusual jazz standard that became June Christy's signature song. Its lyrics are an extended narrative, full of emotional complexity.
In response to an offer to buy her a drink, a girl in a bar tells you she wants "something cool." It's warm here, she tells us, and she's far from home. She can't seem to remember your name, but she must know you from somewhere, because she never drinks with strangers. You offer her a cigarette:
"A cigarette? / Well, I don't smoke them as a rule /
But I'll have one / it would be fun / with something cool."
She tells you about her glory days, when she lived in a large house, had lots of suitors and took trips to Paris. But that's in the past. Returning to the moment:
"About a date? / Oh wait / I'm such a fool /
He's just a guy / who stopped to buy me /Something cool."
This ballad contains so much narrative, emotional baggage and character development, that it is a unique entry in the library of jazz standards.
Written by Hollywood composer/lyricist Billy Barnes.
"Something Cool" is an unusual jazz standard that became June Christy's signature song. Its lyrics are an extended narrative, full of emotional complexity.
In response to an offer to buy her a drink, a girl in a bar tells you she wants "something cool." It's warm here, she tells us, and she's far from home. She can't seem to remember your name, but she must know you from somewhere, because she never drinks with strangers. You offer her a cigarette:
"A cigarette? / Well, I don't smoke them as a rule /
But I'll have one / it would be fun / with something cool."
She tells you about her glory days, when she lived in a large house, had lots of suitors and took trips to Paris. But that's in the past. Returning to the moment:
"About a date? / Oh wait / I'm such a fool /
He's just a guy / who stopped to buy me /Something cool."
This ballad contains so much narrative, emotional baggage and character development, that it is a unique entry in the library of jazz standards.
Monday, January 26, 2009
What a Wonderful World
George Adams (tenor sax)
Ben Sidran (piano)
Written by Bob Thiele (using the pseudonym George Douglas*) and George David Weiss**, What a Wonderful World was first recorded by Louis Armstrong in 1968. Intended as an antidote for the increasingly racially and politically charged climate of everyday life in the U.S., the song also has a hopeful, optimistic tone with regard to the future, with reference to newborn babies having much to look forward to. The song was not initially a hit in the United States, where it sold fewer than 1,000 copies, but was a major success in the UK, reaching number one on the singles chart, becoming the biggest-selling single of 1968. The song made Louis Armstrong the oldest male to top the UK charts, at sixty-six years and ten months old.
The song gradually became something of a standard and reached a new level of popularity. It was re-released in America shortly after Armstrong's death in 1971 and became a top ten hit. It is also a jazz standard, ranked number 945 at Jazzstandards.com.
*Some of the songs Thiele wrote are credited to George Douglas or Stanley Clayton. These are pseudonyms Thiele used, made from the names of his uncles, Stanley, Clayton, George, and Douglas. Thiele was a record producer and husband of singer Teresa Brewer.
**Weiss was president of the Songwriters Guild of America; among other notable songs he penned was Lullaby of Birdland.
Another rendition of this classic tune:
Duet by K.D. Lang & Tony Bennett
http://www.last.fm/music/Tony%2BBennett%2B%2526%2Bk.d.%2Blang/_/What+a+Wonderful+World?autostart
Ben Sidran (piano)
Written by Bob Thiele (using the pseudonym George Douglas*) and George David Weiss**, What a Wonderful World was first recorded by Louis Armstrong in 1968. Intended as an antidote for the increasingly racially and politically charged climate of everyday life in the U.S., the song also has a hopeful, optimistic tone with regard to the future, with reference to newborn babies having much to look forward to. The song was not initially a hit in the United States, where it sold fewer than 1,000 copies, but was a major success in the UK, reaching number one on the singles chart, becoming the biggest-selling single of 1968. The song made Louis Armstrong the oldest male to top the UK charts, at sixty-six years and ten months old.
The song gradually became something of a standard and reached a new level of popularity. It was re-released in America shortly after Armstrong's death in 1971 and became a top ten hit. It is also a jazz standard, ranked number 945 at Jazzstandards.com.
*Some of the songs Thiele wrote are credited to George Douglas or Stanley Clayton. These are pseudonyms Thiele used, made from the names of his uncles, Stanley, Clayton, George, and Douglas. Thiele was a record producer and husband of singer Teresa Brewer.
