On November 30, 1957, four days before trumpeter Miles Davis would begin recording the soundtrack to the French movie Ascenseur Pour L'echafaud, he performed at L'Olympia theater in Paris. He was backed by the René Urtreger Quartet, featuring Barney Wilen (ts), René Urtreger (p), Pierre Michelot (b) and Kenny Clarke (d)—the same musicians who would accompany him on the soundtrack. [Album cover above featuring Miles Davis and Jeanne Moreau in 1957]
Now, for the first time, we have the entire performance at L'Olympia in sterling, 24-bit remastered audio, thanks to Jordi Pujol and his Fresh Sound label. While parts of the concert were previously released on gritty bootlegs and a private recording by Urtreger, this release marks the first high-quality commercial issuing of the music.
The sound and the playing are spectacular. For one, the quintet is remarkable for its exceptional individual players. Wilen was a superb modern tenor saxophonist, Michelot was a solid bassist and Clarke was a superstar expatriate and a founding father of bebop. For another, the quartet behind Davis didn't try to emulate the sound of of Davis's working group of John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones, though Wilen and Coltrane did share a similar dry tone. [Photo above of Barney Wilen]
In addition, Davis sounds completely at ease and playing as beautifully as he would on the movie soundtrack days later. In part, I'd attribute this to Paris and his long-running love affair with the city and French audiences' love affair with him.
But Davis's passion for Paris ran a little deeper. Nearly all of his trips there included a romantic affair. In 1949, he was with actress-singer Juliette Gréco. In 1956, he formed a romantic attachment with Urtreger's sister, Jeanne De Mirbeck. And a year later, around the time of this recording, he had begun an affair with Ascenseur Pour L'echafaud's leading actress, Jeanne Moreau (above).
During this trip, he also continued his affair with Urtréger's sister. “He was obsessed by sex, not by women,” she has said. “But when he was with me, he was with me.” During the tour, Davis wore her scarves on stage as keepsakes. For Davis, Paris was intoxicating. [Photo above of Juliette Gréco with Miles Davis in 1949]
The songs performed on the new album are Solar, Four, What's New?, No Moe, Lady Bird, Tune Up, I'll Remember April, Bags' Groove, Round Midnight, Now's the Time, Walkin' and The Theme.
As for how these tapes surfaced, I'll let Jordi pick up the story:
The original tapes...were produced and owned by the late jazz promoter Marcel Romano. After being stored for over 60 years, Laurent Guenoun, Romano's nephew and heir, discovered and sold them to Fresh Sound Records. With the goal of achieving the best possible sound quality, these recordings have undergone meticulous restoration and mastering, ensuring the greatest enjoyment for jazz fans around the world.
Another spectacular historical release of previously unissued material that's first rate on every level. Kudos to Jordi and Fresh Sound.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Miles Davis: In Concert at the Olympia, Paris 1957 (Fresh Sound) here.
The album Elis & Tom is widely considered to be a masterpiece today. Recorded by Brazilian vocalist Elis Regina and Brazilian singer-songwriter Antonio Carlos Jobim for the Philips label in Los Angeles in 1974, the record is perhaps most famously known for the YouTube footage of Regina and Jobim in a vocal booth facing each other as they sing Jobim's Waters of March...
I've long wondered where that footage came from, since it clearly was just a segment from much more film shot during the recording session. It turns out the footage was captured by a team of filmmakers led by director Roberto de Oliveira, who arranged for the duo to unite for the project at MGM studios. For some reason, the original film reels sat on a shelf for 45 years until they were restored and remastered in 2018.
Now the film has been edited along with contemporary interviews to create what is easily the finest jazz documentary of the year detailing the making of the album. The documentary—Elis & Tom: It Had to Be You (Outsider Pictures)—has just been released in theaters throughout the U.S. and Canada. I had the opportunity to stream it in full over the weekend.
What makes this documentary special is its soul. Too many documentaries today follow the same tired model—live concert footage mixed with biographical material that may be illustrated or even staged by actor, and talking heads all saying virtually the same thing or nothing of consequence.
For me, a documentary works perfectly only when it becomes sheer poetry. There needs to be an engaging narrative and a point of view, and I need to feel the film. Great documentaries bring tears to my eyes or provide an enormous education. Elis & Tom: It Had to Be You accomplishes both.
The story behind the album is a complex one. By 1974, Elis Regina (pronounced Eh-LIZ REG-eena) had become a national phenomenon in Brazil, despite resisting pressure and threats from the military regime there to stop criticizing their rule and support the government.
Brought to L.A. to record an album on which Jobim would accompany her, Regina had high hopes. But despite her charm and talent, Jobim, who had become a star in the U.S. by then thanks to his popular jazz-bossa recordings for producer Creed Taylor at Verve and CTI, began to take over. Regina was surrounded by the younger musicians in her band, which caused Jobim's ego to come off the rails. He was gruff and dismissive of the album's young arranger and instrumentalists, almost causing Regina to walk out on the record.
