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

[rhysonsax]

Day 75 and here is Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson with his signature tune.

No slouch as an alto player too.

Rhys

 

[rhysonsax]

Day 76 and here's a TV performance by great Irish guitarist Louis Stewart, here playing "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" with Peter Ind on bass.

From Spike Milligan's TV series Q7. Spike was a jazz trumpeter and spent a lot of time in Ronnie Scott's club in London.

Rhys

 

[rhysonsax]

Day 77 and another TV performance, here it's singer Marion Montgomery sitting in with the Dudley Moore trio. A friend shared this clip with me having seen it recently on the BBC and I think it is brilliant. Dudley was a fine pianist, a bit of a singer and quite adorable.

Rhys

 

[rhysonsax]

For day 78 I have chosen a saxophone quartet adaptation of Ravel's Pavane pour une infante défunte. Here it is performed by the Amstel Saxophone Quartet who sound wonderful.

Rhys

 

[nigeld]

For day 78 I have chosen a saxophone quartet adaptation of Ravel's Pavane pour une infante défunte. Here it is performed by the Amstel Saxophone Quartet who sound wonderful.

Rhys

The Amstel Quartet are my favourite quartet. Gorgeous!
Looks like John Eliot Gardiner in the audience.

 

[rhysonsax]

Day 79 and here is a nice recording by Phil Woods of Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments". It is from his 1968 album "Alive and Well in Paris" and shows his great tone and invention to great effect.

Rhys

 

[rhysonsax]

For day 80 I have chosen French saxophonist Barney Wilen playing "Recado Bossa Nova" in a trio setting with Philp Catherine on guitar and Palle Danielsson on bass. This is from their 1991 album "Sanctuary".

Rhys

 

[rhysonsax]

Day 81 and here is a lovely ballad performance by tenor saxophonist Bob Mintzer from 2016. He's playing "Everything Happens to Me" with the California State Northridge (CSUN) Jazz Band.

The video below shows a transcription of his first solo (about half of the whole performance) and that adds to my appreciation of his lovely playing and creative ideas.

Rhys

 

[rhysonsax]

For day 82 I have chosen "Jordu" by pianist Duke Jordan (I wonder how he came up with the title). He recorded this version in 1955 with Gigi Gryce on alto, Oscar Pettiford on bass and Kenny Clarke at the drums. Gryce takes a lovely solo, showing off his alto tone and great ideas.

Rhys

 

[rhysonsax]

Day 83 and here's a happy recording by Scott Hamilton on tenor with Gene Harris' bluesy piano and some nice interjections from Herb Ellis on guitar.

Rhys

 

[rhysonsax]

Something a little different for day 84.

The baritone solo on the original was played by my hero Ronnie Ross, who was called onto the Lou Reed recording date by David Bowie, the record producer, who had taken saxophone lessons from Ronnie back in around 1960.

David Bowie's first instrument was the saxophone. "Ronnie Ross - who was featured in Downbeat as one of the great baritone players - lived locally," he once recalled, "so I looked in the telephone book, and I rung him up. I said, 'Hi, my name is David Jones, and I'm twelve years old, and I want to play the saxophone. Can you give me lessons?' He sounded like Keith [Richards], and he said no. But I begged until he said, 'If you can get yourself over here Saturday morning, I'll have a look at you.' He was so cool. Much later on, when I was producing Lou Reed, we decided we needed a sax solo on the end of 'Walk on the Wild Side.' So I got the agent to book Ronnie Ross. He pulled out a wonderful solo in one take. Afterward I said, 'Thanks, Ron. Should I come over to your house on Saturday morning?' He said, 'I don't f---ing believe it! You're Ziggy Stardust?'"

And here is that original with the fabulous solo at the end, starting at 3:38"

Rhys

 

[Jeanette]

Thanks for that one @rhysonsax love the story behind it.

Jx

 

[rhysonsax]

Greetings and Salutations to all on day 85. This great arrangement and performance is by the Thad Jones - Mel Lewis big band and this is from their 1976 "New Life" album which I have on LP (I don't think it is available on CD).

Great writing, great section playing and some fabulous solos too.

Rhys

 

[rhysonsax]

Day 86 and here's a saxophone quartet performance of "Gemini Rising" by Tony Dagradi.

We play it in our saxophone quartet and it's a lot of fun but counting can be a challenge !

Rhys

 

[rhysonsax]

For day 87 I have chosen a big band arrangement of Jimmy Rowles' haunting ballad "The Peacocks" by Bill Holman. This is a feature for Bob Efford's bass clarinet and comes from the album "A View from the Side".

Rhys

 

[rhysonsax]

Day 88 is Bloomsday, so here is soprano player Jane Ira Bloom playing "Child's Song" with Fred Hersch.

Here's to Nora Barnacle.

Rhys

 

[rhysonsax]

Let's have a serving of chicken for Day 89. This is a live performance from Maceo Parker, Nils Landgren and friends in 1994.

When I saw him playing live a few years ago Maceo's sound was amazing and powerful too, especially when he came down off the stage and into the audience. Surprising what can be done with a plastic Brilhart mouthpiece and a load of talent.

It's not just about the notes, but here are some notes anyway.

Rhys

 

[rhysonsax]

Day 90 (the start of the nervous 90s) and here is a lovely, lovely tune played beautifully by Miles Davis with a great rhythm section of Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and "Philly" Joe Jones on drums.

Rhys

 

[rhysonsax]

Day 91 means that 13 weeks have gone by and that's a quarter of a year. Amazing.

Here is a duet recording by Joe Pass on guitar and NHOP on bass. They both have great technique ("Chops" which is the title of this album) but use it with taste to make wonderful music.

No saxophones or other wind instruments, but still lovely and the transcription is interesting too.

Rhys

 

[rhysonsax]

On day 92 let's have some Keith Jarrett, playing with his "Standards Trio" of Jack DeJohnette on drums and Gary Peacock on bass. They have made so many classic recordings and here is a live recording in Japan in 1986 of "I Remember Clifford".

Rhys