Listening, Party For Two: Coleman Hawkins, 'Body And Soul'

by Patrick Jarenwattananon

My boss readily admits that she doesn't know a whole lot about jazz. But she lets me write all this nonsense on the Internet, so I'm not complaining. And at least she's willing to learn. So every week -- or at least as often as possible -- she and I get together to listen to and Instant Message about a different great jazz song.

The last time -- and the first time -- that the Boss Lady and I IM-ed each other, we listened to recordings featuring Lester Young. So I thought it important to feature that other great early tenor saxophone master, Coleman Hawkins. This week is as good a time as any to listen to "Body And Soul" -- Hawk would have been 105 this Saturday.

"Body And Soul," from Coleman Hawkins, Body And Soul (Bluebird). Original Issue Bluebird 10523/mx. Coleman Hawkins, tenor saxophone; with Joe Guy, trumpet; Tommy Lindsay, trumpet; Earl Hardy, trombone; Jackie Fields, saxophone; Eustis Moore, saxophone; Eugene Rogers, piano; William Smith, bass; Arthur Herbert, drums. New York, N.Y.: Oct. 11, 1939.

Purchase: Amazon.com / Amazon MP3 / iTunes

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me: So do you think you've heard this before?

Boss Lady: My memory is like a sieve.

me: Well, all right then. What do you think?

Boss Lady: Very comforting. Just what I could use right now.

me: What's comforting about it, do you think?

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7:50 PM ET | 11-18-2009 | permalink

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Listening, Party For Two: Billie Holiday With Lester Young

by Patrick Jarenwattananon

My boss readily admits that she doesn't know a whole lot about jazz. But she lets me write all this nonsense on the Internet, so I'm not complaining. And at least she's willing to learn. So every week -- or at least as often as possible -- she and I get together to listen to and Instant Message about a different great jazz song.

We at NPR Music recently launched a project we're calling 50 Great Voices, and I've been thinking about which jazz singers I'd put in that list. The last Listening Party we had spotlighted a great vocalist in Ella Fitzgerald; this week, I thought I might feature another pantheon-level talent in Billie Holiday. Specifically, I wanted to feature one of the many great recordings she made with musical soulmate Lester Young.

"Without Your Love," from Billie Holiday, Lady Day: The Master Takes And Singles (Columbia/Legacy). Billie Holiday, vocals; Buck Clayton, trumpet; Lester Young, tenor saxophone; Edmond Hall, clarinet; James Sherman, piano; Freddie Green, guitar; Walter Page, bass; Jo Jones, drums. New York, N.Y.: Jun. 15, 1937.

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Boss Lady: Another singer!

me: And a voice I'm sure you recognize too.

Boss Lady: Well, her voice sounds very familiar, and I happened to see her name on the CD jacket...

me: Well, right. Billie Holiday, ladies and gentlemen.
But I want to start this at the very beginning. What's the first thing you hear?

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6:26 PM ET | 11- 4-2009 | permalink

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Listening, Party For Two: Ella Fitzgerald Live

by Patrick Jarenwattananon

My boss readily admits that she doesn't know a whole lot about jazz. But she lets me write all this nonsense on the Internet, so I'm not complaining. And at least she's willing to learn. So every week -- or at least as often as possible -- she and I get together to listen to and Instant Message about a different great jazz song.

I've been nudged several times by Ms. Boss Lady about our relative lack of coverage of jazz singers on the blog. To assure her that I actually do love vocalists -- when they're good -- I pulled one of Ella Fitzgerald's standout performances: a 1960 live set recorded in West Berlin. As you can hear, it's at very least a tour de force of vocal improvisation.

"How High The Moon," from Ella Fitzgerald, The Complete Ella In Berlin (Verve). Ella Fitzgerald, vocals; Paul Smith, piano; Wilfred Middlebrooks, bass; Gus Johnson, drums. West Berlin, Germany: Feb. 13, 1960.

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Boss Lady: A singer! Patrick, you're going soft.

me: Pretty soon, I'll be listening to smooth jazz in a bubble bath.

Boss Lady: With a glass of wine.

me: Well, you keep asking me: "Aren't there any singers in jazz?" So I've pulled a command performance for you.