Jobim was largely an acoustic artist and bristled at the inclusion of an electric guitar, Fender Rhodes electric piano and electric bass. But to his credit, at some point during playbacks of song tracks in the booth, he suddenly saw the light and realized the enormous new talent in the studio and how the record was becoming something very special.
The documentary remarkably and intimately details the heart and soul of Regina—her mood swings, her ups and downs, her tears, her infectious spirit and smile and uncanny ability to slip deeply into the music and become transported to a private place. We also see Jobim's genius at work, along with arranger César Camargo Mariano, who would have a romantic relationship with Regina that produced two children.
Elis & Tom: It Had to Be You is far from perfect. The history is off in places (Creed Taylor's name is never mentioned during the section on the bossa nova's rise in the U.S. nor are the seminal albums Jazz Samba and Getz/Gilberto). What's more, the translation for captions needs an English editor, we aren't told the exact moment when Jobim had his in-studio epiphany about the session, nor are we given the details of Regina's death (in 1982, she died from a combination of alcohol and cocaine at the age of 36) or whether she suffered from some form of bi-polar disorder or deparession that went untreated.
Nevertheless, the film is a must. The long-awaited footage that dominates the documentary is gripping and provides a candid view of how creative work unfolds under pressure and how leading artists must count to 10 or find ways to cope with other brilliant artists who may be more temperamental. We also find Jobim at a creative crossroads and see him accept the new modern electrified sound, despite his original misgivings.
In the Wall Street Journal last week,I interviewed Bernie Taupin for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Bernie, of course, wrote the words to virtually all of Elton John's hits. What's more, Bernie's lyrics came first, then Elton set them to music, which is remarkable: Rocket Man, Candle in the Wind, Tiny Dancer, Bennie and the Jets and the rest. All came from the pen of Bernie, who grew up in England infatuated by the American West and country music. How Elton and Bernie came together remains one of the most fatalistic coincidences in pop music history. [Photo above of Bernie Taupin in San Diego in August by Heather Taupin]
Here's Elton John and Kiki Dee singing Don't Go Breaking My Heart, with lyrics by Bernie Taupin...
Also in the WSJ, my "Album at 50" column for the Arts in Review section was on Kool & the Gang's Wild and Peaceful (go here). And out of the blue, Robert "Kool" Bell himself wanted to thank me over the phone for the essay, which made my week. Here are the first three paragraphs:
Just before disco reached mainstream status in 1974 with the Hues Corporation’s “Rock the Boat,” live funk bands dominated at clubs in many urban markets. The bump was a dance rage, and Kool & the Gang was one of many funk-bump bands touring then.
The group’s first album, for De-Lite Records in 1969, was an instrumental, followed over the next three years by two live albums and two studio LPs. All five failed to generate much crossover heat. In 1972, “Soul Makossa” was released by Manu Dibango, a composer and saxophonist from Cameroon. The Afro-funk track reached No. 35 on the Billboard pop chart. Eager for a similar hit, De-Lite urged Kool & the Gang to cover it. As Ronald Bell recalled in a 1975 interview with the U.K.’s Blues & Soul magazine, “We figured we could come up with our own ‘Soul Makossa’ because we had always played in that funky groove.”
The result was a trio of self-produced songs with a “Soul Makossa” flavor: “Jungle Boogie,” “Funky Stuff” and “Hollywood Swinging.” All appeared on “Wild and Peaceful,” an album released 50 years ago this month that changed Kool & the Gang’s fortunes and altered the direction of jazz-funk, soul and dance in the months before and after disco’s emergence on the national stage.
Here's Kool & the Gang syncing Hollywood Swinging on Soul Train in 1973...
Soon, in paperback! Published last fall, Anatomy of 55 More Songs, will be out in paperback on December 5. To sweeten the deal, I added three songs to the new edition—including a new one that wasn't published by The Wall Street Journal. If you're looking for a gift that goes beyond the hardback out last year, this is your chance this coming holiday season. A great gift for one and all. Go here.
Horace Silver Quintet. Here's Silver in 1968 performing Nutville, with Bill Hardman (tp), Bennie Maupin (ts), Silver (p), John Williams (b) and Billy Cobham (d)...
Richard Davis. Following my two-part tribute to the late bassist Richard Davis last week, I heard from singer-songwriter and bassist Tammy Burdett:
Hi Marc. I took a close look at the cover of Richard Davis’s "One For Frederick” and noticed that his bass had a lion’s head at the top instead of a traditional scroll. On the videos you highlighted back in 2022, in which I'm playing bass with Larry Coryell, Ralph Towner and Chuck Mahaffay, my bass also had a lion’s head. This bass is a bit rare, since most are topped by a scroll. It caught my eye. My bass was made in Europe a couple of centuries ago, according to the violin maker who sold my father the bass he gave me.
