On February 19, 1968, tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins was in Copenhagen at the Cafe Montmartre, the city's most historic jazz club. Sonny was in fantatic form and backed by a stunning trio—pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen and drummer Albert Heath. The following video went up last month and, to be frank, it is among the finest performances by Sonny that I've seen on tape. [Image above of Sonny Rollins from YouTube]
Here's the Sonny Rollins Quartet during what must have been a rehearsal for the club date that evening. The group was filmed for Danish TV playing On Green Dolphin Street, St. Thomas and Four...
Pianist McCoy Tyner is best known for being a member of the John Coltrane Quartet beginning in 1960. During those years, Tyner re-invented the piano as a highly percussive, stirring instrument that churned the waters for Coltrane's abstraction and expanded spiritual solos. For some strange reason, in late 1962 and the first half of 1963, Tyner was asked by producer Bob Thiele to record more straightforward jazz albums as a leader. These albums included Reaching Fourth, Today and Tomorrow, and McCoy Tyner Plays Duke Ellington. But the finest of these straightforward piano recordings was Nights of Ballads & Blues.
Perhaps Thiele overheard Tyner playing standards in the studio one day and decided to record him. Or perhaps he felt that Impulse would be best served if Tyner could play two roles for the label—agent provocateur for Coltrane and elegant trio leader for the older, more relaxed set. Recorded in March 1963, Nights of Ballads & Blues featured Tyner with bassist Steve Davis and drummer Lex Humphries. They were perfectly matched.
Tyner's playing is exciting and exceptional on all of the tracks: Satin Doll, We'll Be Together Again, 'Round Midnight, For Heaven's Sake, Star Eyes, Blue Monk, Groove Waltz and Days of Wine and Roses. On the album, he exhibits a reserved elegance and tenderness that reveals the other side of his personality—a lover of melody and standards. In this regard, there are traces of Oscar Peterson in his playing. Perhaps Thiele was using Tyner to take a bite out of Peterson's vast and successful early-'60s share of the jazz market.
But Tyner's passion for modal jazz and the avant-garde seeps through in fascinating places, addition a modern flavor to many of the songs. Unfortunately, we learn little about Thiele's motive or Tyner's decision to record the album from the unsigned liner notes. What is revealing, however, are Coltrane's impressions:
"Tenor saxophonist John Coltrane has pinned down the characteristics that have given Tyner this ability to reach an ever-widening public—'melodic inventiveness' and 'clarity of ideas.' Coltrane has also pointed out the basic reason Tyner is and has been important to the world of avant-garde jazz: 'He gets a personal sound from his instrument; and because of the clusters he uses and the way he voices them, that sound is brighter than what would normally be expected from most of the chord patterns he plays.' "
Tyner's avant-garde work is indeed exceptional. The Real McCoy (1967) is a perfect example that more robustly illustrate Coltrane's points above. But for those less familiar with Tyner, Nights of Ballads & Blues is a fine entry point to the magnificent pianist.
By my count, trumpeter and flugelhornist Bob Lark and alto saxophonist Phil Woods recorded six albums together prior to Woods' death in 2015. Their sixth and final collaboration, Thick as Thieves, recorded in 2009 at Chicago's Jazz Showcase, has just been released. It's a solid swinger, despite my initial trepidation over the predictable song choices. What keeps this album from being predictable is the quintet's ability to breathe fresh fire into bop standards you may not feel you needed to hear again. Lark's two originals also are fresh and dynamic. Backing Lark and Woods are pianist Jim McNeely, bassist Steve Gilmore and drummer Bill Goodwin—a superb trio that stirs up both artists.
The Lark-Woods collaboration dates back to 2004, when Lark, then director of the DePaul University Jazz Ensemble, phoned Woods to see if he'd be interested in performing and recording live at the Jazz Showcase. Woods agreed and their first album together with the big band was Woodlands (2004). Then Lark and Woods recorded In Her Eyes (2005), Swingchronicity (2006), Live at the Showcase (2006), Reflections (2008) with saxophonist Mark Colby, and Thick as Thieves (2009). Meanwhile, Woods became a regular at DePaul University's jazz performances and clinics.
