Italian Piano[Monday Notes No.35] The Man I Love is a great classic of jazz and American music, one of the most beautiful love songs composed by George Gershwin. The lyrics of the song tell the story of waiting for love, the protagonist daydreams of the arrival of the man who will make her happy, her predestined…Continue readingLester Young Trio, The Man I Love
[Monday Notes No.34] In this trio recording of I’ve Found a New Baby Lester Young plays with Buddy Rich on drums and Nat King Cole on piano, who hid behind the witty pseudonym Aye Guy because he was under contract with another label and could not appear under his real name. The line-up is unusual…Continue readingLester Young Trio, I’ve Found a New Baby
[Monday Notes No 33] In jazz, the voice often performs like a musical instrument, e.g. Billie Holiday has been known to imitate Louis Armstrong’s trumpet. Sometimes the reverse happens and it is the instruments that try to imitate the human voice. This is what happens in Little Girl Blue, performed by Chet Baker.Continue readingChet Baker, Little Girl Blue. The instrument as a voice
[Monday Notes No.32] Chet Baker was a great trumpeter and singer who lived a tormented life. Addicted to drugs for over 30 years almost continuously, he went from the heights of beauty and success to the depths of desolation and degradation. Let’s listen to his interpretation of a song written by Rodgers-Hart, Do It the…Continue readingChet Baker, Do It the Hard Way. The voice as an instrument
[Monday Notes No. 31] The Modern Jazz Quartet was one of the longest-running jazz ensembles on the jazz scene. John Lewis was a promoter of the third current and was pursuing a contact between European classical music and jazz.Continue readingModern Jazz Quartet, Milano. Between classical music and Jazz
[Monday Notes n.12] Singer Billy Eckstine gave the leadership of his orchestra to Dizzy Gillespie in 1944. Swing orchestras used to perform a catchy, danceable repertoire, but Dizzy was constantly experimenting with new and daring sounds. One night the audience rose up, complaining about the many instrumental pieces and demanding a sing-along. Dizzy, who had…Continue readingDizzy Gillespie, Salt Peanuts
Do you want to learn a number of jazz standards by heart but don’t know where to start? Perhaps you’ve tried jamming with more experienced musicians and realised how important it is to know a number of jazz tunes by heart. In this lesson I will provide a comprehensive guide to building a repertoire of…Continue readingHow to learn 100 jazz standards