It was also lighter in color and shaped very much like a violin. Most basses aren’t that detailed. I sold my bass to a member of the San Francisco Symphony some years ago. That gorgeous "lady" didn’t belong in bars and clubs. She was made for concert halls and classical music. I have to admit, I’m sorry now that I didn’t keep her, but I stopped playing acoustic bass some time ago, and instruments of this quality need to be played and heard.
Here's Tammy in action in the mid-1960s singing and playing her lion-headed bass, with Ralph Towner on piano and Chuck Mahaffay on clarinet and drums...
Carl Woideck also wrote me on Richard Davis:
Marc. thanks for two days’ worth of posts on Davis. And the way you split it up was exactly right. Between 1964-1967, I listened more to Davis than any other jazz bassist. I loved his interactive playing on those Blue Note albums. For creativity and interaction, I loved his playing on Andrew Hill's "Judgment."
My favorite swinger on the album is the title track. It shows he was in the general lineage of jazz bassists who were involved in loosening up the role of the bass in jazz (the list would include Jimmie Blanton, Israel Crosby, Charles Mingus and Scott LaFaro), Davis elects not to play a walking bass line. Instead, he chooses to be an independent voice in the group.
After a quick re-listen, I noticed two measures where Davis walks—listen for it. Davis is, by turns, spiky and buoyant, and always stimulating. Even with him departing from the rigid walking role, the group still swings powerfully.
Grossinger's. In my deep dive into 1960s cha-cha-cha videos, I came across this home-made documentary on Grossinger's, once a major resort in the Catskills Mountain two hours or so north of New York. [Post card above of Grossinger's Terrace Lounge]
Dave Thompson just left his studio on Friday and sent along his workout on Nobody Else But Me for JazzWax readers. Go here...
Beaver Cleaver, the character (played by Jerry Mathers, above) around whom the early 1960s sitcom Leave It to Beaver was built, remains with us today, sort of, in a new form. Go here to have a look...
JaRon Eames (above) has a good thing going. Each Sunday, he hosts a jazz party at his Manhattan brownstone apartment, complete with food. If you want more information or want to see about a reservation, email JaRon here: [email protected]. Here's a recent video of one of those parties, with JaRon on vocals and Les Kurtz on piano. It's a happening New York scene perfect for autumn...
And finally, what would the start of autumn be like without the Four Freshmen? Here they are in Japan in 1964...
In 1962, Clare Fischer played piano on two popular bossa nova albums by Bud Shank—Bossa Nova Jazz Samba and Brassamba! Two years later, Fischer recorded his first bossa album as a leader: Só Danço Samba. Recorded in Hollywood in December 1964 for World Pacific, the album featured Fischer (p,org), Dennis Budimir (g), Bob West (b) and Colin Bailey (d).
Fischer had a strong feel for Latin jazz and the new Brazilian sound. Among his many compositions that are now standards are the Latin-tinged Pensativa and the bossa nova Carnival (João). Pianist Herbie Hancock has said Fischer was a major influence in his own development. Fischer had a marvelous touch and enormous sensitivity regarding melody and harmony, having worked extensively as an arranger for the Hi-Lo's in the late 1950s. In the 1970s, Fischer turned his arranging skills into a lucrative career working as an arranger on albums by many contemporary pop and soul artists.
Here's Clare Fischer's Só Danço Samba, the full album without ad interruptions...
Bonus:Here's Fischer's arrangement of his Carnival (João), from a terrific album called The Hi-Lo's Happen to Bossa Nova (1963)...
In yesterday's post, I offered up 10 clips by the late bassist Richard Davis playing on other artists' albums. Today, as promised, here are 10 clips of Davis leading his own album recording sessions [photo above of Richard Davis courtesy of Local 802 AFM]:
Here's Davis playing What Is It?, from his first leadership album Muses for Richard Davis (1969), with Pepper Adams (bar), Jimmy Knepper (tb), Sir Roland Hanna (p), Davis (b) and Louis Hayes (d)...
Here'sBaby Sweets from The Philosophy of the Spiritual (1971), with Chick Corea (p), Sam Brown (g), Davis and Bill Lee (b), Gerald "Sonny" Brown (d) and Frankie Dunlop (perc)...
Here'sSong for Wounded Knee, from the 1973 album of the same name, with Joe Beck (g), Davis (b) and Jack DeJohnette (d)...
Here's the full Dealin', one of my favorite albums by Davis, with Marvin "Hannibal" Peterson (tp,tamb,cow-bell), Clifford Jordan (ts,sop,cow-bell), Paul Griffin (p,el-p,org,clav), David Spinozza (g), Davis (b,el-b,vcl) and Freddie Waits (d)...