Lark, who now is chair of the jazz studies program at DePaul, plays beautifully on this new release, which features his flugelhorn throughout. The same is true for pianist Jim McNeely, who catches the ear and amazes on every track, most notably on Lark's First Steps. The other tracks are Yardbird Suite, I Love You, Rhythm-a-Ning, All the Things You Are, Lark's Winter's Touch and Billie's Bounce.
The group's tightness and lyricism are truly astonishing. The entire album swings from the very first track, and many of the familiar songs seem new as a result. The quintet clearly is aware they have to work a little harder to make the well-known material arresting, and they do so with gusto by reinventing the songs and avoiding cliches. As with the other Lark-Woods recordings, this one is a gem. Woods outdoes himself with edgy aggression, and he's complemented by Lark's strong tone and forceful lines. McNeely's stirring piano can't be ignored.
Thick as Thieves is worth the listen just for the 13:49 All the Things You Are.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find the Bob Lark/Phil Woods Quintet's Thick as Thieves (Jazzed Media) here.
It's also available at Spotify.
JazzWax interview: You'll find my complete interview with Phil Woods here.
For The Wall Street Journal this week, I interviewed documentary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker (go here), who directed Dont Look Back, Monterey Pop, Ziggy Stardust, The War Room and many others, including Audition at RCA. Penny and I talked about his unusual childhood bouncing back and forth between New York and Chicago, and the crucial role he played in the development of the portable 16mm camera. [YouTube image above of Bob Dylan and D.A. Pennebaker from the documentary Dont Look Back]
Also in the WSJ, I interviewed Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Elizabeth Strout for my "Playlist" column on Bob Dylan's Blowin' in the Wind (go here). Elizabeth talked about growing up in coastal Maine, her own relationship with the wind as a child and how Dylan's song today has new meaning for her. Her latest novel is Anything Is Possible (go here). [Photo above by Leonard-Cendamo, courtesy of Elizabeth Strout]
Bill Evans and JazzWax. In September, Resonance Records will release another spectacular Bill Evans discovery—Another Time. The album features the pianist with Eddie Gomez and drummer Jack DeJohnette recording a live studio performance in Hilversum, the Netherlands, on June 22, 1968. The material was recorded just two days after the last Bill Evans recording Resonance released—Some Other Time: The Lost Session From the Black Forest. That album, for which I wrote the liner notes, won the Jazz Journalists Association's "Historical Record of the Year" award this year.
Interestingly, JazzWax played a role in helping the new Evans release surface. Last year, a JazzWax reader from the Netherlands informed me of the existence of a sterling copy of the Evans Hilversum tapes. After we had a brief e-mail conversation, I put him in touch with Resonance producer Zev Feldman, who went over to the Netherlands and shared the tapes with Resonance chief George Klabin. Both flipped.
Another Time is truly spectacular, both in sound and in packaging. Zev has become the Mike Hammer of jazz detectives. We all owe him and George a debt of gratitude for the historic recordings they invest in and produce with elegance and thoroughness.
For the upcoming release, I wrote the liner notes with a focus on Evans's love for Europe and why he seemed to exhibit a different level of passion and intensity whenever he recorded there. On a separate note, it's gratifying to know that JazzWax has become a hub for thousands of jazz fans around the world and that friends everywhere reach out when there's something special I should know about.
Here's Zev narrating a new promotional video for the upcoming Bill Evans release...
Jackie & Roy. Last week, following my post on Jackie Cain and Roy Kral, I received an email from pianist Denny Zeitlin:
"Hey Marc. Your feature on Jackie and Roy stirred up a welter of memories. I first heard them as a junior in high school in 1955 when their Storyville LP was released. I was totally knocked out—the tunes were so offbeat and sophisticated; the arrangements were totally fresh; Roy's comping on the keyboard was superb; and their duo showed the accuracy of intonation and phrasing you'd find in the greatest classical string quartets. But It was Jackie's voice that really tore me up: those ballads—Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most, Listen Little Girl and, especially, Lazy Afternoon. After that album, I was a fan forever. Many thanks for reminding us of them."
