JazzWax

Wes Montgomery Live in Europe, 1965

Fortunately for us, guitarist Wes Montgomery went over to Europe in the spring of 1965 and toured. We're lucky, because Montgomery wound up on European TV shows during many of his stops, resulting in lots of video clips. Yesterday, I decided to string together all the live 1965 dates I could find on YouTube, giving you an opportunity to hear and see him on the road. Here's Montgomery on tour in Europe in March, April and May 1965 [photo above of Wes Montgomery]:

Here's Montgomery on Britain's TV show Jazz 625 on March 25, 1965 (colorized), with Harold Mabern (p), Arthur Harper (b) and Jimmy Lovelace (d)...

Here's audio of Montgomery in Paris with Johnny Griffin (ts) added on March 27, 1965...

Here's Montgomery on April 2, 1965 in Hilversum, the Netherlands, in VPRO Studio (colorized) with Pim Jacobs (p), Ruud Jacobs (b) and Han Bennink (d)...

Here's Montgomery on April 4, 1965 on Belgian television (colorized)...

Here's Montgomery on April 28, 1965 in Hamburg Germany with Johnny Griffin, Ronnie Scott and Hans Koller (ts), Ronnie Ross (bs), Martial Solal (p), Michel Gaudry (b) and Ronnie Stephenson d)...

Here's Montgomery on May 7, 1965 playing Here's That Rainy Day in London on the
TV show Tempo, with Stan Tracy (p), Rick Laird (b) and Jackie Dougan (d)...

Bonus: Here's Montgomery playing Windy in 1968...

Bill Evans: Soundcheck in Paris, 1979

Forty-three years ago, on November 26, 1979, pianist Bill Evans, bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Joe LaBarbera were booked to perform at Theatre de la Ville at Espace Cardin in Paris. The concert that evening was recorded for broadcast, and the two subsequent live albums would become known as The Paris Concert/Edition One and The Paris Concert/Edition Two. Earlier that day in 1979, Evans visited the concert space with Marc, Joe and pianist Walter Davis Jr., who was on tour in the city. Evans wanted to become familiar with the concert setup and do a soundcheck. Davis came along to listen. Yesterday, pianist Dave Thompson turned me on to a recording of the soundcheck. [Photo above of Bill Evans with Walter Davis Jr. at the Paris apartment of Francis Paudras in November 1979, courtesy of Joe LaBarbera]

Here's the 32-minute soundcheck...

What I find particularly interesting about the soundcheck is that Evans seemed to be doing many things at once: First and foremost, he was playing the piano to allow the sound team to set the microphone levels for that evening. But he also was limbering up and experiencing the piano, much the way someone in fashion might run their hand over fabric before cutting the cloth or a chef might examine a set of new kitchen knives before cooking.

During the early part of the soundcheck recording, we can hear Evans trying out new approaches to My Foolish Heart to see if he could take the standard to a new level. For some reason, the trio never performed the song that night, which may have been a result of the kinks Evans was trying to iron out at the soundcheck.

In his email yesterday, Dave noticed something amazing: Evans used a good chunk of the soundcheck to work on a song he was composing—Here's Something for You. The following year, Evans would hand Marc Johnson a tape of the finished song. After Evans's death, Marc shared it with his partner Eliane Elias, who recorded it in 2007 with lyrics she added. You'll find more on the song in my earlier post here.

I reached out to drummer Joe LaBarbera for his insights:

Marc, you're right. the audio is the setup and soundcheck for the Paris Concert. Bill loved playing this piano, and the recordings released later of the Paris Concert are proof of that. I recall that he lingered after the concert and played the piano for another 20 minutes or so. Walter Davis Jr. was in Paris at the time, and he and Bill hung out together at Francis Paudras apartment. Bill gave me the photo at the top of your post.

Dave shed light on words exchanged between Evans and Davis during the soundcheck...

Marc, I had to put my ear up to the speaker to hear some of what Bill was saying. As he reworked things harmonically, he said he had come across something he had never done before in terms of harmonic movements. He was illustrating that to Davis. It sounds to me like he was working with a lot of suspensions and moving through inversions of suspensions to find new key centers and then back to the original key center again. He seemed energized by that, as he certainly would have been. Always exploring, always discovering.

Evans, of course, closes the soundcheck with Like Someone in Love, which the trio also skipped over that night. Given how much he loved the piano, Evans was clearly enjoying himself working through the standard on an instrument that was fully realizing the beauty of what he was playing.

Above all, what is most significant about this soundcheck is that we now have a recording of Evans playing and possibly composing Here's Something for You. The only other recording of Evans playing the song that I know of was the cassette tape he handed Marc in 1980. For that alone, this soundcheck is a treasure.

JazzWax tracks: Here's Eliane Elias playing Here's Something for You, with her lyrics added...

Here's the song recorded by Eliane in 2007 and released on her album Something For You : Eliane Elias Plays and Sings Bill Evans (Blue Note)...

And here are two "lost tracks" from the Paris Concert...