Here's the impossibly beautiful Windflower by Sara Cassey from Davis's Harvest (1977), with Consuela Lee Moorehead (p), Ted Dunbar (g), Davis and Bill Lee (b) and Freddie Waits (d)...
Here'sOn the Trail from Way Out West (1977), with Davis and Joe Henderson (ts)...
Here's Horace Silver's Silver's Serenade, from Davis's Fancy Free album in 1977, with Eddie Henderson (tp), Joe Henderson (ts), Stanley Cowell (el-p), Davis (b), Billy Cobham (d,synt)...
Here'sStrange Vibes, from One for Frederick (1989), with Cecil Bridgewater (tp), Ricky Ford (ts), Sir Roland Hanna (p) and Richard Davis (b), live at New York's Sweet Basil...
Here's Davis with pianist John Hicks playing Estate, from his album The Bassist: Homage to Diversity (2001)...
And here's Davis with pianist Junior Mance playing Blue Bossa from his final album, Blue Monk (2007)...
Richard Davis, whose soulful, pronounced upright bass was heard on a wide range of post-war sideman recordings—from chamber jazz and hard bop to free, funk, fusion and spiritual jazz—and on a variety of albums of his own, died on September 6. He was 93. [Photo above of Richard Davis]
Davis began his recording career in the Ahmad Jamal Trio in 1954. Throughout the 1950s, he recorded extensively with Don Shirley and Sarah Vaughan. In the 1960s and beyond, it was said that when bassist Ron Carter couldn't reach the phone, Davis answered. In all, Davis was on more than 600 jazz, rock and pop albums.
In tribute to the late bassist, I've chosen 10 favorite recordings with Davis as a sideman. Tomorrow, we'll dig into Davis's leadership recordings:
Here's Davis with Ahmad Jamal on piano and Ray Crawford on guitar playing But Not for Me in 1954...
Here's the duo of Davis and Don Shirley playing I Cover the Waterfront in 1954...
Here's Davis, Ronnell Bright (p) and Roy Haynes (d) backing Sarah Vaughan on Detour Ahead, from her album After Hours at the London House in 1958, with Henry Coker on trombone...
Here's Davis with Kenny Burrell (g) and Roy Haynes (d) on Burrell's A Night at the Village Vanguard in 1959...
Here's Davis behind Jimmy Forrest playing Soft Summer Breeze in 1962, backed by Ernie Royal (tp); Jimmy Cleveland (tb); George Barrow, Seldon Powell and Jimmy Forrest (ts); Chris Woods (p); Mundell Lowe (g); Davis (b); Ed Shaughnessy (d) and Oliver Nelson (arr,dir)...
Here's Davis on Tree Patterns from The Gary McFarland Orchestra, With Special Guest Soloist Bill Evans in 1963, with Phil Woods (cl), Spencer Sinatra (as,fl), Bill Evans (p), Gary McFarland (vib,arr,cond), Jim Hall (g), Davis (b), Ed Shaughnessy (d), Julien Barber and Allan Goldberg (viola) and Aaron Juvelier and Joseph Tekula (cello)...
Here's Davis with J.J. Johnson on Make Someone Happy from his J.J.'s Broadway album in 1963, with Johnson (tb), Hank Jones (p), Davis (b) and Walter Perkins (d)...
Here's Davis on Hat and Beard from Eric Dolphy's Out to Lunch in 1964, with Freddie Hubbard (tp), Eric Dolphy (b-cl), Bobby Hutcherson (vib), Davis (b) and Tony Williams (d)...
Here's Davis on Joe Henderson's Punjab from In 'n Out in 1964, with Kenny Dorham (tp), Joe Henderson (ts), McCoy Tyner (p), Richard Davis (b) and Elvin Jones (d)...
And here's Davis with Thad Jones/Mel Lewis and the Jazz Orchestra playing Mean What You Say in 1966, with Thad Jones (flhrn); Danny Stiles, Bill Berry, Jimmy Nottingham and Richard Williams (tp); Bob Brookmeyer (v-tb); Jack Rains and Tom McIntosh (tb); Cliff Heather (b-tb); Jerome Richardson (sop,as,fl,cl,b-cl); Jerry Dodgion (as,fl,cl); Joe Farrell (ts,fl,cl); Eddie Daniels (ts,cl,b-cl); Pepper Adams (bar); Hank Jones (p); Sam Herman (g); Davis (b) and Mel Lewis (d)...
Bonus:Here's Davis bowing at the end of Bruce Springsteen's The Angel...
And from Bill Kirchner, here's an example of Davis's funky side with Thad Jones/Mel Lewis in 1968...
In the 1950s, Toshiko Akiyoshi was a force to behold. Inspired early on by pianist Bud Powell's bop attack and lightning-fast fingers, she grew up in Japan after World War II when her parents moved back to the country from Manchuria, China. She began playing piano at age 7, entertained U.S. troops in Japan and fell in love with jazz after hearing a Teddy Wilson recording of Sweet Lorraine.