Ada Lee. Last week, Jim Eigo of Jazz Promo Services sent along this clip of Ada Lee singing her 1961 fab single of Bobby Timmons' Moanin'...
Harry South and Basil Kirchin. Last week, following my post on Britain's Harry South, I heard from Les Johnston in Australia:
"Hi Marc. It was most interesting to read about Harry South in today’s JazzWax. I left the U.K. for Australia in 1956, so I was only familiar with his earlier work. However, your mention of his work with Basil Kirchin brought back some great memories.
"I lived in Edinburgh, Scotland, and as a member of the Edinburgh Rhythm Club, I got the chance to meet with many musicians from British name bands when they played gigs in the city. I still stay in touch with a couple of these big band guys via email. I knew Basil and his Father, Ivor, very well from the time that the Ivor & Basil Kirchin Band made its debut in September 1951 at the Edinburgh Fountainbridge Palais, Edinburgh’s premier ballroom then. The band was billed as the "Biggest Little Band in the World." It had a big sound with four trumpets, four saxes and a rhythm section. No trombones! I lost contact with the Kirchins when their Edinburgh residency came to an end in 1952 and the band moved to a ballroom in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
"Basil eventually moved to Australia in 1959, and I briefly caught up with him again. But Australia was not a happy experience for him. Upon arrival, he lost all his valuable arrangements and private recordings as well as both his and his wife’s possessions when a strap broke unloading his property from the ship and everything dropped into the depths of the harbor. Disheartened, he returned to England in 1961.
"He then concentrated on experimental sounds and and worked with with the cream of British musicians. Several top American vocalists—including Sarah Vaughn and Billy Eckstine—insisted on being backed by the Kirchin Band when they toured in the U.K. Billy Eckstine closed his performance at an English theatre by telling the audience, 'As most of you know, I once had a band of my own with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, but, I must tell you that I have been standing in the wings for every single show this week without missing one of their spots, and never in my life have I heard such a band. It is very difficult for me to believe that they are not American. Ladies and gentlemen, please, your applause for what I sincerely believe to be one of the great bands in the world today, to be ranked alongside Duke, Count and Dizzy. I give you the Kirchin Band.'
"Luckily someone has thought to upload 20 or so Kirchin band recordings to You Tube. You can hear then all here"...
Dawn of West Coast jazz. The photo above of Harry Babasin (with the cello) and Shorty Rogers (c. 1952) courtesy of Marshall Rogers' and Mia Rogers-Vanetek's Facebook pages. Looks like Shelly Manne on drums and Marty Paich on piano, possibly at the Trade Winds in Inglewood, Calif.
Ray Mantilla. Remember my post on Ray Mantilla's new album, High Voltage? Ray emailed to say he'll be at the Louis Armstrong Museum in Queens, N.Y., on Aug. 17 as part of Jazzmobile. The gig starts at 4 p.m. For more information, go here.
Steely Dan. On October 29, 2015, to mark the 50th anniversary of the installation of a master FM antenna on top of New York's Empire State Building, the iconic landmark put on a light show. The tower's color lighting system was programmed to pulse, twitch and change to Steely Dan's FM (No Static at All) while New Yorker's listened to the song on CBS FM radio. Here's how it looked from the air that night (enlarge to your entire screen—it's a high-def video)...
Joe Fields, the owner of HighNote and Savant, two prominent jazz record labels, died on Wednesday, July 12. He was 88 years old.
In the late 1950s, he began selling records to music stores in Brooklyn, N.Y. Then he was hired by London Records to pick singles for the U.S. market. He worked for MGM, Verve, Prestige and Sue Records before becoming the national sales manager at Buddha Records. While at Buddha, Joe started their jazz division—Cobblestone Records. He started his own record label when he acquired Cobblestone from Buddha and renamed it Muse Records. Between 1973 and 1996, Muse recorded Pat Martino, Houston Person, Cedar Walton, Charlie Earland, Larry Coryell, Woody Shaw, and many others. The label won two Grammys. During the mid 1980’s Joe acquired the Savoy and Landmark labels. In 1997, Joe, and his son Barney, launched HighNote and Savant Records. Joe was a good guy with a passion for the music.
