John Gushue . . . Dot Dot Dot

Why the kid will be listening to Bill Evans in the years to come

Here's a conversation with my son from today, after I got home and turned on Real Jazz, the XM satellite channel that's one of my favourites for unwinding. 

Nick: "You listen to jazz a lot."
Me: "I do."
Nick: "No, I mean, a LOT. You must love it." 
Me: "Well, I grew up listening to it."
Nick: "Ah. That explains a lot." 
Me: "And now you are, too." 
Nick: (Blank stare)

To be fair to the boy, he doesn't complain about the jazz. He may well as he gets older (he's 12 now).

But I bet, just as I love listening to the Dave Brubeck records my dad played in the Sixties and Seventies, he'll connect years from now to stuff I love. I hope so, anyway. 

I Guess I'll Leave My Tears Out To Dry

Plenty of jazz greats have recorded this standard over the years. Here's Dexter Gordon's peerless take. 

 

Well, You Needn't

A little Monk for the morning. We're making plans; books are being red; Batman is being rediscovered by th boy; a cake will soon be made for a birthday party later in the day. Enjoy your day. 

 

Willow Weep For Me

I always love hearing Louis Armstrong, but particularly so when Oscar Peterson was at the piano.

 

Almost Like Being In Love

A standard's a standard, until it gets the Lester Young treatment. This version, which features Young backed by Oscar Peterson and trio, was on the playlist for a cocktail party Martha and I threw last night. Perfect for the evening, and it suits a Sunday morning clean-up too.

Lemon Drop

An old chestnut from Gene Krupa to start the morning. 

Avila and Tequila

Not the drink, but the song. I've resolved to get a little more Hank Mobley in my life. Here's a start. 

Blue In Green

One of the songs that's been playing in the house on a writing morning. It's the Bill Evans Trio. I thought I'd pick it as the song of the day on Dot Dot Dot. 

 

Bag's New Groove

Paul Desmond teamed up with the Modern Jazz Quartet for this recording, which was made on Christmas Day in 1971. It's the song of the day. 

Song For My Father

It's my dad's birthday. Among the many things he gave me was a love for jazz, so it seems like a good idea to pick this jazz tune - in this case, Horace Silver - to play today. 

Bemsha Swing

Thelonius Monk has the song of the day. 

Sugar Rum Cherry

Duke Ellington's reinvention of The Nutcracker's Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy is one of the tracks on the Christmas mix I've made for family this year. This is about as good as Christmas music gets. 

Love Nest

The tune of the day is from Chet Baker and his golden trumpet. 

A bit of Jelly Roll on his birthday

Jelly Roll Morton was born on Oct. 20, 1885, putting him in the same generation as, say, James Joyce and Virginia Woolf. Surely he had as much of an influence on music as they did on literature, although it's unfortunate he's not better appreciated. 

The song of the day today is Finger Breaker. Aptly named! 

Getting Some Fun Out of Life

A version by Carmen McRae is the tune of the day. 

Fly Me To The Moon

Sweden's Quiet Nights Orchestra plays the standard, and the tune of the day. 

 

Those French cows dig that jazz music

I love this video of the New Hot 5, an American jazz ensemble, serenading a herd of cows at a farm in France.

A final thought: more cowbell!

Goodbye Pork Pie Hat

Charles Mingus created an instant jazz standard in 1959; here's a live rendition of it. 

Blue Drag

Duane Andrews has been dazzling audiences from here in St. John's to, well, wherever people have been fortunate enough to hear him play guitar. This is quartet from four years or so ago, playing Blue Drag by his idol, Django Reinhardt. That's Patrick Boyle on trumpet. 

Can't be taught

"Writing is like jazz. It can be learned, but it can’t be taught."
- Paul Desmond

 

One Note Samba

A bossa nova-era standard, but Ella Fitzgerald makes it her own. 

Have you seen this cat?

Brilliant.

I saw this here.

Samba de Una Nota

Stan Getz, with an instrumental (and, arguably, definitive) take on Tom Jobim's song, a.k.a. One-Note Samba. (Just listening to it makes me want to buy more cardigans and put a wet bar in the living room.)

 

Four Women

Nina Simone, in 1969. Don't worry; it's a little quiet off the top.

Improvised

"I'll play it first and tell you what it is later."
- Miles Davis