Ella Fitzgerald Rediscovered, Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks, The Jazz Rabbi, More: The Tuesday Link Dump

by Patrick Jarenwattananon

Where we're just now recovering from an extended long weekend of culinary exploits and gastronomic ambition.

--Newly Rediscovered Ella Fitzgerald: Basically, Ella Fitzgerald in a club setting in 1961 and '62. This was front-page lead NYTimes.com material over the Thanksgiving break, and with good reason. It's the story of some archival sleuthing resulting in a deluxe four-disc box set of amazing music. I've just cracked the set myself, and like what I hear so far.

--Vince Giordano, Profiled: Nice to see the big band leader get some attention for his weekly gig, which is dedicated to danceable jazz of the '20s and '30s. Giordano is a bit of an obsessive: he has about 60,000 pieces of music in two adjacent basements in Brooklyn. (A video feature provides some images of his filing cabinets.) He also plays bass saxophone, tuba and a metallic-looking upright bass. It might also be noted that this is the New York Times City section, as opposed to its Arts coverage: props to the Gray Lady for still being so keen to feature jazz goings-on that aren't reviews or the like.

--Greg Wall, The Saxophone-Playing Orthodox Rabbi: He plays soprano and tenor in mainstream jazz and spiritually-influenced world music ensembles. He's also the rabbi at the Sixth Street Community Synagogue in the East Village of New York City. Greg Wall -- New England Conservatory grad, Tzadik recording artist -- has been bringing music of all sorts into his Sabbath services. And in a recent article, he says that he experienced his spiritual rebirth after listening to John Coltrane (as many seem to do). Aside: the penultimate time I was in New York, I by chance stumbled upon his very synagogue on a Saturday night, where outside there was literally dancing in the streets in celebration of the Simchat Torah.

--Video Interview With Gary Giddins: The great writer on jazz and criticism. H/T to Nate Chinen. By the way, Giddins has a new book (originally designed and issued as a jazz textbook) -- it comes with listening material, which he talks about here.

--Sugar Ray Robinson Liked Jazz A Lot: Which we knew if you've read the Miles Davis autobiography, but a new biography of the boxer makes it clear.

--RIP Bagatellen: This is seriously bumming me out. Thanks for your work guys.

--Photos: Hamsters Playing Tiny Jazz Instruments: Someone needs to stick some 72 pt bold Impact font on these shots and send them to the lolcat blog.

12:42 PM ET | 12- 1-2009 | permalink

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