Continuing my new series called Perfection, today's sublime track is John Coltrane's cover of Jule Styne's composition You Say You Care, which Styne wrote for Broadway's Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1949).
The song is from Coltrane's Soultrane album, which features John Coltrane (ts), Red Garland (p), Paul Chambers (b) and Art Taylor (d). Recorded in February 1958 for Prestige, Soultrane is also known for Ira Gitler's liner notes, in which he coined "sheets of sound" to describe Coltrane's late 1950s approach on the saxophone
The album was recorded three days after Coltrane recorded with Miles Davis on a chunk of Davis's Milestones album for Columbia and three months before Davis's On Green Dolphin Street with his famed sextet with Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb.
Here's John Coltrane's take on You Say You Care...
Other Perfection tracks in this ongoing series...
Paul Desmond and Jim Hall: Any Other Time,go here.
Pianist Denny Zeitlin is probably best known as the composer of Quiet Now, a ballad that Bill Evans played often. He also is known for a series of sterling and adventurous albums for Columbia at the start of his recording career—Cathexis (1964), Carnival (1964) and Shining Hour (1965). He also was on Jeremy Steig's Flute Fever in 1963, Denny's first recording session.
But Denny's work over the years has branched out in many different directions in the solo, electronic duo and trio formats. If you're unfamiliar with Denny's music, his new album, Panoply (Sunnyside) is a perfect entry point that provides a fulsome helping of all three. For this release, Denny dipped into his archives of previously unreleased material and came up with winners.
His solo selections on acoustic piano were recorded in December 2012 at the Piedmont Piano Co. in Oakland, Calif. They include Only One, a moving ballad by bassist Bill Lee; a tumultuous approach on the jazz standard Cherokee that shows off his fevered imaginative and powerful technique; and a brooding original, Limburger Pie and Beeswax Crust, which Denny says in his notes has no meaning other than the words sounded interesting. [Photo above of Denny Zeitlin]
Denny's duo studio works with drummer-percussionist George Marsh are what he calls "electro-acoustic spontaneous compositions." The five pieces here are Excursion, Music Box, Ambush, Regret and A Raft, A River. Admittedly, it took me until this album to fully understand and appreciate Denny's electronic art, since I was so accustomed to his acoustic work. Now I can hear the layers and judicious use of electronic and acoustic instruments in the same song. [Photo above of George Marsh]
The trio selections with bassist Buster Williams and drummer Matt Wilson were recorded at New York's Mezzrow jazz club in May 2019. His choices are Gershwin's I Was Doing All Right,I Should Care, Miles Davis's Weirdo and Billy Strayhorn's Johnny Come Lately. This format is both familiar ground for Denny fans and a springboard for fascinating chord voicings and densely textured interpretations. [Photo above of Buster Williams]
If you're new to Denny, my suggestion is to listen to this album first, then listen to Denny's three Columbia albums followed by his synth explorations—Riding the Moment, Telepathy, Expedition,Both/And: Solo Electro-Acoustic Adventures and The Name of This Terrain. [Photo above of Matt Wilson]
As Panoply demonstrates, Denny is one of the finest and most imaginative jazz keyboardists around today. Most rewarding are his swan dives into artistic confrontations and the keyboard architecture he creates on his electronic works.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Denny Zeitlin's Panoply (Sunnyside) on CD here and digital download here. It's also can be found on most major streaming platforms.
JazzWax clips:Here'sCherokee as a solo work, one of the most glorious versions of this jazz warhorse...
In The Wall Street Journal last week, I interviewed actor Bill Pullman for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Bill developed instincts for character study as a child by observing his father, an alcoholic, and his mother, who began having psychiatric problems when she was 49. Growing up, Bill watched and sensed when their moods and personalities would shift. [Photo above of Bill Pullman courtesy of IMDb]
Bill's films include The Ballad of Lefty Brown,The Coldest Game and Independence Day. But you really must see him as Alex Murdaugh in Murdaugh Murders: The Movie. An astonishing performance. Parts 1 and 2 can be found at Lifetime here.
Reality check. Every so often, I like to repeat my policy at JazzWax. I do not receive payment to review albums. Music is provided to me for free either because I requested it or because the music was sent by labels and artists with hopes I'll listen and review. And finally, I only write about music I love. Art is hard enough, and artists don't need me having fun at their expense in a critique. Which works out just fine, since readers really care only about what I'm passionate about and why. Zero agenda, zero conflicts of interest and zero shilling for labels or artists. Just music that I endorse and recommend to you.