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3:15 PM ET | 10-23-2009 | permalink

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Listening, Party For Two: Thelonious Monk, 'Epistrophy'

by Patrick Jarenwattananon

My boss readily admits that she doesn't know a whole lot about jazz. But she lets me write all this nonsense on the Internet, so I'm not complaining. And at least she's willing to learn. So every week -- or at least as often as possible -- she and I get together to listen to and Instant Message about a different great jazz song.

Tomorrow -- Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 -- would have been Thelonious Monk's 92nd birthday. So it was only appropriate that we listened to some Monk this week. Hoping the song title would spark a new insight, I went back to the early Blue Note recordings for this version of the signature tune "Epistrophy."

"Epistrophy," from Thelonious Monk, The Complete Blue Note Recordings (Blue Note). Thelonious Monk, piano; Milt Jackson, vibraphone; John Simmons, bass; Shadow Wilson, drums. New York, N.Y.: Jul. 2, 1948.

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me: So, a question: you, with all your time in music journalism, surely have heard the name Thelonious Monk before.

Boss Lady: Of course.

me: So when I say "Thelonious Monk," what do you think of?

Boss Lady: Revered, idiosyncratic jazz icon.

me: Certainly a fair assessment. But what do you think? Listening to this, is it worthy of reverence? Is it idiosyncratic?

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5:01 PM ET | 10- 9-2009 | permalink

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Listening, Party For Two: Vandermark 5, 'Speedplay'

by Patrick Jarenwattananon

My boss readily admits that she doesn't know a whole lot about jazz. But she lets me write all this nonsense on the Internet, so I'm not complaining. And at least she's willing to learn. So every week -- or at least as often as possible -- she and I get together to listen to and Instant Message about a different great jazz song.

My recent travels to Chicago, for the Chicago Jazz Festival, didn't bring me in contact with that city's out-jazz totem Ken Vandermark -- he was off touring Europe at that point in time. But I did see his most popular band at the Newport Jazz Festival, where I was reminded of a theory I've had for a while: because of its compositional inclinations, its raucous grooves and its general musicality, the Vandermark 5 is the perfect ensemble with which to introduce people to contemporary free jazz. Knowing full well that the Boss Lady's tastes don't necessarily align with all of Vandermark's, I nonetheless decided to test this assumption on her.

"Speedplay (For Max Roach)," from Vandermark 5, Beat Reader (Atavistic). Ken Vandermark, baritone saxophone/clarinet; Dave Rempis, alto saxophone; Fred Lonberg-Holm, cello; Kent Kessler, bass; Tim Daisy, drums. Chicago, Ill.: Dec. 19-20, 2006.

Purchase: Amazon.com / Amazon MP3 / iTunes / Atavistic Records

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Boss Lady: Those are some "in your face" horns!

me: Sure thing. Big, loud, and powerful.

Boss Lady: Yes. I'm thinking the intent is not to be beautiful, but to wail.

me: Well, I would say that this group is plenty capable of slow, pretty music. But that's not the goal here, really.

Boss Lady: I feel like I'm eavesdropping on a passionate, red-faced, indignant interchange.

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7:20 PM ET | 09- 9-2009 | permalink

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Listening, Party For Two: 'Bob The Robin'

by Patrick Jarenwattananon

My boss readily admits that she doesn't know a whole lot about jazz. But she lets me write all this nonsense on the Internet, so I'm not complaining. And at least she's willing to learn. So every week -- or at least as often as possible -- she and I get together to listen to and Instant Message about a different great jazz song.

All this week, I'm in Boston for a conference. So I thought of a Beantown-themed sleeper favorite of mine to play for the Boss Lady, who's back home in Washington, D.C. "Bob The Robin" is the lead track off of baritone saxophonist Serge Chaloff's Boston Blow-Up, and it just so happens to have been made during a curious juncture in jazz history.

"Bob The Robin," from Serge Chaloff, Boston Blow-Up! Herb Pomeroy, trumpet; Serge Chaloff, baritone saxophone; Boots Mussulli, alto saxophone; Ray Santisi, piano; Everett Evans, bass; Jimmy Zitano, drums. Boston, Mass.: Apr. 4, 1955.

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Boss Lady: It's dance music again. Wow, I'm out of breath.

me: This really strikes you as dance music?

