Dinah Washington - Sings Bessie Smith ● Sings Fats Waller

Dinah Washington - Sings Bessie Smith ● Sings Fats Waller -  American Jazz Classics

This is a public domain European reissue of two Dinah Washington albums from the late fifties that came out a few years back. I wonder if the inspiration of her tributes to Bessie Smith and Fats Waller might have come from Louis Armstrong's similar albums devoted to the music of W.C. Handy and Waller. In Armstrong's case, inspiration may have come from their compositions, while Ms. Washington focuses on recordings by these giants.

On the Bessie Smith album, she was backed by a band led by her then-husband Eddie Chamblee, while the Fats Waller album had her backed by a big band conducted by Ernie Wilkins. Chamblee was part of that band. Others present on various recordings include, but not limited to, Clark Terry, Johnny Coles, and Reunald Jones on trumpet; Quentin Jackson, Julian Priester, and Melba Liston on trombone; Chamblee, Charles Davis, Frank Wess, and Benny Golson on saxophone; Jack Wilson on piano; Freddie Greene on guitar; Richard Evans on bass; and Charlie Persip on drums.

There is a bit of a trad-swing feel to the Bessie Smith recordings with able renditions of "Backwater Blues," "Careless Love," and "You've Been a Good Old Wagon." There is a surprise in her choice of "Trombone Butter" (renamed Butter from Cholly) with gutbucket tailgating trombone from Quentin 'Butter' Jackson. Nice are renditions of "After You've Gone," "If I Could Be With You" (which Bessie did not record but apparently was close to her), and Dinah's own "Fine Fine Daddy," which is similar in spirit to many of Bessie's recordings. Dinah did not have as heavy a voice as Smith but was in her own way as gripping a performer. It should be noted that four bonus selections include three songs from the sessions that produced the Smith Tribute, including a marvelous "Trouble in Mind." Also, there is a big band recording of "Backwater Blues" that was recorded earlier. Throughout Dinah's musicality, her pitch intonation, diction, and phrasing shine.

The Fats Waller sessions are equally rewarding, backed by a big band. Washington's performances have a different quality from those by Waller. Both were extroverts, although Waller had a dash of outrageous fun in his handling of some lyrics. There are a couple of duets with husband Chamblee on "Honeysuckle Rose" and "Everybody Loves My Baby." She delivers a wonderful rendition of Chu Berry's "Christopher Columbus," which Andy Razaf added after Fletcher Henderson's recording.  She sings an equally marvelous performance of "Jitterbug Waltz," a song that she was first to record as a vocal. Then there is a take on "Black and Blue," which reflected some lyrical changes due to changes in social attitudes from the twenties. Like the Bessie Smith tribute, this was another superb display of Washington's soulful, expressive singing. 

The accompanying booklet includes the original liner notes to both albums, personnel information, and a biography appreciation from Arthur Morton. The CD contains nearly 80 minutes of the Queen singing the blues and so much more.

I purchased this. Here is a television appearance of Dinah singing "Lover, Come Back to Me / Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair."

Have a Jazzy Christmas

On Christmas Eve, some Jazzy Christmas music.

First up is a couple of Louis Armstrong gems. Initially it is Christmas in New Orleans.

Next the classic Winter Wonderland.

Now Duke Ellington with Lena Horne singing A Christmas Surprise.

Classic Charlie Parker air check from the Royal Roost of White Christmas, recorded on Christmas night in 1948.

Dave Brubeck on Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.

In lieu of Nat King Cole's recording, Ella Fitgzerald singing The Christmas Song.

A medley of Christmas songs (but not The Christmas Song) by Mel Torme.

In lieu of the familar classic, here is Nat King Cole singing Silent Night.

Bob Dorough with Miles Davis doing Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern).

Fats Waller Swingin' Then Jingle Bells.

Gene Ammons is Swingin' For Christmas.

Dexter Gordon behind Tony Bennett on White Christmas

I could not forget Jimmy Rushing with Count Basie Good Morning Blues. "Babe it is Christmas Time and I Want to See Santa Claus."

And there are countless more performances I could have chosen, but we close with Hank Jones' Dear Mister Santa Claus.