What I'm watching.
Under the Banner of Heaven (2022)—A true-crime miniseries that follows two detectives as they investigate a brutal murder and its connections to Mormonism. Truly astonishing acting performance. (Hulu)
Killing Eve (2018-2022)—Now working through Season 4. An incredible series with sterling acting. Dark, comedic British spy thriller starring Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer, who is easily one of today's finest actresses. I don't know how I missed this during the pandemic, but I did. Stunning series. (Netflix)
Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans—(2024/FX, with streaming on Hulu)
Fisk—(2021/Netflix)
The Gentlemen—(2024/Netflix)
Godless—(2017/Netflix)
Goliath—(2016-2021/Prime)
The Gilded Age—(current/Max)
High Water—(2022/Netflix)
Homeland—(2011-2020/Showtime)
Jane Eyre—(2006/Britbox)
Justified—(2010-2015/Hulu)
Life & Beth—(Seasons 1& 2, 2022-present/Hulu)
Lincoln Lawyer—(2022-present/Netflix)
Loudermilk—(2017-2020/Netflix)
MI-5, the Series—(2002-2011/BritBox)
Monsieur Spade—(2024/AMC)
Murdaugh Murders: The Movie, Parts 1 and 2—(2023/Lifetime)
1923—(2022-present/Paramount+)
1883—(2021-2022/Prime)
Outlander—(2014-present/Netflix)
Pieces of Her—(2022/Netflix)
Poldark—(2015-2019/Prime)
Reacher—(2016-present/Netflix)
Ripley—(2024/Netflix)
Scott & Bailey (2011-2016/Prime)
Turn: Washington's Spies—(2014-2017/Prime)
Unbelievable—(2019/Netflix)
Veronica Mars—(2004 to 2019/Hulu)
The Watcher—(2022/Netflix)
The Way Home—(2023-current/Peacock)
Who Is Erin Carter—(2023/Netflix)
The Woman in the Wall—(2024/Showtime)
The Veil—(2024/Hulu-FX)
WPC 56—(2013-2015/Britbox)
Yellowstone—(2018-present/Paramount Network)
Films
The Accountant—(2016/Hulu)
American Gangster—(2007/Max).
Armageddon Time—(2022/Prime)
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs—(2018/Netflix)
The Ballad of Lefty Brown—(2017/Netflix)
Blackout (2022/Netflix)
TheBricklayer—(2024/Netflix)
The Commuter (2018/Netflix)
The Dig—(2021/Netflix)
Eiffel—(2021/Prime)
Enola Holmes 1 and 2—(2022/Netflix)
The Equalizer 1, 2 and 3—(2014-2024/Prime)
Fury—(2014/Netflix)
God's Country—(2022/Hulu)
Guy Ritchie's The Covenant—(2023/Prime)
Jack Reacher (the movie)—(2012/Paramount+)
Kill Chain—(2019/Max)
Knight and Day—(2010/Roku)
Last Night in Soho—(2021/Prime)
Last Seen Alive—(2020/Netflix)
The Little Things—(2021/Netflix)
Man on Fire—(2004/Max)
Manchester by the Sea—(2016/Prime Video)
MI-5—(2015/Max)
The Mule—(2018/Netflix)
The Night Agent—(2023/Netflix)
Nobody—(2021/Prime)
Ordinary Angels—(2024)
Purple Hearts—(2022/Netflix)
The Queen's Gambit—(2020/Netflix)
Queenpins—(2021/Pluto TV)
Reptile—(2023/Netflix)
The Secret: Dare to Dream—(2020/Netflix)
Self Reliance—(2023/Hulu)
Seraphim Falls—(2006/Netflix)
Somewhere in Queens—(2022/Hulu)
The Spy—(2019/Netflix)
Spy(les)—(2009/Prime)
The Stranger—(2022/Netflix)
Toscana—(2022/Netflix)
The Two Popes—(2019/Netflix)
Wonder Wheel—(2017/Prime)
Documentaries
Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake—(2022/Netflix)
The Beach Boys—(2024/Disney)
Carole King: Live in Central Park—(2023/PBS)
The Comeback—(2005 and 2014/Max)
Cunk on Earth—(2022/Netflix)
Cyndi Lauper: Let the Canary Sing—(2023/Paramount+)
Facing Nolan—(2022/Netflix)
Five Came Back—(2017/Netflix)
Kate Hepburn: Call Me Kate—(2023/Netflix)
The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari—(2022/Netflix)
'Tis Autumn: The Search for Jackie Paris—(2007/go here
Al Harewood. Following my post last week on Stan Getz, which included a video clip with drummer Al Harewood (above, courtesy of Blue Note), I heard from pianist Harold Danko:
Hi Marc. What a great surprise to see and hear Al Harewood on video and to discover the great Tommy Williams on bass. What joyous quarter notes they played, making my day! And they really made Stan (and Steve Kuhn) shine.
