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Welcome to another 2 hours of jazz on Radio Mecha. As I generally do here on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. Eastern Time (Standard or Daylight, depending on the season), 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 (and ones like it) later.

In this program, I've put together an even more eclectic mix of material than I usually do, starting off with a rarely heard performance from a young Art Tatum playing "second piano" in a band accompanying well known vocalist Adelaide Hall, which illustrates that everybody, even Art Tatum, had to start somewhere! Plus, a classic Duke Ellington - Billy Strayhorn tune, as well as a lovely version of the Bob Haggart - Jimmy Burke standard "What's New?" And, we've got a number of solo guitar pieces, for those of you whose interest is jazz guitar. Plus some alto sax from a well known pianist. So, relax. It's what we don't "do" around here that counts, for the next 2 hours!

Tonight's program is also coming to you from Memphis, Tennessee, over a WiFi connection at the home of a friend I'm visiting (and which we've been working with Comcast to straighten out all afternoon - here's hoping!). So, for a change, I have real company with whom I'm sharing music, and we're listening to it here, together, as we send it over real radio waves to Radio Mecha listeners. We hope you'll enjoy the next couple hours, as much as we do!

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 It'll Never Be The Same

Adelaide Hall (vocal) accompanied by Charlie Teagarden or Mannie Klein (trumpet), Jimmy Dorsey (clarinet, alto sax), Art Tatum and Francis J. Carter (pianos), Dick McDonough (guitar). Recorded in NYC August 5, 1932. From the 2002 4 CD box set "Art Tatum: Complete Original American Decca Recordings."

#3 Farewell Blues

Benny Carter and His Orchestra [Carter (trumpet, alto sax), Fletcher Allen (alto sax), Bertie King (clarinet, tenor sax), Alix Combelle (tenor sax), York de Souza (piano), Django Reinhardt (guitar), Len Harrison (bass) and Robert Montmarche (drums)] with a tune by P. Mares and E. Schoebel recorded March 7, 1938 in Paris. Via the 2001 compilation CD "All Star Sessions."

#4 Bojangles

Duke Ellington and His Orchestra with an Ellington tune recorded May 28, 1940 in Chicago for RCA Victor. Solos by Ellington (piano), Jimmie Blanton (bass), Ben Webster (tenor sax), Barney Bigard (clarinet), Ellington, and then Blanton again. From the 3 CD box set "Never No Lament: The Blanton-Webster Band."

#5 My Ideal

Art Tatum (piano), Ben Webster (tenor sax), Red Callendar (drums) and Bill Douglass (bass) in a September 11, 1956 recording in Los Angeles of a tune by Richard Whiting and Newell Chase with lyrics by Leo Robin. In this recording, you have two of the greatest stylists and musicians in jazz, Art Tatum and Ben Webster, at the peak of their musicianship and maturity, collaborating in a way that brought out the best of one another, which was not always an easy thing for soloists playing with Tatum. For, as he said on a number of occasions, Art Tatum preferred to play solo. Perhaps this was due to his vision disability, which made it nearly impossible for him to see visual directions and cues from other musicians. But more likely, it was simply due to the fact that Tatum generally had worked out complete and very detailed arrangements of the tunes in his repertoire, which always contained extensive re-harmonization and ornamentation. Vamping chords around a soloist wasn't, in his book, particularly distinctive or rewarding. And yet, throughout his career, there continued to be interest from his producers and from the record buying public in collaborations that paired Tatum with other well known musicians. And that is how this recording, as well, came to be. Producer Norman Granz, always interested in "meet" format albums, which were generally good commercial successes, persuaded Tatum to do a number of "Tatum Group" dates, in between a series of solo recording dates he was already doing for Granz's Pablo label, with the "Tatum Group" recordings featuring other prominent musicians in trios and quartets.

At the time of this recording, Art Tatum was less than 2 months from his death, and although Webster would live until 1973, he too, was years past the quicksilver speedy runs of his youth, that so marked his style on recordings with the Ellington band, such as "Cottontail." By the time of this recording, Webster was well along with the development of the massive, airy tone that became his trademark as a soloist in the years after his time with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, and that he would take into his long expatriate quasi-retirement in Europe, particularly Copenhagen, until his death there.

So, in this recording, you've got Art Tatum laying out a great tune with a rhythm section he had recorded with previously, and trusted implicitly, and a tenor saxophonist wise enough not to try to out-harmonize Tatum. Webster is content to play the melody, and allow his warm sound to wash over the tune, without restricting Tatum at all. Technically impressive, and remarkably musical. From the 1992 Pablo CD "Tatum Group Masterpieces Vol. 8."

#6 My Kind Of Town

Whenever I hear a recording of Frank Sinatra singing "New York, New York," I also think of him singing this tune, by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn, as he does here in an April 8, 1964 recording in Los Angeles for Reprise, with a Nelson Riddle arrangement and orchestra. Maybe it's all Sinatra's phrasing and technique, or Cahn's lyrics, but to my ear, there is a tone of real admiration for the city of Chicago in his voice, too. And Chicago always made Frank feel welcome. From the 2005 2 CD box set "The Very Best of Frank Sinatra" covering his years in the '60s with Reprise, when he was acting as his own producer, too.

#7 Sweet Lorraine

From the 2 CD box set re-issue of his 1974 solo album, here is Joe Pass with a sweet, if nearly florid rendition of the 1928 tune by Cliff Burwell and Mitchell Parrish.