 

Oscar Peterson: Live in Zurich, 1971

Pianist Oscar Peterson had some year in 1971. He recorded Oscar Peterson in London (in March), In Tune with the Singers Unlimited (in July), Reunion Blues with the Milt Jackson Quartet (in July), In Concert (in July) and Great Connection (in October). What all of these albums have in common is they were recorded in Europe. Now we can add a sixth—On a Clear Day: Live in Zurich 1971 (Mack Avenue)—recorded on November 24, 1971 at Zurich's Kongresshaus, a complex of meeting spaces on Lake Zurich that includes the historic Tonhalle Zürich concert hall. [Photo above of Oscar Peterson]

Accompanying Peterson in Zurich and on his entire six-week European tour were bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and drummer Louis Hayes. Previously unreleased, the music on the new album was recorded originally for a single broadcast on Radio Zurich. After airing, the tape went up on a shelf where it remained until now.

The songs performed are The Lamp Is Low, Younger Than Springtime, On a Clear Day, Young and Foolish / A Time for Love, Soft Winds, Mack the Knife, Where Do I Go From Here? and On the Trail.

Peterson's playing here ranges from terrific to sensational. While the early tracks lean toward pensive and rollicking (The Lamp Is Low, Younger Than Springtime, Young and Foolish and Soft Winds), his keyboard attack virtually explodes on On a Clear Day and the last three tracks—Mack the Knife, Where Do I Go From Here? and On the Trail. The drive and speed with which Peterson plays and his cascades of flawless improvisation is hair-raising. [Poster above for a concert on the same tour three days later in Geneva, Switzerland]

Mack the Knife is perhaps the show-stopper. You won't know what he's playing until 4:05, which must have been quite a surprise for an audience wondering what his lengthy introduction was building toward. A sharp ear can pick out where it's heading, but he did a wonderful job of disguising his intention. Another high point are Peterson's chords on Younger Than Springtime. An exhilarating album and a terrific find. We have Kelly Peterson, Oscar's wife and the album's producer, to thank.

Oscar Peterson died in 2007 at age 82; Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen died in 2005 at age 58. 

JazzWax tracks: You'll find the Oscar Peterson Trio's On a Clear Day: Live in Zurich, 1971 (Mack Avenue) here or here.

JazzWax clips: Here's On a Clear Day...

And here's Mack the Knife...

Brian, Benny and Neil

Last week in The Wall Street Journal, I interviewed AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). On stage belting out songs since 1980, Brian seems like a stressed-out truck driver with a hair-trigger temper. The truth is Brian is among the sweetest rock stars I've interviewed. His father was British and his mother was Italian. His father fought in World War II for the British and helped liberate Rome and the region surrounding the city in June 1944. In a small town, his dad met the woman he was going to marry. In 1947, the couple headed to northern England to make a home, and Brian was born. But the gray English weather, cool temperatures and lard-cooked food dampened his mother's spirits. You'll never believe what helped save the marriage. His new memoir is here.

Here's Brian singing Back in Black with AC/DC at Donington Park in England in 1991...

And here's Brian with AC/DC at the Grammy Awards Ceremony in 2015...

Nine days to go. My book, Anatomy of 55 More Songs—the follow-up to my 2016 bestselling book Anatomy of a Song—will be out December 6. If you enjoy JazzWax, please show your support and buy a copy—go here. You know most or all of the songs in my book and you'll love the stories behind them from the composers who wrote the hits and the stars who recorded them. I'm so convinced, here are the 55 songs:

1. Walk On By — Dionne Warwick
2. Dancing in the Street — Martha and the Vandellas
3. Sunshine Superman — Donovan
4. Good Vibrations — Beach Boys
5. Up, Up and Away — The 5th Dimension
6. Get Together — Youngbloods
7. The Weight — The Band
8. Fire — Crazy World of Arthur Brown
9. Bad Moon Rising — Creedence Clearwater Revival
10. Crystal Blue Persuasion — Tommy James
11. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough — Diana Ross
12. Paranoid — Black Sabbath
13. Truckin’ — The Grateful Dead
14. I’m Eighteen —Alice Cooper
15. Band a Gong — T Rex
16. Roundabout — Yes
17. Doctor My Eyes — Jackson Browne
18. Long Tall Woman in a Black Dress — The Hollies
19. Rocket Man — Elton John
20. Papa Was a Rolling Stone — The Temptations
21. I’ll Be Around — The Spinners
22. Killing Me Softly — Roberta Flack
23. Smoke on the Water — Deep Purple
24. Hello It’s Me — Todd Rundgren
25. She’s Gone — Hall & Oates
26. Come and Get Your Love — Redbone
27. Sundown — Gordon Lightfoot
28. I’m Not in Love — 10CC
29. Love Is the Drug — Roxy Music
30. The Boys Are Back in Town — Thin Lizzy
31. Fly Like an Eagle — Steve Miller Band
32. Year of the Cat — Al Stewart
33. Barracuda — Heart
34. Nobody Does It Better — Carly Simon
35. Peg — Steely Dan
36. My Best Friend’s Girl — The Cars
37. The Gambler — Kernny Rogers
38. September — Earth Wind & Fire
39. What a Fool Believes — Doobie Bros
40. Accidents Will Happen — Elvis Costello
41. Devil Went Down to Georgia — Charlie Daniels
42. Good Times — Chic
43. Highway to Hell — AC/DC
44. Cars — Gary Numan
45. On the Radio — Donna Summer
46. Bad Reputation — Joan Jett
47. Rapture — Blondie
48. Don’t Stop Believing — Journey
49. Steppin’ Out — Joe Jackson
50. Burning Down the House — Talking Heads
51. The Power of Love — Huey Lewis
52. Small Town — John Mellencamp
53. Take It So Hard — Keith Richards
54. Being Boring — Pet Shop Boys
55. If It Makes You Happy — Sheryl Crow

Listen to the songs for free by going to my book site and playing them on my specially created Spotify playlist in the same order as the book. Go here.