He Said, She Said Is Delightful CD of Vocal Duets

Grammy nominated a cappella vocal arranger and producer Richard Bob Greene has put together a unique recording of two voices, those of Angie Doctor and Dan Schumacher on He Said, She Said: Duets For Two Voices (Vocoloco Records). The two voices share and split the lyrics, wordless scatting, and provide a musical counterpoint to the other. They deliver twelve delightful and original performances of some standards and even some surprising pop and rock choices.

The things get off to a delightful start on Honeysuckle Rose, followed by Jobim’s One Note Samba, while producer Greene supplied the lyrics for Dave Brubeck Brandenburg’s Gate, and one can chuckle to Schumacher singing about the crossing guard being in the KGB as Doctor sings the more descriptive lyrics about meeting a date in a trench coat. Tanguedia, from the Astor Piazzolla songbook, is a terrific wordless duet with one scatting and the other scats a riff for the performance’s foundation.

The Kern/ Hammerstein In the Heart of the Dark, allows Doctor to sing beautifully vocal while Schumacher hums the accompaniment, while followed by an unexpectedly amusing take of Queen’s Another One Bites The Dust, as they clap to provide a steady groove as bullets fly out of the doorway to the groove of the beat. The playfulness of much of this is evident on Let’s Go Wild, where they sing about throw out the dishes, go out the front door and not look back as they release their inner child. Wordless echoes of Charlie Parker’s Birds of Paradise, introduce the fetching rendition of “All the Things Your Are.” One performance is a trio as producer Greene provides the bass for a trio wordless rendition of Astor Piazzolla’s tango, Milonga del Angel.

A cappella vocal performances similar to this recording are not new, but they have generally employed larger groups that the duets heard here. While the twelve performances only last a half hour, He Said, She Said is a splendid half hour.

I received a review copy from a publicist for the release.

Fats Waller Always Had It

Thomas “Fats” Waller was one of the iconic figures of the first quarter century of Jazz and has been heavily re- issued over the years. As a result of the Sony/BMG merger, Bluebird/Legacy is releasing a three CD retrospective titled “If You Have to Ask, You Ain’t Got It.” Each disc has twenty-two selections and is thematically organized.

A good many of the performances are by Fats Waller and Rhythm, a celebrated sextet whose personnel included (over the years) guitarist Al Casey, clarinetist Gene Sedric, Bill Coleman and more celebrated Herman Autrey on trum-pet, Cedrick Wallace on bass and Yank Porter, Slick Jones and Arthur Trappier on drums. Many of the selections on these discs are in this format with Waller featured singing and on piano and the various horn players getting short solo space; and while a bit formula-based, Waller’s ebullient vocals and dazzling piano playing sustain the listener’s interest. There are a number of selections from the forties that have Waller in a big and setting and some solo instrumentals as well.

The first of the three discs is devoted to songs that Waller composed, often in the company of Andy Razaf or others. When going through the titles one is struck by the fact that he not only gave us such well known songs associated with him such as Honeysuckle Rose and Ain’t Misbehavin’, but also such classics as Our Love Was Meant to Be, Squeeze Me (with Clarence Williams), The Joint is Jumpin’ (with J.C. Johnson), Bessie Bessie Bessie, Cash for Your Trash and Up Jumped You With Love. Waller brings wit, humor and tenderness to these with his vocals while the numbers swing with considerable Élan.

The Second Disc is all instrumental, opening with a solo pipe organ instrumental rendition of St. Louis Blues along with a couple other numbers on the pipe organ. The next ten performances are features that display his considerable mastery of the stride piano including such dazzling Waller originals as Numb Fingers, Smashing Thirds, and African Ripples, along with renditions of Hoagy Carmichael’s Star Dust and Ain’t Misbehavin’, concluding with a stunning rendition of James P. Johnson’s classic stride composition, Carolina Shout. After several group instrumentals, Waller then is heard on electric organ on a couple of originals, including Jitterbug Waltz, which show his reflective side as a composer. The instrumental disc concludes with an all star group swinging on Honeysuckle Rose.

