Mar 23, 2011
Sunday evening, Spring sneaked in and finally put an end to the most tiresome winter I can recall.
Monday morning, we got an inch
or so of snow. More on Wednesday.
Sigh.
With Mother Nature failing to cooperate, the best way to get in a spring mood is to listen to some jazz with a spring theme. With that in mind, Podcast 212 features a variety of tunes, both instrumental and vocal, with Spring in the titles. Click here to enjoy:
Hank Jones - "Things Are So
Pretty In The Spring" from Urbanity. We're going
back to 1956 to take a track from Hank Jones' first LP and pick up
one of his originals. Someof the tracks on the album were solos,
and others trios with Ray Brown (bass) and Johnny Smith
(guitar).
Karrin Allyson - "It Might As
Well Be Spring" from I Didn't Know About You.
Speaking of first albums, this version of the Rodgers & Hammerstein
classic comes from Ms. Allyson;s 1992 debut. She adds a touch of
the bossa nova to this take, foreshadowing her future love of
Brazilian and French music she would tackle in later releases.
Dave Brubeck - "Springtime in Central Park" from Jazz Impressions of New York. What can be said about the venerable Mr. B that hasn't already? For almost ten years his quartet released a series of "Jazz Impressions" albums, this one from 1965, The band is at its peak - Brubeck pn piano,Paul Desmond on alto saxs, Gene Wright on bass and Joe Morello on drums.
Blossom Dearie - "They Say It's
Spring (Edited Version)" from Blossom Dearie. She
was a one of a kind singer, and here she is from her first major
release in 1956, featuring her on vocals and piano, Herb Ellis on
guitar and Jo Jones on drums.
Arturo Sandavol - "Joy Spring"
from Trumpet Evolution. The great Cuban trumpet
player paid homage to his heroes and mentors on this release. Here
he tackles a classic Clifford Brown tune.
Dianne Reeves - "Some Other
Spring" from The Grand Encounter. Arthur Herzog
Jr's tune becomes another triumph for Ms. Reeves.
Curtis Fuller - Title track from
Up Jumped Spring. One of the great trombonists in
jazz was 68 when he cut this version of the Freddie Hubbard tune,
which features Brad Goode on trumpet, Karl Montzka on piano, Larry
Gray on bass and Tim Davis on
drums.