Benny Golson. Producer-director Jacey Falk hopes to finish his documentary on tenor saxophonist and composer Benny Golson by July. The documentary is Benny Golson: Going Beyond the Horizon, and he needs funding to help pay the licensing fees on the songs he wants to use. His GoFundMe page can be found here. Here's the documentary's trailer... 

In Paris? The restaurant Birdie Num Num in Paris is hosting an exhibit by the fabulous photographer Gilles D'Elia through December. All of the images are for sale. For more information on Gilles as well as his glorious photographs, go here.

Giacomo Gates sent along an audio clip of Thelonious Monk's Stuffy Turkey. Think of the clip as fantastic holiday leftovers. Here's Monk...

Travel playlist. Heading home on Sunday? I've got music for you. Earlier in the week, I received the following email from Kim Paris of the FM Radio Archive...

Marc, I enjoyed reading Mark Rabin's JazzWax contribution last weekend on transportation films and soundtracks. As you probably know, Mark is one of the leading contributors of broadcast recordings on FM Radio Archive, with 70 recordings so far.

What you may not know is that Mark's contribution to the FM Radio Archive coaxed Raoul van Hall to share his "Jazz From The Left" radio show broadcasts. Raoul also made some in-flight entertainment soundtracks for Air China, China Airways, Gulf Air, Oman Air & Bangkok Airlines.

Raoul was kind enough to share one called "Jazz Giants" that I posted on FM Radio Archive so JazzWax readers can enjoy. Go here.

Duduka Da Fonseca—Yes!!! (Sunnyside). Duduka is is a Brazilian jazz drummer and a founding member of Trio da Paz with Romero Lubambo and Nilson Matta. His new album, Yes!!!, features Quarteto Universal—with Vinicius Gomes on guitars, Helio Alves on piano and Gili Lopes on bass. The beauty of Duduka is his feathery ferocity on drums that not only drives the music but creates a shimmering atmosphere around it. On his new album, Duduka is accompanied by musicians who bring the rhythmic heat with flexibility and intensity. Best of all on this album, each song has a different personality and feel. Go here.

Here's Samba Novo...

Billy Drummond—Valse Sinistre (Cellar Music). Drummer Billy Drummond has long been inspired by the edge and push of alto saxophonist Jackie McLean. So opening his new album with McLean's Little Melonae makes perfect sense. The musicians in Billy's group, Freedom of Ideas, are Dayna Stephens on saxophones, Micah Thomas on piano and Dezron Douglas on bass. What I enjoy most about this album is how the musicians go deep and create long shadows with bursts of light. Each artist in the quartet contributes extraordinary musicianship, and the approach on each song is conversational and defies convention. The thread running through all of the songs are Billy's drums, which coax, combat and challenge the other musicians as they let their personalities stand out. Go here.

Here's Clara's Room...

Ant Law and Alex Hitchcock—Same Moon in the Same World (Oim). The British jazz composer-collagists Ant Law (guitar) and Alex Hitchcock ( saxophonist) join forces with a team of special guests—Joel Ross, Eric Harland, Jasper Høiby, Linda Oh, Kendrick Scott, Shai Maestro, Tim Garland, Ben Williams and Sun-Mi Hong. Their music is deliciously eclectic and conceptual, pushing and pulling in different imaginative directions, delivering a wide range of styles and forms. The best part about this album is how it holds your attention with a shower of jazz and acid-jazz fragments and sonic layers. For me, it's jazz that grows on me and won't let go. Go here.

Here's Haven't Meta Yet...

Correction. Following my post on the Giants of Jazz, Nico Wilke sent along an email to let me know that the video was from October 1972, not 1971. He sent along photos of the 1971 event that he attended and the different attire by the musicians in 1972. I made the fix, and the 1972 poster is above. To read the post, go here.

And finally, here's Neil Young and Crazy Horse and their great new single Chevrolet from their new album, World Record. Neil is joined by Crazy Horse guitarist Nils Lofgren, bassist Billy Talbot and drummer Ralph Molina. That's Neil's late father, Scott Young, on the album cover above. Scott was a Canadian journalist, sportswriter and author of 45 novels and non-fiction books. Neil's still got it...

Here's Chevrolet...

Video: Giants of Jazz in Holland, 1972

The Giants of Jazz was a bebop supergroup assembled by George Wein in 1971 after a riot at the Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, R.I., suspended the event. To recoup the losses, George sent the newly formed sextet and the festival itself out on tour. Starting in the fall, the Giants performed in Australia followed by Europe and the U.S. in 1972, where they appeared at mostly indoor venues throughout the country before heading off to Europe again that fall. I saw them in July 1972 when I was 15 at Carnegie Hall. Post-riot, the Newport Jazz Festival had relocated to New York. A jazz fan for three years and by then versed in the music recorded by the bop legends on stage, I was blown away.