In 1953, under the direction of record producer Norman Granz, Akiyoshi recorded her first album with Oscar Peterson's rhythm section: Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass and J. C. Heard on drums. The album was released as Toshiko's Piano in the U.S. and Amazing Toshiko Akiyoshi in Japan. Akiyoshi then studied jazz at the Berklee School of Music in Boston in the mid-1950s on a full scholarship.
She is perhaps best known for her later small-group collaborations in the 1960s with husband, alto saxophonist Charlie Mariano, and big band recordings with her second husband, tenor saxophonist and flutist Lew Tabackin, whom she married in 1969. But her early work still knocks me out and is a must listen.
Now, Fresh Sound has released a two-CD set of Akyoshi's 1950s work that has been remastered with 24-bit technology: Toshiko's Blues: Toshiko Akiyoshi - Quartet and Trio, 1953-1958. The set includes material from her albums Toshiko's Piano (1953), George Wein Presents Toshiko (1956), Toshiko: Her Trio, Her Quartet (1956), Toshiko and the Leon Sash Quartet at Newport (1957), The Many Sides of Toshiko (1957) and the two tracks from her appearance on TV's The Subject Is Jazz in 1958.
Akyoshi's playing on her first album was a staggering tornado of speed, daring and perfection. Squatty Roo is hair-raising, but her solo treatment of the ballad Laura is exceptional as well. Her trio on the George Wein Presets Toshiko for Wein's Storyville label features Toshiko (p), Paul Chambers (b) and Ed Thigpen (d). The playlist is a mix of beautiful standards such as It Could Happen to You and Softly As in a Morning Sunrise and originals that include the meditative Kyo-Shu and the peppy Manhattan Address. Throughout the first album, you get to experience Chambers's beefy-thick bass behind her.
The three trio tracks from Toshiko; Her Trio Her Quartet feature Oscar Pettiford (b) and Roy Haynes (d) playing No Moon at All; Pea, Bee and Lee; and Thou Swell. On the four tracks from Toshiko and the Leon Sash Quartet at Newport, Akiyoshi was paired with her trio Gene Cherico (b) and Jake Hanna (d). (Leon Sash was a gorgeous accordionist who played with his own quartet.
The Many Sides of Toshiko for Verve features the same trio playing Akyoshi's compositions and a range of standards, including a marvelous Bag's Groove, which sounds far removed from the original by Milt Jackson. And finally, two tracks from The Subject Is Jazz, an NBC show in 1958 hosted by Gilbert Seldes. The 3d Movement is a fascinating bop workout.
What you'll notice listening to Akyoshi on this set is the iron power of her left hand and the lucidity of her fingers. And like Hazel Scott and Dorothy Donegan, Akyoshi would probably have been a household name if she had been a man. Such was the state of jazz. And it's a shame she didn't get to play and record with Charlie Parker. One of Granz's shortsighted failures, since both were on his Clef label in 1953.
Bonus:Here's Akiyoshi in action on The Subject Is Jazz in 1958 playing her original composition The 3rd Movement and Duke Ellington's I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart. The first announcer is Gilbert Seldes and the second is the Voice of America's Willis Conover...
And here she is in France in the early 1960s performing her original The Village...
Holly Cooper at Mouthpiece Music turned me on to Hannah Gill. At first, I resisted, since I'm bombarded by publicists 24/7 and don't have a minute to spare. But Holly insisted, guaranteeing I'd be blown away by the sound of Hannah's voice within four measures. I've known Holly for some time, which means she wouldn't be wasting my time unless she was right. So I gave a listen. Holly was right. [Photo above of Hannah Gill]
Hannah Gill is a 26-year-old jazz vocalist, songwriter and performer based in Bushwick, Brooklyn in New York. She's currently with Turtle Bay Records, and her debut jazz album Everybody Loves a Lover just came out last week. She has over 10 million streams on Spotify, and her YouTube videos have exceeded 22 million views. She has toured internationally with Postmodern Jukebox and jazz pianist Gordon Webster. When not on tour, she appears at clubs around the city and with bands such as the Hot Toddies and the Glenn Crytzer Orchestra.
Back to the music. Giving a listen to Hannah's new album, I was struck by how sophisticated her phrasing is as well as her time and swing. The sound of her voice will knock you out. There's a lot of 1950s flavor and ease in her voice, with just a hint of country. I imagine she could sing anything well—from Patsy Cline to June Christy. Her studio band is solid (dig Danny Jonokuchi on trumpet, Sam Chess on trombone and Ryan Weisheit on saxophone and clarinet), and Danny's arrangements fit her like a glove. This, I thought, is someone who is way inside the music and knows her way around a song—and at 26!
Holly connected us and Hannah graciously agreed to a JazzWax e-interview, despite being under the weather. You'll find Everybody Loves a Lover at Spotify under her name and at Amazon as a stream or download here.
