JazzWax

Jim Hall and Louis Stewart: 'The Dublin Concert'

Stylistically, guitarists Jim Hall and Ireland's Louis Stewart had much in common. Both embraced edge in their playing, both were unconventional in their attack, both could swing and both were vastly respected jazz virtuosos by their peers and countrymen.

On December 26, 1982, Jim and Louis came together for a concert at Dublin's Maccabi Hall. The concert was recorded but only just released as Louis Stewart & Jim Hall: The Dublin Concert (Livia).

The concert tapes were discovered in 2022 and have been lovingly digitized and mastered and is now the only known recording of Jim and Louis performing together. The recording's material and sound are terrific.

Jim and Louis first met in 1981 during Louis's residency at Bechet's in New York, a restaurant and jazz club on Third Avenue near 75th Street. Louis was big admirer of Jim, particularly the duet albums he had recorded with Bill Evans. Louis also recorded in duet settings. [Photo above of Jim Hall]

That December, as Jim vacationed in Ireland, a concert was hastily set up in Dublin. "Look at what Santa brought us for Christmas" is how Louis introduced Jim. There was just one mic for each guitarist.

The music consisted of mostly standards, but the staid songs are deconstructed and given enormous life. As one guitarist soloed or took the lead, the other played rhythm. For those unfamiliar with the styles of these guitarists, I'll keep it simple for you: Louis is the heavier player. [Photo above of Louis Stewart]

Interestingly, there are no flashy attacks to show off virtuosity. What you hear are two extraordinary guitarists engaging in musical conversations and having loads of fun.

The tracks:

1. Stella By Starlight (Victor Young)
2. 2 Degrees East, 3 Degrees West (John Lewis)
3. But Beautiful (Jimmy Van Heusen)
4. St. Thomas (Sonny Rollins)
5. All the Things You Are (Jerome Kern)
6. My Funny Valentine (Rodgers and Hart)
7. How Deep Is the Ocean (Irving Berlin) ....
8. In a Sentimental Mood (Duke Ellington)

Among my many favorites here are But Beautiful, an astonishing ballad in their hands; St. Thomas, with a unique approach and easily one of the finest covers of this Sonny Rollins composition; and My Funny Valentine, which they gloriously re-invent. 

Jim Hall and Louis Stewart were JazzWax readers, and I miss them both. Jim Hall died in 2013 at age 83; Louis Stewart died in 2016 at age 72.

JazzWax tracks: You'll find Louis Stewart & Jim Hall: The Dublin Concert (Livia) here and on most major streaming platforms. To learn more about Livia Records, the Irish jazz label, go here.

Jazzwax clips: Here's But Beautiful...

But Beautiful

And here's St. Thomas...

St. Thomas

New Video: Sonny Rollins at Ronnie Scott's, 1974

On July 17, 1974, Sonny Rollins performed at Ronnie Scott's jazz club in London—two years after his 1972 comeback following a lengthy sabbatical. At the time of his gig, a film was shot, then shelved and now, for the first time, it has been cleaned up and is up online.

Sonny's band at Ronnie Scott's featured Sonny Rollins (ts), Rufus Harley (ss,bagpipes), Yoshiaki Masuo (el-g), Bob Cranshaw (el-b) and David Lee (d).

Songs featured were The Cutting Edge, Don't Stop the Carnival, A House Is Not a Home, Dearly Beloved, Sais, East Broadway Rundown and his Alfie movie theme, among others.

Here's Sonny Rollins: Live at Ronnie Scott's 1974, a film newly posted to YouTube four days ago, on Sonny's 94th birthday...

Sérgio Mendes (1941-2024)

Sérgio Mendes, a Brazilian jazz and hard-bossa pianist-arranger who relocated to the U.S. in 1964 and launched his Brasil '65 and '66 pop groups, kicking off the sunshine pop movement, died in Los Angeles on September 5 of complications from long Covid. He was 83. [Photo above of Sergio Mendes, left, and Antonio Carlos Jobim in New York in 1964]

Mendes first performed in the U.S. at the famed Bossa Nova at Carnegie Hall concert in late 1963 and remained here the following year. Like many Brazilian musicians who became expatriates in America, Mendes felt he could be more successful in the U.S. than under the newly installed regime in Brazil following the country's March-April 1964 military coup.  

His first two albums in the U.S. were recorded as Sergio Mendes & Brasil '65, for Capitol and Atlantic Records. Both bombed. Fortunately for Mendes, A&M Records had begun to dominate the young-adult pop market.

Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss—the label's A and M—had already figured out that an upbeat, sophisticated sound akin to the one used by the Tijuana Brass could be money-makers for other groups they signed. At the time, the gentle, cool tastes of dating young adults weren't being met by the British Invasion, emerging psychedelic rock bands or easy listening strings. For A&M, Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 was a perfect fit, thanks largely to Mendes's breezy vocals of two female singers and his textured, soft-samba arrangements.

The group's first major single, a cover of Mas que Nada, by Brazilian composer Jorge Ben, reached No. 47 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 4 on the Billboard Easy Listening charts. But it was the group's 1968 single, The Look of Love, the Burt Bacharach and Hal David theme for the film Casino Royale, that put them on the map after being performed during the Oscars and peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Going forward, the group focused on giving pop hits a sensual, swinging bossa nova makeover.

In tribute to Mendes, here are seven video clips of his Brasil '66 hits:

Here's their first, Mas Que Nada...

Here's The Fool on the Hill...

Here's Going Out of My Head...

Here's Pretty World...

Here's Watch What Happens...

Here's Wichita Lineman...

And here's my favorite, For Me...