I had the good fortune to play with Al and bask in his beautiful Barbados-Brooklyn beat, teaming up with many great bassists, including Jimmy Rowser, Lisle Atkinson, Reggie Johnson, Rufus Reid, Marc Johnson, Todd Coolman and Michael Moore. Along the way I convinced Lee Konitz to build a quartet with Al as our anchor. He was a wonderful human being and remains a true unsung rhythm-section hero.
I almost shed tears when I heard those first notes of the Getz video, recalling the first time I heard Al at the uptown Half Note on West 54th and then having the privilege of playing with him regularly at the old Angry Squire Pub in Chelsea. Sweet times.
Jazz Loft. After posting about a super documentary on W. Eugene Smith's Jazz Loft from 1957 to 1965, I heard from bassist Chuck Israels:
Hi Marc. A nostalgic note: It was in a dark loft (one floor below Gene Smith’s) that I learned to write music with Hall Overton’s perfectly attuned guidance. Hall was fully equipped in classical music and jazz, and a better teacher for me than any school—both more personal and more efficient.
Just across the street from the dismally dark lofts, on a top floor with lots of windows and good natural light above a wholesale flower shop on the corner, sculptor Herb Kallem and actor/painter Zero Mostel—both friends of my family—had a studio where I’d sometimes visit after my lessons.
It’s hard to fully remember the richness of that experience. Imagine being around Zero who, on one occasion, when I was about 10, entertained me by blowing himself up like a balloon and then deflating himself. Next up for Zero was becoming a percolating teapot.
Because of my stepfather’s connections—some a result of shared political convictions—I had some exposure to Zero and Danny Kaye, two monumental figures in American theater. They weren't larger than life, just enormously full of life. There are irretrievable encounters I experienced as normal then that were rich beyond most of what I have access to today.
Note: Don't forget, Chuck will be celebrating his 88th birthday by performing at Dizzy's in New York on August 11 and reading from his memoir. I'm sure he'll have plenty to say about pianist Bill Evans, since Chuck was the bassist in the second Bill Evans Trio. For more information, go here. Check out Chuck's memoir, Bass Notes,here.
Fresh Sound's JazzWax discount! Fresh Sound owner Jordi Pujol has generously made an 8% discount available to JazzWax readers. To take advantage of this discount, simply enter the code JAZZWAX_DISCOUNT in the space provided on the Fresh Sound payment page. Once you've typed in the code, the discount will automatically appear on the total purchase. JazzWax readers are grateful, Jordi. Thank you.
Françoise Hardy (1944-2024), a French singer-songwriter and actress who was thrust into the limelight in Paris in 1962 after the release of her first melancholy recordings and whose shy sensuality captivated the European youth culture in the 1960s and '70s, died on June 11 of cancer. She was 80.
Greetings from Paris. Last week, Gilles D'Elia sent along an image of Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre that he took at midnight, despite the clock operating on its own schedule. Click to enlarge.
Joe Alterman.Last week, pianist Joe Alterman appeared at New York's Mezzrow club with his trio—Nathaniel Schroeder on bass and Marlon Patton on drums. Fortunately you can see and hear the group's two sets for free at the Mezzrow site. Joe sounds better than ever. Go here...
Brazil calling. Kurt Kolstad sent along this clip of the Samba Jazz Syndicate performing Antonio Carlos Jobim's A Felicidade. Phil DeGreg (p), Kim Pensyl (tp), Rusty Burge (vib), Aaron Jacobs (b) and John Taylor (d)...
And finally,here's Paul Desmond and Jim Hall playing Alone Together...
The second to last studio album trumpeter Kenny Dorham released as a leader before he died in 1972 was Una Mas (One More Time). The Blue Note album features just three original songs and is one of his best.
An early adapter of bebop in the mid-1940s, Dorham was most famously in Charlie Parker's working quintet of 1948 and '49—the one that was broadcast live from the Royal Roost and wound up in a box set.