On October 29, 1972, on the second European tour, the group—Dizzy Gillespie (tp), Sonny Stitt (as/ts), Kai Winding (tb), Thelonious Monk (p), Al McKibbon (b) and Art Blakey (d)—appeared at Rotterdam's De Doelen in the Netherlands. The Giants had appeared a year earlier at the concert hall, which had been rebuilt in 1965 with its main hall holding 2,200 seats.

Earlier this week, Danilo Morandi in Switzerland sent along a two-part video of the Giants of Jazz's performance there taped originally for Dutch TV. I figured since most of you are recovering from yesterday's meal, this would be perfect sofa viewing and listening.

Here's Part 1...

And here's Part 2...

Video: Bill Evans and Lee Konitz, 1965

To my American readers in the U.S. and abroad, Happy Thanksgiving. To the rest of the world, Happy Thanksgiving. Today is one of our favorite holidays. It's nondenominational and celebrates cooperation with others for the sake of mutual survival. And like all great holidays, a robust meal is the focus and consumed with family and friends as we say thanks for all that is good and kind.

In this spirit, I thought I'd serve up a video of Bill Evans and Lee Konitz that was taped for Danish TV in Copenhagen in late 1965. Dave Thompson sent this one along. [Photo above of Bill Evans in Copenhagen in late 1965 courtesy of the Jan Persson estate]

Touring separately in Europe in October 1965, pianist Bill Evans and saxophonist Lee Konitz found themselves together in West Berlin at the end of the month. They performed at West Berlin's Philharmonie in West Berlin on the 29th and then headed north to Denmark with Evans's bassist and drummer on this European tour—Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen and Alan Dawson. [Photo above of Lee Konitz in Copenhagen in late 1965, courtesy of the Jan Persson estate] 

On the 31st, they taped two songs for Danish television in Copenhagen, most likely in the afternoon as a tune-up for their stage performance that night at the Tivoli Theatre. The songs were How Deep Is the Ocean and Beautiful Love.

Here's their TV taping. Safe travels if you're on the road this weekend...

Ahmad Jamal: Live at the Penthouse, 1963-1966

Last week, I wrote in a post that the never-before released music on the new Elvin Jones album, Revival: Live at Pookie's Pub, was the most significant historical jazz album released this year. I now find that I must amend that statement, just days later. Zev Feldman, who co-produced the Elvin Jones material, is now releasing two equally impressive Ahmad Jamal Trio albums. The music on these recordings also is previously unreleased and the sound is sterling, dynamic and mixed brilliantly. [Photo above of Ahmad Jamal by Don Bronstein, courtesy of Jazz Detective Records]

Recorded live at the Penthouse in Seattle, the material has been issued on two albums—Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse 1963-1964 and Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse 1965-1966. These two albums mark the debut of Zev's new label—Jazz Detective Records. All of JazzWax's readers wish the label great success, given Zev's vast contribution to jazz, hunting down tapes of studio recordings and live performances and securing the permissions needed to release what can only be called relic recordings.

What we hear on these albums is Ahmad at his delicate and suspenseful best. In other words, he's playing in the lush, swinging and elegant style he made famous in the 1950s, when he was the envy of many top jazz artists, including Miles Davis. On these new albums, Ahmad's technique is uniformly fluid and bright, and the song choices are smart. 

The tapes on which these performances by various Ahmad Jamal Trios appear were hidden away for years. They originally were made by Jim Wilke, who hosted a radio show on Seattle's KING-FM that spotlighted live jazz events at the Penthouse. The tapes were originally made for on-air rebroadcast either at a later time or date or on a recurring basis. The Penthouse's owner, Charlie Puzzo Sr., provided all the gear, and Ahmad was fully aware that his trio was being recorded and was supportive of the mission. [Photo above of Ahmad Jamal by Don Bronstein, courtesy of Jazz Detective Records]

The Puzzo archive today is overseen by Charlie Puzzo Jr., who graciously allowed Zev to release the trio material. Zev has released albums from this archive in the past. Zev also had to win over Ahmad, who is notoriously picky and critical about his playing from this period and would only have given his blessing if he heard something special in the taped music. [Photo above of Charlie Puzzo Sr. and Ahmad Jamal, courtesy of Charlie Puzzo Jr. and Jazz Detective Records]

Many jazz fans think of Zev as a rummager who stumbles upon great recordings and finds a way to get them released. That's not true. Knowing Zev for years, I can tell you firsthand the heavy lifts made by Zev to get these critical recordings to market. A good chunk of Zev's effort has to do with his knowledge of jazz, his awareness of lost and hidden recordings, and his long history in the record business. [Photo above of Ahmad Jamal by Don Bronstein, courtesy of Jazz Detective Records]

But there's way more, and much has to do with Zev's charming personality, his integrity and his kindness. He has built bridges all over the industry among artists, musicians, producers, foreign contacts and family members who manage the estates of jazz legends. In essence, Zev can be trusted to produce a top-notch product, package it thoroughly and ensure that his promises are honored. Zev's jazz treasures are possible only because all of these gifts come together neatly and are fueled by his passion. [Photo above of Ahmad Jamal in 1967, (c)Raymond Ross Archives, courtesy of CTSIMAGES and Jazz Detective Records]

And now to the music. On the first of the two albums (1963-1964), Ahmad was joined in 1963 by Richard Evans (b) and Chuck Lampkin (d) on Johnny One Note, Minor Adjustments, All of You and Squatty Roo. A year later, Ahmad was backed by Jamil Nasser (b) and Lampkin (d)) on Bogota, Lollipops & Roses, Tangerine, Keep On Keeping On, Minor Moods and But Not for Me, in 1964.