Todd Barken and Keystone Korner.The top jazz club in San Francisco from 1972 to 1983 was Keystone Korner, owned by Todd Barkan, who also was the club's artistic director. Lou Judson hipped me to an article on the club and Todd's distinct taste in programming (go here). [Photo above of Todd Barkan and alto saxophonist Charles McPherson]
What the heck.Here's Cher and Tina Turner singing Shirley & Company's Shame, Shame, Shame on Cher's TV show in 1975...
Oddball album cover of the week.
I'm not quite sure why someone would want to fall asleep to a 45, since you'd have to get up within minutes either to lift the tonearm off the vinyl or turn off the phonograph. Great they could find a bandleader who, based on his last name, was the right guy for the job.
Black female singers came into their own in the late 1950s and early 1960s as solo pop artists. Long pegged as jazz or R&B recording artists in the 1950s or members of girl groups in the early '60s, black women began to cross over to the pop charts thanks largely to exposure on major record labels, successful runs at supper clubs and appearances on TV variety shows. And let's not forget the importance of Ella Fitzgerald pioneering the American Songbook. Here are a bunch of newly uploaded videos I found of leading black American female vocalists (and a British superstar) between the mid-1950s and mid-1960s:
Here's Dinah Washington on the West Coast's TV show Bandstand Revue in 1955...
Here's Lena Horne on The Frank Sinatra Timex Show in 1960...
Here's Dionne Warwick in Cannes, France, in 1964...
Harry South is virtually unknown in the States today, but in the U.K. and throughout much of Europe, he was a highly regarded English jazz pianist, composer and arranger. South began his recording career in Britain the early 1950s and remained active until 1990, when he died in March of that year. Interestingly, he never seems to have toured or recorded in the U.S.
Now, the U.K.'s RnB Records has released Harry South: The Songbook, a compilation of South's work over four different decades. At the moment, the four-CD box set is available only in Europe, with a single CD version available in the States. The full box will be available in the U.S. on Aug. 25.
South was an interesting player and leader. In the 1950s, the ensembles he played with were packed with aggressive British jazz superstars. Recordings such as Bandbox (with a band led by drummer Basil Kirchin) and Dance of the Aerophragytes and Ode to Ernie (with saxophonist Tubby Hayes) remain powerhouse examples of British jazz at its very best. By 1960, South led one of the finest modern big bands in England, on par with ones led by Hayes and Vic Lewis. The band's arrangements had a Quincy Jones jazz-meets-TV feel, especially on songs such as The Goblin, Afterthought and Closing Time. In fact, by the 1970s, South wrote and recorded extensively for British television. Today, South is perhaps best known for his theme to the ITV police drama The Sweeney.
As South says on a short, undated clip at the end of the box, "I've been asked to give a cross-section of the music I've been asked to write.... The only thing I can say is it's all my music." Indeed it was.
JazzWax tracks: For now, in the States, you'll find the single album here. It's also available on Spotify. If you want the box, listen on Spotify until it's out in late August. I have the box and it's worth waiting for.
The 36-page booklet of liner notes that comes with the four-CD set features a biographical essay by Mark Baxter and an analysis of South's music by Simon Spillett.
JazzWax clips:Here's South's big band on Last Orders in 1965...
One of the hippest female jazz singers of the late 1940s and beyond was Jackie Cain. Jackie had an upbeat wholesomeness and sly sensibility that seemed to come naturally. After Jackie met pianist Roy Kral in Charlie Ventura's bop band of 1948, they married and the pair became a successful duo act in clubs throughout the country. Roy came up with the most beautiful chord voicings and arrangements, not to mention a warm, loving voice, while Jackie always found the smartest hot notes. They rehearsed tirelessly to find just the right swinging sound on each song they embraced.
