Benny Golson in Osaka(3)

November 30. 2016

Photo from Benny Golson’s Official Website

Generally his composing skill has been drawing more attention than his saxophone performance.

However I like his saxophone sound.

Today I will post about his tenor saxophone.

He began to play a piano at age 9 with his mother’s suggestion and had a dream of becoming a concert pianist.

When he was at age 14, he discovered the saxophone and began to blow tenor saxophone since the age of 14.

As a matter of course he heard a famous tenor saxsophone players “Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster and others.

Photo above of Don Byas (photo from Jazz Profiles)

Especially his idol was Don Byas.

They were playing saxophones with a metal circle attaching the bell to the body of the saxophone.

He noticed that they all had Selmer saxophone.

He quickly went to a local music store to try out one of these saxophone.

Then he became the player of only Selmer saxophones including his soprano since 1951.

He says about Selmer saxophone: “Selmer makes the best instruments in the world.

I have joyfully and successfully played their saxophones since 1951”.

Here is “Benny Golson Interview on Selmer Saxophones”.

Here is “Benny Golson & the Henri Selmer reeds”

Here is Benny Golson plays “Killer Joe”.

Benny Golson in Osaka(2)

November 29. 2016

Photo of Miki Yamaoka and Benny Golson

Today I want to introduce about Miki Yamaoka’s work with Benny Golson.

In 1997 she recorded for the first time in NY.

Fortunately she had recorded “I Remember Clliford ” with Tommy Flanagan and Benny Golson.

That started a firm friendship between Miki Yamaoka and Benny Golson.

Then Benny Golson has cooperated to her as producer and music director and player.

Last week Benny Golson arrived to Narita airport.

He visited to play for 35th anniversary concert of Miki Yamaoka.

You can listen to “Love” at her website.Go here

About ‘One Day,Forever’,please refer to below website.

Go here.

Here is 「Dear Friends」recorded on March 9,2007 in N.Y.C.

Here is “MIKI YAMAOKA & BENNY GOLSON / 山岡未樹&ベニー・ゴルソン”

Benny Golson in Osaka(1)

November 28. 2016

Photo above, from left, Benny Golson,vocalist Miki Yamaoka, pianist Souichi Noriki,drummer Rikiya Higashihara,bassist Yoshihiro Tokiyasu at the RUG TIME OSAKA(Photo from Miki Yamaoka Facebook)

Yesterday I went to the terrific concert in Osaka.

Benny Golson visited to Japan for 35th anniversary concert of Japanese jazz singer Miki Yamaoka.

He came to Japan alone without his attendant.

Today I will post their ending tune  ”Blues March”.

The song is the composer’s acknowledgement of the early marching bands of New Orleans.

Benny Golson saluted the audience at the beginning and end of the song.

Also the drummer Rikiya Higashihara(東原力哉) was great.

It was wonderful to hear ”Blues March” by Higashihara’s drumming.

Photo from Rikiya Higashihara Website

Here is Benny Golson & Lee Morgan play “Blues March”(1958)

 

Jazz violinist(8)〜Jean-Luc Ponty

November 23. 2016

Jean-Luc Ponty’s accomplishments was evaluated one of key ambassadors of the violin.

He was born 29 September 1942 in Avranches, France.

When he was sixteen, he was admitted to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris.

After graduating two years later he was immediately hired by the major symphony orchestras Lamoureux.

One night after an orchestra concert he decided to become a jazz fiddler at local club.

Photo of his first album “Jazz Long Playing”

Then his notoriety grew by leaps and he released his debut solo album for Philips in 1964,”Jazz Long Playing”.

In 1966 he joined Violin Summit.

He played live in Basel, Switzerland on stage with such notable string players as Svend Asmussen, Stéphane Grappelli and Stuff Smith.

Photo of Frank Zappa and Jean-Luc Ponty

In 1969 Frank Zappa composed the music for Jean-Luc’s solo album King Kong.

Frank Zappa wanted him to join their tour.

So he emigrated with his wife and two young daughters to the United States.

In 2011, he was invited by Chick Corea to join the group Return to ForeverIV’.

He had first recorded with Corea on his 1976 solo album My Spanish Heart.

Along with Stephane Grappeli, he is considered to be the most outstanding and influential person as an European jazz violinist.

Here is Jean-Luc Ponty plays “Autumn Leaves”.

Here is David Sanborn & Jean-Luc Ponty play “Ruby My Dear” (Live on Night Music 1989).

Here is Jean-Luc Ponty plays “Mirage” live at Montreal Jazz Festival(1982)

Here is Frank Zappa and Jean-Luc Ponty live at Australia(1973)

Jazz violinist(7) 〜Stuff Smith

November 22. 2016

Photo of Stuff Smith by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Stuff Smith was born August 14, 1909 in Portsmouth, Ohio.