Boss Lady: Well, I feel like people could swing to it, but they'd have to be in good shape.

me: Haha! Fair enough. But I don't think this was designed as dance music necessarily.

Boss Lady: Well, if it wasn't played for dancers, where was it first performed?

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5:18 PM ET | 08-12-2009 | permalink

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Listening, Party For Two: 'Cubano Be' + 'Cubano Bop'

by Patrick Jarenwattananon

My boss readily admits that she doesn't know a whole lot about jazz. But she lets me write all this nonsense on the Internet, so I'm not complaining. And at least she's willing to learn. So every week -- or at least as often as possible -- she and I get together to listen to and Instant Message about a different great jazz song.

"Cubano Be" and "Cubano Bop" are undoubtedly landmarks of Latin jazz history. The symphonic collaboration between Chano Pozo and Dizzy Gillespie helped to validate Afro-Cuban rhythms in the arena of serious music. And it's especially appropriate to have a listen to it today, because lurking behind the scenes was the late George Russell.

"Cubano Be / Cubano Bop," recorded by the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band. Dizzy Gillespie, trumpet; with Dave Burns, Elmon Wright, Lamar Wright Jr., Benny Bailey, trumpets; William Shepherd, Ted Kelly, trombones; John Brown, Howard Johnson, alto saxophones; Joe Gayles, Big Nick Nicholas, tenor saxophones, Cecil Payne, baritone saxophone; John Lewis, piano; Al McKibbon, bass; Kenny Clarke, drums; Luciano "Chano" Pozo, congas/bongos. Arr. George Russell. New York, N.Y.: Dec. 22, 1947.

Purchase: Amazon.com / Amazon MP3 / iTunes ('Be'/'Bop')

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Boss Lady: I'm picturing rapscallions in a getaway scene, pushing through the busy, dirty, exotic streets of Cuba. It's a movie from the 1950s.

me: You got the Cuba right
Although I suppose you could have figured that out from the title

Boss Lady: Yes, you are correct!

me: Anything that specifically makes you think Cuba? (In the music, I mean.)

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6:30 PM ET | 07-29-2009 | permalink

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Listening, Party For Two: 'I'm An Old Cowhand'

by Patrick Jarenwattananon

Sonny Rollins. Photo Credit: Pannonica de Koenigswarter/Courtesy of Abrams Image

My boss readily admits that she doesn't know a whole lot about jazz. But she lets me write all this nonsense on the Internet, so I'm not complaining. And at least she's willing to learn. So every week, she and I get together to listen to and Instant Message about a different great jazz song.

Last week, I was asked to come up with a distinctly American tune for a little NPR Music Independence Day feature. I pulled The Freedom Suite, by Sonny Rollins, for reasons you can read (and listen to) here.

That was a little much for the Boss Lady. So this week, I told her I'd find some Sonny Rollins that she would like. Same piano-less trio format: different tune. Here's the first cut from the album Way Out West:

"I'm An Old Cowhand," from Sonny Rollins, Way Out West. Sonny Rollins, tenor saxophone; Ray Brown, bass; Shelly Manne, drums. Los Angeles, Calif.: March 7, 1957.

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Boss Lady: Is that the sound of horses hooves I hear on that drum kit?

me: Well, not exactly
But Shelly Manne does a clever imitation, no?

Boss Lady: In a jazzy sort of way

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1:15 PM ET | 07-10-2009 | permalink

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Listening, Party For Two: Sidney Bechet's 'Summertime'

by Patrick Jarenwattananon

Sidney Bechet, circa 1950. Photo Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

My boss readily admits that she doesn't know a whole lot about jazz. But she lets me write all this nonsense on the Internet, so I'm not complaining. And at least she's willing to learn. So every week, she and I get together to listen to and Instant Message about a different great jazz song.

It's officially summer now, and here in Washington, D.C., it's hot. So for this week, I pulled a favorite version of "Summertime": Sidney Bechet's 1939 interpretation, to be precise.

"Summertime," originally issued on a Sidney Bechet 78 rpm record, catalog number BN 6 [Blue Note Records]. Sidney Bechet, soprano saxophone; Meade Lux Lewis, piano; Teddy Bunn, guitar; Johnny Williams, bass; Sid Catlett, drums. New York, N.Y.: June 8, 1939.