The final disc is devoted to Waller’s performances of songs from Tin Pan Alley. Waller was celebrated for his ability to take some of the most dreadful songs and make musical magic, all the while mocking the material, but not everything he recorded from Tin Pan Alley would be dross in the hands of others. So while some of these tunes may be remembered solely because of Waller, such as Hold Tight (Want Some Seafood, Mama), many of the tunes here are pretty well known including (I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead) You Rascal You (an All Star performance with Waller on piano behind Jack Teagarden), I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter, Dinah, Christopher Columbus, Darktown Strutters Ball, Your Feet’s Too Big, and T’aint Nobody’s Biz-Ness If I Do. Waller attacks these with his usual mix of ebullient vocals, buoyant stride piano with the strong swing backing of his Rhythm and the other supporting musicians.

Although I worked off an advance copy of the discs to get this done in time, the actual release (set for 9/26/06) will also include a 100-page booklet with extensive liner notes penned by Dan Morganstern and scanned reproductions of photographs from the collection of Waller’s last manager, Ed Kirkeby. The three discs in this set provide a solid over- view of a legendary jazz performer and will serve as a basic Waller release for a well-rounded jazz collection.

This review originally appeared in the October 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 287), and the advance copy provided for review was provided by Sony.

Some Outstanding Vintage Jazz Recordings of 2010

The second installment of my look back at 2010 with some choice Vintage jazz releases.

Noah Howard Schizophrenic Blues (FMP-Destination Out) Howard, who recently passed away, was among the first wave of free jazz artists and this session from 1977 is among a series of downloads of out-of-print FMP CDs that the Destination Out website has started. As I recently noted that “even at its most Ayleresque moments “Fire March,” there is a lyricism as well as a blues foundation that makes this release engaging.

Charlie Haden The Complete Remastered Recordings on Soul Note (Soul Note). One of a number of recent Black Saint and Soul Note reissues with 5 CDs in mini lp jackets. This includes two original CDs by Old and New Dreams, the Ornette Coleman Alumni group with Dewey Redman, Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell, along with Etudes with Paul Motian and Geri Allen, Silence by Charlie Haden With Chet Baker, Enrico Pieranunzi, Billy Higgins and Enrico Pieranunzi’s First Song.

Nat King Cole, Riffin': The Decca, JATP, Keynote & Mercury Recordings (Verve) Three CDs has classic recordings by the King Cole Trio, his Jazz at the Philharmonic performances and sessions with the Keynoters, Dexter Gordon and Lester Young.

George Russell The Complete Remastered Recordings on Black Saint & Soul Note (Black Saint). Nine CD set with various groups that provide different takes on the late composer and jazz theorist’s works, Includes some great musicians from both the United States and Europe.

Publish Post

John Carter & Bobby Bradford Mosaic Select: The Complete Revelation Recordings (Mosaic) A valuable reissue of West Coast duo who were associated with Ornette Coleman . Includes much unissued duets as well as reissues the Revelation albums. Now if someone will do a complete reissue of Carter’s Five CD series, "Roots and Folklore: Episodes in the Development of American Folk Music."

Miles Davis The Complete Bitches Brew (Sony). It has been 40 years since this path-making disc. This 40th Anniversary 3-disc package offers the original album on 2 CDs plus rare bonus audio material and a DVD of the entire previously unreleased Copenhagen performance from November 4, 1969.

Fats Waller Fats Waller On The Air: 1938 Broadcasts (Tai Ping Records). A reissue of primarily broadcast recordings that includes some selections that i believe have not been previously reissued. Marvelous recordings with His Rhythm as well as English broadcast with him on organ as well as backing vocalist Adelaide Hall.

Catherine Russell Delves Into the Heart of Classic Songs

It has been about two years since Catherine Russell delighted us with the marvelous disc Sentimental Streak on World Village. The daughter of legendary bandleader, Luis Russell and bassist Carline Ray, Russell has another excellent release “Inside This Heart of Mine,” also on World Village. This present session is produced by Paul Kahn with Catherine as Executive Producer. Like the prior disc, it is rooted primarily in swing tunes from the twenties to the sixties. . The core of the backing band is the trio of Mark Shane on piano, Matt Munisteri on guitar and banjo and Lee Hudson on bass (although Neal Miner is on two selections). Brian Grice and Rob Garcia play drums where heard, while Howard Johnson adds brass bass (tuba) to two selections and Sara Caswell adds violin to a different pair of performances.