Here's my e-conversation with Hannah...
JazzWax: Where did you grow up? Hannah Gill: We moved to the eastern shore of Maryland from Texas when I was in second grade. I did most of my growing up in St. Michaels, on Chesapeake Bay. I had no idea how lucky I was to live so close to the water until I moved away. I spent my entire childhood playing in and on the bay, an experience well worth all the jellyfish stings.
JW: Were your parents musical? HG: Yes, in different ways. Dad plays guitar and was in a rock band back in college. Mom has a beautiful singing voice but, in her words, she had terrible stage fright. Their talent deeply influenced the musicality of all their kids. We always had music in the house, of all kinds. One of my earliest memories dates back to Pearland, Texas, before we moved to Maryland. I remember sitting on the back porch one night. My entire family was there, the cicadas were singing, and my dad was playing guitar and singing Mexico (1998) by the band Cake. I couldn’t have been more than 4 or 5 at the time, but it was a peaceful moment that’s always stuck with me. [Photo above of Hannah Gill]
JW: When did you start singing as a child? HG: I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember. If there were any singing clubs at school or performing camps at the local YMCA, I was there. There's a video somewhere deep in YouTube of me singing Heartbreaker by Pat Benatar at age 11 for a local singing competition. I even sang the Scooby Doo cartoon theme as my audition song. As soon as I was old enough, I was in school plays and choir class up until I graduated from high school in 2015.
JW: Did you start by playing an instrument? HG: Singing has been my main instrument throughout childhood, but I do play ukulele and guitar. I have been dabbling on the instruments since I was 16, but it was mostly just for fun or for songwriting. When the pandemic hit in 2020, I spent countless hours practicing both so I could play live-stream shows for fans at home. Those months helped me improve my playing and confidence when it comes to supporting myself musically.
JW: Brothers and sisters? HG: I have three younger siblings. My brother, Jack, is 23; my sister, Carly, is 18; and my youngest sister, Ella, is 8. All three are musical and have beautiful voices. Ella plays piano, Carly plays guitar and Jack plays piano, guitar, banjo and harmonica. While they watched me perform growing up, I didn’t teach them a thing. We all have our own unique paths and approaches to music. Nothing makes me happier than to return home and jam with them.
JW: How would you describe yourself growing up? HG: I was an extroverted kid. I was always up to something in high school, including choir, tennis, the annual musical or helping to organize school events. I didn’t like having free time and still don’t. I even played trumpet for a few years in middle school. Other than that, I was heavily involved with choir and school musicals.
JW: Who were your jazz influences? HG: I’ve been a fan of Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald for as long as I can remember. My dad played a lot of jazz at home and, for a few years, my parents were really into the Squirrel Nut Zippers. I loved their music videos as a kid, especially Ghost of Stephen Foster. [Photo above of Hannah Gill]
JW: What was your jazz turning point? HG: When it comes to what made me become a jazz singer, I didn’t have that revelation until I moved to New York in 2015. Before I graduated high school, I thought the only way to make a living in music was to become a music teacher. The concept of becoming a working musician never occurred to me. I didn’t know anyone who was one.
JW: What changed in New York? HG: After I moved to the city, I started going to swing dance events and clubs. That was where I started to meet other musicians. It was important for me to hear about their lives and how they got started on the New York scene. The more people I talked to, the more I began to realize you could support yourself as a jazz musician—if you had gigs. Since I grew up loving the genre, it seemed like a no-brainer. I wanted to dive deep into that world and see if I could find my place in it.
JW: Did you study in college? HG: I didn't. I moved to New York right after high school at 18 to work on my original music. I discovered the Lindy hop scene that first year. Dances were one of the few places I could go at night since I was under 21, the legal drinking age. I learned to swing dance and also met a lot of the jazz musicians I work with today. From there, I slowly started performing on the scene. Eight years later, here we are.
JW: Did you study voice at all after you graduated? HG: No. Other than a handful of lessons with Ana Quintana to recover from a vocal injury, I’m self-taught. At the start of my professional career, Glenn Crytzer, the jazz orchestra leader, took me under his wing and helped me expand my repertoire. He showed me the importance of learning a tune the way it was originally written. He also taught me to respect the song and songwriter first and build from there. While my interactions with Glenn weren't formal lessons, I wouldn’t be the musician I am today without Glenn’s guidance.
JW: Who were you earliest favorite jazz vocalists? HG: Ella Fitzgerald, Blossom Dearie, Helen Forrest, Anita O’Day, Mildred Bailey and Nat King Cole.