Purchase: Amazon.com / Amazon MP3 / iTunes

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Boss Lady: I've never had sweet tea before, but this makes me want to sit on the porch, watch the heat ripple off the road and drink a tall, cold glass of sweet tea.

me: Once again, with the imagery.
What about this song, exactly, urges these admittedly appealing impulses?

Boss Lady: Don't you think the best music takes you to a place that's somehow normally inaccessible or hard to come by?

me: Emotionally and imaginatively, sure. I suppose that's another discussion, though. What do you hear that makes you want to imbibe cold beverages?

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6:32 PM ET | 06-24-2009 | permalink

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Listening, Party For Two: 'The Great Pretender'

by Patrick Jarenwattananon

The cover to Lester Bowie's 1981 album The Great Pretender. Photo Credit: courtesy of ECM Records.

My boss readily admits that she doesn't know a whole lot about jazz. But she lets me write all this nonsense on the Internet, so I'm not complaining. And at least she's willing to learn. So every week, she and I get together to listen to and Instant Message about a different great jazz song.

With trumpeter Dave Douglas guest-blogging for us now, I've been checking out the new record from his new band, Brass Ecstasy. If that sounds familiar, it is: it's an overt homage to the late trumpeter Lester Bowie, who (among other things) led a brass band called Brass Fantasy. This cut precedes the formation of Brass Fantasy, but it still neatly encapsulates Bowie's postmodern approach to the entire history of African American music.

"The Great Pretender," from Lester Bowie, The Great Pretender (ECM). Lester Bowie, trumpet; Hamiet Bluiett, baritone saxophone; Donald Smith, piano; Fred Williams, bass; Phillip Wilson, drums; Fontella Bass, vocals; David Peaston, vocals. Ludwigsburg, Germany: June 1981.

Purchase: Amazon.com / Amazon MP3 / iTunes

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Boss Lady: I feel like I'm in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine

me: Whatever do you mean?

Boss Lady: The music is living in an extremely reverberant space, and the accompaniment makes me think of a spiritual.

me: A curious observation ...
It was recorded for ECM Records in Germany, a label known for that sort of open, "reverberant" sound quality

Boss Lady: Sort of new age meets jazz?

me: Or in some cases, just the former, really.
As for the spiritual quality -- I hear that too ...

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6:47 PM ET | 06-17-2009 | permalink

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Listening, Party For Two: 'Gloria's Step'

by Patrick Jarenwattananon

The cover to the first of two albums recorded on Jun. 25, 1961 at the Village Vanguard in New York. Photo Credit: courtesy of Concord Music Group.

My boss readily admits that she doesn't know a whole lot about jazz. But she lets me write all this nonsense on the Internet, so I'm not complaining. And at least she's willing to learn. So every week, she and I get together to listen to and Instant Message about a different great jazz song.

Tonight, we present Bill McHenry's quintet live at the Village Vanguard, and on stage will be drummer Paul Motian. Motian's presence reminded me of a recording he made in 1961 with the Bill Evans trio, also at the Vanguard -- one that's become a classic of modern jazz. Here's a cut from that session:

"Gloria's Step" [Take 3] from Bill Evans, Sunday at the Village Vanguard. Bill Evans, piano; Scott LaFaro, bass; Paul Motian, drums. New York: Jun. 25, 1961.

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me: So this one may be more familiar to you ... it's Bill Evans.

Boss Lady: Yes, a beautiful touch on the piano
But what I really want to bring up is something different

me: Shoot:

Boss Lady: So, I'm going to start with a question. What kind of listener are you? Are you a melody person? A harmony person? a rhythm person? A words person?

me: THE TABLES ARE TURNED

Boss Lady: Gotta keep you on your toes

me: Um, hard to say. Seems to me the essence of listening to jazz is how all those things interact at once. But ... gun to head, I like a good melody, sure.

Boss Lady: OK, so I was thinking, if you're a melody person, this music might be a bit challenging...
There are fragments of melody, but they're not *satisfying* the way a ballad is satisfying?
And I tend to be a melody person ... and a mood person ...
So I didn't get immediate gratification from listening to this, so I'm having to dig deeper

me: Well, I think I thought that when I first heard this music however many years ago.