On the second album (1965-1966), Ahmad continues in 1965 with Nasser (b) and Lampkin (d) on I Didn't Know What Time It Was, Who Can I Turn To, My First Love Song and Feeling Good. Also in 1965, Ahmad was joined by Nasser (b) and Vernel Fournier (d) on Concern and Like Someone in Love. On the 1966 tracks—Invitation, Poinciana and Whisper Not—Ahmad was accompanied by Nasser (b) and Frank Gant (d).

If I owned a sports car, I'd take this music on a drive along the leafy winding roads of Pound Ridge and Bedford in New York. The music is so beautiful it begs for equally beautiful and mellow scenery, from barns and farms to horse stables and country stores. But listening in front of a fireplace with a great cup of tea would do nicely as well.

By the way, the Penthouse in Seattle wasn't on the top floor of any building. It was on the ground floor of the Kenneth Hotel at 701 First Avenue, near the corner of Cherry Street. It opened in 1962 and closed in 1968, when the hotel was demolished and replaced soon after by a multi-story parking lot. [Photo above of Charlie Puzzo Sr. with the Oscar Peterson Trio outside the Penthouse; from left, Ray Brown, Charlie Puzzo Sr., Oscar Peterson and Ed Thigpen]

Congratulations on the new label, Zev. Off to a big start.

JazzWax notes: The two double albums will be available on 180-gram vinyl this Friday, on Record Store Day. For a list of record stores in your area, go here.

CDs and downloads of the albums will be available starting on December 2.

To read my 2013 interview with Ahmad Jamal for The Wall Street Journal, go here.

JazzWax tracks: You'll find Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse 1963-1964 here.

And Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse 1965-1966 here.

Both are on Jazz Detective Records.

JazzWax clips: Here's But Not for Me...

But Not for Me

And here's Who Can I Turn To...

Who Can I Turn To

Here's an eight-minute video on Seattle's Penthouse...

Here's a 2016 oral-history interview on audio or video with Joyce Puzzo, the widow of Charlie Puzzo, owner of the Penthouse. At the Seattle Public Library landing page, click on the video format in the right-hand box. Or listen to the audio here. A special thanks to John Kettlewell...

Joyce Puzzo on the Penthouse

And here's Ahmad in action in 1960 on CBS (move the time bar to 4:22)...

Freddie Green: 'Down for Double'

Last week, I posted on Freddie Green's sole leadership album, Mr. Rhythm, recorded in 1955 for RCA. Since then, Michael Pettersen, who hosts the Freddie Green nonprofit tribute site (here), sent along an email [photo above of Freddie Green]:

Marc, related to the "Mr. Rhythm" LP, several years ago I was visiting Freddie’s son, Alfred. We decided to explore three boxes of books and papers from Freddie’s estate. One of the boxes held the handwritten charts from the "Mr. Rhythm" session. Below is Freddy’s [sic] part for "Down For Double”...

The part pictured above is typical of what a big band guitarist like Freddie would have been provided by the copyist. The choice of chord voicings is left up to the guitarist. It is rare that notes on a staff are used. In nearly every case, the arranger provides only the chord names. [Freddie Green's part above for "Down for Double" courtesy of Alfred Green and the Freddie Green estate; the spelling error in Freddie's first name was likely made by the copyist]

The choices of voicings by the rhythm guitarist is one of the things that make each guitarist sound different. Give the same chart to Allan Reuss, for example, of Benny Goodman fame, and he will opt for different voicings. By the way, "Mr. Rhythm" was re-branded as "Natural Rhythm" when it appeared on CD. [Photo above of Freddie Green with Count Basie]

The arrangement of Freddie Green's composition was by Al Cohn and, as per the stamp on the score, the copyist was Emile Charlap.

Here's Freddie Green's Down for Double...

Here's Little Red from the same album...

To see what Green's guitar voicings were for the intro to Little Red, check out this short transcription (go here).

And here's a Freddie Green tribute clip...

A special thanks to Alfred Green and Michael Pettersen.

Interview: Tracye Eileen on 'You Hit the Spot'

A bunch of weeks ago, I was roaming around YouTube when I ran into Tracye Eileen singing Black Cow, a Steely Dan song from their Aja album in 1977. I was blown away. With her deep, rich voice, Tracye had nailed Donald Fagen and Walter Becker's song and intent perfectly. I wondered if she was planning a Steely Dan songbook album. So I asked. Before I continue, let me share with you what I encountered [photo above of Tracye Eileen, courtesy of Tracye Eileen]:

Here's her studio recording of Black Cow...

And here's Tracye live at Buddy Guy's in 2017, click the “Watch on YouTube” link in the box below (Black Cow is the second song)...

Tracye has recorded four albums—her first, Love's Journey, in 2012. Why Did I Say 'Yes?' followed in 2018. In 2020, she released It's Time, a smooth jazz album of originals. Her latest is You Hit the Spot (Honey Crystal), an album of songbook standards. Here's Tracye singing It's Almost Like Being in Love...