In my prior review, I noted that Ms. Russell evokes a variety of influences including Alberta Hunter, Billy Holiday, Ivie Anderson, and Nellie Lutcher. I find Holiday an apt comparison as she phrases the lyric. She does not come across as a Holiday sound-alike in the style of a Madeline Peyroux,. Rather her delivery and timing is reminiscent of Lady Day, and the backing is complimentary and sympathetic. The selection of songs is immaculate starting with the title track, a chestnut that Fats Waller and J.C. Johnson authored with lovely horn solos and Munisteri’s graceful rhythmic riffing in the backing with her expressing the sadness of love being a stranger ‘inside this heart of mine.’ “All the Cats Join In,” is a spicy swinger taken from a Peggy Lee recording with growling trumpet from Jon-Erik Kellso and a strong tenor solo from Dan Black. Andy Razaf is among those who wrote the swinging “We the People,” that Fats Waller first recorded, with lyrics that we don’t care about taxation as long as legislators give us syncopation. Shane takes a lively stride-inspired solo with Munisteri adding short riffed guitar break. “Troubled Waters,” penned by Sam Coslow and Arthur Johnston, comes from a 1934 Duke Ellington recording that featured Ivy Anderson. Kellso’s growling trumpet (echoes of Cootie Williams) underscores Russell’s lamentation here.

A 1969 Maxine Sullivan recording is the source for the delightful rendition of “As Long As I Live,” with another nice piano solo. Paul Kahn’s “November” with backing including accordion and violin has a gypsy jazz ambience as Russell sings about the change of seasons with it getting cold outside while her lover is not by her side. Sara Carswell’s violin and Munisteri’s banjo also lends a gypsy jazz tinge to Rachelle Garniez’s original “Just Because Your Can.” Joya Sherrill handled the vocal in 1945 when the Duke Ellington Orchestra recorded Duke’s “Long Strong and Consecutive,” and the intimate setting here has Russell sound like a female Nat Cole as she sings about wanting long strong and consecutive kisses as “no short snort will suit” her. Perhaps the most fetching, dreamy and romantic number on this album is the rendition of “Close Your Eyes,” with a lovely guitar solo. Its followed by a nice reworking of Wyonnie Harris’ jump blues, “Quiet Whiskey,” with its classic lines

“Whiskey on the shelf,
You were so quiet there by yourself
Things were fine ‘till they took you down
Opened You Up and Passed Your Around.”

Russell and her group take this jump blues recording and transform it into some hep jive.

Russell then directs her interpretative talents to Willie Dixon’s “Spoonful,” with backing from Munisteri’s banjo, Rob Garcia’s drums and Howard Johnson’s tuba. To this trio, horns are added for “Slow as Molasses, originally recorded in 1929 by the Jungle Town Stompers. On the original recording, her father Luis played piano and celeste. Lyrics were added by Rachelle Garniez. which evoke the jazz age. The disc closes with a spirited rendition of one of the most famous of jazz recordings, Lil Hardin Armstrong’s sassy,“Struttin’ With Some Barbecue.”

Catherine Russell continues to mine lesser known songs from decades past and revive them in a lively fashion that avoids being campy. Her vocals are a model that many singing jazz and blues would do well top listen to and learn from how she delivers her songs as well as marvel from the sensitive and sympathetic support she receives. Like her prior recordings, “Inside This Heart of Mine,” is a recording to treasure.

For purposes of FTC regulations, I received a review copy from the record company.

Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra Chases The Blues

Trumpeter, slide-trumpeter, arranger and composer, Steven Bernstein, is most famous for his band Sex Mob, with the Millennial Territory Orchestra being another of his musical aggregations. Its a spirited big little band with nine members (Doug Wamble guests on guitar and banjo on two tracks), which mixes a variety of influences, hot swing, New Orleans brass with some modernistic tinges. Their new recording, “We Are MTO” (MOWO), displays the fascinating mix of old and new sounds.

