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Welcome to another 2 hours of jazz on Radio Mecha. As I have before, 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, our Thursday Spotlight Tune is "I'm Coming, Virginia" written by Donald Heywood and Will Marion Cook, and we have 4 very different renditions of it in our first hour. Plus the magnum opus title tune from what has been called "the definitive fusion jazz album," that being Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew." And good stuff from Keith Jarrett's Standards Trio. So, get comfy, and get a cool drink!

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 I'm Comin' Virginia

Art Tatum with the first rendition for this program of our Spotlight Tune, from the compilation CD "The Art Tatum Solo Masterpieces, Vol. 6."

good evenin' paulsc :)

#3 Dippermouth Blues

King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band [King Oliver and Louis Armstrong (cornet), Honore Dutrey (trombone), Johnny Dodds (clarinet), Stump Stevens (C-melody sax), Lil Hardin Armstrong (piano), Johnny St. Cyr (banjo), and Baby Dodds (drums)] in an October 5, 1923 acoustical recording made in Richmond, IN of a tune by Oliver & Louis Armstrong. "Dippermouth" was one of Louis Armstrong's childhood nicknames. Via the 1992 Milestone compilation CD "Louis Armstrong and King Oliver."

Evenin', phoenixc!

#4 I'm Coming, Virginia

Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra [Trumbauer (C-melody saxophone), Bix Beiderbecke (cornet), Bill Rank (trombone), Don Murray (clarinet), Doc Ryker (alto sax), Itzy Riskin (piano), Eddie Lang (banjo/guitar) and Chauncey Moorhouse (drums)] recorded May 13, 1927 in NYC, with another rendition of our Spotlight Tune. From the 1991 compilation CD "At The Jazz Band Ball."

#5 Any Old Time

Billie Holiday had little respect for recording contracts, which promised much, yet, too often, paid her little. This recording with Artie Shaw's orchestra (doing a tune by Shaw) is an example of Billie trying to make a little money on the side of her Brunswick contract commitments, and as a result, it's her only recording with Shaw. The original record lists her as "Billy Holiday" and was quickly withdrawn from the market when Brunswick objected to her appearing on Victor's inexpensive Bluebird label. Via the 2000 Intersound CD box set "The Best of Billie Holiday."

#6 I'm Coming, Virginia

Sidney Bechet and His New Orleans Feetwarmers [Charlie Shavers (trumpet), Bechet (soprano sax), Willie "The Lion" Smith (piano), Everett Barksdale (guitar), Wellman Braud (bass), and Maurice Johnson (drums)] recorded September 13, 1941 in NYC, with the third version of our Spotlight Tune. From the 1991 compilation CD "The Legendary Sidney Bechet."

#7 Jammin' In Four

Edmund Hall Celeste Quartet [Edmund Hall (clarinet), Meade "Lux" Lewis (celeste), Charlie Christian (guitar) and Israel Crosby (bass)] with a tune by Lewis, recorded February 2, 1941 for Blue Note. From the 1998 Topaz compilation CD "Boogies & Blues."

#8 I'm Coming, Virginia

Benny Carter and His Orchestra [Carter (trumpet and alto sax), Fletcher Henderson (alto sax), Bertie King (clarinet, tenor sax), Alix Combelle (tenor sax), Yorke de Souza (piano), Django Reinhardt (guitar), Lee Harrison (bass) and Robert Montmarche (drums)] with the fourth and final rendition of our Spotlight Tune, from a March 7, 1938 recording in Paris, via the 2001 compilation CD "Django Reinhardt: All Star Sessions".

#9 Donna Lee

Charlie Parker (alto sax) with Miles Davis (trumpet), Bud Powell (piano), Tommy Potter (bass) and Max Roach (drums) doing a tune by Parker in a recording made May 8, 1947 at Harry Smith Studios in NYC. Via the CD box set "Yardbird Suite."

#10 September In The Rain

Pianist George Shearing with the Harry Warren/Al Dubin tune that first brought him to the attention of American audiences in a recording he made in 1949 for MGM, which sold over 900,000 copies. But this is a later recording of the tune he made for Capitol, probably in 1965, via the 1993 Curb Records compilation CD "The Best of George Shearing."

#11 Countdown [Alternate Take]

John Coltrane with an alternate take of his tune "Countdown" from the 1990 Atlantic CD re-issue of his 1960 album "Giant Steps." With Tommy Flanagan (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Art Taylor (drums).

#12 Peau Douce

The Bill Evans Trio from the CD re-issue of the 1977 album "I Will Say Goodbye" (which is also the source album for the closing theme for these programs), with a tune by Steve Swallow.