From there, Dorham had a prolific recording career in the 1950s, appearing on dozens of vital albums, including Tadd Dameron's Fontainebleau, Sonny Rollins's Movin' Out and Plays for Bird, Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers first album in 1953, Hank Mobley Featuring Sonny Clark, The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra in Hi-Fi and Meet Oliver Nelson. Dorham also recorded a string of important leadership LPs during this period. In the 1960s, Dorham worked largely as a sideman and most of his income came from touring.
In April 1963, he recorded Una Mas with a stellar quintet: Dorham (tp), Joe Henderson (ts), Herbie Hancock (p), Butch Warren (b) and Tony Williams (d).
The original LP's tracks:
Una Mas (One More Time)
Straight Ahead
Sao Paulo
(The standard If Ever I Would Leave You was an outtake released years later on a reissue.)
Here's Kenny Dorham's original Una Mas without ad interruptions...
Some albums you fall in love with the moment you put them on. For me, Amina Figarova's newly released Suite for Africa (AmFi) was one of them. The pianist-composer was born in Azerbaijan and began her career as a classical concert pianist. While at the Rotterdam Conservatoire in the Netherlands, she became interested in jazz. Then she attended Boston's Berklee College of Music, and jazz became her life. Holland will do that to you.
Her new album was inspired by her performance tours in South Africa. On one flight, she and her husband, flutist Bart Platteau, came face to face with the 24-member Matsiko World Orphan Choir, made up of orphaned, at-risk children from Liberia. They invited the choir to join their upcoming album project. Amina set to work writing a three-movement suite to include their beautiful collective voices.
The music for the suite and the album's five additional pieces were also exquisitely arranged by Amina, with lyrics by Mark Lee Hegarty and Amina. Then the works were recorded by Amina's sextet, featuring Amina Figarova (p), Bart Platteau (flutes), Alex Pope Norris (tp,flhrn), Wayne Escoffery (ts), Yasushi Nakamura (b) and Rudy Royston (d), with the choir joining on the suites.
The music is glorious all the way through. The opener, Dancing Clouds sounds like its title, with Bart's flute creating the feel of a fast-moving sky. You can imagine yourself standing on an open plain with panoramic views. The suite movements that follow feature the choir creating hypnotic vocal patterns and harmony, and the instrumental improvisation works perfectly.
What I love most about the album, in addition to its spirit, is the breezy intensity of Amina's piano, the robust jazz solos and the lavish use of African folk rhythms and horn riffs throughout. The result is earthy, moody and uplifting with a sound that celebrates art and the best of humanity. Amina is an extraordinary jazz pianist and composer-arranger, and Suite for Africa is a must-own and Grammy-worthy.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Suite for Africa (AmFi) here and on major streaming platforms.
By 1957, Smith had left his wife and four children in suburban New York and moved into a loft on the fourth floor. Also in the building were painter and jazz lover David X. Young, jazz trumpeter Dick Cary and jazz composer-pianist Hall Overton. In the loft, Smith obsessively took photos and recorded jazz musicians rehearsing, jamming and conversing as well as ambient loft and street noise.
The musicians included Thelonious Monk, Zoot Sims, Bill Crow, Jim Hall, Jimmy Giuffre, Bob Brookmeyer, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow and Rahsaan Roland Kirk, to name just a few. In all, Smith amassed 1,740 reel-to-reel tapes and nearly 40,000 photographs of musicians and street scenes shot from the loft window. [Photo above of Thelonious Monk at the loft, by W. Eugene Smith]
Fortunately for us Stan Getz was one of the most documented jazz saxophonists on video thanks to professional tapes made during concerts here and abroad. Today, six clips of Getz that recently went up at YouTube:
Here's Stan Getz and trumpeter Chet Baker with Jim McNeely (p), George Mraz (b) and Victor Lewis (d) in Stockholm in 1983...
Here's Getz playing Wayne Shorter's Infant Eyes, with Getz (ts), Andy LaVerne (p), Mike Richmond (b), Billy Hart (d) and Efrain Toro (perc) in Oslo, Norway, on August 23, 1977...
Here'sWhen the World Was Young, with Stan Getz (ts) Gary Burton (vib) Steve Swallow (b) Roy Haynes (d) in Paris in 1966...
Here's Getz again with the same group on Infant Eyes above, playing Desafinado and Chega de Saudade in 1977...
Here's Getz playing You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To, with Getz (ts), Steve Kuhn (p), Tommy Williams (b) and Al Harewood (d) at the Civic Opera House in Chicago in 1963...
And here's Stan Getz with trumpeter Donald Byrd and Hans Hammerschmid (p) Doug Watkins (b) and Art Taylor (d)...
