In April and May of 1963, Teddy Charles, accompanied by an all-star group of musicians, recorded Russia Goes Jazz: Swinging Themes From the Great Russian Composers (United Artists). The point of the LP, conceived by Teddy, was to record Russian classical works that influenced American popular songs.
One of the songs on the album was Borodin Bossa Nova, recorded in April 1963, with Jerome Richardson (fl), Zoot Sims (ts), Eric Dolphy (b-cl), Pepper Adams (bar), Teddy Charles (vib), Hall Overton (p), Jimmy Raney (g), Teddy Kotick (b) and Osie Johnson (d).
Here's the song's Russian origins: Composer Alexander Borodin's Gliding Dance of the Maidens, from the Polovtsian Dances in the opera Prince Igor (1890), was adapted in 1953 by Robert Wright and George Forrest for their musical Kismet as Stranger in Paradise. Ed Bland wrote the nifty arrangement for the Teddy Charles session.
Only a monster like Teddy could bring together musicians of this caliber. Zoot Sims takes the swinging tenor saxophone solo, then Teddy on the vibes, Jimmy Raney on the guitar, Jerome Richardson on the flute and Pepper Adams on the baritone saxophone.
The concept was ingenious on Teddy's part—and cost-efficient. No royalties were owed, since all of the Russian classical works used were in the public domain.
Here's Ed Bland's terrific, albeit brief, arrangement for Borodin Bossa Nova...
Other Perfection tracks in this ongoing series...
- Paul Desmond and Jim Hall: Any Other Time, go here.
- John Coltrane: You Say You Care, go here.
- Quincy Jones: Funk Junction, go here.
- Art Farmer's Work of Art, go here.
- Miles Davis: A Gal in Calico, go here.
- Gene Krupa: Mulligan Stew, go here.
- Dave Brubeck: The Duke, go here.
- Horace Silver: The Back Beat, go here.
- Horace Parlan: Up & Down, go here.
- Dexter Gordon: Society Red, go here.
- Barney Kessel: You Go to My Head, go here.
- Count Basie: Corner Pocket, go here.
- Herbie Mann: Manteca, go here.
- Donald Byrd: Bronze Dance, go here.
- George Shearing: I'll Be Around, go here.
- Ammons & Stitt: You Talk That Talk, go here.
- Count Basie: Blues in My Heart, go here.
- Moonlight in Vermont, go here.
- Johnny Griffin / Matthew Gee, Here, go here.
- Jimmy Smith / Stanely Turrentine: When I'I Grow Too Old to Dream, go here.
- Chet Baker: Estate, go here.
- Jazz Studio 1: Tenderly, go here.
- Herb Pomeroy: Down Home Outing, go here.
- Frank Sinatra: There's a Small Hotel, go here.
- Bill Harris Herd: Blackstrap, go here.
- Gerry Mulligan: Westwood Walk, go here.
- Red Garland/Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis: We'll Be Together Again, go here.
- Bill Evans: Reflections in D, go here.
- Ted McNabb & Co.: Mountain Greenery, go here.
- Maynard Ferguson: Fox Hunt, go here.
- Serge Chaloff & the Herdsmen: The Most!, go here.
- Maynard Ferguson: Starfire, go here.
- Urbie Green, Please, go here.
- Machito, Conversation, go here.
- David Allyn, Love Is a Serious Thing, go here.
- Lennie Tristano, Wow, go here.
