The Chambers Brothers > In the Midnight Hour
Composed by Wilson Pickett & Steve Cropper
It’s really rare when a cover happily surprises. And grooves hard.
Chambers Brothers Week #3
Cover #54
The Chambers Brothers > Romeo and Juliet
Composed by Lester Chambers
The quality of the original songwriting on this LP was as strong as the covers. Don’t know if they’re adapted gospel melodies or what, but they cut deeply.
Chambers Brothers Week #2
Ballad #43
The Chambers Brothers > Uptown
Composed by Betty Mabry (Davis)
To most everyone they’re a one hit wonder. But I love this album.
The Mahavishnu Orchestra > Vital Transformation
Composed by John McLaughlin
I was kind of hoping I would like this more, given how much I liked it in the day, how I still get chills from McLaughlin in Tony WIlliams’ Lifetime and with Miles, and that I remember liking Jerry Goodman in The Flock. Who else used a violin in a hard rock fusion band?
Violin Week #4
Legends of Fusion #2
Legends of the Guitar #14
Joe Venuti & Earl Hines > C Jam Blues
Composed by Duke Ellington
It was pretty clear to me in the last post that Hank had a hard time picking a favorite Joe Venuti track, so I figured I’d play the second one too. A classic in many ways.
Violin Week #4
Legends of the Violin #3
Legends of the Piano #11
Legends of Swing #5 & #6
Joe Venuti & Dave McKenna > At the Jazz Band Ball
Composed by Larry Shields & Nick LaRocca
Back in the day I spend some time around Chiaroscuro Records but was too self involved to realize the grandeur of the music going on around me. I’m making up for lost time which includes some bon bons by the great Joe Venuti. Being severely undereducated I asked Chiaroscuro owner/producer Hank O’Neal to suggest some tracks. This one caught my ear. From Hank:
“I’d take ‘C Jam [Blues]’ on the one with Earl [Hines] and ‘At the Jazz Band Ball’ on the McKenna. Both were remarkable dates for a lot of reasons. I just wish I’d had the opportunity to do more work with all of them, particularly Joe. I guess I was lucky to have gotten what I did.”
Violin Week #3
Legends of the Violin #3
Legends of the Piano #10
Legends of Swing #5
The box this came from was one of the unique Mosaic Records; limited edition, out of print. Don’t fret, there’s plenty of other stuff.
Molly Mason & Jay Ungar > The Lover’s Waltz
Composed by Jay Ungar & Molly Mason
Truly, one of the most beautiful love songs I have ever heard. Molly and Jay are national treasures.
I’ve no idea what this week’s theme is going to be, but this song just cuts through so deeply, I needed to lead with it.
Update: OK, it was obvious to everyone but me.
Violin Week #1
Legends of the Violin #1 & #2
Ballad #42
Keith Jarrett > When I Fall In Love
Composed by Victor Young & Edward Heyman
It’s no surprise to Keith fans that he’s a sentimentalist (no surprise to my closest listeners that I am either), so I was going to feature something from his tribute to Miles’ life. I chose one of his trio’s spontaneous interpretations of one of my favorite Miles tracks instead.
Fitting to end the week on a standard, given the decades he’s dedicated to them. This one is traditionally jazz than my the album from the beginning of the week, but, just as satisfying.
Keith Jarrett Week #5
Legends of the Piano #2
Ballad #41
Standards #9
Jan Garbarek, Keith Jarrett, Palle Danielsson, Jon Christensen > The Windup
Composed by Keith Jarrett
Since the first time I saw Jarrett was when he was electronically doodling with Miles Davis, maybe it makes sense that some of my most memorable tracks aren’t strictly traditional.