Long overlooked for its service during World War II, Boston and its region were key for the manufacturing of supplies and uniforms as well as the building and outfitting of ships, and the deployment of troops. The city sent to Europe the second greatest number of soldiers on the East Coast, after New York, and third greatest tonnage of cargo. As a result, Boston became a city that provided the thousands of soldiers returning from battle or awaiting deployment with recreation and diversions.
After-hours clubs sprang up, sections of the genteel city were wilder than others for sevicemen, and famous big bands played local ballrooms. And thanks to the Washington D.C. to Boston railroad line, bands could tour from city to city, winding up in Boston and the region for extended runs. Starting in the early 1950s, many jazz clubs opened and attracted the city's drinking-age college students and their professors. These clubs included Storyville, the Hi-Hat, the Stables, the Savoy Café, the Wig Wam, Wally's, the Down Beat and the Melody Lounge, to name a handful. [Photo above, a train leaving Boston's Back Bay Station for Providence, R.I., New Haven, Ct., New York and points south]
By war's end, the Boston area had become known for producing a long list of leading jazz musicians, including Mal Hallett, Leo Resiman, Don Redman, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Slam Stewart, Roy Haynes, Alan Dawson, Serge Chaloff, Jaki Byard, Joe Gordon, Nat Pierce, Charlie Mariano, Herb Pomeroy, Sam Rivers, Alan Dawson and Dick Twardzik. [Photo above of Serge Chaloff by William P. Gottlieb]
One of the finest was saxophonist Charlie Mariano. He grew up in the Hyde Park section of Boston, joined the Army Air Corps in World War II and, after the war, attended Schillinger House of Music, now Berklee College of Music. Influenced by Charlie Parker, Mariano was quick to establish his own style and sound. Like Lee Konitz, there was a bit of an edge in his tone. Mariano began recording in 1947 with the Ray Borden Big Band and led his first recording session in 1951, on The New Sounds From Boston for Prestige. [Photo above of Charlie Mariano in the 1950s]
Now, Fresh Sound has assembled 47 of Mariano's early recordings before he joined Stan Kenton's reed section in 1954. The new, two-CD box, Charlie Mariano: Boppin' in Boston 1947-1953, features remastered recordings that sound terrific. All were recorded in Boston. [Photo above of George Wein's Storyville jazz club in Boston]
They include recordings with pianist Nat Pierce, trumpeter Don Stratton, trumpeter Herb Pomeroy, pianist Jaki Byard, trumpeter Sonny Truitt, arranger-pianist Ralph Burns, trumpeter Joe Gordon, pianist Dick Twardzik, baritone saxophonist Serge Chaloff, Ira Gitler (on bells!) and trumpeter Dick Collins plus many other musicians.
Among the niftiest recordings are sides for two different octets, the Serge Chaloff/Ralph Burns Septet in 1949, tracks with Nat Pierce and His Orchestra, and several spectacular sextets and septets.
Mariano even plays beautifully on standards, with arrangements that offer a twist. These include What's New?, Autumn in New York, Stella by Starlight, I'm Old Fashioned, Come Rain or Come Shine, Let's Get Away From It All, The Thrill Is Gone, How About You, When Your Lover Has Gone and It's Magic.
What's especially interesting about Mariano during this period is how he slides between bebop and cool jazz styles. Different saxophone approaches, but the same sound. This box not only establishes Charlie Mariano as a major player early on but also is a fabulous introduction to the Boston jazz scene. No wonder George Wein was so passionate about jazz. This is a must-own set.
Charlie Mariano died of cancer in 2009 at age 85.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Charlie Mariano: Boppin' in Boston 1947-1953 (Fresh Sound) here.
JazzWax clips: Here's What's New?, with the Ray Borden Orchestra in 1947: Bill Adams (tp); Gait Preddy, Buddy Hartford and Ray Borden (tp); Mert Goodspeed, Joe Fine and Joe Laconi (tb); Sebastian "Jock" Giacco (as); Charlie Mariano (as); Chuck Stentz and George Green (ts); Gordon Barrentine (bar); Nat Pierce (p); Steve Hester (g); Frank Vaccaro (b) and Joe MacDonald (d)...
Here's the Charlie Mariano Octet playing Babylon in 1949, with Don Stratton (tp), Mert Goodspeed (tb), Charlie Mariano (as), Randy Henderson (ts), George Green (bar), Nat Pierce (p), Frank Gallagher (b) and Joe McDonald (d)...
