Jonathan Rosenbaum Takes the "A" Train

Jonathan Rosenbaum [image courtesy of San Sebastián Film Festival]

As a part of Jonathan Rosenbaum's 70th birthday posts on my jazz and film blogs, I asked him to compile a playlist of his favorite jazz tunes and he kindly provided me with the music that has inspired him, moved him and has stayed with him through the years. (the slideshow includes the cover of the albums used in the playlist) He shares details of his jazz life with us in the interview published on Keyframe. And if you want to catch up with some of his writings on jazz and film, or jazz in general, please visit this index that I posted yesterday.

The discographical information is given below the player. If this particular player isn't compatible with your system, there a simpler one, if you just scroll down the page, where, alternatively, you can download it and listen to it offline.

Even on his birthday, it is Jonathan who gives us presents.

Brubeck: In His Own Sweet Way

Finally I managed to catch up with the long-awaited Dave Brubeck documentary, In His Own Sweet Way, now available on BBC iPlayer (online streaming in the UK). My curiosity wasn't just about Brubeck, whose music has had a part in my life, but also I was eager to see director Bruce Ricker's last film, who made the landmark jazz film The Last of the Blue Devils (1979) about the legendary travelling band of the 1930s, featuring Count Basie, Big Joe Turner and Jo Jones.

Bruce Ricker died in May 2011, two months after Brubeck’s great drummer and collaborator Joe Morello left us. Brubeck passed away recently, after a prosperous and amazingly productive and inspiring life. The only living member of the classic quartet is Eugene Wright whose powerful and subtle rhythmic support is the most overlooked, whenever the subject is Brubeck’s music.

10 Songs For Duke

drawing by Naiel Ibarolla

"The worst thing about Duke Ellington's death," lamented Whitney Balliett "was that he, of all people, turned out to be mortal." Now it may sounds a cliche of I state that his music, forty years after his death, continues to live. No, that's somehow too obvious and not so dukish.

Another way of proving that the "profound, ageless, ongoing joyousness and originality of his music" doesn't seem to be retired is listening to the countless number of tribute albums and songs, recreations of his work, and tracing the influence he left on people who came after him and also his contemporaries. (He even awed musicians before him too - listen to what Willie The Lion Smith says, as my fifth choice.)

For that purpose, let's start with a list of ten tribute songs to this "brilliant eccentric," Duke Ellington. The list can expand in every imaginable direction and I hope some of you dear readers name your favorite "for Duke" songs at the end of this post.

Duke loved telling stories, so let's have one for the end. When Ben Webster (one of the guests of this tribute playlist) - who was playing with Teddy Wilson and dreaming to be a part of Duke Ellington Orchestra - received a message from Duke to go and see him, he felt twenty years younger: "I was drunk at the time, but the news sobered me up in a second. I went to see Ellington in the dressing room of the theatre he was playing at the time. He said, ‘Why don’t you come to the rehearsal tomorrow morning?’ Then I realised I had to tell Teddy Wilson that I was leaving him. To be able to do that, I had to get drunk all over again."

This anecdote tells something about Duke's music that can make you emotionally drunk, and then few minutes later, leave you totally sober. This is the feeling evident in the homages I've gathered here: they all alter between ecstasy and calculated movements. Or both are the same? 

Radio Hawkins#17

اپيزود هفدهم؛ راديو هاوكينز: جاز براي ايران

دوك الينگتن به ديدار لويي آرمسترانگ مي رود

و

ال هِيگ، تايني گرايمز، جيمي ريني، جيمي راشينگ، ديو بروبك، جان مك لاكلين، تلانيوس مانك

برنامه را در اين جا بشنويد

فهرست آثار پخش شده در اين برنامه

Duke's Place
I'm Just a Lucky So and So
I'm Beginning to See the Light
Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me
The Beautiful American
Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington
Louis Armstrong (trumpet), Trummy Young (trombone), Barney Bigard (clarinet), Duke Ellington (piano), Mart Herbert (bass), Danny Barcelona (drums)
4/61 Album: Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington - The Great Summit

Don't Blame Me
Al Haig-Jon Eardley Quintet
Jon Eardley (trumpet), Art Themen (tenor sax), Al Haig (piano), Daryl Runswick (bass), Alan Ganley (drums)
16/9/77 Album: Stablemates

