Tag: jazz

Rufus Wainwright | Zing Went the Strings of My Heart

In 2006, “Rufus Wainwright did something extraordinary – even bizarre: he performed a cover version of an entire concert,” (The Guardian). “Judy Garland’s 1961 performance at Carnegie Hall is a legendary night in showbiz, marking a comeback after a period of ill-health and addiction in order to claim her crown as the world’s greatest entertainer.

Wainwright, who had his own crystal-meth-afflicted dark night of the soul in the late 90s, decided to sing the whole thing from beginning to end, including the parts where Garland forgets the words (in You Go to My Head), on the very boards the resurgent diva trod. Part homage, part exorcism, part formidable technical exercise, it was also an experiment: what would happen when the voice of the present sings the songs and evokes the spirits of the past?”

One of the most energetic tunes of the show, “Zing Went the Strings of My Heart,” shows off the big band accompaniment beautifully. Wainwright turns in a rock solid vocal performance; freed from his usual self-accompaniment duties on piano or guitar, his energy is channeled into belting his vocals in a manner worthy of Garland’s memory. To say he’s not much of a hoofer would be a huge understatement, but Wainwright is in on the joke as he tosses off a goofy dance break during the tune’s midsection. The tune shifts up a half step at 2:26.

Garland’s original 1961 Carnegie Hall performance:

Postmodern Jukebox | Criminal

“Imagine wandering into a nightclub somewhere on the outskirts of time. A classic jukebox in the corner plays timeless music with oddly familiar modern lyrics, incongruously marrying the 21st-century party vibe of Miley Cyrus or the minimalist angst of Radiohead with the crackly warmth of a vintage 78 or the plunger-muted barrelhouse howl of a forgotten Kansas City jazzman,” (Concord.com). “The dance floor is full of revelers twerking in poodle skirts, while at the bar, well-heeled hipsters balance a martini in one hand with a smartphone in the other.

If such a place actually exists, no doubt the soundtrack is Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox. Founded by pianist and arranger Scott Bradlee in 2009, the ensemble reimagines contemporary pop, rock, and R&B hits in the style of various yesteryears, from swing to doo-wop, ragtime to Motown – or, as Bradlee himself puts it, ‘pop music in a time machine.’ The band parlayed a series of YouTube videos shot in Bradlee’s Queens living room into massive success, accruing more than 450 million YouTube views and over 2 million subscribers, an appearance on Good Morning America, and performances at packed houses across the globe.”

On PMJ’s 2016 cover of “Criminal,” according to the tune’s Youtube description, “the sultry Ariana Savalas returns to take Fiona Apple’s 1997 hit … back a half century, to the heyday of the torch song.” The tune is built primarily in A minor with forays into C minor, but there are moments when the bass line moves chromatically, not diatonically — only adding to the slinky feel of the lyrics. The bridge (2:49 – 3:16) shifts to Eb minor, driven by Dixieland filigree. At 3:16, an upward shift leads to a closing chorus, this time in D minor.

Stan Getz | Aguas de Marco

“It wouldn’t take much to persuade me to argue the case for ‘Águas de Março’ — in English, ‘The Waters of March’ — being not just the greatest song of the bossa nova era, or even the greatest Brazilian song ever written, but one of the greatest songs of the 20th century,” (TheBlueMoment.com).

“Jobim’s song is a list of things: just things. It starts with things you might find flushed out by Brazil’s autumn rains. Naturally, it sounds better in the frictionless Portuguese spoken and sung by Brazilians … The images and thoughts skip by on a snatch of melody, repetition building a hypnotic momentum, the harmonies descending beneath it like a stream running between rocks.”

Stan Getz’s 1976 version begins in B major for the Portuguese section (João Gilberto), shifting to A major for the English portion at 1:05 (Heloisa Buarque de Hollanda, also known as “Miucha”). The track later modulates to C major as Getz’s tenor saxophone solo is featured (2:47). As the tune draws to a close, Gilberto rejoins the mix and enters a dialogue with Getz. On the final fade-out, the beginnings of a new verse softly gather, only to be gently washed away.

Yellowjackets | It’s Almost Gone

A nearly criminally overdue MotD debut for Yellowjackets, a band which was centrally important to the sound of jazz fusion in the 1980s and has continued its work into the 2020s. “Most contemporary jazz or instrumental pop albums released over the past 25 years owe one thing or another to the style and sound advanced by this 1981 (self-titled) debut (AllAboutJazz.com) … keyboardist, composer and arranger Russell Ferrante pulled drummer Ricky Lawson and bassist Jimmy Haslip into his fledgling swarm … ‘It wasn’t like the earlier fusion of the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever, which was a very chopped kind of rock sound,’ recalls Ferrante. ‘We were influenced by fusion that was more melodic and compositional.'”

“A leading crossover jazz outfit, Yellowjackets found success combining polished funk and R&B grooves with a strong post-bop- and fusion-influenced sound (AllMusic) … In addition to their commercial success, they picked up accolades including the Grammy for R&B Instrumental Performance for “And You Know That” off 1986’s Shades, and the Grammy for Jazz Fusion Performance for 1989’s Politics. The band’s ability to balance crossover appeal with a dedication to improvisational excellence has attracted top-level players over the years.”

“… Ferrante introduces and closes ‘It’s Almost Gone’ with sadly beautiful solo piano,” (AllAboutJazz) but the tune’s midsection is something entirely different. The track begins in F# minor, with the bass line descending in alternating major and minor thirds. At 0:14, an identical pattern starts, but this time in G# minor. The pattern continues as a rangy melody is added at 0:30. A “B” section provides contrast from 1:33 – 1:53 before the initial F# minor section returns — this time with a 6/8 groove, complete with an insistent syncopated overlay, until a gentle outro mirrors the feel of the track’s opening.

Sergio Mendes + Brasil ’66 | The Joker

“Musician Herb Alpert, co-founder of the highly successful A&M record label, was so keen on a newly signed act that he lent his name to the group’s debut LP; Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66,” (San Diego Troubador). “The album’s back cover featured straight forward liner notes by Alpert and the creative wordplay of Beatles’ publicist Derek Taylor. Alpert’s hunch about the group would eventually exceed all expectations; for the remainder of the decade, the sound of Brasil ’66, a tempting mixture of bossa nova/samba and “Bacharachesque” arrangements, was seldom out of the spotlight. With consistent Top 40 hits, launched by the groundbreaking single,”Mas Que Nada,” Brasil ’66 was a fixture on AM radio, television variety shows, and concert stages around the globe.

… Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66 joined the 2012 class of “Historically Significant Recordings.” His LP was in good company: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” Speech, the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street, and Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA were among the other recordings to enter the class. These selections found a permanent home in the Grammy Hall of Fame.”

After a start in a slightly de-tuned G minor, “The Joker” features a transitional section (1:10 – 1:25) which leads us up to A minor. The transition later repeats, but this time with no additional upward modulation. The live version has somewhat lower sound quality and doesn’t allow for embedding, but please check it out as well! Many thanks to our regular contributor Jamie A. for this submission.

Sarah Vaughan | Obsession

“Bop’s greatest diva, Sarah Vaughan was among jazz and popular music’s supreme vocalists,” (Qobuz). “She treated her voice as an instrument, improvising melodic and rhythmic embellishments, using her contralto range to make leaps and jumps, changing a song’s mood or direction by enunication and delivery, and altering her timbre … Vaughan’s recorded legacy stands with anyone in modern jazz history,” working with the likes of Billy Eckstine, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Budd Johnson, Clifford Brown, Cannonball Adderley, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson, and many other jazz legends from the 1940s onward. “Nicknamed ‘Sassy’ and ‘The Divine One’, Vaughan won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine Grammy Awards. She was given an NEA Jazz Masters Award in 1989. Critic Scott Yanow wrote that she had ‘one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century,'” (New York Times).

“Militant jazz fans aren’t likely to cite Brazilian Romance as the place to start exploring the work of Sarah Vaughan. The album was made in 1987, near the end of the great jazz singer’s recording career … the songs aren’t the expected dinner-music standards, but more intricate post-bossa nova songs written by Milton Nascimento … Vaughan was, arguably, the foremost interpreter of Brazilian music in jazz history … Recorded three years before she died, it’s her equivalent of Johnny Cash’s American Recordings — full of contemporary spirit, propelled by a timeless voice.” (NPR). Featuring Hubert Laws on flute and George Duke on keyboards, “Obsession,” the eighth of the album’s ten tracks, was produced by Sergio Mendes.

The intro, in Bb minor, rapidly shifts to G minor for the first verse at 0:22. 0:54 brings a change in emphasis to G minor’s relative major of Bb. An instrumental interlude that mirrors the intro kicks in at 1:17. There’s an instrumental interlude with new material from 1:59 – 2:11, bringing us back more familiar territory — led throughout by Vaughan’s legendarily distinctive contralto.


Lester Young Trio | Body and Soul

“In the 1930s, Lester Young — known as the “President of Jazz” or simply “The Prez” — led a revolution on the tenor saxophone that influenced generations to follow,” (NPR). “He was Billie Holiday’s favorite accompanist, and his robust tenor playing influenced everybody from Charlie Parker to Sonny Rollins. Young was famous for his porkpie hat and his hipster language, but he’ll always be remembered for his remarkable solos.

Young said that even though he became famous with the Count Basie Orchestra, he didn’t like big bands. ‘I don’t like a whole lot of noise — trumpets and trombones … I’m looking for something soft. It’s got to be sweetness, man, you dig?'”

Young’s ideal soft sound was certainly central to this 1942 version of his composition “Body and Soul,” accompanied by an early-career Nat King Cole (billed as just “King Cole” on the recording) on piano and Red Callender on bass. The middle 8, first heard from 0:58 – 1:23, starts a half-step above the home key; its second half is a half-step below it. This is the third version of this jazz standard we’ve featured on MotD, perhaps because the key changes couldn’t be more innovative or distinctive!

Robert Glasper Experiment | Trust

“On Black Radio 2 (2013), the Robert Glasper Experiment attempts the near impossible: create a sequel that delivers fully on the promise of its groundbreaking, Grammy-winning predecessor,” (Qobuz). “Glasper’s group — bassist Derrick Hodge, Casey Benjamin on vocoder and synth, and drummer Mark Colenburg — again enlists a stellar cast of vocalists.

Instead of relying on covers, this set is almost entirely comprised of originals. There is an organic feel as well: there are no programmed loops on the record; everything was played live … Black Radio 2 is much more subtle than its predecessor. While it’s true that it possesses fewer standout performances, it’s wholly consistent, and on some level, it’s braver for relying on original material to carry it. It requires more listening to appreciate fully. Taken as a whole, however, it serves and fulfills the role of a sequel: the album deepens the band’s music-making aesthetic, and further establishes their sound not only as a signature, but even, perhaps, as its own genre.”

Co-written by Glasper and the track’s vocalist, Marsha Ambrosius, “Trust” starts in Eb minor; the chorus shifts into F dorian at 1:08, cycling through an incongruous but compelling G/A chord at the end of each phrase (first heard at 1:12). The short loop occurs a total of four times before the next verse begins at 1:36, reverting to the original key. The two key areas alternate from there.

Brian McKnight (feat. Take 6) | Bless This House

“Bless This House,” originally published in 1927 and written by Helen Taylor and May Brahe, is the final track on American singer Brian McKnight’s 2008 album I’ll Be Home For Christmas, his second holiday record. The track also features the a cappella group Take 6, known for their synthesis of jazz and spiritual themes.

The tune begins in Bb and shifts up to B at 1:48. A subtle transition to C major occurs around 3:29.

Adam Hawley (feat. Julian Vaughn) | God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Guitarist Adam Hawley released his first holiday album, What Christmas Means To Me, this past October. On this track, the second on the record, he features Kansas City-based bassist Julian Vaughn.

The track begins in E minor and shifts abruptly up to F minor at 2:25.