In the 1920s he played in Texas and after moving to New York City he performed regularly with his sextet at the Onyx Club starting in 1935.

“You’se a Viper“, and sometimes titled “If You’se a Viper“) is a jazz song composed by Stuff Smith.

He had took priority to thoroughly swing feel.

His playing style was to push the bow against the string and give out a sound.

Also, his attack was strong like the wind instruments and had the thick timbre.

In addition his pizzicato had a characteristic during his solo performance.

He is credited as being the first violinist to use electric amplification techniques on a violin.

He played with Dizzy Gillespie and JATP and Nat king Cole and Oscar Peterson and others.

Also it is interesting to play with Sun Ra.

Stuff Smith moved to Copenhagen in 1965, performed actively in Europe, and died September 25 1967 in Munich.

Stuff Smithは1909年8月14日、オハイオ州ポーツマスで生まれました。
1920年代にテキサス州でデビューしニューヨークに移住しました。
1935年に有名なthe Onyx Clubで定期的に演奏していました。
彼の演奏は典型的なスイングスタイルでした。弓を弦に押し付けて大きな音を出し、風のように響く音色は評判を呼びました。
又、ピチカートによるソロ演奏にも特徴がありました。
彼は初めてヴァイオリンに電気アンプを繋いだ演奏家としても有名です。
Dizzy Gillespieと共演し、JATPにも参加しました。
Nat King ColeやOscar Petersonとも共演しています。
前衛ジャズのSun Raとの共演は興味深いです。
Stuff Smithは1965年にコペンハーゲンに移り活動の拠点をヨーロッパに移しました。
1967年9月25日にミュンヘンで永眠しました。

Here is Stuff Smit and Ella & JATP play “It don’t mean a thing” (1958).

Here is Stuff Smith Quartet play “Bugle Call Blues” (Live 1965).

Stuff Smith (violin), Kenny Drew (p); Alex Riel(ds),Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen(b)

Here is Stuff Smith and Sun Ra.

Jazz violinist(6)〜Eddie South

Photo of Eddie South

November 21. 2016

Eddie South was born November 27, 1904 in Louisiana, Missouri.

He was nicknamed the “Dark Angel of the Violin” in the United States.

He was an African-American jazz violinist and studied at the Chicago College of Music.

At the time, classical violin positions were not open to Black violinists in the 1920s, so he switched to jazz.

He started his career playing in vaudeville and jazz orchestras with Freddie Keppard.

When he visited to Europe in the 1920s he was influenced by gypsy’s performance in Hungary and established his own style.

Photo from http://www.crommelin.org

In 1937 he revisited to Paris and performed and recorded with Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli.

He had an accurate pitch and graceful performance because he was educated classical music.

Also he played distinctive melancholy sounds and mellow phrases because he was influenced by gypsy music.

In addition his playing style had a strong attack and a firm touch.

Eddie South died on Apr. 25, 1962 in Chicago, Illinois.

Here is Eddie South & Stephane Grappelli play “Dinah”. (1937)

Here is Eddie South plays “Fiddle Blues”.

Here is Eddie South plays “Black Gypsy”.

Here is Eddie South plays “Oh, lady be good”.

Here is Eddie South, plays “Snowfall”.

Eddie South recorded with flute player Mark Simpton.

Here is they play “Music For The Birds”.

Jazz violinist(5)〜Joe Venuti

November 20. 2016

Four violinists were famous in the 20’s to 30’s,Stephan Grappelli, Joe Venuti, Eddie South, Stuff Smith.

Three people except Stephane Grappelli are Americans.

Joe Venuti was an immigrant from Italy.

He played lightly from salon style to aggressive solos, based on classical techniques.

He pioneered the use of string instruments in jazz along with the guitarist Eddie Lang, a friend since childhood.

He became extremely popular in New York in the the late 1920s and early 1930s.

He worked with Benny Goodman, Adrian Rollini, the Dorsey Brothers, Bing Crosby, Bix Beiderbecke, Jack Teagarden and others.

Unfortunately, after Eddie Lang’s death in 1933, Venuti’s career began to wane.

However by the violin’s revival boom of the 1960s he was reevaluated.

He recorded many albums until his death in 1978, and he was active in lifelong.

Whereas Grappelli was playing which was conscious of soft tone,Venuti’s improvisation was played at the center of treble.

His timbre is totally solid, and it gets a very sharp impression with a tight attack.

He suffered from alcoholism in his middle age, throughout the 1950s and early 1960s.

He died on August 14, 1978 in Seattle.

Here is Eddie Lang and Joe Venuti and their All Star Orchestra play “After You’ve Gone”. (1931)

Here is their rare clip:Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang play “Wild Cat”.