The disc opens with the dirge-like, swampy rhythm of the title track with the violin of Charles Burnham’s violin setting the mood before the trio of reeds state the melody that hints at “Stormy Weather followed by the exuberance of “in the Corner,” a slightly surreal take of a Charleston styled number with Clark Gayton’s tailgating trombone soloing over the riffing reeds. An old Floyd Tillman & Jimmie Davis country song “It Makes No Difference” (recorded by Ernest Tubb, Ray Charles and others) is given a blues-tinged reworking with Matt Munisteri’s single note guitar runs with Gayton’s trombone providing the bass bottom while Burnham’s violin provides a running musical commentary with a New Orleans brass tinge added. It is followed by a similarly original reinvention of the Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love,” which opens with Burnham’s violin before the Doug Wieselman states the melody on his clarinet with Bernstein’s imaginative orchestration of the other horns and Burnham’s violin in the back ground (and the brass providing a further contrast in musical colors). MTO opens Don Redman’s “Paducah,” with some free-jazz sounding riffing before Wieselman takes center-stage against moaning horns followed by Bernstein’s open trumpet backed against more stately horn riffs, before bassist Ben Allison takes a bass solo where he walks the bass with some slapping of the bass mixed in. The two guitars of Munisteri and Doug Wamble, and the slightly frantic tempo, give Dickie’s Dream,” a distinctive and rollicking flavor, with perhaps the highpoint being Erik Lawrence’s baritone sax solo. The two guitarists share a vocal duet on Fats Waller’s “Viper Song,” with its lazy tempo as Bernstein’s imaginative arrangements again add spice behind the vocals and solos as different instrumentalists come in to provide the main accompaniment behind the vocals. The final number is Preston Jackson’s “It’s Tight Jim,” again having varying tempos and contrasting musical settings with the accompaniments, ending this kaleidoscope of sounds on an a mesmerizing note.

This is available from amazon and itunes.

A Brassy Classical Salute to Satchmo

This review has been submitted to Jazz & Blues Report, and hopefully will be published in its August issue.

The celebrated Canadian Brass has issued a release “Swing That Music: A Tribute to Louis Armstrong” (Opening Day Entertainment Group), an album that puts a classical take on swing jazz. Louis Armstrong was of course one of the seminal musicians of the 20th Century, and I forget which jazz writer (it may have been Gary Giddins) observed he even influenced how classical trumpeters played. On this release, the Canadian Brass salutes Satchmo in a program of tunes associated with Armstrong and some of his contemporaries. The songs range from the title track, which was a big band hit for Armstrong, to James P. Johnson’s “Carolina Shout,” Jelly Roll Morton’s “Black Bottom Stomp,” and several George Gershwin compositions including “Promenade” from the musical “Strike Up the Band.”

Its entertaining to hear the various songs translated into a chamber group format, and much of the credit goes to the late Luther Henderson as a writer, arranger, orchestrator and more who worked with Duke Ellington, Lena Horne, Victor Borge and the Canadian Brass, to whom he contributed over 100 arrangements including arrangements to 11 of the 17 selections here including recasting Johnson’s stride piano classic to the brass group, three Bach preludes, Handy’s “St. Louis Blues,” Waller, Razaf and Brooks’ “Black & Blues” (which Armstrong was one of those who popularized along with “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” The arrangements allow brief solos with the other horns adding color or musical counterpoint. The playing is spirited and as expected the members of Canadian brass have marvelous tone and technique, yet they certainly bring enthusiasm and charm to a collection of performances that might be called chamber jazz. Particular performances that stand out might be the wistful melancholy of “Black & Blue,” along with the jaunty rendition of “Black Bottom Stomp,” and one of the classic Hot Five recordings “Struttin’ With Some Barbecue,” with its nice voicings and playful quoting of “Shortnin’ Bread,” during the performance. “Swing That Music” is worth hearing, and many will find this a delightful chance of pace.

The Canadian Brass website from which this can be purchased is http://www.canbrass.com. Downloads are available for purchase from itunes and amazon.