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Welcome to another 2 hours of Jazz on Radio Mecha. As always, I'll be posting some links, comments and credits as the set plays, which I hope are of interest to those listening, as well as to those who come to this thread later.

In this program, I've included some early jazz recordings, made by direct acoustic recording (no electonic amplifiers or microphones) and some later, but still early works from the great Sidney Bechet and Charlie Parker, from the pre-stereophonic days. And, in memory of my father, the first recording of boogie woogie pianist legend Meade 'Lux' Lewis playing the celeste, on the day he discovered the instrument. Also, a novelty tune from the great jazz singer Joe Williams, that seems pretty appropriate to the news of late.

The tune that I open these sets with, "The Greeting" is from a later McCoy Tyner album, called Things Ain't What They Used To Be.

#2 Everything I Have Is Yours

Art Tatum with a tune by Harold Adamson and Burton Lane for the 1933 film "Dancing Lady," from the Solo Masterpieces Vol. 1 compilation.

#3 Krooked Blues

Joe "King" Oliver and Louis Armstrong with King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band playing a Dink Johnson tune, recorded acoustically* in Richmond, Indiana on October 5, 1923 via the Louis Armstrong and King Oliver compilation.

From the album's liner notes:

* "...These early recordings were made under truly primitive circumstances - an acoustic session with the music being picked up by a big horn and transcribed on a wax disc by a mechanism resembling an old phonograph arm with a steel needle. Not only did they eliminate the drummer, but Armstrong himself was so powerful a player that they sometimes moved him as far as possible back into the room away from the pickup horn. ..."

#4 Flock o'Blues

Bix Beiderbecke , and the Sioux City Six [Bix Beiderbecke (cornet), Miff Mole (trombone), Frankie Trumbauer (C-melody saxophone), Rube Bloom (piano), Min Leibrook (bass) and Vic Moore (drums)] with a Rube Bloom tune recorded October 10,1924 in NYC.

#5 Shake It And Break It

The Legendary Sidney Bechet and His New Orleans Feetwarmers in a June 4, 1940 recording in NYC of a New Orleans street march variously attributed, including to Joe "King" Oliver. Bechet's New Orleans Feetwarmers line up varied considerably, as circumstances dictated. On this tune, it was Sidney de Paris (trumpet), Sandy Williams (trombone), Bechet (clarinet and soprano sax), Cliff Jackson (piano), Bernard Addison (guitar), Wellman Braud (bass), and Sid Catlett, (drums).

#6 Klaunstance

A Charlie Parker composition, recorded December 21, 1947 by Teddy Reig in Detroit, on the road with Charlie Parker and His All Stars, this was one of a number of records made by Dial, Charlie Parker's label at the time, in a flurry of activity leading up to an AFM recording ban, due to start January 1, 1948. The label needed material to continue sales during the strike, and Parker needed, as always, any money he could make from recording. From the compilation boxed CD set Yardbird Suite.

#7 Celeste Blues

Meade 'Lux" Lewis playing the celeste solo, on a tune of his own composition, from the 1998 Topaz Jazz compilation. Recorded January 11, 1936 for American Decca in Chicago, where he first discovered the celeste, on the day he first found it. For my Dad, who introduced me to boogie woogie, by playing it a lot when I was young, and who would have enjoyed hearing this, no end.

#8 It's Not Easy Being White

Joe Williams with a tune by Tommy Deering that I'm dedicating to Don Imus.

#9 Outskirts of Town

Josh White, Jr. (guitar) and Robin Batteau (violin) from the 1986 album "Jazz, Ballads and Blues" with a 1928 tune by Andy Razaf and "Fats" Waller.

#10 Contemplation

McCoy Tyner doing a composition of his own, from the 1967 album "The Real McCoy", his first for Blue Note, Tyner used fellow John Coltrane Quartet musician Elvin Jones as his drummer, and added Ron Carter on bass, and Joe Henderson on tenor sax. From Nat Hentoff's original liner notes:

"...'The title for Contemplation,' McCoy recalls, 'also came to me after I'd written the piece. As I listened to it, the song had the sound of a man alone. A man reflecting on what religion means to him, reflecting on the meaning of life. It had a spiritual quality. It's basically in 3/4, and that's a very interesting meter because you can employ - as we do here - so many other rhythms with it.'

The theme is a haunting, yearning line, and Joe Henderson's personalization of the theme and mood is an arresting performance. He is simultaneously lyrical and virile, as is Tyner on the subsequent solo statement. And always - throughout the album - there is the persistently stimulating but never overwhelming rhythmic foundation of Elvin Jones and Ron Carter. Carter, moreover, also contributes a solo in this piece that illustrates again the sonic and inventive fullness of his musicianship."

#11 Mirror Mirror

Chick Corea (piano) and Gary Burton (vibraphone) from the October, 1979 live album "Concert in Zurich", with a tune by Chick Corea.

#12 Sichia

A Paco DeLucia tune, from the 1982 album "Passion, Grace and Fire" by John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola and Paco Delucia.

good evenin' paulsc.

#13 Episode D' Azur

The Pat Metheny Group with a Lyle Mays tune from the 1994 CD "We Live Here."

Good evening, phoenixc! How was your day?

#14 Root Grove

Wynton Marsalis with a tune of his own from the 1997 "Jump Start: The Mastery of Melancholy" via the 2002 "Popular Songs" compilation CD.

Pretty good. :) I spent much of my very unproductive work day trying to figure out where to go for dinner this Saturday since the two restaurants on my shortlist were fully-booked. I finally snagged the last table for an early seating at this other place that comes well-recommended.