#8 Misfit Blues

Duke Ellington and His Orchestra with the classic Ellington - Strayhorn tune I promised in the introduction for this set. From the CD re-issue of the 1960 album "Three Suites," this tune is from the "Suite Thursday," which is a tribute to author John Steinbeck. But the album was generally more famous for its inclusion of Ellington/Strayhorn treatments of Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite" and Edvard Grieg's "Peter Gynt."

#9 X-Ray Blues

Ray Charles (piano and alto sax), and some members of the Modern Jazz quartet including Milt Jackson (vibraphone) and Connie Kay (drums), as well as Kenny Burrell, and Oscar Pettiford with a tune by Ray Charles, from the 1989 compilation CD "Soul Brothers/Soul Meeting." SwingMusic.net's online biography of Ray Charles notes this about this take:

"By the late 1950s Charles was being called "The Genius." In September of 1957 he recorded an album called Soul Meeting with members of the Modern Jazz Quartet and featuring vibraphonist Milt Jackson. In April of 1958 he got together with Jackson again. This time the vibraphonist was flanked by guitarist Kenny Burrell, bass man Percy Heath and drummer Arthur Taylor for the release Soul Brothers. On the cut X-Ray Blues Charles recalled his roots at St. Augustine and played a reed instrument, the alto saxophone. It is one of the only instances of Charles playing the instrument on record."

Jazz pianist, composer and educator (and pianist of the Modern Jazz Quartet) John Lewis would have loved to tell you all about the structure of this tune, so in his honor, let me recommend this Web page, which isn't specific to this tune, but does a pretty good job of discussing typical blues chord progressions, if you're interested in the music theory.

#10 I'm All Smiles

Guitar phenom Earl Klugh with a tune by Michael Leonard and Herbert Martin, from the Broadway flop "The Yearling." Saved from the dust bin of musical history by recordings that Barbara Striesand did of some of the show's main tunes, this one has had a second life as a minor jazz standard, and deservedly so. Via the 1989 CD "Solo Guitar."

#11 Sanctuary

Miles Davis with a Wayne Shorter tune, from "Bitches Brew."

#12 The XIth Commandment

Chuck Mangione (flugelhorn) from a Japanese CD re-issue of his 1977 album "Feels So Good." Super long "arms length" disclaimer: My second wife, an oboe player, attended the Eastman School of Music with Chuck. Back in the 70s, he was short, he wore funny hats, and he was makin' bank. But the guy had a sense of humor regarding life's vicissitudes, and so do I.

Enjoy. Some other time, I'll play "Feels So Good" which doesn't, if you've got my memories, and "Last Dance" which does...

#13 Down Home

Pianist McCoy Tyner with an "electric trio" tune of his own composition from his 1986 album "Double Trios." Featuring bassist Marcus Miller and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts, who would later record frequently with Wynton Marsalis.

#14 Just Walking

Darol Anger (violin), Mike Marshall (guitar), Barbara Higbie (piano), and Michael Manring (bass), as "Montreux" with a tune by Darol Anger, from their 1987 Windam Hill collaboration "Sign Language."

#15 Constructive Criticism

Percussionist and composer Omar Hakim from his 1989 CD "Rhythm Deep," with a tune of his own.

#16 Captain Fingers

Guitarist Lee Ritenour from the CD re-issue of his 1977 album "Captain Fingers."

For those coming to the thread after the stream is finished, here's a YouTube link for some of what you missed.

#17 It's Only Love

Brazilian "New Yorker" Tania Maria from her 1991 CD "Forbidden Colors" with a tune she co-wrote with Lesley Carter.

#18 It's for You

From the CD re-issue of their 1981 album "As Wichita Falls, So Falls Wichita Falls" here are Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays with Nana Vasconcelos on percussion, doing a composition by Metheny and Mays.

#19 All Or Nothing At All

From the CD re-issue of their 1962 album "Ballads," here is The John Coltrane Quartet [John Coltrane (tenor sax), McCoy Tyner (piano), Elvin Jones (drums), and Jimmy Garrison (bass)] doing a tune by Jack Lawrence and Arthur Altman.

#20 What's New?

The Modern Jazz Quartet [John Lewis (piano), Milt Jackson (vibraphone), Connie Kay (drums) and Percy Heath (bass)] from the CD re-issue of their 1974 LP "The Last Concert" with a tune by Bob Haggart and Johnny Burke, that was again a hit for Linda Ronstadt and Nelson Riddle in 1984.

#21 Still Got The Blues

Two handed hammertone guitar wizard Stanley Jordan with a tune of his own from his 1990 CD "Cornucopia." If you've never seen him play two hand hammertone guitar, pick a YouTube video you like, later.

#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 - It'll Never Be The Same (3:13)
3. Django Reinhardt - Farewell Blues (3:19)
4. Duke Ellington - Bojangles (2:54)
5. Art Tatum - My Ideal (7:17)
6. Frank Sinatra - My Kind Of Town (3:09)
7. Joe Pass - Sweet Lorraine (4:09)
8. Duke Ellington - Misfit Blues (4:11)
9. Ray Charles & Milt Jackson - X-Ray Blues (8:11)
10. Earl Klugh - I'm All Smiles (2:44)
11. Miles Davis - Sanctuary (10:52)
12. Chuck Mangione - The XIth Commandment (6:37)
13. McCoy Tyner - Down Home (8:44)
14. Montreux - Just Walking (6:27)
15. Omar Hakim - Constructive Criticism (5:42)
16. Lee Ritenour - Captain Fingers (7:07)
17. Tania Maria - It's Only Love (5:08)
18. Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays - It's for You (8:20)
19. John Coltrane Quartet - All Or Nothing At All (3:38)
20. The Modern Jazz Quartet - What's New? (7:06)
21. Stanley Jordan - Still Got The Blues (5:11)
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