Jazz for the Asking Blog

Here is what I played on Jazz for the Asking, the week of March 10, 2007. If you are interested in buying any of these CD’s click on the link to go the the Jazz for the Asking store, or you can down load the individual song from iTunes.

1. Straight, No Chaser. Composed by T. Monk, Performed by M. Davis and T. Monk, Recorded July 3, 1958 at the Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, RI. I like starting the show with a good toe tapping up tempo tune. Music performed live before an audience is always more interesting than studio recordings.

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2. Manteca. Composed and performed by John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie. Recorded December 30, 1947. In an effort to play many different genre’s of Jazz, I though I would add this one as an example of “Latin Jazz,” even though it was performed by DizzyGillespie.

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3. Blue Train. Composed and performed by John Coltrane, Recorded September 15, 1957 at Van Gelder Recording Studio in Hackensack, NJ. John Coltrane died much too young, and left a lot of good music un-composed.

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4. After you are Gone. Composed by H. Creamer and T. Layton, Performed by Harry Connick Jr., Recorded at BMG Studio A, New York, NY October 1992. I like this song, some people think it is too slow and drags a bit. I think it shows off Harry Connick Jr vocal range nicely.

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5. Take Five. Composed by Paul Desmond, Performed by the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Recorded July 1, 1959. Ths is one of those songs that most people have heard, but few people know the title to. It has been used many many times over the years in commercials etc.

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6. Someone to watch over me. Composed by G. and I. Gershwin, Performed by Ella Fitzgerald, Recorded July 1959 at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, CA. When I looked out of the studio window, the sun was setting and for some reason made me think of this song, so I played it.

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7. Soon one morning. Composed and performed by Fred McDowell, Recorded July 1959. Tennessee Fred Mcdowell is a blues master. Once made a slide for his guitar out of a cow bone. Again, showing the different types of music that is labled “Jazz”

8. Star Dust. Composed by H. Carmichael, Performed by Louis Armstrong, Recorded November 4, 1931. Played because of a non-specific request of Ward from Kingston to hear some Louie Armstrong.

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9. The way you look Tonight. Composed by Jerome Kern, Performed by The Charlie Caranicas Bob Parsons Quintet, Recorded at Sear Sound, New York, NY on Jan 30, 1994Green Chimney’s CD, Not sold in stores. These are people that my wife knows.

10. French Connections. Composed by I. Butman, Performed by Grover Washington, Jr. Recorded at Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, PA in 1988. From the Smooth Jazz genre.

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11. Ashanti. Composed and performed by Bob James. Recorded at Remidi studio, Ardsley on Hudson, NY in 1988. More smooth Jazz or possibly Fusion.

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12. Django. Composed by J. Lewis, Performed by the Modern Jazz Quartet, Recorded December 23, 1954.

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13. Jumping at the Woodside. Composed by William Basie, Performed by Count Basie and his Orchestra, Recorded August 22, 1938.

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14. Solitude. Composed by Duke Ellington, Performed by Billie Holiday, Recorded at Radio Recorders Studio, Los Angels, CA in Spring of 1951

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15. Is you is or is you ain’t (my baby). Composed by Billy Austin/Louis Jordan Performed by The Jazz Knights, US Military Academy Band, Recorded in 1997 at West Point sound studios, West Point, NY

This CD is not available is stores

16. ESP. Composed and performed by Miles Davis, Recorded on January 20, 1965

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17. Take the A Train. Composed by Duke Ellington, performed by the Lincoln Center Orchestra, October 17, 1994. This song has a great piano intro. I thought it best to finish on a high note for my first show, too bad the back timing thing didn’t work out because as we were aproaching the top of the hour, I noticed the studio clock was runing 34 seconds slow. Decision time came at the top of the hour and I had to choose between cutting the song off and taking the news, or letting the song play out and joining the news late. I chose to stay with the song, you can hear news at the top of the next hour.

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This entry was posted on Monday, March 12th, 2007 at 2:15 pm and is filed under Weekly Play list. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.