Here's the Charlie Mariano Boston All Stars playing Mariano's The Wizard in 1951: Joe Gordon (tp), Sonny Truitt (tb), Charlie Mariano (as), Jim Clark (ts), George Myers (bar), Roy Frazee (p), Jack Lawlor (b) and Gene Glennon (d)...
Here's the Charlie Mariano Sextet playing Sonny Truitt's My Friend Ethel in 1953, with Dick Collins (tp), Sonny Truitt (tb), Charlie Mariano (as), Richard Wyands (p), Vernon Alley (b) and Joe McDonald (d)...
Here's Mariano, in Nat Pierce and His Orchestra, playing Autumn in New York in 1949. The band: Nick Capezuto, Lennie Johnson, Gait Preddy and Bud Wilson (tp); Joe Fine, Mert Goodspeed and Frank "Ace" Lane (tb); Sebastian "Jock" Giacco and Charlie Mariano (as); George Green and Phil Viscuglia (ts); Gordon Barrentine (bar); Nat Pierce (p,arr); Steve Hester (g); Frank Gallagher (b) and Joe McDonald (d)...
In The Wall Street Journal last week, I interviewed actor-comedian Patton Oswalt for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Patton was named for General George S. Patton, a parental decision that long mystified him. He learned how to do standup by spending college weekends at comedy clubs studying pros rather than partying. Even if you're not familiar with the name, you know his face. [Photo above of Patton Oswalt at the Wall Street Hotel New York by Justin J Wee for The Wall Street Journal]
Here's a reel of Patton as Spence on King of Queens...
What I'm watching.
Killing Eve (2018-2022)—Working through Season 3. An incredible series with sterling acting. Dark, comedic British spy thriller starring Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer, who is easily one of today's finest actresses. I don't know how I missed this during the pandemic, but I did. Stunning series. (Netflix)
Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans—(2024/FX, with streaming on Hulu)
Fisk—(2021/Netflix)
The Gentlemen—(2024/Netflix)
Godless—(2017/Netflix)
Goliath—(2016-2021/Prime)
The Gilded Age—(current/Max)
High Water—(2022/Netflix)
Homeland—(2011-2020/Showtime)
Jane Eyre—(2006/Britbox)
Justified—(2010-2015/Hulu)
Life & Beth—(Seasons 1& 2, 2022-present/Hulu)
Lincoln Lawyer—(2022-present/Netflix)
Loudermilk—(2017-2020/Netflix)
MI-5, the Series—(2002-2011/BritBox)
Monsieur Spade—(2024/AMC)
Murdaugh Murders: The Movie, Parts 1 and 2—(2023/Lifetime)
1923—(2022-present/Paramount+)
1883—(2021-2022/Prime)
Outlander—(2014-present/Netflix)
Pieces of Her—(2022/Netflix)
Poldark—(2015-2019/Prime)
Reacher—(2016-present/Netflix)
Ripley—(2024/Netflix)
Scott & Bailey (2011-2016/Prime)
Turn: Washington's Spies—(2014-2017/Prime)
Unbelievable—(2019/Netflix)
Veronica Mars—(2004 to 2019/Hulu)
The Watcher—(2022/Netflix)
The Way Home—(2023-current/Peacock)
Who Is Erin Carter—(2023/Netflix)
The Woman in the Wall—(2024/Showtime)
The Veil—(2024/Hulu-FX)
WPC 56—(2013-2015/Britbox)
Yellowstone—(2018-present/Paramount Network)
Films
The Accountant—(2016/Hulu)
American Gangster—(2007/Max).