Boss Lady: So there are two things I've grasped onto instead ...

me: Do tell, fair employer.

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6:08 PM ET | 06-10-2009 | permalink

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Listening, Party For Two: 'Air Raid'

by Patrick Jarenwattananon

L-R: Jackie McLean, Grachan Moncur III and Lee Morgan at the November 1963 recording sessions for Evolution. Photo Credit: Francis Wolff/Mosaic Images, LLC

My boss readily admits that she doesn't know a whole lot about jazz. But she lets me write all this nonsense on the Internet, so I'm not complaining. And at least she's willing to learn. So every week, she and I get together to listen to and Instant Message about a different great jazz song.

Inspired by Steve Lehman's new album, which he says is partially inspired by Jackie McLean's work with Bobby Hutcherson (see his interview on WBGO's The Checkout), I pulled one of the recordings which Lehman cites as influential. Here's a track from Evolution, an album at least nominally led by Grachan Moncur III. In listening, we also wish the trombonist a happy 72nd birthday today.

"Air Raid" from Grachan Moncur III, Evolution. Grachan Moncur III, trombone; Lee Morgan, trumpet; Jackie McLean, alto sax; Bobby Hutcherson, vibraphone; Bob Cranshaw, bass; Tony Williams, drums. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Nov. 21, 1963.

Purchase: Amazon.com / Amazon MP3 / iTunes

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7:15 PM ET | 06- 3-2009 | permalink

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Listening, Party For Two: 'Sing, Sing, Sing'

by Patrick Jarenwattananon

A photo from Benny Goodman's January 1938 Carnegie Hall performance. Photo Credit: Metronome/Hulton Archive/Getty Images.

My boss readily admits that she doesn't know a whole lot about jazz. But she lets me write all this nonsense on the Internet, so I'm not complaining. And at least she's willing to learn. So every week, she and I get together to listen to and Instant Message about a different great jazz song.

Today, as we approach Benny Goodman's 100th Birthday Anniversary, I pulled the definitive (live) version of "Sing, Sing, Sing," from the momentous 1938 Carnegie Hall concert recording. By way of prologue, I'll cite this bit from John McDonough's recent All Things Considered essay placing Goodman in historical context: "Goodman was a unique breed of American idol -- one of a tiny handful whose sudden fame became a permanent marker in American popular music. But the Swing Era, which he triggered more than 75 years ago, was about more than just Goodman."

"Sing, Sing, Sing (With A Swing)" from Benny Goodman, At Carnegie Hall 1938 -- Complete (2-CD reissue). Benny Goodman*, clarinet with Ziggy Elman, Chris Griffin, Harry James*, trumpets; Red Ballard, Vernon Brown, trombones; Hymie Schertzer, George Koenig, Art Rollini, Babe Russin*, reeds; Jess Stacy*, piano; Allan Reuss, guitar; Harry Goodman, bass; Gene Krupa, drums. Carnegie Hall, New York City: Jan. 16, 1938. [* indicates soloists]

Purchase: Amazon.com / Amazon MP3 / iTunes

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9:58 AM ET | 05-28-2009 | permalink

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Listening, Party For Two: 'Shoe Shine Boy'

by Patrick Jarenwattananon

Lester Young. Photo Credit: Ronald Startup/Picture Post/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

My boss readily admits that she doesn't know a whole lot about jazz. But she lets me write all this nonsense on the Internet, so I'm not complaining. And at least she's willing to learn. So every Wednesday, she and I get together to listen to and Instant Message about a different great jazz song.

Today, as we celebrate the debut of A Blog Supreme, we pulled the spectacular studio debut of a man who would be 100 this year: Lester Young. (In light of our pseudonym Take Five feature, Pres' first recordings are especially appropriate -- the leader of the date, Count Basie, had already signed with Decca, so he cut these small group sessions for Columbia/Vocalion under the name "Jones-Smith, Inc. of Kansas City.") We chose the master take of "Shoe Shine Boy."

Personnel: Carl "Tatti" Smith, trumpet; Lester Young, tenor sax; Count Basie, piano; Walter Page, bass; Jo Jones, drums. Chicago: Nov. 9, 1936

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3:00 PM ET | 05-20-2009 | permalink

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