Recently, I caught up with Tracye by email:

JazzWax: Where did you grow up in Chicago?
Tracye Eileen: I grew up on the South Side of Chicago in a neighborhood just west of where Michelle Obama grew up. My parents were music lovers. In fact, they met in high school in drum-band class. My father became a very talented jazz drummer and percussionist. He almost went on tour with Count Basie but had been drafted. A week before the tour, he was sent to Vietnam. My dad was a straight-ahead drummer and so smooth. Through the years, before I began to sing professionally, I sat in with his band to sing a few songs. In more recent years, he sat in with mine. I wish he had lived to hear my new album, You Hit the Spot. He would have loved it.

JW: And your mom?
TE: Mom had a vast collection of albums. I grew up listening to Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, Dionne Warwick, Nina Simone and many other wonderful artists. I was a lead vocalist in my church choir for more than 30 years. The experience helped me with my vocals and my confidence as a performer. I was blessed being a soloist on a 10-city church-choir gospel tour in Switzerland about 15 years ago. It was a blast.

JW: What album had the biggest influence on you?
TE: My favorite jazz vocal album growing up was Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley (1962). I loved the way Nancy interpreted a song and told a story as she sang it. I also loved her look and the sound of Cannonball’s alto saxophone with her vocals. Just awesome! Nancy, Billie Holiday and later Ella Fitzgerald were my biggest inspirations and helped shape the singer I am today.

JW: Did you sing in high school?
TE: Yes, but the school's Jazz Band was small. We performed traditional jazz standards as well as soul and R&B songs popular then. After I graduated, I attended Jackson State University as a business major. While there, as a soloist, I performed standards with the jazz orchestra. I also fell in love with Billie Holiday’s recordings. Lady Sings the Blues, the 1972 movie about Billie Holiday, starring Diana Ross, was my first introduction to Billie. I was mesmerized by the way she interpreted a song, and I loved her elegance. [Photo above of Tracye Eileen, courtesy of Tracye Eileen]

JW: Who was a game-changing professor for you?
TE: Dr. Goree was the jazz orchestra leader and motivated me not only by turning me on to American songbook standards but also by helping me get a job singing on Sunday evenings with a well-established jazz band in town. The band was made up of much older artists than me. I also won the campus-wide university talent show singing a tune by Brenda Russell and spent time as a DJ on the university's jazz radio station and on the city’s main commercial radio station, WJMI-FM.

JW: When did you start singing professionally?
TE: My first professional gig came while I was in college. I sang with a jazz band at a local jazz club in Jackson, Miss. It was the most money I’d ever made up until that point. I continued to sing at weddings and funerals, in church and with two gospel groups. My first gig at a large entertainment venue was a bit scary but exhilarating. My name was literally up in lights and my picture was on a large promotional screen.

JW: After Jackson State?
TE: I attended Clark Atlanta University graduate school of business for my MBA. I mostly sang at church when I came home for the holidays, but I had a plan to land a job at Columbia Records in finance, then get discovered somehow while there.

JW: How did that work out?
TE: I was sidetracked and ended up in banking instead. Having an MBA definitely helped me as a singer and in the music business. Once I decided to finally pursue my musical dream 11 years ago, I researched the industry, attended an ASCAP conference and figured out how to earn a living as a singer. I also continued to invest in my craft with vocal coaching and by attending the Bloom School of Jazz in Chicago.

JW: Did you handle your own career?
TE: I did. Up until I landed a professional booking agent, I booked all of my gigs, established a music label called Honey Crystal Records, established a music publishing company and managed all the marketing and social media for my band. I continued to manage my band while maintaining a corporate sales job that financed my four albums. I’ve had two full-time careers for the last 11 years. Next year, I’ll finally be able to focus solely on music.

JW: Was your divorce in 2009 painful?
TE: My divorce was more of a relief and a mutual decision. I was married for five years, and it was my second marriage. The second divorce helped me realize that rather than try to live the life I thought I should have, I should live the life I really wanted. That life was to be a professional jazz singer and recording artist. So that's what I did. Our split opened the door to a journey that helped me discover who I was as a person, a woman, an artist and a singer. It helped me drop external expectations, heal old wounds and become the person I was meant to be.

JW: What was the turning point for you at the Bloom School of Jazz?
TE: After my divorce, I started taking a few classes at the Bloom School. At the time, the school offered a year-long course called The Perfect Set to help one go from an amateur to a professional artist. This was my turning point. I decided with my savings, I could buy a car or take this class. If I took the class, I promised myself I would not quit and here I am.

JW: How did Bloom shape you?
TE: During my year of study there, we performed constantly at several jazz venues in the city. That definitely prepared me for performing. I still get butterflies before I go on but performing is awesome. My band was initially four pieces and put together by David Bloom of the Bloom School. I later added saxophonist James Perkins and drummer Malcom Banks. The initial band members were Tom Viatsas on piano, Pat Fleming on guitar, Paul Martin on bass and Rick Vitek on drums. A second turning point at the school was when I got my first critique.

JW: How did that go?
TE: The feedback was that I needed to take a walk down a dark alley and find my voice. They said back then that I sounded like a lounge singer. This was great advice, because during that year, I did find my own voice. I also honed my scatting skills and learned how to scat a conversation. Plus I learned how to lead and manage a band and how to emote and deliver a song on stage in a way that would be believable and would tell a story. I further developed my voice and vocal skills, and learned how to deal with stage fright.