**Weiss was president of the Songwriters Guild of America; among other notable songs he penned was Lullaby of Birdland.
Another rendition of this classic tune:
Duet by K.D. Lang & Tony Bennett
http://www.last.fm/music/Tony%2BBennett%2B%2526%2Bk.d.%2Blang/_/What+a+Wonderful+World?autostart
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Marian McPartland
In a Mist, composed in 1927 by cornetist Bix Beiderbecke
Since April 1979, pianist Marian McPartland has welcomed a stellar line-up of musicians for one hour of conversation and jazz improvisation on her award-winning radio program. Each week, McPartland, with her engaging personality and improvisational savvy, hosts a variety of performers in her radio living room. She has recently reached the 90-year-old mark, yet remains active as a performer and radio personality.
Piano Jazz is a forum for jazz legends and influential performers as well as up-and-coming talents. Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock, Dave Brubeck, Diana Krall, Max Roach, Cassandra Wilson and Tony Bennett are among the 500+ guests who have joined McPartland to create dynamic duets and discuss their lives and music.
A production of South Carolina Educational Radio and distributed nationally by NPR, Piano Jazz is the longest-running national performance program on public radio and was called "an oasis of intelligence and grace and probably the best hour of jazz on the airwaves" by The Washington Post.
For Ms. McPartland's radio program (spring, 2000) about Bix Beiderbecke, go to:
www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98960166
For audio streams of dozens of her other Piano Jazz programs, visit:
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
At Last - first song at the Inaugural Balls
On January 20, 2009, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle danced to various renditions of this song at each of the 10 official balls honoring his inauguration. Beyoncé Knowles, who portrayed Etta James in the film Cadillac Records, sang the song live for the Obama's first dance during the Neighborhood Ball, the first they attended on the night of his inauguration.
I found a dream that I can speak to,
A dream that I can call my own.
I found a thrill to press my cheek to,
A thrill I've never known.
“At Last” (1941) was written by lyricist Mack Gordon and composer Harry Warren and debuted in the film musical Orchestra Wives, performed on screen by the Glenn Miller Orchestra. The song was a major hit for Miller, reaching number 14 on the Billboard pop charts in 1942. It soon became a standard, recorded by Nat King Cole (1957) and Etta James (1960), who was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 for her recording of this song. Aside from the lyric, there was another facet of appropriateness in using this song at the inauguration of our nation's first black president, since Nat King Cole was the first black person to have a weekly radio and TV program (1956-57).
In this video clip from Orchestra Wives, the Glenn Miller Orchestra introduces the song to the public in its original form, as a swing tune (1942), far removed from the R&B version popularized by Etta James. Trivia: Note that Jackie Gleason (string bass) and Cesar Romero (piano) are in the orchestra! Gleason had a successful side career as a musician (composer, arranger and conductor), and Romero was an accomplished ballroom dancer. The film is of interest in that it depicts the lives of working big band musicians.
I found a dream that I can speak to,
A dream that I can call my own.
I found a thrill to press my cheek to,
A thrill I've never known.
“At Last” (1941) was written by lyricist Mack Gordon and composer Harry Warren and debuted in the film musical Orchestra Wives, performed on screen by the Glenn Miller Orchestra. The song was a major hit for Miller, reaching number 14 on the Billboard pop charts in 1942. It soon became a standard, recorded by Nat King Cole (1957) and Etta James (1960), who was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 for her recording of this song. Aside from the lyric, there was another facet of appropriateness in using this song at the inauguration of our nation's first black president, since Nat King Cole was the first black person to have a weekly radio and TV program (1956-57).
In this video clip from Orchestra Wives, the Glenn Miller Orchestra introduces the song to the public in its original form, as a swing tune (1942), far removed from the R&B version popularized by Etta James. Trivia: Note that Jackie Gleason (string bass) and Cesar Romero (piano) are in the orchestra! Gleason had a successful side career as a musician (composer, arranger and conductor), and Romero was an accomplished ballroom dancer. The film is of interest in that it depicts the lives of working big band musicians.
Monday, January 19, 2009
At the Movies - Dave Koz & Friends
"Smooth Jazz" saxophone king Dave Koz released a concept album in 2007 that featured guests (Anita Baker, Chris Botti, Vanessa Williams and India.Arie, among others) on six of the dozen tracks. Unfortunately, the result is just one step ahead of elevator music*, but details revealed in some "making of..." videos give some valuable insights of the decisions that go into producing an album. All the tunes were movie themes: The Pink Panther, Somewhere, As Time Goes By, The Summer Knows, Schindler's List, etc.*But that's just me -- the album sold like hot cakes.
