Of all the musicals that were hits on Broadway, the Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim collaboration on Gypsy produced songs that were among the most covered by top jazz musicians. I'm sure West Side Story, My Fair Lady and South Pacific were up there, too, but they weren't quite as naturally jazzy as Gypsy. That's because Styne, who wrote the music, came up in the jazz age as a pianist and band leader. [Photo above of Herb Geller]
Artists who put a jazz spin on Gypsy's songs include Tony Scott, Annie Ross, Teddy Wilson, the Hi-Lo's, Eddie Heywood, Pearl Bailey, Art Van Damme, Ray Anthony, Dick Hyman, Jonah Jones, Jackie Cain, Barbara Carroll, Maxine Sullivan and Peggy Lee. One of my favorite jazz interpretations of Gypsy is by Herb Geller. The album was recorded in June 1959, a few months after Herb recorded on Annie Ross's Gypsy, backed by a big band arranged and led by Buddy Bregman.
There are several reasons why Herb's album is special. First, the quintet he led included all three Jones brothers—Thad Jones (cnt), Hank Jones (p) and Elvin Jones (d)—on three songs: Mama's Talking Soft, Everything's Coming Up Roses and Together Wherever We Go. The rest of the album's tracks featured Billy Taylor on piano. Second, the bassist was Scott LaFaro just months before he joined the Bill Evans Trio in December.
And third, the singer was Barbara Long. The Chicago club vocalist sang with tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin's trio before she traveled to New York to record Gypsy, her first album. Long's only other album was her own Soul: The Voice of Barbara Long, for Savoy in 1961. Long had a dry, jazzy sound with a Sarah Vaughan approach.
The Gypsy tracks are Everything's Coming Up Roses, You'll Never Get Away From Me, Together Wherever We Go, Little Lamb, Some People, Mama's Talking Soft, Cow Song and Small World. Cow Song is particularly special since it never made the orchestration phase for the 1959 show. Styne had pulled it. Throughout, Thad Jones on the higher-pitched cornet and Herb on alto saxophone in the upper register are a perfect pair. Both of their solos are crisp and lyrical, with LaFaro punching his notes through the quintet distinctly. [Photo above of Scott LaFaro]
What became of Barbara Long after 1961 is unknown.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Herb Geller's Gypsy here from Fresh Sound. Or Barbara Long's vocals from Gypsy plus her Soul album from Fresh Sound here.
JazzWax clips: Here's Little Lamb...
And here's Small World, with Barbara Long on vocal...