JW: How so?
TE: During the course, the nine of us in class had the same backing band and instructors, and the same guest instructors. David Bloom and Spider Saloff were both inspirational in their teaching styles and industry knowledge and experience. We performed at several jazz venues in Chicago and gave several performances at the school. David also brought in an established actor to train us in stage performance and song delivery. I loved that.

JW: And when you finished?
TE: We each left the course with a professional recording of the songs we worked on all year. I leveraged this recording as my first release by commercially packaging the recording as Love’s Journey. I used it to book gigs and introduce myself to my new audiences. David Bloom initially served as my manager for a few months, as he wanted to assist in launching my professional career. He put together my band of amazing musicians and got me my first gig at the Hollywood Casino in Joliet. While the management relationship didn’t work out, the band remained with me for 10 years. As a business school graduate, I also was able to renegotiate my contract with the casino and got a better deal. We played there for several months.

JW: You have a lengthy residency at Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago, yes?
TE: The residency at Buddy Guy’s has been wonderful. The club’s talent manager, Mark Maddox, found me on LinkedIn. He liked my Why Did I Say 'Yes?' album and sent me an email. I was thrilled. He offered me a few dates which turned into a six-year-and-counting residency. I perform there every second Sunday of the month. Buddy Guy’s gave me an opportunity to build a following and perform in front of an international audience. It also exposed me to the blues, which influenced my sound. During this time, I took up piano to help me write music and better communicate with the band.

JW: Tell me about your new album, You Hit the Spot. You have some pianist in your trio—Dennis Luxion. Where did you find him?
TE: Thank you! After the pandemic lockdown, many people made changes in their lives. My music director, Pat Fleming, had gotten into music licensing and wanted to continue working in that field after the lockdown ended. I wanted to get back to traditional jazz as a vocalist. The band over the years had developed into more of an ensemble. When work picked up, my booking agent asked if I wanted to continue as a straight-ahead singer. My last album at that point had been smooth jazz.

JW: So you decided that jazz was the way to go?
TE: Yes. I set about establishing a new trio and found Dennis Luxion on piano, my original bassist Paul Martin, and Linard Stroud on drums. I also started working with Sasha Dalton, an established Chicago jazz singer. She had been in an Off-Broadway show, Sasha Does Dinah. Sasha served as my associate producer and assisted with song selection and research, and she coached me on the correct cadence. I didn’t want to sound like a soul or blues singer singing a straight-ahead jazz song. [Photo above of Tracye Eileen, courtesy of Tracye Eileen]

JW: Why chose American songbook standards?
TE: Because I was re-introducing myself to the trad jazz audience and I wanted them to have some familiarity with the music I was singing with my approach and storytelling style. Plus, I absolutely love these songs.

JW: Had you been singing them live?
TE: Yes, the first five songs I recorded on the album were performed live by my trio at Piano Forte—an elegant piano studio and performance and recording venue in downtown Chicago. For the other three songs, I wanted unique brass arrangements, so I needed to find a great producer-arranger I could work well with.

JW: How did that work out?
TE: Being in Chicago was a great advantage. I researched the jazz music faculty at Columbia College and wrote to four producer-arrangers. Thomas Gunther, the one I most wanted to work with, wrote me back. Thomas pulled together the six musicians for the three arrangements—I Love Being Here With You, You Hit the Spot and The End of a Love Affair. He brought in Victor Garcia on trumpet, Steve Eisen on reeds, Raphael Crawford trombone, Jeremy Kahn on piano, Stewart Miller on bass and Jon Deitemyer on drums. We recorded these tunes—tracks #1, 2 and 8—at Chicago's Transient Sound Recording. It was a great experience, and producer Thomas Gunther and I plan to do more work together in the near future.

JW: Your recording of Steely Dan’s Black Cow knocked me out. You have such an emotional understanding of the song. Have you considered a Donald Fagen-Walter Becker songbook album?
TE: Thanks so much! Black Cow is a crowd favorite at Buddy Guy’s and one of my favorites as well. It’s the perfect tune to really dig deep and tell the story. I do still incorporate a couple of pop, soul and blues tunes in my set along with standards. I haven’t considered doing a Donald Fagen-Walter Becker songbook album, since I want to delve more deeply into trad jazz at this time and write some original music. It’s an interesting idea, though.

JW: It has been some 11-year run for you, yes?
TE: Right? The journey started at the Bloom School. But I hit another milestone in 2018 when I discovered my true tone at a vocal bootcamp I took in Los Angeles with Lyndia Johnson of Sterling Voice Coaching. I developed even more into my own during the pandemic lockdown when I did a weekly live webcam show called Meet Me in My Parlor. Recording the You Hit the Spot album felt like a full-circle arrival. But writing and singing the original tunes on my It’s Time album in 2019 helped me discover more about myself as an artist.

JW: How do you feel on stage? Empowered?
TE: I love being on stage. I love connecting with an audience and being in the moment with each tune. I also love being the character in the song and using my vocals to deliver a tapestry of sound with breathy notes, well-rounded tones, high and low notes, loud and soft sounds, short and long notes—all used to tell a story and entertain. I find the more energy I give off on stage, the more the audience gives back to me. It’s a beautiful exchange, and I try to stay in the moment. So I guess I do feel empowered and happy when an audience is feeling what I feel—when I know they are right there with me and enjoying the music. [Photo above of Tracye Eileen, courtesy of Tracye Eileen]

JW: What’s next for you?
TE: I’m planning a U.S. and European tour for 2023. You Hit the Spot is getting great airplay and reviews. We really want to capitalize on that. My goal has always been to become an internationally renowned jazz vocalist. I hope to have successful tours next year. The year after that I plan to work on incorporating the writing and recording of my original music for the trad jazz audience. Finally, I’d like to work with Thomas Gunther on some jazz arrangements to perform with orchestras in Europe. I’d like to get to know and build a larger audience and for the world to get to know me. I’d like to get to know the world right back—up close and personal.