And you? What's up?

#15 Pyramid (Blues for Junior)

In 1959, the Modern Jazz Quartet released an album, of which this Ray Brown tune was the title track, and it remained a favorite tune of theirs which they recorded often, and continued to play in concert for nearly the next 15 years, until they disbanded in 1974. This version is a live recording from the 1960 "European Concert" album.

"...And you? What's up?"
posted by phoenixc 12 April | 18:59

Goin' the Jacksonville Jazz Fest tomorrow and Saturday, with my brother! Two of my favorite guys, McCoy Tyner and Roy Haynes are going to be there, along with many, many others. And we're having 87 degree park weather for it!

#16 I Never Knew

A tune by Gus Kahn and Ted Fiorito, recorded in 1959 for the album "Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane."

It looks like a great line-up of artists. And I'M SO JEALOUS of your weather!
*sigh* My pretty skirts are so lonely. They haven't seen any action in 6 months.

#17 Gingerbread Boy

A Jimmy Heath tune, recorded in October, 1966 for the Miles Smiles album.

I loved the line somebody posted in one of ThePinkSuperHero's threads about their spring clothes "rioting in the closet." But here in sunny Florida, I have already seen my azaela's come and go, and the elder bush out back has about 5,000 yellow and magenta blooms, right now. Spring has sprung, here.

Ha! Now you're just rubbing salt in the wounds.

#18 A Quiet Thing

The first of the Creed Taylor/Wes Montgomery collaborations, the 1965 album "Bumpin'" became one of those records that you found along with the Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee records in nearly every American home with a stereo set. It was "safe" middle of the road music, with some "jazz heritage" for people who thought bebop too stirring and Miles Davis too intense. My dad wore out a couple copies of this record, and this tune by John Kander and Fred Ebb from the Broadway show "Flora the Red Menace" was one I'd hear him whistling snatches of, at odd moments.

#19 Love You Madly

"Love You Madly!" was something Duke Ellington used to scribble as an autograph line. There are probably tens of thousands of his pictures around with some version of this. But he was so smooth with people, maybe, sometimes, he meant it. And he did write this tune, which is played here by Oscar Peterson, with Herb Ellis on guitar, and Ray Brown on bass, from a session recorded August 8, 1956 at the Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, Ontario, for the album "The Oscar Peterson Trio at the Stratford Shakespearean Festival" and included on the compilation CD "Oscar Peterson's Finest Hour."

#20 Sultry Seranade

A tune by Tyree Glenn recorded December 19, 1989 at the Clinton Recording Studio, NYC, by Toots Thielemans (harmonica, guitar, whistle), Mulgrew Miller (piano), Rufus Reid (bass), Louis Nash (drums), from the "Compact Jazz: Toots Thielemans" compilation CD.

#21 I'm Late, I'm Late

An Eddie Sauter tune recorded July 14, 1961 for the Stan Getz studio album "Focus." From the compilation CD boxed set "The Artistry of Stan Getz: Vol. 1"

#22 This Time the Dream's on Me

Ella Fitzgerald doing a Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer tune, recorded October 20, 1964 in Los Angeles, with a Nelson Riddle orchestra. From the compilation CD The Silver Collection: The Songbooks."

#23 Every Time We Say Goodbye

Beegie Adair and her Trio with a Cole Porter tune from the 2000 CD "Dream Dancing."

#24 I Will Say Goodbye

Once again, The Bill Evans Trio, with Eddie Gomez on bass and Eliot Zigmund on drums, takes us out with the title track from the 1977 album of the same name. To recap, in this set, we heard:

1. McCoy Tyner - The Greeting (2:27)
2. Art Tatum - Everything I Have Is Yours (5:46)
3. King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band - Krooked Blues (2:52)
4. Beiderbecke, Bix - Flock o'Blues (2:44)
5. Sidney Bechet - Shake It And Break It / Sidney Bechet & His New Orleans Feetwarmers (2:55)
6. Charlie Parker - Klaunstance (2:48)
7. Meade 'Lux' Lewis - Celeste Blues (3:10)
8. Joe Williams - It's Not Easy Being White (3:28)
9. White, Josh Jr., with Robin Batteau - Outskirts of Town (3:49)
10. McCoy Tyner - Contemplation (9:14)
11. Chick Corea/Gary Burton - Mirror Mirror (5:46)
12. John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola, Paco DeLucia - Sichia (3:50)
13. Pat Metheny Group - Episode D' Azur (8:44)
14. Wynton Marsalis - Root Grove (3:51)
15. The Modern Jazz Quartet - Pyramid (Blues for Junior) (8:44)
16. Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane - Never Knew (7:06)
17. Miles Davis - Gingerbread Boy (7:44)
18. Wes Montgomery - A Quiet Thing (3:34)
19. Oscar Peterson - Love You Madly (8:11)
20. Toots Thielemans - Sultry Seranade (3:52)
21. Stan Getz - I'm Late, I'm Late (8:12)
22. Ella Fitzgerald - This Time the Dream's on Me (2:56)
23. Adair, Beegie - Every Time We Say Goodbye (4:38)
24. Bill Evans Trio - I Will Say Goodbye (3:30)

The powers governing our fates (if such there be) willing, and we don't wear ourselves out past all recovery on Saturday at the Jacksonville Jazz Fest, I'll be re-broadcasting last Tuesday's program of Jazz on Radio Mecha at 5:00 am EDT, for our bunnies in European time zones.

Until next time, kids, its been fun...

"5:00 am EDT, on Sunday" that is...

Thank you.

Oh, and where's my Joe Pass I was promised weeks ago??