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Jazz Left Alone - A Tune a Day from Rhys for Saxophonists in Isolation

Day 39 and time for Rahsaan Roland Kirk with his incredible armoury of instruments. It's important to see film of him playing live so you can appreciate some of what he does. Here it is mainly flute, but I spotted some nose flute too and some amazing effects that they don't teach in the conservatoire.


I think I spotted a quote from this month's BOTM during the section when he was just using the pad noises.

Rhys
 
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Day 40 and here's a live recording made by Lester Bowie and his Brass Fantasy. It sounds like they influenced the UK's own Loose Tubes band in the 80s and Lester Bowie was also a founder member of the Art Ensemble of Chicago.


Rhys
 
A treat for Day 41 from Champion Jack Dupree playing live at Montreux in 1971 with King Curtis. Champion Jack got his nickname from his early career as a boxer. At the time of this film, Champion Jack lived in Halifax, Yorkshire (he'd married a Yorkshirewoman he'd met in London). King Curtis blows up a storm on this song recorded just two months before his tragic death.


And spot the guitar playing from Cornell Dupree too, who also played with Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway and Steve Gadd. Apparently Champion Jack sometimes claimed to be Cornell's father, but wasn't !

Rhys
 
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Day 42 (six weeks !) and here is Stan Getz in glorious black and white playing in London in 1966 with a top group (Gary Burton, Roy Haynes and Steve Swallow). Apparently Stan could be considered British as he was conceived in England before his parents travelled to the USA.


Rhys
 
Day 43 and I thought I would post a couple of versions of the SOTM and BOTM for May. First we have the wonderful Eddie Daniels playing an inventive clarinet version of "My Little Suede Shoes".


And then we have Arne Domnerus playing a Latin version of "Over the Rainbow".


Rhys
 
Day 44 and I have just heard that alto player Richie Cole has passed away. As a tribute, here is his bluesy version of "Willow Weep for Me" recorded in 1981 in Japan with a fine Japanese rhythm section.


Listen out for his stratospheric altissimo.

Rhys
 
Day 45 and here's some good time music from Dizzy Gillespie and James Moody. They're doing a version of Joe Cuba's song "Bang, Bang" so I will throw in the original at no extra charge.



Rhys
 
Day 47 and here is a waltz by Erik Satie played by Tommy Smith and Murray McLachlan.


Does it make anyone think of a 1970s British TV programme ?

Rhys
 
nigeld said:
That was lovely!
I don't think I have heard Zoom Simms on soprano before.
Click to expand...

I think his tone is more saxophone-like than the nasal sound used by many modern jazz soprano players. And of course his melodic playing, time feel, good tuning, vibrato and good taste are recognisable from his tenor playing.

Rhys
 
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Day 49 (that's seven weeks) and here is a lovely bit of peace called "Meadow" played by Iain Ballamy on tenor and Django Bates on tenor horn.


Rhys
 
Day 50 (time to raise the bat and acknowledge the applause from an admiring crowd) and here is a fine performance from a big band including many of the UK's top jazz musicians, featuring great tenor from Dave O'Higgins. They are playing an arrangement by Jorg Achim Keller and the studio band here were known as "The Abstract Truth Big Band" - they recorded a whole album of tunes from Oliver Nelson's brilliant LP of that name.


Rhys

PS I just noticed that the sax section soli has a flugel horn playing with them - nice sound
 
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Day 51 and another excellent British band, this time from 1972 and led by Michael Garrick at the piano. Featured on Garrick's tune "Home Stretch Blues" are Henry Lowther on trumpet. vocals from Norma Winstone and the contrasting tenor saxophone styles of Art Themen and Don Rendell.


Rhys
 
Day 52 and it's time to celebrate the genius of Louis Armstrong. Here he is back in 1934 when he pretty much invented jazz singing and his trumpet playing was superb. This combines two sides of a 78rpm recording of "Sunny Side of the Street", with the first mainly vocal and the second featuring Satchmo's trumpet.


That's right 1934 !

Rhys
 
Day 53 and here is a song from the album Dee Dee Bridgewater did featuring tunes by Horace Silver. The whole album is great and I have chosen this version of "The Jody Grind".


Rhys
 
Day 54 and here's a live concert performance by probably my favourite pianist, Ray Bryant. He was a great accompanist and band musician, but he really excelled in playing solo. I was lucky to see him play in London. He really excelled at blues and boogie and here is a driving piece he used to perform called "In De Back Room".


Rhys
 
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