Esperanza Spalding

...performing “Overjoyed” at White House tribute to Stevie Wonder.



Jazz bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding (born 1984) won the 2011 Grammy Award for Best New Artist, making her the first jazz artist to win that award. Justin Bieber was widely favored to win.

Blue Monk: SuperBass Big Band

Three acoustic bass players, John Clayton, Ray Brown and Christian McBride, and the WDR Big Band (the big band of the Westdeutscher Rundfunk), from a 1997 performance in Cologne, Germany. Blue Monk was the “personal favorite” composition of Thelonious Monk, who first recorded it in 1954. He went on to record it thirty times with many of the legends of modern jazz.

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