JW: When was your first professional singing job? HG: In 2013, when I was still in high school. Caffe Vivaldi on Jones Street in New York’s Greenwich Village gave me a gig in November of that year. My dad and I drove up to New York from St. Michaels right after high school let out, and we made it just in time for the show. I performed songs written by my musical partner at the time, Brad Hammonds. Caffe Vivaldi was a small cafe, but it was packed with folks who really enjoyed our show. I didn't make much money, but I was super charged by the experience. All I wanted to do after that was keep performing. The café closed in 2018.
JW: What do you enjoy most about performing? HG: Probably the ability to get lost in the performance. Even at a young age, when I was singing alone or in front of others, I was fully focused on the music. Performing is one of the few things in life I can do with full focus. It sounds corny, but when I’m singing, it’s the only thing that matters. I’m not thinking about anything else in that moment, only how the music is moving through me. Singing has always been a way for me to ground myself.
JW: Were you nervous about being on stage? HG: I’ve never been scared of going on stage. I guess I was just born without that anxiety. If you had me go on stage to read from a book or try to do stand-up comedy, I’d pass out from stress. But when it comes to singing, as long as I feel prepared, I feel confident on stage.
JW: Tell me about your new album? HG: After 10 years in the music business, this is my first full length album. I couldn’t be more proud of it. Danny Jonokuchi did such an amazing job with the arrangements, and all of the musicians are truly top tier: Danny on trumpet, Sam Chess on trombone, Ryan Weisheit on saxophone and clarinet, Gordon Webster on piano, Greg Ruggiero on guitar, Tal Ronen on bass and Ben Zweig on drums. I wanted to make a record full of songs that I love and love to perform. I wanted the listener to be moved by the tunes the way I was the first time I heard them. It’s a group of songs I’ve collected over the years. Some of them you know, some you may not know. I’m really drawn to standards with beautiful melodies and witty lyrics. I think that’s why I love them so much. [Photo above of Hannah Gill]
JW: What’s the thread that ties them together? HG: Love. They’re songs about heartbreak and songs about true love. I’ve always been a fan of a good contradiction, so the idea of an album that shows both sides of that glorious emotion really appealed to me. I found Scott Asen's Turtle Bay Records through my friend Megg Farrell. I went to one of Scott’s parties to see Megg’s band play. Scott and I got to talking, and the rest is history.
JW: Tell me about your band. HG: The band on the album is a group of talented jazz musicians I’ve been working with for years. Believe it or not, this was the first time we played together as a full group. Since everyone has been busy with their own careers, I only had a chance to perform with members individually at any given time. Naturally, I was thrilled when I heard that all of the guys were available for my recording session. Most of them I met while singing on the scene, but I’ve known Danny since I was 16. He was hired to play in my first band, and we’ve been friends ever since.
JW: Tell me three of your favorite vocal or jazz albums and why they're special? HG: Let’s start with Ella Fitzgerald: Twelve Nights in Hollywood. It was recorded at the Crescendo club in Hollywood over 10 nights in May 1961, and a subsequent pair of performances in June 1962. It’s a perfect example of a flawless vocal jazz album. There are so many tunes on this album, and Ella sings each one beautifully. The first three CDs feature Ella with Lou Levy on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Wilfred Middlebrooks on bass and Gus Johnson on drums. The fourth CD features Ella backed by Paul Smith on piano, Wilfred Middlebrooks on bass and Stan Levey on drums.
Chet Baker’s Chet Baker Sings (1954), with Chet Baker on vocals and trumpet, with Russ Freeman on piano and celeste, Carson Smith or Joe Mondragon on bass, and Bob Neel on drums. This was one of the first jazz records I ever listened to. I’ve always loved Baker's phrasing and how his voice perfectly complements the way he plays.
And third would be Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong: Ella and Louis (1956), with Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass and Buddy Rich on drums. A perfect album filled with beautiful songs that put a smile on my face every damn time.
Last week in The Wall Street Journal, I interviewed crime novelist James Ellroy for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Jim is the author of The Black Dahlia,L.A. Confidential,American Tabloid and Perfidia. His new one is The Enchanters, a gripping Los Angeles mugs, dames and cops fictionalized look at the months before and after Marilyn Monroe's overdose death in August 1962. My favorite read of the year. And he was a blast to interview and edit. [Photo above of James Ellroy courtesy of IMDb]
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Johnny Richards. Following my Backgrounder post on Johnny Richards's Walk Softly, Run Fast!, I heard from Kurt Kolstad [photo above of Johnny Richards in the late 1940s by William P. Gottlieb]:
Hello, Marc. Your piece on Johnny Richards the other day made me pause and remember the summer of 1959 when I attended the first Stan Kenton band camp at Indiana University.
I was only a junior in high school that year and the experience opened my eyes (and ears) to a whole new world of music. Morning, noon and night, all we did was practice. If we weren't in sectionals, we were in big bands. As I recall, instructors varied from day to day, but the one who scared us to death was Johnny Richards. We couldn't meet his standards (no matter how hard we tried) and, believe me, he let us know in no uncertain terms. Most of the instructors were good teachers, but Johnny had no patience for young, aspiring musicians. He was accustomed to working only with pros and he simply couldn't teach "down" to our level.