A big turning point in their early career was meeting songwriters Fran Landesman and Tommy Wolf, who wrote Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most and many other sophisticated conversational songs that Jackie and Roy championed and recorded. Jackie and Roy's material was always friendly and uplifting without being commercial. That was Jackie's doing, and many legendary female singers and jazz musicians I've interviewed over the years had only admiration for her and her pioneering style and vocal ability. [Photo above by Ray Avery/CTSImages.com]
To read my five-part JazzWax interview with Jackie in 2009, start with Part 1 here (the link to the next part can be found above the red date at the top of each post). Roy died in 2002 and Jackie died in 2014. She was an absolute joy to interview and was as warm and as sunny and open during our conversations as her singing delivery. [Photo above by Bernard Hollywood]
Roaming around YouTube yesterday, I found these two videos of Jackie and Roy that I hadn't seen before (I've included two more so you'll have a fine sense of what made the duo special):
Here's Jackie and Roy on Dinah Shore's Chevy Show on NBC in May 1961. Dig the notes Jackie chooses...
And here's Jackie and Roy at the 1998 Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs Awards...
As a bonus, here's Jackie and Roy with Charlie Ventura in October 1948 singing Euphoria...
And here's Jack and Roy singing Tommy Wolf's You Smell So Good in May 1955
Pianist Aaron Diehl has a way of making you think about what you're hearing. This happens on ballads such as Single Petal of a Rose and Blue Nude from his The Bespoke Man's Narrative (2013). But Aaron also makes you think when turning up the heat with staggering command, as he does on Uranus and Broadway Boogie Woogie from his Space, Time and Continuum (2015) album. His ballads tend to have a Charles Mingus-like brooding quality while his uptempo works exhibit a strong, impeccable technique as his fingers fly over the keyboard. [Photo above of Aaron Diehl by John Abbott, courtesy of Aaron Diehl]
If you're in New York on Wednesday, July 26, you're in luck. Aaron will be performing at 92Y in "The Art of Tatum" concert showcase (go here) directed by Bill Charlap. The concert will feature four of the finest jazz pianists around today—Aaron, Bill, Harold Mabern and Roger Kellaway. They will be backed by bassist John Webber, drummer Joe Farnsworth and tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander. That's a lot of finger firepower. [Photo above of Aaron Diehl by Ingrid Hertfelder, courtesy of Aaron Diehl]
Before I share my interview with Aaron with you, let's take a brief Tatum break so we're reminded of what Aaron and the other pianists will be up against on the 26th. Here's Tatum playing Tiger Rag solo (yes, there's just one pianist playing solo here)...
In advance of Aaron climbing into the proverbial ring with three other piano masters to take on the mightiest jazz pianist of them all, I had a chance to catch up with him recently:
JazzWax: What was it like growing up in your Columbus, Ohio, neighborhood in the 1990s? Aaron Diehl: My mother, now retired, worked for Ohio's State Department of Education. My dad owns a funeral business on the near-east side, now known as King-Lincoln Bronzeville. He bought a house in the early 1980’s down the street from his business. That’s the home where I grew up. In some respects, the neighborhood was like Harlem given its rich cultural history, eventual plight in the 70’s, and subsequent gentrification during the past 10 years or so. The Lincoln Theater, just a block away from my dad's funeral home, featured acts like Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington back in the '40’s and '50’s. I was fortunate to have experienced remnants of the neighborhood's heritage through small block parties and festivals on Mt. Vernon Ave., one of the area's main thoroughfares. They often had jazz music there, and sometimes my grandfather would play with local musicians like Gene Walker or Raleigh Randolph. Trombone was his primary instrument, but he later switched to piano. My family also attended a Catholic church in the area, and my grandfather sang in the choir. Music was always around.
JW: Tell tell me about your grandfather, pianist and trombonist Arthur Baskerville (above). How did he influence you? AD: He was a singular influence. My parents bought a piano when I was a toddler, and my grandfather often came over and played standards. He also had a variety of portable keyboards in his basement, including an 88-key Fender Rhodes and a small Casio. He taught me my first standards on that Casio, including Girl From Ipanema and Take the ‘A’ Train. Later, I discovered that he and Elvin Jones were good friends, along with bassist Willie Ruff. They served in the Air Force band together at Lockbourne Air Force Base. Unfortunately I never got a chance to know Elvin, but Mr. Ruff has invited me a few times to perform at Yale University.
