The Jazz.com Blog
September 11, 2008 · 0 comments
Revisiting Classic Jazz Tracks
Jazz.com highlights two tracks every day. The Song of the Day aims to focus attention on the best of recent releases in the jazz world. In contrast, A Classic Revisited celebrates a historic track from the past. Like fine wine, the latter tracks have all been properly aged. In short, they are performances from the paleolithic and neolithic eras (i.e., from the days of LPs and 78s) that continue to delight jazz fans more than than a quarter of a century after they were first released.
Todays classic performance is Wes Montgomerys memorable version of a song closely associated with Frank Sinatra: One for My Baby (And One More for the Road). As you may remember from the lyrics, this song takes place in a saloon at a "quarter to three" . . . no, most assuredly, not in the afternoon. I didn't think bars served drinks in the middle of the night; then again, Mr. Sinatra always played by his own set of rules.
It's not easy to capture the right medium-slow swing that this tune demands, but Montgomery pulls it off perfectly. Of course, the guitarist is helped considerably by the presence of Hank Jones, Ron Carter and Lex Humphries on this 1961 date. The result is a track that well deserves inclusion in our pantheon of jazz classics.
Below is a list of all the tracks featured as A Classic Revisited during the last two months. Whenever possible, the review includes a link for fast, easy and legal downloading. And, as always, you are invited to add your own three-o'clock-in-the-morning comments at the bottom of the review. If you say something especially clever, drinks are on the house.
Classic Tracks Recently Featured on Jazz.com
Art Blakey: A Night in Tunisia
Pat Metheny: Bright Size Life
Sonny Criss: Sonny's Dream
Sarah Vaughan: In a Sentimental Mood
Eddie Jefferson: Summertime
Miles Davis: Boplicity
Egberto Gismonti: Frevo
Horace Silver: Nica's Dream
Jimmie Lunceford: For Dancers Only
Yusef Lateef: Playful Flute
Albert Ayler: Ghosts: First Variation
Ralph Towner & Gary Burton: Icarus
Gerry Mulligan: A Ballad
Andy Kirk: Walkin' and Swingin'
Mel Torm: Lulu's Back in Town
Henry 'Red' Allen: It Should Be You
Lee Morgan: I Remember Clifford
Frank Rosolino: Frank 'n Earnest
Richard Twardzik: Bess, You Is My Woman
Bud Powell: Parisian Thoroughfare
Django Reinhardt: Dinah
Anita O'Day: Tea for Two
Bill Evans: Never Let Me Go
Kenny Dorham: I'll Remember April
Mahavishnu Orchestra: Thousand Island Park
Steve Reich: Music for 18 Musicians
Duke Ellington: Cottontail
Return to Forever: Five Hundred Miles High
Paul Bley: King Korn
Erroll Garner: I'll Remember April
Tal Farlow: Fascinating Rhythm
Anthony Braxton: For John Cage
Johnny Griffin: A Monk's Dream
Gil Evans: Stratusphunk
Antonio Carlos Jobim: Meditation
John Coltrane: Naima
Benny Carter: Blue Star
June Christy: Something Cool
Dave Holland: Conference of the Birds
Thad Jones & Mel Lewis: Big Dipper
The Tony Williams Lifetime: Spectrum
Gene Ammons: Hittin' the Jug
Les Paul: Lover
Weather Report: A Remark You Made
This blog article posted by Ted Gioia.
Tags:
Comments are closed.