In this video, Anita Baker recalls hearing Koz mentioning the incipient project on his syndicated radio show while she was talking on the phone. Of interest is the trial and error method of finding the right key and other details that led to the final arrangement of her track: Somewhere (West Side Story). Ms. Baker also reveals that she preferred "Moon River" (ick!) to "Somewhere," but that track ultimately went to Barry Manilow (double ick!).
In this revealing video clip, Koz interviews esteemed lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman, regarding their 1973 academy award Best Song winner "The Way We Were".
Bebop jazz style
My Old Flame performed by Charlie Parker (alto sax), Miles Davis (trumpet), Duke Jordan (piano), Tommy Potter (bass), and Max Roach (drums). Words by Sam Coslow with music by Arthur Johnston (1934).
The Bebop jazz style traces it origin to the early 1940s, and the term “bebop” was first used during the beginning of WWII. Bebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded beyond their role as mere time-keepers. The music itself was jarring to the public, which was used to swing’s bouncy, organized, danceable tunes of Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller. Instead, bebop sounded nervous, racing, frantic and often fragmented. But to jazz musicians and aficionados, bebop was an exciting revolution in the art of jazz.
While swing music tended to feature orchestrated big band arrangements, bebop music was more free in its structure. The classic bebop combo was a quintet consisting of saxophone, trumpet, bass, drums, and piano. Typically, a theme would be presented at the beginning and end of each piece, placed like bookends around improvisational solos based on the chords of the tune. Thus, the majority of a song in bebop style would be improvisation, the only threads holding the work together being the underlying harmonic pattern.
Bebop musicians also employed several harmonic devices not typical of the jazz music that had come before. Complicated harmonic substitutions for more basic chords became commonplace; these substitutions often emphasized dissonant intervals such as the flat ninth, sharp ninth and the sharp eleventh (or tri-tone).
Notable musicians identified with bebop:
* Cannonball Adderley, alto sax
* Art Blakey, Drums
* Clifford Brown, trumpet
* Ray Brown, bass
* Kenny Burrell, guitar
* Don Byas, tenor sax
* Paul Chambers, bass
* Charlie Christian, guitar
* Kenny Clarke, drums
* John Coltrane, tenor sax
* Tadd Dameron, piano
* Miles Davis, trumpet
* Kenny Dorham, trumpet
* Carl Fontana, trombone
* Curtis Fuller, trombone
* Dizzy Gillespie, trumpet
* Stan Getz, tenor sax
* Dexter Gordon, tenor sax
* Wardell Gray, saxophone
* Al Haig, piano
* Sadik Hakim, piano
* Barry Harris, piano
* Percy Heath, bass
* Milt Jackson, vibes
* J. J. Johnson, trombone
* Duke Jordan, piano
* Lee Konitz, alto sax
* Stan Levey, drums
* Lou Levy, piano
* John Lewis, piano
* Dodo Marmarosa, piano
* Howard McGhee, trumpet
* Charles McPherson, Alto Sax
* Charles Mingus, bass
* Thelonious Monk, piano
* Wes Montgomery, guitar
* Fats Navarro, trumpet
* Charlie Parker, alto sax
* Chet Baker, trumpet
* Oscar Pettiford, bass
* Tommy Potter, bass
* Bud Powell, piano
* Max Roach, drums
* Red Rodney, trumpet
* Sonny Rollins, tenor sax
* Frank Rosolino, trombone
* Sonny Stitt, tenor and alto sax
* Lucky Thompson, tenor sax
* George Wallington, piano
The Bebop jazz style traces it origin to the early 1940s, and the term “bebop” was first used during the beginning of WWII. Bebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded beyond their role as mere time-keepers. The music itself was jarring to the public, which was used to swing’s bouncy, organized, danceable tunes of Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller. Instead, bebop sounded nervous, racing, frantic and often fragmented. But to jazz musicians and aficionados, bebop was an exciting revolution in the art of jazz.
While swing music tended to feature orchestrated big band arrangements, bebop music was more free in its structure. The classic bebop combo was a quintet consisting of saxophone, trumpet, bass, drums, and piano. Typically, a theme would be presented at the beginning and end of each piece, placed like bookends around improvisational solos based on the chords of the tune. Thus, the majority of a song in bebop style would be improvisation, the only threads holding the work together being the underlying harmonic pattern.
