Artist - Tune - Album
Benny Goodman - Sing, Sing, Sing - Giants of Jazz – Benny Goodman
Stanley Clarke - More Hot Fun - Modern Man
Donald Byrd - Fly, Little Byrd - Harlem Blues
Betty Carter - What Is It? - Betty Carter Album
Keith Tippett - Thank You For The Smile - You Are Here…I Am There
Kenny Garrett - Doc Tone’s Short Speech - Standard Of Language
George Duke - Be Cool - Montreux Summit, Vol.2
Leszek Możdżer, Lars Danielsson, - Weeks/Shavuot - Polska
Zohar Fresco
Bennie Maupin - The Jewel In The Lotus - The Jewel In The Lotus
Ray Bryant - Blues in De Big Brass Bed - Solo Flight
Sade - The Moon & The Sky - Soldier Of Love
War - Slipping Into Darkness - All Day Music
Clara Ward - Just A Little While To Stay Here - We Gotta Shout!
& The Dukes of Dixieland
The Wood Brothers - River Takes The Town - One Drop Of Truth
Louis Armstrong - Stardust - Giants of Jazz – Louis Armstrong
The ode to musical styles past and present that introduces Jazz Gumbo is “Music Evolution” by Branford Marsalis and Buckshot Lefonque.
Playlists for all past Sets of Jazz Gumbo will be found at jazzgumbo.blogspot.ca
Some Highlights:
The Benny Goodman Orchestra’s “Sing, Sing, Sing” had become a band and audience favorite by the time they performed at Carnegie Hall in 1938, and they closed a very successful show with the version that opens this Set. Drummer Gene Krupa drives the 8-minute number, but it’s full of great horn flourishes and solos, by Goodman on clarinet, Babe Russin on tenor, Harry James on trumpet, more of Benny, then Jess Stacy of piano. It’s brilliant! What a show that must’ve been.
George Duke wrote and arranged “Be Cool” and leads a group of All-Stars for another rousing live performance, this time at Montreux. Many of these musicians had never performed together, and according to all accounts, the rehearsals were horrible. But the live show brought the magic. Solos by Duke and by flautists Hubert Laws and Bobbie Humphrey, with a rhythm section that includes Billy Cobham on drums, Alphonso Johnson on bass and with Bob James conducting.
Bennie Maupin’s “The Jewel in the Lotus” is one of those very special albums with a mood all its own, perfect for middle-of-the-night magic and mellowness. It features the most earthy of acoustic bassists in Buster Williams.
Thanks to my Polish family for the Możdżer, Danielsson & Fresco cd. I don’t know any of them. Their tune here is shimmering, sizzling & sweet. I’ll be re-visiting this album soon.
Ray Bryant delivers a rapturous solo piano performance.
Kenny Garrett is his usual driving, dynamic self.
And War, probably my favorite group from my teens, shows you why, with their natural, funk and roots sound.
That's not even the half of it! I could go on and on and on. But I’ll leave it with you.
Thrive!
Kirby