Hassan's Dream
Jimmy Raney Trio
Tommy Flanagan (piano), Jimmy Raney (guitar), George Mraz (bass)
30/12/85 Album: Wisteria

Callin' the Blues
Tiny Grimes
J. C. Higginbotham (trombone), Eddie 'Lockjaw" Davis (tenor sax), Ray Bryant (piano), Tiny Grimes (guitar), Wendell Marshall (bass), Osie Johnson (drums)
18/7/58 Album: Callin' the Blues

Bridges of Sigh
Shakti
John McLaughlin (guitar), L. Shankar (violin), Zakir Hussain (tabla), T.H. Vinayakram (ghatam)
7/77 Album: Natural Elements

My Melancholy Baby
Dave Brubeck Quartet & Jimmy Rushing
Paul Desmond (Alto Sax), Dave Brubeck (Piano), Eugene Wright (bass), Joe Morello (drums), Jimmy Rushing (vocal)
29/1/60 Album: Brubeck & Rushing

Boo Boo's Birthday
Thelonious Monk Quartet
Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Thelonious Monk (piano), Larry Gales (bass), Ben Riley (drums)
14/12/67 Album: Underground

A Guide to Best Jazz Scores for Cinema#3

15 

Art Blakey and Barney Wilen

Les Liaisons Dangereuses 1960

1959

Roger Vadim

Musicians: Lee Morgan, trumpet; Barney Wilen, tenor sax, soprano sax; Bobby Timmons, Duke Jordan, piano; Jymie Merritt, bass; Art Blakey, drums; John Rodriguez, bongos; Tommy Lopez, Willie Rodriguez, congas. In party sequence: Charlie Rouse, Barney Wilen, tenor sax; Thelonious Monk, piano; Sam Jones, bass; Art Taylor, drums. Appearing as themselves: Kenny Dorham, trumpet; Barney Wilen, tenor sax; Duke Jordan, piano; Paul Rovere, bass; Kenny Clarke, drums.

Listen to No Problem, composed by Duke Jordan, from the soundtrack:

14

Charles Mingus and Shafi Hadi

Shadows

1958

John Cassavetes

Musicians: Shafi Hadi (Curtis Porter), sax solos; (possibly) Anthony Ortega, reeds; Jimmy Knepper, trombone; Phineas Newborn Jr., Horace Parlan, piano; Charles Mingus, bass; Dannie Richmond, drums.

13 

David Shire

Farewell My Lovely

1975

Dick Richards

Musicians:Cappy Lewis, trumpet; Dick Nash, trombone; Ronnie Lang, alto sax; Justin Gordon, clarinet, tenor sax; Don Menza, soprano sax; Artie Kane, piano; Al Hendrickson, Tommy Tedesco, guitar; Chuck Domanico, bass; Larry Bunker, drums; Emil Richards, percussion.

Main title music, aka the Marlow theme:

12

Philip Green

All Night Long

1962

Basil Dearden

Musicians: Bert Courtley, trumpet; Keith Christie, trombone; John Dankworth, alto sax; Johnny Scott, alto sax, clarinet, flute; Tubby Hayes, tenor sax, vibraphone; Colin Purbrook, Dave Brubeck, piano; Ray Dempsey, guitar; Kenny Napper, Charles Mingus, bass; Allan Ganley, drums; Barry Morgan, bongos, timbales.Allan Ganley coached and ghosted drum routines for actor Patrick McGoohan.

From the soundtrack, Brubeck plays It's a Raggy Waltz:

11 

Emil Newman/Hugo Friedhofer

A Song Is Born 

1947

Howard Hawks

Music Orchestrated by Sonny Burke and Neal Hefti. 

Musicians: The Charlie Barnet Orchestra including Jimmy Salko, Jimmy Campbell, Everett McDonald, Chico Alvarez, trumpet; Freddie Zito, Phil Washburn, Herbie Harper, trombone; Charlie Barnet, Bob Dawes, Jack Henerson, George Weidler, Warner Weidler, Frank Pappalardo, reeds; Bob Bain, grt; Don Tosti, bass; Dick Shanahan, drums.
Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra, including Jimmy Nottingham, Kenny Dorham, trumpet; Britt Woodman, trombone; Bobby Plater, Charlie Fowlkes, reeds; Milt Buckner, piano; Billy Mackel, guitar; Joe Comfort, bass; Earl Walker, drums.
Tommy Dorsey Orchestra , including Charlie Shavers, Ziggy Elman, trumpet; Corky Corcoran, Marty Berman, reeds; Tony Rizzi, guitar; Louie Bellson, drums.