Bebop musicians also employed several harmonic devices not typical of the jazz music that had come before. Complicated harmonic substitutions for more basic chords became commonplace; these substitutions often emphasized dissonant intervals such as the flat ninth, sharp ninth and the sharp eleventh (or tri-tone).
Notable musicians identified with bebop:
* Cannonball Adderley, alto sax
* Art Blakey, Drums
* Clifford Brown, trumpet
* Ray Brown, bass
* Kenny Burrell, guitar
* Don Byas, tenor sax
* Paul Chambers, bass
* Charlie Christian, guitar
* Kenny Clarke, drums
* John Coltrane, tenor sax
* Tadd Dameron, piano
* Miles Davis, trumpet
* Kenny Dorham, trumpet
* Carl Fontana, trombone
* Curtis Fuller, trombone
* Dizzy Gillespie, trumpet
* Stan Getz, tenor sax
* Dexter Gordon, tenor sax
* Wardell Gray, saxophone
* Al Haig, piano
* Sadik Hakim, piano
* Barry Harris, piano
* Percy Heath, bass
* Milt Jackson, vibes
* J. J. Johnson, trombone
* Duke Jordan, piano
* Lee Konitz, alto sax
* Stan Levey, drums
* Lou Levy, piano
* John Lewis, piano
* Dodo Marmarosa, piano
* Howard McGhee, trumpet
* Charles McPherson, Alto Sax
* Charles Mingus, bass
* Thelonious Monk, piano
* Wes Montgomery, guitar
* Fats Navarro, trumpet
* Charlie Parker, alto sax
* Chet Baker, trumpet
* Oscar Pettiford, bass
* Tommy Potter, bass
* Bud Powell, piano
* Max Roach, drums
* Red Rodney, trumpet
* Sonny Rollins, tenor sax
* Frank Rosolino, trombone
* Sonny Stitt, tenor and alto sax
* Lucky Thompson, tenor sax
* George Wallington, piano
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Lush Life
Lush Life is a jazz standard with both lyrics and music written by Billy Strayhorn in the 1930s. However, the song was only performed privately by Strayhorn until he and vocalist Kay Davis performed it on November 13, 1948 with the Duke Ellington Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. The song's lyrics describe the author's weariness of the night life after a failed romance, wasting time with "jazz and cocktails" at "come-what-may places" and in the company of girls with "sad and sullen gray faces/with distingué traces". Strayhorn was only 16 years old when he wrote the majority of the song, which was to become his signature composition, along with Take the A Train.
Performance by Queen Latifah (from the 1998 film Living Out Loud).
This Marvyn Warren arrangement was subsequently included on The Dana Owens Album in 2004 (Dana Owens is the real name of artist Queen Latifah). This is an interesting title sequence, in that it begins with Queen Latifah and at the end switches to Holly Hunter finishing the song dressed in only a bra (I would not lie to you).
If you have any recollection of that movie at all, it’s likely the scene in which Eddie Cibrian massages Holly Hunter (and introduces a whole new generation to “At Last” as sung by Etta James – at the 3 minute mark). Warning – it’s erotic as all get out, so you might not want to watch this with your grandmother.
Performance by Queen Latifah (from the 1998 film Living Out Loud).
This Marvyn Warren arrangement was subsequently included on The Dana Owens Album in 2004 (Dana Owens is the real name of artist Queen Latifah). This is an interesting title sequence, in that it begins with Queen Latifah and at the end switches to Holly Hunter finishing the song dressed in only a bra (I would not lie to you).
If you have any recollection of that movie at all, it’s likely the scene in which Eddie Cibrian massages Holly Hunter (and introduces a whole new generation to “At Last” as sung by Etta James – at the 3 minute mark). Warning – it’s erotic as all get out, so you might not want to watch this with your grandmother.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
One for my baby (and one more for the road)
Toots Thielemans - harmonica
Jamie Cullum - vocals
One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) was written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the film musical The Sky's the Limit (1943) and was performed in the film by Fred Astaire. The song was popularized by Frank Sinatra and became one of his signature tunes.
Harold Arlen described the song as “another typical Arlen tapeworm” – a “tapeworm” being the trade slang for any song that exceeded the conventional 32 bar length. He called it “...a wandering song. Lyricist Johnny Mercer took it and wrote it exactly the way it fell. Not only is it long – forty-eight bars – but it also changes key. Somehow Johnny made it work.”
