Four great drummers in one video, plus a fabulous singer who could dance beautifully. While I already knew that Caterina Valente was an extraordinary vocalist who could sing fluently in about 12 languages, I wasn't aware of how good a tap dancer she was. Dig her here on Hollywood Palace in 1964 hosted by Victor Borge. She's backed by Louie Bellson, Philly Joe Jones, Shelly Manne and a rare on-camera appearance by Irv Cottler. To see it, you have to go here.
Terrific blog. Armin Büttner writes a terrific jazz blog called Crown Propeller. You'll find it here.
JazzWax now on eJazzNews' app.eJazzNews.com is offering a free iPhone and Android app that displays JazzWax. So if you're out with an iPhone or iPad, you can use this app to view JazzWax. Go here to download. JazzWax also is featured on JAZZ.FM91's app available here (see the right-hand margin for the app download button).
Kansas City.JazzWax reader Dave James sent along the following:
"Your post on Dexter Gordon and Booker Ervin (and other notable pairings) reminded me of Robert Altman's 1996 film, Kansas City. One of the high points of that movie for me is the sax battle between Joshua Redman and Craig Handy here...
Sonny Rollins. In case you missed seeing Bret Primack's video on Sonny Rollins, the one that won a Jazz Journalists Award last week, here it is...
Gilad Edelman. Here's a clip of Gilad Edelman, Marc Edelman's son, playing at Tomi in New York on June 9. Marc is the founder of Sharp Nine records. His kid can cook...
Joe Alterman and Houston Person. Here's pianist Joe Alterman at the Iridium last week with tenor saxophonist Houston Person...
Radio roundup. Jazz musician Bill Kirchner tonight hosts Jazz From The Archives on New York's WBGO, featuring recordings from February 1959 by Cannonball Adderley with John Coltrane and Lee Konitz with Warne Marsh. The show airs from 11 p.m. to midnight (EDT) and can be heard anywhere in the world on your computer by going here... Don Votimer's next Jazztime radio show will focus on Monty Alexander and Ray Bryant. It will air on Thursday (June 23), from 8 to 11 p.m. (MDT) on Aspen Public Radio here... Fans of Chris "Funky Broadway" Cowles of WRTC in Hartford will enjoy his show from this weekend. This time around, Chris showcases a range of favorites, including 30 minutes on Eumir Deodato and his guitarist of many years John Tropea. For the podcast of Hour #1, go here. For Hour #2, go here.
CD discoveries of the week. In June and October 1980, tape rolled at San Francisco's Keystone Korner when Freddie Hubbard performed at the club. The result is the newly issued Pinnacle (Resonance) which features Billy Childs on keyboards and Larry Klein on bass, and a variety of drummers and horns on different dates. From the opening track, The Intrepid Fox, which Hubbard recorded on Red Clay, the trumpeter is on fire and at the peak of his soul-hardbop fusion period. Every track on this disc is superbly crafted, and the album is dynamite for Childs alone, a terrific Fender Rhodes player. Dig how they sear Giant Steps. Whenever you hear Hubbard during this period, you realize a greater fuss should have been made about him. He's always better than you remember. I only wish he had been at Woodstock to turn on a new generation. You'll find this one at iTunes or here.
State Cows is comprised of Daniel Andersson and Stefan Olofsson, a duo from Sweden who sound as though they arrived here 20 years late. Which is a good thing, since that simply means they have a fresh pop-jazz sound with a big infectious snap. Think Steely Dan meets the Doobie Brothers. Their new CD, State Cows (Avenue of Allies), features all original material written by Andersson and Olofsson. It's impossible not to like what they've done, since each track has been crafted by sharp studio musicians with jazz sensibilities. I'm always amazed how European and Scandinavian musicians seem to understand the essence of our music better than we do. Shades of Aja and What a Fool Believes. You'll find State Cows at iTunes and here.
Oddball album cover of the week. Looks like our designer friends at Prestige ran out of creative ideas in the early '60s when this album cover was developed for Japanese distribution. That's Elizabeth Montgomery striking a pose among the reeds. Obviously a pre-1964 release, since Montgomery by that year was starring in TV's Bewitched. Special thanks to Michael Bloom for sending this one along.
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Just received the Hubbard this week (had it on pre-order at Amazon). Wow!!! I agree with you wholeheartedly.....Hubbard should have gotten WAY more props when he was alive. His playing on this album (and others like it) is downright frightening. I can't think of a trumpet player that was more exciting than Hub. I miss him greatly......and I'll always regret the fact that the one time I was able to go see him live was cancelled....
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Marc Myers writes frequently on music and the arts for the Wall Street Journal. He is author of "Why Jazz Happened" (University of California Press). In 2012, JazzWax was named the Jazz Journalists Association's "Blog of the Year."
Just received the Hubbard this week (had it on pre-order at Amazon). Wow!!! I agree with you wholeheartedly.....Hubbard should have gotten WAY more props when he was alive. His playing on this album (and others like it) is downright frightening. I can't think of a trumpet player that was more exciting than Hub. I miss him greatly......and I'll always regret the fact that the one time I was able to go see him live was cancelled....
Posted by: keith hedger | June 19, 2011 at 10:36 AM