Encyclopedia combo including Benny Goodman Benny Goodman, clarinet; Lionel Hampton, vibraphone;
Mel Powell, piano; Al Hendrickson, guitar; Harry Babasin, bass; Louie Bellson, drums. 

Louis Armstrong and Lionel Hampton Band including Vic Dickenson, trombone; Barney Bigard, clarinet; Benny Carter, alto sax; Phil Moore, piano; Lionel Hampton, vibraphone; Laurindo Almeida, guitar; Charlie Drayton, bass; Zutty Singleton, drums.

Return to Part 2                                                      Go to Part 4

The Dave Brubeck Quartet & Jimmy Rushing (1960)

بهتر از این آلبوم بی نظیر دیو بروبک (Dave Brubeck) و جیمی راشینگ برای روزهای بی رمق پاییزی و بادهای سرد و آفتاب ناخوش کنندۀ سمجش وجود ندارد، به خصوص وقتی پل دزموند (Desmond) نوازندۀ ساکسفون آلتو با آن صدای زنانه و پر کرشمه اش بلافاصله در My Melancholy Baby به پاسخ جیمی راشینگ بر می آید. چه کسی فکر می کرد ترکیب این دو صدا بتواند این قدر درخشان باشد؟

این آلبوم در روزهای بروبیای کوارتت افسانه ای بروبک – که در همان موقع از روی جلد مجلۀ تایم سردرآورد – ضبط شده، یعنی دومین آلبوم پس از Time Out که میلیون ها نسخه فروش کرد و هنوز هم یکی از محبوب ترین و پول سازترین آلبوم های تاریخ این موسیقی محسوب می شود.

جیمی راشینگ، متصدی بار و خوانندۀ بزرگ اوکلاهمایی که در دهۀ 1930 از کانزاس و با ارکستر کنت بیسی اسمی برای خودش به هم زد و بعدها لقب "آقای پنج در پنج" (پنج فوت – تقریباً 152 سانتی متر – طول و عرض این موجود مربع شکل و سرشار از موسیقی!) گرفت از اواسط دهۀ 1950 تا زمان مرگش در 1972 این شانس را پیدا کرد تا خارج از متن ارکسترهای بزرگ – که در دوران زوالشان بودند – دست به ضبط در غالب گروه های کوچک بزند و این آلبوم نیز محصولی از همان دوران است.

تمام آهنگ های اجراء شده استاندارهای جاز هستند که با صدای گرم و رویایی جیمی رنگی و بویی دیگر به خود می گیرند.

بویی که از آغاز پاییز به مشام می رسد چندان خوشایند نیست، امیدوارم بشود با جیمی راشینگ این ماه های سخت را پشت سر گذاشت.

Recorded in 1960, Jan 29-Aug 4, Columbia Studios (New York)

1. There'll Be Some Changes Made (Billy Higgins/W. Benton Overstreet) 2:14
2. My Melancholy Baby (Ernie Burnett/George Norton/Maybelle Watson) 4:05
3. Blues In The Dark (Count Basie/Jimmy Rushing) 4:46
4. I Never Knew (I Could Love Anyone Like I'm Loving You) (Raymond Egan B./Roy Marsh/Thomas Pitts) 2:36
5. Ain't Misbehavin' (Harry Brooks/Andy Razaf/Fats Waller) 3:29
6. Evenin' (Mitchell Parish/Harry White) 4:18
7. All By Myself (Irving Berlin) 2:38
8. River, Stay 'Way From My Door (Mort Dixon/Harry Woods) 4:30
9. You Can Depend On Me (Charles Carpenter/Louis Dunlap/Earl Hines) 3:37
10. Am I Blue? (Harry Akst/Grant Clarke) 2:59
11. Shine On Harvest Moon (Nora Bayes/Jack Norworth) 2:09

Jimmy Rushing (Vocals)
Dave Brubeck (Piano)
Paul Desmond (Alto Saxophone)
Eugene Wright (Double Bass)
Joe Morello (Drums)