A famous and acclaimed performance of the song was by Bette Midler, sung to Johnny Carson on the penultimate night of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Both Midler and Carson got caught up in the emotion of the song (Mr. Carson was visibly blinking back tears), and an unusual camera angle on the set framed the two in a poignant fashion. It earned Midler an Emmy Award (1992) for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program. The lyrics were adapted to suit the occasion – for example, “...and John I know you're getting anxious to close.”
Jamie Cullum - vocals
One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) was written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the film musical The Sky's the Limit (1943) and was performed in the film by Fred Astaire. The song was popularized by Frank Sinatra and became one of his signature tunes.
Harold Arlen described the song as “another typical Arlen tapeworm” – a “tapeworm” being the trade slang for any song that exceeded the conventional 32 bar length. He called it “...a wandering song. Lyricist Johnny Mercer took it and wrote it exactly the way it fell. Not only is it long – forty-eight bars – but it also changes key. Somehow Johnny made it work.”
A famous and acclaimed performance of the song was by Bette Midler, sung to Johnny Carson on the penultimate night of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Both Midler and Carson got caught up in the emotion of the song (Mr. Carson was visibly blinking back tears), and an unusual camera angle on the set framed the two in a poignant fashion. It earned Midler an Emmy Award (1992) for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program. The lyrics were adapted to suit the occasion – for example, “...and John I know you're getting anxious to close.”
Saturday, January 10, 2009
All the Things You Are
An amazing dialogue between Pat Metheny & Brad Mehldau, performing at the 2007 San Sebastian Jazz Festival (Spain).
All the Things You Are is a song composed by Jerome Kern to lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was written in 1939 for the musical Very Warm for May. Recordings by Tommy Dorsey and Artie Shaw (with vocalist Helen Forrest) earned the song its initial popularity. The song, which has a unique harmonic structure, is a favorite with singers and jazz musicians. The song’s success was surprising, because it was unusual for its time in the way it shifted tonal centers and alternated from major to minor. Kern wrote it to satisfy his own creative urge and felt it was far too complex for popular appeal.
The chorus is 36 measures long (not the standard 32), in an altered AABA form. The second A section is transposed down a fourth (both melody and chords!), and the final A section adds four additional bars. The modulations in this song are unusual and present challenges to a singer or improviser, including a semitone modulation that ends each A section (they start with measure 6 in the first two A sections and measure 9 of the final A section, and a striking use of enharmonic substitution at the turnaround of the B section (last two measures of the B Section), where the G# melody note over a E major chord turns into an A-flat over the F minor 7th of measure 1 of the final A section. The result is a tune that in the space of every chorus manages to include at least one chord built on every note of the Western 12-tone scale. Amazing!
Charlie Parker was quoted as saying this song had his favorite lyrics. He used to call it "YATAG" which is an acronym for the words "you are the angel glow" in the B section.
A classic rendition from Ella Fitzgerald:
All the Things You Are is a song composed by Jerome Kern to lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was written in 1939 for the musical Very Warm for May. Recordings by Tommy Dorsey and Artie Shaw (with vocalist Helen Forrest) earned the song its initial popularity. The song, which has a unique harmonic structure, is a favorite with singers and jazz musicians. The song’s success was surprising, because it was unusual for its time in the way it shifted tonal centers and alternated from major to minor. Kern wrote it to satisfy his own creative urge and felt it was far too complex for popular appeal.
The chorus is 36 measures long (not the standard 32), in an altered AABA form. The second A section is transposed down a fourth (both melody and chords!), and the final A section adds four additional bars. The modulations in this song are unusual and present challenges to a singer or improviser, including a semitone modulation that ends each A section (they start with measure 6 in the first two A sections and measure 9 of the final A section, and a striking use of enharmonic substitution at the turnaround of the B section (last two measures of the B Section), where the G# melody note over a E major chord turns into an A-flat over the F minor 7th of measure 1 of the final A section. The result is a tune that in the space of every chorus manages to include at least one chord built on every note of the Western 12-tone scale. Amazing!
Charlie Parker was quoted as saying this song had his favorite lyrics. He used to call it "YATAG" which is an acronym for the words "you are the angel glow" in the B section.
A classic rendition from Ella Fitzgerald:
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