Mar 27, 2016
The song of the day is Irving Berlin's "Easter Parade", performed by Sarah Vaughan and Billy Eckstine and released on their 1957 album Sarah Vaughan and Billy Eckstine Sing the Best of Irving Berlin. Although Vaughan had made many recordings with Eckstine, this was their only album together.
Writing a song about...
Mar 25, 2016
In keeping with the theme of presenting spiritual music performed by jazz artists this week, here is "Crucifixion", a traditional spiritual with a copyright credited to its arranger, Jester Hairston.
Hairston (1901-2000) was a prolific composer and arranger of African-American music. In addiiton to dozens of arrangments...
Mar 24, 2016
The fine blog Any Major Dude with Half a Heart (dig that Steely Dan reference) has always gone deep into the crates for goodies, usually of the soul variety. For Holy Thursday, celebrated by Catholics around the world, he has a real winner. Visit his page for David Axelrod's "Holy Thursday". As he says on...
Mar 21, 2016
Marc Copland’s music career started with a sax, but he’s made his name as a pianist. Hailing from Philadelphia, Copland was a peer of Michael Brecker, and the pair often studied and played together. Copland attended Columbia University, where he eventually landed in the influential Chico Hamilton Quartet, meeting...
Mar 20, 2016
The Spring is truly the season of spiritual awakening and celebration. Holy week for those of the Christian faith is underway, coming early on the calendar this year. As a result, the Jewish holiday of Purim, rather than Passover, tis this coming week. The festival of Vaisaki, celebrated by Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs...