The lovely Gayle Kolb, a south side girl with the pipes of a sexy angel pays tribute to the great June Christy at Katerina's on Irving Park Road this Tuesday Night.
.JPG)
Monica Zetterlund had the tone of Ella Fitzgerald and an ability to create a real sense intimacy in the artificial setting of a studio.
This is sensational genius at work with quiet dignity.
. . . And because you have been very, very good to stop here, Monica nd the Bill Evans Trio!
ALLOW ME TO LEAD OFF WITH THIS -
"I'll Remember April" Jason Crawford: 8-string guitar
Errol Garner's "Misty" by the incomparable Keeley Smith
Ms. Ella Fitzgerald " I gotta right to Sing the Blues"
The Great Joe Willams -"Got Out My Life Woman"
Kitten V. Rottweiler. . .because I can. Skip irritating ad Asap.
Here are two wonderful interpretations of a beautiful song - one by Jazz guitarist Nick from New Jersey* ( click my post title for more of this talented artist).
Now here is a sexy and ironic application of genius by the gorgeous and under-appreciated Julie London.
I heard this song performed by Amanda Carr and it was superb! I could not find a good link however.
Mr. Nick Funicelli - pure soulful fingers.
Chicago used to be a great town for jazz. Politics and policy in Chicago chased great music out to the suburbs and odd enforcements and ordinances all but closed jazz venues for the sake of revenues and cash cows.
Great talents at the top of their game saw the departure of people like Jim "Skinny" Sheahan from the Mayor's Office of Special Events, and replaced by a cultural czarina who turned Chicago's stages from likes of Judy Roberts, Rich Daniels, Victor Parra and Mark Madsen to whirling Turkish Dance troupes wearing what looked like giant chefs hats and Ethiopian thumb pianists accompanied by gourd beaters. Jazz Venues closed quicker than a politician lies and hotels became the sole harbors for what passes for jazz.
Chicago Jazz musicians now scratch out some dollars in a town that once provided a living.
Last night at the Chambers in Niles, one such suburban jazz haven, featured not only the fabulous jazz guitarist/vocalist Frank D'Rone, but also a few of Chicago's best jazz artists Bassist John Bany, drummer Charles Braugham.and pianist/accordionist Don Stille. Frank D'Rone shared his show with his fellow artists for the second half of his show he and D'rone and the Chambers trio were joined by a brilliant flute master, a trumpeter and a harmonica rendition of Ruby.
Frank D'Rone is a gracious master of his art.
Vocalist the lovely Miss Terry Sullivan wowed the crowd with Lover Man. In an up-tempo trading of fours with the trio and featuring the great Frank D'Rone on guitar with masterful chops that eased back to Terry Sullivan.
The great Mark Madsen owned the house with a rendition of I'll Remember April. The poignancy of the loss of jazz due to decades of political booster cronyism in Chicago was reflected in Mark Madsen' phrasing and textured baritone that raised the spirit of Joe Williams himself. This one performance in a night of great presentations was like finding a diamond in a pile of gold coins.
Here is Mark Madsen with Rich Daniels and the Chicago City Lights orchestra performing for the McDonald's McVeterans Fund in 2008.
We lost much more than parking meters. Chicago sold our musical souls these last few decades.
This lovely day will lengthen into evening, we'll sigh goodbye to all we ever had.
Alone where we have walked together, I'll remember April and be glad.
I'll be content you loved me once in April.
Your lips were warm and love and spring were new.
I'm not afraid of autumn and her sorrow, for I'll remember April and you.
The fire will dwindle into glowing ashes, for flames live such a little while.
I won't forget but I won't be lonely, I'll remember April and smile.
Human Beings are the only creatures on earth who engage in companion conversation, posses intellect, and are graced with volition.
Max Weismann explained that every hummingbird , lark, finch, coyote and whale sings the same song, but only human beings can do this -
Too great voices -Joe and Nancy Wilson:
Biography
by John Bush
Joe Williams was the last great big-band singer, a smooth baritone who graced the rejuvenated Count Basie Orchestra during the 1950s and captivated audiences well into the '90s. Born in Georgia, he moved to Chicago with his grandmother at the age of three. Reunited with his mother, she taught him to play the piano and took him to the symphony. Though tuberculosis slowed him down as a teenager, Williams began performing at social events and formed his own gospel vocal quartet, the Jubilee Boys.
By the end of the '30s he had made the transition to the Chicago club scene, and appeared with orchestras led by Jimmie Noone and Les Hite during the late '30s. He sang with Coleman Hawkins and Lionel Hampton during the early '40s, and toured with Andy Kirk & His Clouds of Joy during the mid-'40s (making his first recording with that band). Still, lingering illness kept him sidelined from active touring, and he worked as a theater doorman and door-to-door cosmetics salesman before his first minor hit for Checker, 1952's "Every Day I Have the Blues."
Finally, at the age of 35, he got his big break when in 1954 he was hired as the male vocalist for Count Basie's Orchestra. He soon helped audiences forget the absence of Basie's long-time vocalist, Jimmy Rushing. Indeed, he did more than just pull his own weight during the '50s; he became a major star in his own right and helped revive the lagging fortunes of the Basie band. His first (and best) LP, Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings, appeared in 1955, containing definitive versions of "Every Day I Have the Blues" (already his signature song) and "Alright, Okay, You Win." "Every Day" hit number two on the R&B charts, and sparked another LP -- 1957's The Greatest! Count Basie Swings/Joe Williams Sings Standards -- spotlighting Williams' command of the traditional pop repertory. Even while performing and touring the world with Basie during the late '50s, Williams made his solo-billed debut LP for Regent in 1956, and followed it with a trio of albums for Roulette.
Despite an inevitable parting from Basie in 1961, Williams stayed close to the fold, working in a small group led by Basieite Harry "Sweets" Edison, then formed his own quartet in 1962. For his RCA debut, 1963's Jump for Joy, the lineup included jazz greats Thad Jones, Clark Terry, Snooky Young, Kenny Burrell, Oliver Nelson, Urbie Green, and Phil Woods. He recorded two more albums during the year -- At Newport '63 and Me and the Blues -- and hit another peak in 1966 with an LP for Blue Note, Presenting Joe Williams and the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra. Though he toured consistently during the '70s, his recordings fell off until a pair of mid-'80s LPs for Delos, Nothin' But the Blues and I Just Wanna Sing. After the former won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, he landed a recurring role on the popular television series The Cosby Show and signed a contract for Verve.
Live appearances at Vine St. resulted in material for his first two Verve albums, Every Night: Live at Vine St. and Ballad and Blues Master. Still in extraordinarily fine voice, Williams recorded two more albums for Verve and toured constantly during the '90s. He appeared again with Count Basie's Orchestra (led by Frank Foster), released several albums through Telarc, and remained one of the most talented jazz vocalists in the world right up until his death in 1999.
I developed my Jazz Man Crush on guitar master Peter Bernstein at Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase three years ago when the woman I love and I caught Hammond organ genius Dr. Lonnie Smith and the understated artistry of the Jewish Wes Montgomery.
Here is Bernstein at the Press Room in New Hampshire doing a knock out job on This I dig of You.
He sends me - first class and insured. Now, dig Love Walked In, Cats.
I'm all girlish with the vapors, I dare say . . .my hairy chested, tough-knuckled testosterone charged self notwithstanding.
Composed by Lionel Hampton and Sonny Burke in 1947 this became most linked to Ella Fitzgerald with Tasty lyrics by Johnny Mercer, but Nancy Wilson does a great version here
Your lips were like a red and ruby chalice, warmer than the summer night
The clouds were like an alabaster palace rising to a snowy height.
Each star its own aurora borealis, suddenly you held me tight
I could see the Midnight Sun.
I can't explain the silver rain that found me--or was that a moonlit veil?
The music of the universe around me, or was that a nightingale?
And then your arms miraculously found me,suddenly the sky turned pale,
I could see the Midnight Sun.
Was there such a night, it's a thrill I still don't quite believe,
But after you were gone, there was still some stardust on my sleeve.
The flame of it may dwindle to an ember, and the stars forget to shine,
And we may see the meadow in December, icy white and crystalline,
But oh my darling always I'll remember when your lips were close to mine,
And we saw the Midnight Sun
2010 Grammy Nominee - Roberta Gambarini - "So In Love" Documentary from doug yoel on Vimeo.
Chicago Jazz Magazine • “Pompe Is Still On Fire”
By Randy Freedman • September-October 2009
Veteran Chicago vocalist/pianist/songwriter Marc Pompe knows his way around the Chicago jazz scene as well as anyone can, possessing a wealth of experience from which to draw. His recent performance at Katerina’s Supper Club as a trio stood out from his typical performances, because that night he stepped away from the piano. As a rarity, instead of being his own accompanist, Pompe got the chance to fully concentrate on his vocal skills and song selection, while leaving the musical driving in the capable hands of guitarist Andy Brown and upright bass player Doug Hayes.
At the height of his long career, Pompe was not only one of the more popular male jazz vocalist in Chicago, but was in-demand nationally, performing dates at- among other venues- the prestigious Jilly’s in New York. Pompe left he limelight behind for a while to pursue a quieter, more peaceful lifestyle in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Upon his return to Chicago, Pompe found (as did many others) that the music scene had changed, and that it was more difficult for his to find work. Pompe could not regain the full extent of his previous popularity with audiences and club owners, though certainly not for lack of skill or effort: changing times had taken their toll.
Today, an ironic side effect of the current worldwide economic slowdown and one that actually favors musicians like Pompe- is that although there is less work overall for musicians in Chicago, vocalist who can accompany themselves on piano are in relatively greater demand than before. Despite the poor economy, Pompe appears regularly behind the piano of venues like Maggiano’s on Clark, McCormick & Schmick’s and the Chambers in Niles.
The opportunities to appear in a concert-like setting with other musicians are fewer for him, and made this performance at Katerina’s a relatively unique opportunity for Pompe and his fans.
Music highlights from this performance included “What Am I Here For” (Ellington and Hendricks) and “Old Chair” (Pompe), the songs sharing a Pompe specialty- the use of what he calls “a busy lyric.” These lyrics are pre-written by Pompe, which he incorporates into an existing song while improvising melody and tempo in a manner similar to “scat,” but using real words and sentences with meaning. Pompe has the annunciation and poise required to do this in a way that lets the listener hear and understand every word clearly, no matter how rapidly they are delivered.
Brown demonstrated his guitar skill by staying with Pompe no matter where his improvisational stylings took him. Other highlights where “Two For The Road,” Flying Down to Rio” and “The Best Thing For You Would Be Me”- all of which all featured great bow work by bassist Hayes.
Some vocalists may experiment with a new song the first few times they perform it, but eventually settle on one interpretation which makes them feel comfortable and seems to please their audience. Pompe seems to regard each new performance of a song the way a great painter does a fresh piece of canvas, and seizes every opportunity to re-examine and re-interpret melody and lyrics as they sound at the moment, in that room, with those instruments and those musicians, and tweak them as he pleases. No two performances are the same, and a careful listener can always find something new and different each time they hear him.
Pompe is every inch an original. He has a breezy, don’t-take-me-too-seriously-unless-I-want-you-to style that suggest an earlier jazz era, but is relevant to the here and now. Pompe can swing hard or can bring you sensitive phrasing and tempo to highlight the beauty of a lyric. Sometimes he does both within the very same song. Few other artists can match his variety of musical skills and imagination.
Progressive Jazz: How the Left’s ‘Teachable Moments’ Killed Bradley’s Michael Moriarty's poignant and on-target essay on the Progressive PC poisoning of jazz focused my attention on the Great Erroll Garner Click my post title for pure genius.
Errol Garner is ignored. It seems to me that Mr. Garner is ignored because he was not angry enough - to the contrary.
Garner remains unique. Playing consistently to a very high standard, he developed certain characteristics that bear few resemblances to other pianists. Notably, these include a plangent left-hand, block-chorded pulse, a dancing pattern of seemingly random ideas played with the right hand in chords or single notes, and playful introductions, which appear as independent miniature compositions, only to sweep suddenly, with apparent spontaneity and complete logic, into an entirely different song.
Sumptuously romantic on ballads, and fleet and daring on up-tempo swingers, Garner’s range was wide. Nicknamed ‘The Elf’, more, perhaps, for his diminutive stature than for the impish good humour of those introductions, Garner was the first jazz pianist since Fats Waller to appeal to the non-jazz audience, and the first jazzman ever to achieve popular acclaim from this audience without recourse to singing or clowning. Dudley Moore acknowledges much of his style to Garner, and ‘swinging 60s piano jazz’ owes a massive debt to him. Stylistically, Garner is in a category of which he is, so far, the only true member. Since his death in January 1977, there has been no sign that any other pianist other than Keith Jarrett is following his independent path in jazz.
My God, the politicizing of jazz had grown to a militant exclusivity that infuriated me!Big Hollywood 4/10/210
Had I not been with my director and had downed a few more drinks, I might have tipped over a few tables.
Now the atmosphere of this Nicole Henry album was inspired in one of the most jazz-addicted nations in the world, Japan.
They obviously retain a freedom within their increasingly sensitized souls more American than that most American giant of world cities, New York!!
Perhaps it was the moment the sportscaster, Dick Schapp asked me, “Michael, is there anyone in New York you haven’t offended?!”
“Yes,” I should have said, “You, Dick!”
Tighten the phones to your ears, if you’re using them to listen to the intimacy Ms. Henry maintains with herself – and that, mind you, is the first necessity of any recording … or film artist for that matter – and then let the “still, small voice” in.
Let the deep and quietly, blissfully disturbing surrender happen.
Bradley’s is no more and hasn’t lived for many years because once Bradley himself had died, his poor wife could not keep the Progressive Militants out.
That crowd of elitists, enlightened despots and intellectual supremacists had driven the regular customers like myself … had forced them out.
Eventually even they didn’t come.
Why?
They had no one to give a “teachable moment” to.
What happened to Bradley’s has now happened to all of America.
How long we will be in for this horrifyingly arrogant, “teachable endlessness” … and how long this soul-less and tragically American fascism can continue … will perhaps depend upon the depth of agony we all must feel repeatedly when the quintessentially American forms of music are fed to us as a privilege only afforded us by the Progressive dictators who claim to own it.
I am a
Canna
What Flower
Are You?
