JazzWax List: Labors of Love

On Labor Day, we wistfully celebrate the end of summer and hope to take advantage of sales. But originally, the holiday was created to give workers a day off. The first Labor Day dates back to 1894, following the deaths of unionized workers by the U.S. Military and U.S. Marshals during the Pullman Strike. To commemorate work and rest, here's a list of my favorite jazz tracks and albums bearing the word "work"...

• Work of Art—Art Farmer Septet (1953)
• Work—Thelonious Monk Trio (1954)
• Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet (1956)
• Work Song—Nat Adderley (1960)
• Kirk's Work—Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1961)

Comments

[David]

Marc's list works for me. Sarah Vaughn's early version of "Nice Work If You Can Get It," Gilespie's "Birk's Works," and Mobley's "Workout" and "Another Workout" are also great recordings but, except for Nat's tune, none of these are really about working. However John Handy got right to the point (and stayed on it) with "Hard Work."

[Bruno Leicht]

As a little swingin' addition: How 'bout "Whistle While You Work" with Bea Wain & Larry Clinton (1937)? "Labor Day" in Germany is on the 1st of May, by the way.

"Working Man Blues" with King Oliver, 1923; "Thw Worker's Train" with Cab Calloway, 1940; "Gotta Go To Work Again" with Tommy Dorsey & His Clambake 7, 1936; "Workshop" with James Moody & His Bop Men, 1948;

"I've Got My Love To Keep Me ... Work" is a pure fun title, played by Brewsk Litovsk & His Vodka Bloos Tooters, as performed in October 1917; the cylinder got lost during the Russian Revolution ... :)))

[Michael Steinman]

And for Tuesday morning -- when the alarm clock sounds -- there's Adrian Rollini's 1933 recording of I GOTTA GET UP AND GO TO WORK, featuring Pee Wee Russell and the vocalizing of Red McKenzie. In this century, Marty Grosz sang and played this on an Arbors CD.

[Ed Leimbacher]

While us stiffs take off "Workin'," here's a wine glass raised to you, oh laborer in the vineyard... small enough thanks for the Works of Marc. (Cat's still got Miles to go before he sleeps, too.)