Armageddon Time—(2022/Prime)
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs—(2018/Netflix)
The Ballad of Lefty Brown—(2017/Netflix)
Blackout (2022/Netflix)
TheBricklayer—(2024/Netflix)
The Commuter (2018/Netflix)
The Dig—(2021/Netflix)
Eiffel—(2021/Prime)
Enola Holmes 1 and 2—(2022/Netflix)
The Equalizer 1, 2 and 3—(2014-2024/Prime)
Fury—(2014/Netflix)
God's Country—(2022/Hulu)
Guy Ritchie's The Covenant—(2023/Prime)
Jack Reacher (the movie)—(2012/Paramount+)
Kill Chain—(2019/Max)
Knight and Day—(2010/Roku)
Last Night in Soho—(2021/Prime)
Last Seen Alive—(2020/Netflix)
The Little Things—(2021/Netflix)
Man on Fire—(2004/Max)
Manchester by the Sea—(2016/Prime Video)
MI-5—(2015/Max)
The Mule—(2018/Netflix)
The Night Agent—(2023/Netflix)
Nobody—(2021/Prime)
Ordinary Angels—(2024)
Purple Hearts—(2022/Netflix)
The Queen's Gambit—(2020/Netflix)
Queenpins—(2021/Pluto TV)
Reptile—(2023/Netflix)
The Secret: Dare to Dream—(2020/Netflix)
Self Reliance—(2023/Hulu)
Seraphim Falls—(2006/Netflix)
Somewhere in Queens—(2022/Hulu)
The Spy—(2019/Netflix)
Spy(les)—(2009/Prime)
The Stranger—(2022/Netflix)
Toscana—(2022/Netflix)
The Two Popes—(2019/Netflix)
Wonder Wheel—(2017/Prime)
Documentaries
Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake—(2022/Netflix)
The Beach Boys—(2024/Disney)
Carole King: Live in Central Park—(2023/PBS)
The Comeback—(2005 and 2014/Max)
Cunk on Earth—(2022/Netflix)
Cyndi Lauper: Let the Canary Sing—(2023/Paramount+)
Facing Nolan—(2022/Netflix)
Five Came Back—(2017/Netflix)
Kate Hepburn: Call Me Kate—(2023/Netflix)
The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari—(2022/Netflix)
'Tis Autumn: The Search for Jackie Paris—(2007/go h
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Bill Mays on Jimmy Rowles. Following my post last week on pianist Jimmy Rowles, I heard from pianist Bill Mays [photo above of Jimmy Rowles by Sy Johnson/All Music]
Hi Marc. I kick off "Chapter 14: Singers" of my book, "Stories of the Road," with a quote from Jimmy: "The key to being a good accompanist is when you think of an idea, just play half of it."
Here's a story from the chapter:
I loved Jimmy Rowles’s playing. In the late 1960s, I called him and asked to take some lessons. He growled in that gravelly voice of his, "I don’t really teach. Come up to L.A. where I’m working at the Carriage House with Monty Budwig and we’ll talk. "I drove up from San Diego the following day. Weeks later he invited me to his house in Burbank and asked me to play for him.
“Just keep doin’ what you’re doin’,” he said, and I continued the "lessons" by following him around L.A., watching his hands, checking out his use of the pedals, his delicious chords, his singing and his understated way with some of the greatest standards I’d never heard.
After my move to L.A., I was happily surprised one day when he recommended me for a gig with the singer Bill Henderson. Then, in 1972, he called me and said, "Sass is in need of a piano player. Wanna work with her?" I said, "Who’s Sass?"Jimmy snorted, "Sarah Vaughan, man!"
He sent me to her house in Beverly Hills, and after looking at her 18-inch thick piano book I thought, wow, this is going to be an all-day affair and a hard one. But after we did a couple of tunes, Sarah laughed and said, "You got the job, honey, now let’s eat," and proceeded to fix us a delicious dinner.
Note: The Bill Mays trio is playing tonight (Saturday) at Maureen’s Jazz Cellar (Nyack, N.Y.), on June 16 at the Deer Head Inn (Delaware Water Gap, Pa,) and at Mezzrow (New York City) on June 28 and 29.
Greetings from Paris. One of the joys of JazzWax for me is having friends all over the world who are just an email away. In Paris, photographer Gilles D'Elia last week sent along a wonderful image of the city taken this spring (above). Paris, Gilles says, has been unseasonably cold, which means sweaters are still manditory in late afternoon and evening. Hopefully the temperature will warm up there soon.
To give the French temperatures a nudge, here's Les Double Six singing Four Brothers...
Chuck Israels on Frank Rosolino. Following my post on Frank Rosolino, I heard from Chuck Israels, bassist in the second Bill Evans Trio. He told me he will be celebrating his 88th birthday by performing at Dizzy's in New York on August 11 and reading from his memoir. For more information, go here. Check out Chuck's memoir, Bass Notes,here. [Photo above of Chuck Israels]
Here's Chuck on trombonist Frank Rosolino:
In late June and early July of 1963, all eyes and ears were on the Bill Evans Trio as we played at Shelly's Manne-Hole in Hollywood. Every musician I’d known about in Los Angeles showed up to listen to us. I was in what felt like a spotlight, both basking in the attention and under pressure to match what I thought were the listeners’ expectations.
Only three musicians had the nerve to ask to sit in with us. One was Frank, who certainly was musically qualified. He played a tune, and during my bass solo, maintaining his reputation as a clown, took off the slide of his trombone and pretended to struggle to line it up in order to put it back.
