JazzWax

Mary, Stanley and Gerry

In The Wall Street Journal this week, I interviewed actress Mary Steenburgen for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Mary still owns her childhood home—she and her sister can't bear to sell it. Largely because her parents were so loving, especially her mom, whom she describes as a fairy. Her smile, Mary says, was captivating and her voice was soft and kind. [Image above courtesy of YouTube]

Here's Mary on Craig Ferguson in 2017 and 2013. And yes, Mary is this charming, fast and funny...

If you missed me last week on SiriusXM's Feedback, co-hosted by Nik and Lori, you can hear me talk about Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick and Walk On By here...

Greetings from Madrid. Last week, Carolina in Spain sent along the photo above from Madrid. The city received about a foot and a half of snow the night of January 8. The next morning, a couple of trees came down under the weight. Bet you thought Madrid was always warm and sunny.

The Rosemary Clooney Show. Last week, Jordi Pujol sent along a fab clip of trumpeter Pete Candoli on Rosemary Clooney's TV variety show in 1956, with singer Jeri Southern at the piano. The sync seems to be a little off, unless Pete is syncing to his own solo recorded earlier. Go here...

It's only fair that Jeri Southern get a chance. Here she is singing I Hadn't Anyone But You...

And here's Clooney, singing Goodnight (Wherever You Are)...

David Amram sent along the photo above taken recently of him performing at Le Festival international de jazz de Québec in Quebec City, where the concert celebrated Jack Kerouac's French-Canadian roots and his love of all music.

Here's David in 2008 performing his beautiful theme to the 1961 film Splendor in the Grass...

Stanley Cowell. Following the pianist's death in December, a tribute went up online with a complete discography and videography. To translate the text into English, look at the very bottom, in the lower left-hand corner and click on your language using the drop-down. A special thanks to Mathieu Perez in Paris for passing this along. Go here.

Pianist Ramsey Lewis announced last week a year-long concert series, Saturday Salon, on the site StageIt. He says he will perform his greatest jazz hits and covers of songs by the Beatles and Frank Sinatra. The concerts will be held on the last Saturday of each month this year, and each set will feature a hour-long performance at 1:00 p.m. (CT). Tickets are $20 per show and season passes are available for purchase until January 30th for $200 each. A portion of all proceeds will go to benefit the Jazz Foundation of America. Go here.

CD you should know about:

Russell Ferrante Trio—Inflexion (Blue Canoe). Pianist Russell Ferrante, a founding member of the Yellowjackets, just released this dazzling jazz trio album that features interplay between him, Michael Valerio (bass) and Steve Schaeffer (drums). Swinging originals, Yellowjackets songs and Monk, all with a classical overlay and beautiful touch. Go here.

Here's Inflexion D from the new album...

And finally, with a heavy heart, a fond farewell to the late Gerry Marsden, frontman for Gerry & the Pacemakers and a product of the Liverpool beat and Brian Epstein's vision [photo above courtesy of the Museum of Liverpool]...

Duke Jordan: Stan Getz Plays

On December 12 and 29, 1952, tenor saxophonist Stan Getz took his working quintet into a studio in New York to record two 10-inch LPs for Norman Granz's Clef Records. They would be named Stan Getz Plays and The Artistry of Stan Getz. On piano was Duke Jordan, with Jimmy Raney on guitar, Bill Crow on bass and Frank Isola on drums.

On the 12th, the quintet recorded Stella By Starlight, Time on My Hands, 'Tis Autumn, The Way You Look Tonight, Lover Come Back to Me, Body and Soul, Stars Fell on Alabama and You Turned the Tables on Me. On the 29th, they recorded Thanks for the Memory, How Deep Is the Ocean, Gigi Gryce's Hymn of the Orient and These Foolish Things. In 1955, Granz combined the 10-inch tracks on a 12-inch album called Stan Getz Plays, using the same cover as the 10-inch album. It featured a black-and-white photo by Phil Stern of Getz and one of his sons giving him a kiss. 

The sessions are notable for the the especially beautiful way Getz played throughout and for Jordan's captivating and inventive piano openings. But the recordings also featured the cool-toned, swinging guitar of Jimmy Raney, the heartbeat bass of Bill Crow and cushion-y drums of Frank Isola. Jordan's intros remain suspenseful, so much so that for me they're now part these songs.

For example, Jordan's ascending, halting chords on Stella by Starlight, his skippy, bop intro on Time on My Hands, the descending chords on The Way You Look Tonight, the lavish figures that open Body and Soul, the unusual Street of Dreams-like opener on Stars Fell on Alabama, and the intro that seemed better-suited for Thanks for the Memory but is used here on These Foolish Things (Raney opened Thanks for the Memory). [Photo above of Stan Getz by (c)Paul Hoeffler/CTSImages]

All of Jordan's intros set up Getz neatly, creating bop drama before Getz slides in with his suede-soft sound. These Clef tracks are among my favorite Getz recordings, and Jordan, Raney, Bill and Isola are fundamental to Getz's gentle tone. As Bill Crow noted yesterday at my FaceBook page, "When I was with Stan Getz, Duke was our pianist for a couple of months. I loved his playing." [Photo above of Duke Jordan in the late 1940s]

JazzWax tracks: You'll find Stan Getz Plays here and here.

Or at Spotify.

JazzWax clip: Here are all the tracks, starting with a seductive Stella By Starlight...

Duke Jordan: Flight to Jordan

Yesterday, I posted on pianist Duke Jordan's first trio leadership session, in 1954. Today, I want to share one of his finest albums, Flight to Jordan, his first and only Blue Note release. The album is solid for several reasons: the group is tight and in the groove; all of the tracks, except I Should Care, were originals by Jordan; and the distinct instrumental personality of each individual member came together to create a gorgeous sound. [Photo above of Duke Jordan by Francis Wolff (c) Mosaic Images]

Recorded in August 1960 at Rudy Van Gelder's new studio in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., the quintet featured Dizzy Reece (tp), Stanley Turrentine (ts), Duke Jordan (p), Reggie Workman (b) and Art Taylor (d). This was a classic Blue Note hard-bop session. The Jamaican-born Reece plays beautifully here, with a sly warmth and crying tone while Turrentine steers through the melody with his big, dry, bluesy horn. I love Workman's pronounced, moody bass and Taylor's sharp and hissing drums. For his part, Jordan unfurls beautifully crafted chords, and his solos on songs such as Split Quick are exceptional and flawless.

Rather surprising that this group wasn't asked to record a few more albums for producer Alfred Lion. Jordan certainly had plenty of original material to offer up. Perhaps with Horace Silver, Hank Mobley and Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Blue Note's quintet quota was more than met and another hard bop group didn't make much sense. Or more than likely, each member had other playing and recording obligations. [Photo above of Stanley Turrentine by Francis Wolff (c) Mosaic Images]

Whoever brought these musicians together had tremendous foresight. Somehow, that person knew they would work fabulously together as a team and that solos would be juicy and distinct. At the recording's center is Jordan's creative pulse and sophisticated attack. [Photo above of Dizzy Reece by Francis Wolff (c) Mosaic Images]

JazzWax tracks: You'll find Duke Jordan's Flight to Jordan here.

Or at Spotify.

JazzWax clips: The full album is here in tracks...