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

Day 55 and today is the 60th birthday of British jazz bass player Alec Dankworth, son of John and Cleo and a top musician. Here he is playing on a 1996 recording with such other British stars as Alan Barnes (baritone), Anthony Kerr (vibes), Gerard Presencer (trumpeter), Iain Dixon (tenor). The tune is "Intimacy of the Blues" written by Billy Strayhorn.


Some great solos, with Alec Dankworth's starting at about 10:48.

Rhys
 
Day 56 (eight weeks) and I've chosen a fine live performance by Van Morrison of his song "Tupelo Honey". Here it has a tenor solo by Pee Wee Ellis which blows me away every time I hear it - wonderful sound and building to a great emotional peak that lifts the song way up.


Rhys
 
Day 57 and here is a fine composition and performance by Michael Nyman - it's "Chasing Sheep is Best left to Shepherds" which was used in the film "The Draughtsman's Contract".


Spot the forum member playing soprano saxophone in this performance.

Rhys
 
Day 58 and here is "Crepuscule with Nellie" by Thelonious Monk and taken from the album "The Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall". The whole album is very good, as you might expect with Phil Woods, Charlie Rouse and Pepper Adams taking care of the alto, tenor and baritone saxophone duties.




Rhys
 
Day 59 and a treat from multi-saxophonist Derek Nash. He's one of those musicians who have their own voice on each of the saxophones (soprano, alto. tenor and baritone) and make each one sound like his main instrument. Here Derek is playing with some fine British jazz musicians and doing his own version of "Secret Love" from the musical "Calamity Jane".


Rhys
 
Day 60 and here is a classic recording from 1938 of the first great version of the Count Basie Orchestra playing "Jumpin' at the Woodside" - a riff-based tuned that the band honed in Kansas City. The solos are wonderful and especially Lester Young's tenor which leaps from the background and sounds very modern.


Rhys
 
Day 61. If I didn't play the saxophone, I think I would like to be a trombonist and play like the great Lawrence Brown from the Duke Ellington orchestra. Here he is on his own album rather than in the Orchestra and having a chance to stretch out.


Rhys
 
Day 62 and here is pianist Erroll Garner playing "Teach Me Tonight" from his great live recording "Concert By The Sea". Instead of video of his trio playing, here is a transcription of the piano and bass. Garner was one of the great piano moaners/groaners but the transcription doesn't write down any of that.


Rhys
 
Day 63 and here is a superb blues from one of my Desert Island Discs (I haven't actually appeared on the radio programme yet). This is "Blues for Yolande" from the album "Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster" which was recorded in October 1957 with Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown and Alvin Stoller.

The two giants of the tenor saxophone indulge in some friendly rivalry with their contrasting styles and spur each other on to great heights throughout the LP.


Rhys
 
Day 64 and here is a tune by Gustav Holst, interpreted and arranged by Pete Long for his "Echoes of Ellington" recording of the Planets Suite as if it had been done by the Ellington Orchestra. I think it really succeeds on multiple levels, from the concept, to the arrangements and the great playing in that Ellingtonian style. This one is the planet Venus and features some lovely solo work.


And here is a video with Pete Long introducing the suite and the musicians.


Rhys
 
Day 65 and here is a recording from 1928 by a group led by cornetist Bix Beiderbecke.


Some of the tune was sampled by "The Duckworth Lewis Method" for their song "The Age of Revolution" and as I'm missing my cricket I will include that too.


Rhys
 
Day 66 and here is a recording made by singer Dinah Washington from the album "For Those in Love" she recorded with arrangements by Quincy Jones. As well as Dinah's fine vocal there is a great solo from Clark Terry.


And how about this for a quotation from Quincy about Dinah, written in his autobiography ?

She had a voice that was like the pipes of life. She could take the melody in her hand, hold it like an egg, crack it open, fry it, let it sizzle, reconstruct it, put the egg back in the box and back in the refrigerator, and you would’ve still understood every single syllable of every single word she sang. Every single melody she sang she made hers. Once she put her soulful trademark on a song, she owned it and it was never the same.

Rhys
 
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Day 67 and this is Wes Montgomery playing his own composition "Four on Six" in 1965. Some great camera work lets you see his incredible guitar technique, but it's his artistry that impresses the most.


Spot the famous British jazz musicians, both in the band and doing the introduction.

Rhys
 
Day 68 and here is another "Desert Island Disc" ready for when I get invited on the radio programme. This is Sonny Rollins playing "Wagon Wheels", showing his humour and stretching out. The album "Way Out West" was recorded in 1957 and captures Sonny's sound at its absolute best (for me). Here Sonny is accompanied by just the bass of Ray Brown with Shelly Manne on drums.


And I can always look at the album cover if I need cheering up on my desert island.

Rhys
 
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Day 69 and just a couple of weeks late for VE 75 here are Django and Stephane.


Rhys
 
Day 70 and here is a fine British quartet of Tommy Smith (tenor), Jason Rebello (piano), Alec Dankworth (bass) and Clark Tracey (drums). They are playing at the Montreux Jazz Festival, but way back in 1989.


Sounding wonderful then and they have all carried on making great music since.

Rhys
 
Day 71 and it's time to feature the great bass (and cello) player, Oscar Pettiford. Here is transcription of him playing one of my favourite tunes "Willow Weep For Me" in 1960 along with Bud Powell and Kenny Clarke. But this is very much a feature for Oscar and the transcription helps me appreciate his very musical, horn-like, lines.


If only all bass solos could be as wonderful as this one !

Rhys
 
Day 72 and here is a nice arrangement of "Amabutho" which means "The Warriors", originally by Ladysmith Black Mambazo. It was adapted and performed by Julian Arguelles with players from the Frankfurt Radio Big Band.


I think the original vocal, with its call and response, works really well as an instrumental and there are some lovely voicings. Here is the original recording which is also great.


Rhys
 
Day 73 and here is a fine tune called "Hush" from trumpeter Donald Byrd and baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams. It was recorded in 1961 on their album "Royal Flush". That was the first Blue Note recording of pianist Herbie Hancock and it also featured Butch Warren on bass and Billy Higgins on drums.


Rhys
 
Day 74 and sad news that Lennie Niehaus has died at the age of 90. As well as being a wonderful alto player in the West Coast style, he was also an excellent arranger, composer and educator. He collaborated with Clint Eastwood on the music for films including "Bird".

This is one of several excellent saxophone quartet arrangements that Lennie did for the Hollywood Saxophone Quartet. It's fun to play (not at this tempo) but has some really challenging sections.


Rhys
 

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