JazzWax tracks: You'll find Tracye Eileen's albums at iTunes and Amazon. Her latest, You Hit the Spot, can be found here.

JazzWax clips: Here's Tracye's cover of the Crusaders' Street Life. Click on “Watch on YouTube” link in embedded box below…

Here's The End of a Love Affair...

And here's Why Did I Say Yes?...

Pat, Freddie and Sue

In The Wall Street Journal this week, I interviewed rocker Pat Benatar for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). She talked about her early years, particularly how the death of her mother's young father, which forced her mother's mother and two young siblings (Pat's aunt and uncle) to move in with them. The crowding and the fact that there wasn't much money made Pat more determined in school to do well and succeed so her family didn't go under.

Here's Pat and husband-guitarist Neil Giraldo, inductees, at the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame ceremony and concert on Nov. 5...

JazzWax is free, for now. To keep it free and accessible, please buy my new book, Anatomy of 55 More Songs, here. Trust me, you'll love it. And I've created a free Spotify playlist of all 55 songs on the home page of my book site here. This means you'll be able to read and listen at the same time.

Hurry, the book publishes Dec. 6. Get it fast because, if you love it, you'll want to order copies for friends and family as holiday gifts. Remember, $27 is a pittance for what you receive for free all year and beats what I would charge annually if I put the daily blog behind a paywall. Show the love! And thank you in advance for your love and support.

TV recommendation. Because I view so many movies and TV series in advance of interviews, I'm constantly asked by friends and readers for recommendations. Here's what I'm suggesting this weekend: Spector, Showtime's four-part documentary on Phil Spector. While it dwells a bit heavily on the murder that send the late producer and songwriter to prison, the direction, cinematography, talking heads and edit are spectacular. Again, it's on Showtime, and all four episodes can be binged.

Here's the trailer...

Freddie Green. My apologies. A few days ago, when I posted on Freddie Green's Mr. Rhythm as part of my Backgrounder series, the incorrect clip wound up being featured when you clicked on the link.

So here's Mr. Rhythm again, with the correct link (the link on the original post has been fixed)...

Eliane Elias. Last week, following my post of a video of Eliane (above) in action in Rochester recently, I heard from Kim Paris of the FM Radio Archive:

Hi Marc, thanks for your post about Eliane Elias and her new album, "Quietude." I was a big fan of her double Grammy-winning 2021 release with Chick Corea, "Mirror Mirror." Until I read your column and her bio, I had no idea she had released 31 albums over 40 years in her career. Lucky for all of us, I searched for and found a great Eliane Elias concert from "Jazz a Vienne," in 2014. She performs three Antonio Carlos Jobim songs and several other jazz standards. This was broadcast on CultureBox France TV. Go here.

Traveling online. Last week I heard from Mark Rabin [photo above courtesy of YouTube]:

Hi, Marc, I'm a fan of industrial ephemeral films, mostly transportation related. I flew well over a half-million miles before I retired. Being high-risk for a bad outcome from Covid, I now have to settle for a travel fix online. Every so often a real gem comes along.

Here's one from West Coast Airlines featuring narration by actor Herschel Bernardi, the music of the Jazz Crusaders and a script by Syd Field! I give it five stars...

I guess the promo was better than the airline as they merged into another airline the following year.

The second film, on Pennsylvania Interstates from 1967, is longer and much drier. After a Perry Como intro, this film features a score by Pittsburgh jazz guitarist and "Mr. Rogers Neighborhood" cast member Joe Negri. Here it is...

If I didn't have other projects for my retirement, I could easily go deep down the rabbit hole with these films. Like Steve Young did in the wonderful film "Bathtubs Over Broadway!" on Netflix now. Here's the trailer...

The Internet Archive has over 14,000 ephemerals! One example from their collection is the Cab Calloway-hosted "Minnie the Moocher and Many, Many More." Go here...

Cute. Here's what Count Basie drummer Sonny Payne would have been playing if you looked down on him in the studio when he recorded the Neal Hefti song with the Basie band in April 1958...

And here's Jerry Lewis getting into the act in Cinderfella (1960)...

Bernard "Pretty" Purdie radio. Chris Cowles, who hosts Greasy Tracks each Saturday afternoon on WRTC-FM in Hartford, Ct., sent along a link to his recent show on the extraordinary session and soul drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie. To listen for free to Chris's three-hour show, including an interview with Purdie, go here.

Coleman Hawkins radio. On Monday, WKCR-FM in New York will present its annual "Coleman Hawkins Birthday Broadcast," playing the tenor saxophonist's music all day for 24 hours. The marathon celebration will begin on Sunday night at 11:59 p.m. (ET) and continue all day and night on Monday. To listen from anywhere in the world, go here.

And finally, here's vocalist Sue Raney with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra in 1959 singing It's Easy to Remember...