It was funny and distracting, and irritated me in a situation in which I felt helpless to either respond or overcome. I was both hurt and angry. In the grand scheme of things, it made no difference in our communication with the listeners during our two week engagement there, nor in their appreciation of my playing.
I wish I’d had a better sense of humor about Frank’s clowning. If I’d participated in the joke, everyone, including myself, would have been happier. I was taking myself a little too seriously then, and it prevented me from appreciating the beauty and virtuosity of Frank’s playing.
Jo Harrop—The Path of a Tear (Lateralize). British singer-songwriter Jo Harrop is out with the best album of her career. Smartly produced by Grammy-winner Larry Klein, Jo wrote the lyrics to eight of the 11 songs, including the CD's bonus track. Klein's genius is that he recognized Jo's voice could be smartly leveraged to go beyond jazz and songbook standards and given a fresh, contemporary framing. The moody album juxtaposes melancholy lyrics and feathery arrangements, and there's a Boz Scaggs feel throughout. Highlights include Beautiful Fools, You'll Never Be Lonely In Soho, Leon Russell's If It Wasn't for Bad, Too Close to the Sun, Steve Earle's Goodbye and Stay Here Tonight. Jo is backed by Jim Cox (keyboards), Anthony Wilson (g), Victor Indrizzo (d), David Plitch and Larry Klein (b). Might be time for Larry to unite Jo and Boz for a duet project. You'll find this album here and on major streaming platforms.
Winther, Anderson, Watts—WAW! (Hobby Horse). What do you get when you unite Danish pianist-composer Carl Winther and bassist Richard Anderson with drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts? A powerhouse album loaded with jazz energy and modal excitement. Four of the five songs are by Winther, with the fifth, the standard My Old Flame, an outlier in some respects. Winther's piano rides elegantly on top, coupled with Anderson's punching bass. Watts' drums take center stage underneath, constantly shifting, exploding and driving like a modern-day Art Blakey. Hopefully this trio will stick together for additional albums. The partnership is magic. You'll find it on most major streaming platforms. You'll find the album here and on most major streaming platforms.
FM Radio Archive. Last week, Kim Paris of the FM Radio Archive sent along links to free live performances based on my posts [photo above of James Moody, courtesy of the National Endowment of the Arts]:
James Moody and Dizzy Gillespie—both were members of the Charlie Parker All Stars who performed at the 1980 Chicago Jazz Festival, broadcast on WBEZ & NPR member stations. Thanks to Mark Rabin for sharing this from his collection. Go here,
Duke Ellington & His Orchestra—played at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen in 1969, in a TV broadcast. Go here.
Art Blakey—played with the Art Blakey All Stars, including Jackie McLean, Eddie Henderson, Curtis Fuller and Cedar Walton, at Keystone Korner in San Francisco for NPR's Jazz Alive! broadcast on New Year's Eve in 1979. Go here.
And from Mark Rabin, featuring Jimmy Rowles...
Ella Fitzgerald—at the Chicago Jazz Festival 1981, backed by Rowles. Go here.
Al Cohn and Zoot Sims—backed by Rowles, at New York's Blues Alley in 1979. Go here.
And finally,here's Charlie Parker on March 25, 1952 playing Almost Like Being in Love backed by a monster big band: Jimmy Maxwell, Carl Poole, Al Porcino and Bernie Privin (tp); Bill Harris, Lou McGarity and Bart Varsalona (tb); Charlie Parker, Harry Terrill and Murray Williams (as); Flip Phillips and Hank Ross (ts); Danny Bank (bar); Oscar Peterson (p); Freddie Green (g); Ray Brown (b); Don Lamond (d) and Joe Lippman (arr,cond). For more on this recording seesion, see my 2007 interview with Danny Bank here...
Too often we think of the post-war tenor saxophone revolution as being solely in the hands of the tough Coleman Hawkins and laid-back Lester Young. There actually was a third revolutionary in the mix—Ben Webster.
The breathy Ellingtonian swinger had a gruffer sound than Prez and was more romantic and seductive than Hawk. And while Webster didn't have as many followers who imitated his approach as Hawkins or Young, he was still a vibrant force, influencing R&B players as well as jazz stars such as Lucky Thompson and Jimmy Forrest.
A great entry point for Webster is an album he recorded for Verve in 1953 with assorted players. Known originally as The Consummate Artistry of Ben Webster when released in 1954, the album was reissued in 1957 as King of the Tenors.
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.
