David Meeker, the author of world's most comprehensive jazz and film encyclopedia (regularly updated and available online at the website of the Library of Congress) and the former Head of Acquisitions in the National Film Archive (now British Film Institute's archive) has shared with me his list of ten favourite jazz recordings which I'm sharing with you here. They are sorted in chronological order.
1
Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra (1928)
There Ain't No Sweet Man That's Worth The Salt Of My Tears by Fred Fisher.
There would be some 200 tracks to choose from in any Bix Beiderbecke discography but his growling cornet launching his solo in this old warhorse of a song is most definitely well worth the salt of my tears. Unsurpassable.
2
Artie Shaw and his Orchestra (1939)
All The Things You Are by Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern.
Whilst but only a brief track Artie Shaw's tasteful, gentle and perfectly pitched clarinet solo propelled his interpretation of the Broadway song to enormous popular success helped by a faultless vocal by Helen Forrest. Sheer beauty.
3
Django Reinhardt (1941)
Swing '42 by Django Reinhardt
Just one of the numerous recordings by Django that I could have selected as my preferred track but the very fact that he left us such a rich legacy of Jazz Manouche is always to be celebrated. Who said that there were no notable Belgians?
4
Benny Carter and his Orchestra (1952)
Sunday Afternoon by Benny Carter
A fine swinging track by a wonderful big band fronted on alto sax by a master musician.
5
Jackie Paris with Neal Hefti's Orchestra (1954)
Skylark by Johnny Mercer, Hoagy Carmichael
This original recording on Brunswick can be difficult to find nowadays (my CD copy came from Taiwan!) If ever a jazz vocalist was underrated this was he. Always a bit of an enigma he was known only to aficionados who could hear something very special in his interpretations. Just listen to his entry in this recording and melt. (NB. A later, inferior recording with piano accompaniment is occasionally broadcast by BBC Radio and is to be avoided at all costs.)
6
Stan Kenton and his Orchestra (1956)
El congo valiente by Johnny Richards
From the Cuban Fire sessions spotlighted by blazing solos by Lennie Niehaus, Lucky Thompson, Carl Fontana, etc. while the band takes off at full throttle. This is Kenton doing what he did best and what he became famous for. Wow.
7
Thelonious Monk (1956)
You Are Too Beautiful by Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
Monk's fascination with popular songs from their golden years during the 1920s/1930s found its apotheosis with such numbers as Sweetheart of All My Dreams and this supremely beautiful song (originally sung in a movie by Al Jolson). Observe his punctilious probing of the song's substructure. Quite wonderful.
8
Warne Marsh/Ted Brown (1956)
Lover Man by Jimmy Davis, Ram Ramirez, Jimmy Sherman
The luscious throaty sounds produced here by two ex-Tristano masters of the tenor sax accompanied by the superb British pianist Ronnie Ball combine to remind me constantly of my reasons for loving jazz to bits.
9
Erroll Garner (1967)
That's My Kick by Erroll Garner
I have happy memories of sitting through several gigs by Erroll Garner at the Royal Festival Hall in the 1960s and 1970s, literally only a few feet from his keyboard. He was always so inspiring and hugely entertaining even if a tad noisy with his endless humming of every chord. Was jazz ever such fun? (Sadly, I never saw Chubby Jackson who must have been hilarious.)
10
Willem Breuker Kollektief (2002)
I'll Remember April by Don Raye, Patricia Johnston, Gene De Paul
Although from a CD called "Misery" this is anything but. It's a joyous if idiosyncratic arrangement of my favourite song which combines many different musical styles but always swings like the proverbial clappers (as we used to say back in the 1950s). You must hear it.
David Meeker
April 2020
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