#13 My Greatest Mistake

Duke Ellington and His Orchestra with a tune by Jack Fulton and Jack O'Brien, from the 2003 CD box set "Never No Lament: The Blanton-Webster Band". The reference in the box set title, as many Ellington fans know, is to the pre-WWII Duke Ellington Orchestra of 1940-41, which featured tenor saxophonist Ben Webster and bassist Jimmy Blanton. This 3 CD box set has been well reviewed, and contains 75 of the best recordings of the band from that era, including many hits including "Never No Lament (Don't Get Around Much Anymore)," "In a Mellotone" and "Sophisticated Lady."

#14 Romeo and Juliet

Flautist Hubert Laws from the CD re-issue of his 1976 album "Romeo and Juliet" with a funky fusion re-imagination of Tchaikovsky's themes. Just to remind us all of what producer Creed Taylor thought would sell in those days... (heh. He sold me a copy of the darned thing.) Oh, disco was slopping over into everything back then!

Part of the fun of doing these programs is reminding myself of what I thought was "cool," when I was wearing bell bottom jeans, and wire rims. And I think it's interesting to put some productions that were highly produced, up against those which aren't, to remind us that sometimes, the best "production" is just getting the musicians and the recording engineers to the gig, and staying out of their way.

#15 Bitches Brew

It's always a toss up decision to program something like Miles Davis' title tune from his 1970 album "Bitches Brew." At nearly 27 minutes, it takes up almost a quarter of a 2 hour program, and at 37 years remove from its recording, it is music that is clearly a period piece. And yet, I've played hard bop tunes from Coltrane of nearly that length, and big orchestral pieces from McCoy Tyner, and a couple weeks ago we did hear "Pharaoh's Dance" from this same album, because hearing important voices from the past is part of understanding jazz. I figure you can "tune out" if it doesn't seem worth your time. Or hang here, if it does.

For me, it does.

#16 It's for You

Here's a Lyle Mays/Pat Metheny collaboration, featuring Naná Vasconcelos on percussion, from the 1991 CD "Works I."

#17 Ligia

Stan Getz with João Gilberto doing a Antonio Carlos Jobim tune from the 1990 compilation CD "Ballads and Bossa Nova".

#18 Easy to Love

The Beegie Adair Trio from their 2000 CD "Dream Dancing" with a sweet arrangement of a Cole Porter tune.

#19 Blueberry Hill (Domino)

Louie Armstrong with the popular 1940 tune that became an international hit for Fats Domino in 1956, recorded here in 1959 in Paris by Satchmo. With Joe Murray (clarinet), Marty Napoleon (piano), Tyree Green (vibraphone and vocals) and Danny Barcelona (drums). Via the 1989 compilation CD "The Best of the Jazz Trumpets."

#20 The Way You Look Tonight

Keith Jarrett (piano) with his long running "Standards" Trio, including Gary Peacock (bass) and Jack DeJohnette (drums) from their 1986 CD "Standards Live," with a tune by Dorothy Fields and Jerome Kern.

#21 I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You

Diana Krall from her 1997 CD "Love Scenes" doing a tune by Bing Crosby, Ned Washington & Victor Young.

#22 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 - I'm Comin' Virginia (3:36)
3. King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band - Dipper Mouth Blues (2:28)
4. Beiderbecke, Bix - I'm Coming, Virginia (3:12)
5. Billie Holiday - Any Old Time (3:11)
6. Sidney Bechet - I'm Coming Virginia / Sidney Bechet & His New Orleans Feetwarmers (2:40)
7. Meade 'Lux' Lewis - Jammin' In Four (4:27)
8. Django Reinhardt - I'm Coming, Virginia (3:05)
9. Charlie Parker - Donna Lee (2:34)
10. George Shearing - September In The Rain (3:06)
11. John Coltrane - Countdown [Alternate Take] (4:35)
12. Bill Evans Trio - Peau Douce (4:18)
13. Duke Ellington - My Greatest Mistake (3:27)
14. Hubert Laws - Romeo and Juliet (7:44)
15. Miles Davis - Bitches Brew (26:59)
16. Lyle Mays/Naná Vasconcelos/Pat Metheny - It's for You (8:21)
17. João Gilberto/Stan Getz - Ligia (5:20)
18. Adair, Beegie - Easy to Love (4:54)
19. Louis Armstrong - Bluberry Hill (Domino) (3:29)
20. Keith Jarrett - Gary Peacock - Jack DeJohnette - The Way You Look Tonight (9:31)
21. Diana Krall - I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You (6:15)
22. Bill Evans Trio - I Will Say Goodbye (3:30)

"Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons, and you will find that it is to the soul what the water bath is to the body."
~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

thanks for keeping me company the last couple hours, paulsc. that was perfect.

Glad, as always, to have you along, phoenixc. Sharing music with people like you is what makes Radio Mecha a worthwhile endeavor.