JW: How did you wind up playing piano and jazz, specifically? AD: It was a gradual transition, but my interest did not really pique until my sophomore year in high school. A former band director, Linda Dachtyl, sent me some information about a jazz ensemble featuring students from all around central Ohio. That was the Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra. Its director, Todd Stoll, is now the vice president of education at Jazz at Lincoln Center. I auditioned for CYJO, and to my astonishment, I was accepted. I wasn’t an exceptionally strong player, but Todd had a knack for nurturing students who he believed had a sincere desire to play. CYJO also provided me with an opportunity to develop with peers who had similar goals.
JW: What’s the first jazz album you purchased? AD: I can’t even remember, but I definitely had an obsession with Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson, especially Peterson. My teacher, the late Mark Flugge, asked me not to listen to O.P. for a while and explore other pianists like Thelonious Monk and Bill Evans. Art Tatum was equally impressive, but I think listening to him requires more advanced ears, and I don’t believe I had those ears then to fully enjoy his contributions.
JW: How does a jazz great like yourself practice each day? AD: Haha. Jazz great? Hardly. Practicing jazz can be one of the most intimidating disciplines, especially for someone like me, who likes to have the answers immediately. If I say I’m going to learn a piece by Chopin, the music is right in front of me and I learn that piece. With jazz, there are so many references musicians must absorb just to sound remotely mediocre. This isn't to say that similar references aren't required in classical music or other genres. But because improvisation is such a critical component with jazz, musicians must derive their material from a labyrinthine and vast musical language. That’s a lifetime mission to conquer.
JW: From your perspective, is jazz struggling for survival in the U.S., and if so, why? AD: Art appreciation is struggling. I suppose it has something to do with the proliferation of technology; less focus on arts education in school; and less investment of “cultural equity,” as Alan Lomax would say. Art is a product of our identity as human beings. We often look for innovation and what is new, but the human spirit has never really changed. Maybe this is a good time to reevaluate our priorities and look at the treasures that have been bequeathed to us by our ancestors.
JW: What will you be performing at 92Y? AD: “The Art of Tatum” is being curated by Bill Charlap. I’m honored that Bill invited me, as I’ll be joining some formidable pianists, including Bill, Roger Kellaway and Harold Mabern. I’ll honor Tatum by attempting to tackle his rendition of Tiger Rag, and also a few other compositions he was known to play including You Took Advantage of Me and Goin’ Home. There won't be a shortage of excitement.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Aaron Diehl's most recent album, Space, Time, Continuum (Mack Avenue), here.
JazzWax clip:Here's Aaron Diehl with Bill Charlap playing a duet earlier this year...
The title of Georgia Mancio's new album with pianist Alan Broadbent is a tad misleading. None of the songs on the recording is an American Songbook standard. In fact, all of the music on the album was composed by Broadbent, with Mancio penning the lyrics.
These days, receiving a new jazz vocal album comprised entirely of original material gives me pause. Original doesn't always mean exceptional. But in the case of these tender Broadbent-Mancio songs and Mancio's delicious vocal delivery, Songbook is pure perfection. These songs may not be standards now, but they will be soon enough. They're that good. [Photo above by Carl Hyde courtesy of Georgia Mancio]
Mancio's loving voice and approach reminds me of Meredith d'Ambrosio. Both singers have a warm, rich playful sound with intimate, hip phrasing and spot-on intonation. On the piano side, Songbook reminds me of Broadbent's studio albums with Irene Kral in the 1970s. Songbook has that same level of casual vocal intensity and beautiful chord voicings that made those albums so meaningful. You can hear Mancio and Broadbent listening to each other and working together.
Songbook is Mancio's sixth album, and Broadbent is joined here by bassist Oli Hayhurst and drummer Dave Ohm. Born in Croydon, England, in 1972, Mancio brings grace and wisdom to each song. Her lyric-writing is sophisticated and sensitive beyond her years, and her voice wraps sweetly around Broadbent's melodies.