The photo (above) shows the entire staff, with Johnny in the front row standing next to Buddy Baker. We all loved Buddy. He was a great teacher and a nice guy to boot. At any rate, this pic brought back a lot of memories. To read about the Kenton Band Camp, go here.
João Donato.Here's a terrific video of the late João Donato in action 12 years ago [photo above of João Donato courtesy of Wikipedia]...
And here's Donato with Marcos Valle and Patricia Alvi, Marcos's wife singing Não Tem Nada Não"...
Speaking of bossa nova, New York's Carnegie Hall is hosting a tribute to the landmark bossa nova concert held there in November 1962. The event will be held on October 8 in the Stern Auditorium. The evening will be headlined by vocalist Seu Jorge, who will be joined by Daniel Jobim, grandson of Antonio Carlos Jobim. Also performing will be 85-year-old Roberto Menescal, a legendary bossa nova founder, and Carlinhos Brown, Carol Biazin and British singer-songwriter Celeste. For more information, go here.
In the 1960s, at parent events like weddings, the band had to switch from the British Invasion to the Latin Occupation. After the band took their shots at Drive My Car, Satisfaction and Downtown for the kids, it was the adults' turn. If you were a mom and dad, you had to be up on your Latin dance steps, since the band often ran a full set and other parents liked to show off. Here's a taste of the sound that's still seared into my head along with long-gone relatives showing their stuff...
Roberto Magris & the JM Horns—High Quote (JMood). Eleven years ago, Italian pianist Roberto Magris was asked by JMood Records producer Paul Collins to compose and arrange for a small big band using an American jazz perspective. A fan of Bill Holman, Marty Paich and Benny Carter's arrangements for small groups, Roberto set to work. When he was done, Collins brought in players from Kansas City—Matt Otto, Josh Williams, Jim Mair, Jason Goudeau and Aryana Nemati, Elisa Pruett, Brian Steever and Pablo Sanhueza, plus vocalist Monique Danielle. The result is this terrific album of originals. For the album, go here.
Here's Roberto's Together in Love, with Monique Danielle on the vocal...
Jack Jones featuring Joey DeFrancesco—Artwork (Cavalry). Vocalist Jack Jones is one of the last superstar singers left from pop's golden age. On this album, Jones sings moody ballads and is joined by the late Joey Defrancesco (organ as well as tenor saxophone and trumpet solos), Tom Scott (ts), Tamir Hendelman (p), Graham Dechter (g), Jon Hamar (b), Jeff Hamilton (d) and John Clayton (conductor). Songs include This Masquerade, If You Go Away, Lush Life and This Is All I Ask. For the album, go here.
Pepper Adams: Saxophone Trailblazer, by Gary Carner (SUNY Press).This new biography with a foreword by the late Chick Corea, takes a deep dive into the life and career of the baritone saxophonist who played with enormous edge and bark. A handy book to have while listening to Adams's many great recordings as a leader and sideman. For the book, go here.
And finally, Happy Birthday Sonny Rollins, who turned 93 on September 7. Here'sLove Letters, with Henry Grimes on bass and Joe Harris on drums, in Sweden in 1959 just before his two year famed sabbatical spent taking stock and practicing on New York's Williamsburg Bridge...
Dave Pike is little known today but back in the early 1960s, he was a hip up-and-coming vibraphonist with enormous promise. He wasn't quite Gary Burton or Bobby Hutcherson, but he had a strong following and made great records. Pike had a cool, beat approach on the vibes and his playing taste was sophisticated and hip.
Pike started recording with a quartet in 1956 called the Jazz Couriers. In 1958, he recorded Solemn Meditation with Paul Bley, Charlie Haden and Lennie McBrown. His first album for Riverside, It's Time for Dave Pike, came out in 1961 and featured Barry Harris, Reggie Workman and Billy Higgins. Two album's with Herbie Mann followed and one with Bill Evans, Pike's Peak in 1962. [Photo above of Dave Pike]
Then came Bossa Nova Carnival: Dave Pike Plays the Music of Joao Donato, with Clark Terry (flhrn), Pike (vib,mar), Kenny Burrell (g), Chris White (b), Rudy Collins (d) and Jose Paulo (cabassa, bandero). The album was recorded for New Jazz in September 1962, seven months after Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd's seminal bossa nova album Jazz Samba.
The Pike album remains one of my bossa nova favorites and will suit you well if you're sweltering like we are in New York. It's a perfect album and captures the feel of the new Brazilian beat but with a stronger improvisational feel. Pike playing off Clark and Burrell remains one of the most joyous sounds.
Here's the full Bossa Nova Carnival without ad interruptions. Move the time bar to 1:14:15...
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.