Here is Joe Venuti and Newport All Stars play “Sweet Georgia Brown”.(1969)

Here is Joe Venuti and George Barnes play “What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?”.

Here is Joe Venuti and Bucky Pizzarelli & Zoot Sims “Blue Four 1974 Jazz FULL ALBUM”

Joe Venuti And Zoot Sims(1~4)
Zoot Sims (ts) Joe Venuti (violin) Dick Hyman (p) Bucky Pizzarelli (g) Milt Hinton (b) Spencer Clark (bass sax) Cliff Leeman (ds)
NYC, May, 1974
(1)My Honey’s Lovin’ Arms
(2)Deep Night
(3)Remember
(4)I Got Rhythm

Jazz violinist(4)〜Stephane Grappelli

November 18. 2016

 

Stephane Grappelli left a prodigious body of recording with jazz legends.

Throughout the ’70s and ’80s, Grappelli made celebrated recordings with such greats as Oscar Peterson, Toots Theilemans, McCoy Tyner, and Gary Burton.

Also he had a particular liking for working with other violinists.

He recorded with Eddie South, Joe Venuti, Stuff Smith, Svend Asmussen, Jean Luc Ponty,Mark O’Connor and others.

Photo of Yo Yo Ma

He first played at Carnegie Hall in 1974 and returned there to celebrate his 80th birthday in 1988 with a concert which teamed him with the cellist Yo Yo Ma.

His playing continued to improve as he gave concerts in the 90s and his recording career.

Stephane Grappelli died on Dec. 1, 1997, at the age of 89.

Here is Stephane Grappelli and  Michel Petrucciani -play “Flamingo”.(1996)

Here is Baden Powell and Stephane Grappelli play “Meditação”.

Here is Stephane Grappelli with the Philharmonica Orchestra play “The Folks Who Live On The Hill” & “Night And Day.” (1984)

Here is Duke Ellington and Stéphane Grappelli (1973)

Here is Stéphane Grappelli and Yo-Yo Ma -play “So In Love”.

Jazz violinist(3) 〜Stephane Grappelli

November 17. 2016

Reinhardt and Grappelli played together up until the outbreak of World War 2.

At the outbreak of war they were performing in London.

Grappelli decided to reside in London while Reinhardt returned to France.

Photo of George Shearing

Grappelli soon formed a group with a young pianist named George Shearing, with whom he worked around England during and after the war.

He tried to re-form the Hot Club after the war.

Reinhardt and Grappelli were reunited in 1945, but by this time Reinhardt’s musical direction was changing.

Because Reinhardt played more use of electric guitar and more of a bebop sensibility.

Unfortuntely the quintette was never really re-established.

Then his music activity had been gradually declined.

Source: http://www.rirocks.net License: All Rights Reserved.

In 1969 Grappelli marked by his American debut at the Newport Jazz Festival.

He appeared as World’s Greatest Jazz Band with Maxine Sullivan July.5(Saturday 2:00PM).

He also worked with several classical masters.

As an event worthy of special mention, he played with violin virtuoso Yehudi Menuhin in 1971.

In fact their performance was a huge success with the public, and lead to a series of further appearances and six albums.

Here is Yehudi Menuhin & Stephane Grappelli play “Crazy Rhythm”.

Here is Stephane Grappelli and Yehudi Menuhin play “Jalousi”.

Here is Stéphane Grappelli, Yehudi Menuhin & Oscar Peterson Trio 1978

 

 

 

 

Jazz violinist(2)

November 15. 2016

Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelli

Stephan Grappelli and Django Reinhardt met at the Croix du Sud Montparnasse nightclub in early 1934.

They organized new band with the addition of two rhythm guitars and a double bass.

The member included Reinhardt’s brother Joseph, guitarist Roger Chaput and double bassist Louis Vola.

Left to right: Roger Chaput, Stéphane Grappelli, Louis Vola, Joseph Reinhardt and Django Reinhardt.

Their first engagement was organized by the Hot Club de France.

They became known as “the Quintette du Hot Club de France. ”

The band was one of the earliest and most influential jazz groups in Europe.

They toured Europe with a style of music dubbed “Gypsy Jazz.”

Grappelli said about the Quintette du Hot Club de France:

“One day he was strumming on his guitar, and Istarted to improvise with him.”

Also he said: “There were no microphones then, so it was hard for a violin to be heard.

It was a revolution to play jazz only with string instruments.”

I found a terrific article about the Quintette du Hot Club.Go here

Here is the rare clip of Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelli(1939) .

Here is Django Reinhardt & Stéphane Grappelli play “Minor Swing”.

Here is The Quintette du Hot Club de France play “The Sheik of Araby”.(1937)