Lou Donaldson > Ode to Billie Joe
Composed by Bobbie Gentry
“It’s Your Thing” I understand. What else but “Who’s Making Love”? “Say it Loud - I’m Black and I’m Proud” Of course! All perfectly logical Lou covers.
But Ode to Billie Joe?! (And you bet your good gracious butt it’s funky).
What Was That? Week #7
Legends of Soul Jazz #5
Legends of the Saxophone #10
Cover #53
Johnny Hodges > Castle Rock
Composed by Al Sears
I first heard this out of character track on a long (sadly) out-of-print Mosaic box. Suprising? Yes. Happy? Yes.
Louis Prima w/Sam Butera > Be Mine (LIttle Baby)
Composed by Louis Prima & Sam Butera
There was a decade where the difference between pop, jazz, R&B, blues, white and black all mixed together and it took an anthropologist to figure out the diff.
Charles Lloyd > You Are So Beautiful
Composed by Billy Preston and Bruce Fisher, & maybe Dennis Wilson
Joe Cocker made this so popular, and it was covered so often that it became a standard. But, jazz musicians tend to only think of standards as the “Great American Songbook” songs of the pre-rock era. But, Charles Lloyd always defined his own standards.
Beautiful Week #1
Ballad #34
Legends of the Saxophone #15
Charlie Haden & Ornette Coleman > O.C.
Composed by Charlie Haden & Ornette Coleman
Ornette was Charlie’s exploisive introduction to the wide world —to me, too— and they’ve never strayed too far from each other. Thank goodness.
Charlie Haden Duets Week #4
Legends of the Bass #2
Legends of the Saxophone #7
Legends of Avant-Garde Jazz #4 & #5
Duet #5
Ornette Coleman - Space Church (continuous services)
Its time for some Ornette Coleman. The free jazz pioneer’s output is so rich with beauty, and so varied in texture, that each period of his long career is ripe with astonishment. From 1987’s “In All Languages”, a brilliant double album containing half quartet, half Prime Time recordings, here is the quartet version of “Space Church”. One of his many slow haunting melodies, this track is given an extra ‘spacey’ feel by the faster tempo of the rhythm section, the jangling background (not sure what that is), and the strange bending electronic sound that pops up a few times to great effect.
Ornette Coleman was 56 when this was recorded, but as always his playing and composition show incredible creativity and vitality. The late Don Cherry on trumpet, and the untouchable rhythm section of bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Billy Higgins round out the quartet.
It’s always time for some Ornette.
Grover Washington, Jr. > Inner City Blues (Make Me Want To Holler)
Composed by Marvin Gaye
I guess it’s actually Soul Jazz Week, Horn Edition, since I’ve avoided organists altogether, but I’ll save them until next time.
Soul Jazz Week #6
Legends of Soul Jazz #10
Legends of the Saxophone #14
Cover #35
Hank Crawford > Mr. Blues
RIP December 21, 1934 – January 29, 2009
Eric Homan just let me know that in the last couple of weeks we’ve lost two of the key soul jazz legends of the Ray Charles Orchestra.
Soul Jazz Week #5
Legends of Soul Jazz #9
Legends of the Saxophone #13
David “Fathead” Newman (& Ray Charles) > Hard Times
RIP February 24, 1933 – January 20, 2009
Eric Homan just let me know that in the last couple of weeks we’ve lost two of the key soul jazz legends of the Ray Charles Orchestra.
Soul Jazz Week #4
Legends of Soul Jazz #8
Legends of the Saxophone #12
Stanley Turrentine > Sugar
Composed by Stanley Turrentine
Stanley did everything (straight jazz, soul, ballads) so well and so commercially that all the jazzbos take him for granted* (me included) or dismiss him entirely. Creed Taylor figured out how to put it all together in Sugar.
Soul Jazz Week #2
Legends of Soul Jazz #6
Legends of the Saxophone #11
* Check out his paltry Wikipedia entry, and then, to find out what’s what listen to this great NPR profile.