Their collaboration began several years ago, after Mancio sang Heart's Desire, a song Broadbent co-wrote with Dave Frishberg. She performed it during a duo gig with Broadbent. [Photo of Alan Broadbent above by Juan Carlos Hernandez, courtesy of Georgia Mancio]
Mancio then asked Broadbent if he had others. He sent along a demo of The Long Goodbye and asked her to write a lyric. Mancio was taken aback, since she hadn't even hinted that she wanted to write a song with him. It took her a month to write the words, and Broadbent loved the result. That's when he knew his songs were in good hands. So he sent Mancio another and another and another. [Photo above of Georgia Mancio by Carl Hyde, courtesy of Georgia Mancio]
When Mancio was ready to record a new album recently, she asked Boadbent if he'd join her. He thought recording an entire album of their work together might be ideal. As Mancio told Sebastian of the London Jazz News, "I feel these songs could be standards [from another era] and yet there's a modern touch to them." There is indeed. As with Meredith d'Ambrosio's originals, Mancio's words captivate and seduce with cool, floral determination and poetry.
Do yourself a favor and just buy Songbook. It's a remarkably sensitive album that reminds us how love feels at the start. You won't be disappointed. [Photo above by Carl Hyde, courtesy of Georgia Mancio]
JazzWax tracks: Georgia Mancio's Songbook (Roomspin) is available in the States here.
This week in The Wall Street Journal, I interview former Hollywood executive Sherry Lansing for my "House Call" column on growing up in Chicago and what she said to her dad as a child that she wishes she could take back (go here). Also in the WSJ, my chat with Scottish author Christopher Broomyre for my "Playlist" column on why Big Country's In a Big Country was so meaningful to him (go here). [Photo above courtesy of Sherry Lansing]
JazzWax interviews. JazzWax is undergoing a bit of summer cleaning, so some of the interview links in the right-hand column may be down. They're being re-uploaded little by little. Sorry for the inconvenience but all should be back to normal by summer's end.
Bill Evans. Producer Zev Feldman informs me that Resonance Records' release last year of Bill Evans's Some Other Time: The Lost Session From the Black Forest just won the Downbeat Critic's Poll Award for Best Historical Album. I wrote the main liner notes. Congratulations to Zev and the team at Resonance!
Benny Golson and Jimmy Heath will be performing together in New York at 92Y's "Jazz in July" festival series on Wednesday, July 19, at 7:30 p.m. The legendary Philadelphians will be playing their jazz standards, which hopefully will include Benny's Along Came Betty and Jimmy's For Miles and Miles. You can read my JazzWax interviews with Benny here and with Jimmy here.
And here's Jimmy's For Miles and Miles, recorded by Chet Baker, Art Pepper and Phil Urso...
From Bill Crow's Facebook page. Writes Bill, "I forget where I got this photo of Charlie Ventura's band. Must be in the late 1940s. Tiny Kahn on drums, Gerry Mulligan (bs), Brew Moore (ts), Curley Russell (b) and George Wallington (p)."
Slippery When Wet. The surf craze began in Southern California in the late 1950s after amateur filmmakers began shooting footage of friends surfing and screened the results accompanied by a voiceover tape and recorded music at auditoriums in small towns along the Pacific Coast. Among the surfing cinematographers who pioneered the genre was Bruce Brown, who would go on to make The Endless Summer (1966), the big daddy of all surf movies. Brown's first film was Slippery When Wet in 1958. But when Brown shot the film, the Del Tones, the Beach Boys and surf rock didn't exist yet. So Brown turned to Bud Shank and his quartet for music.
Fascinating that the very first surf-film soundtrack would feature West Coast jazz. Here's the film, with Brown explaining how he recruited Bud at the Lighthouse nightclub in Hermosa Beach. All of the music is by saxophonist Bud Shank backed by guitarist Billy Bean, bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Chuck Flores...
You'll find the Slippery When Wet soundtrack here.
What the heck.Here's Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, featuring Teddy Pendergrass, singing Bad Luck on Soul Train in 1975...
Oddball album cover of the week.
Yes, relaxing, until he had to scramble to get up and turn over the album.
Marc Myers writes regularly for The Wall Street Journal and is author of "Anatomy of 55 More Songs," "Anatomy of a Song," "Rock Concert: An Oral History" and "Why Jazz Happened." Founded in 2007, JazzWax has won three Jazz Journalists Association awards.
