Charlie Parker plays Cole Porter

 One of a set of Parker reissues from Verve in glorious mono. Also it was sadly reissued "electronically reprocessed for stereo". This is the shit boys and girls. Scraped right off the vinyl that is older than me.

The alternate take of "I Love Paris" is one of the sexiest songs ever recorded. Had I been aware it years ago, it would have ended up on one of those largely ineffectual seduction cassettes that lonely music geeks were known to make.
 Recorded in 1955, I believe this lp reissue is from 1968. At 44 years of age, this platter is starting to show a little wear. Never the less it still feels good to wrap around it once in awhile.

This post is somewhat cobbed from my sadly neglected Cole Porter blog.

the genius of Charlie Parker #5
Charlie Parker plays Cole Porter

1. I Get A Kick Out Of You*
2. I Get A Kick Out Of You (alt.)*
3. Just One Of Those Things*
4. My Heart Belongs To Daddy*
5. I've Got You Under My Skin*
6. Love For Sale+
7. Love For Sale (alt.)+
8. I Love Paris+
9. I Love Paris (alt.)+

Charlie Parker - alto
Roy Haynes - drums *
Art Taylor - drums +
Jerome Darr - guitar*
Billy Bauer - guitar +
Kenny Kotick - bass
Walter Bishop, Jr. - piano

MG V-8007

Johnny Hodges - Rippin' & Runnin'

Every once in a while a Saturday night needs to be about fun. Not perfection, not whats great...just fun. This lp is all about that premise.
The only real star here is Hodges, the rest... a bunch of unknowns who share the same 15 minutes.

Who can ever fault Johnny Hodges? He's a freaking legend.

Johnny Hodges

Rippin & Runnin'

1. Cue Time
2. Rio Secundo
3. Jeep Bounces Back
4. Rippin' and Runnin'
5. Touch Love
6. Tell Everybody's Children
7. Moonflower

Hodges - alto sax
Freddie Waits - drums
Ron Carter - bass
Wilie Gardner - organ
Jimmy Podner - guitar

recorded 12/68

Verve V6-8753

Bill Evans - Trio '64

I love this quiet early Evans trio record. Even though I just posted Evans a couple of days ago, this recording seems to sit perfectly with the 22 inches of snow I got. I suppose that justifies the version of "Santa Claus" included on this lp.

What may seem like a light, dismissable recording stands the test of time come daylight.

Had this record been recorded just a few years later, it would have been a CTI release. And it sounds every bit like one.

And it heralds the great things by Evans yet to come.

And totally unrelated to the music, a fantastic cover.

Bill Evans Trio
Trio '64

1. Little Lulu
2. A Sleeping Bee
2. Always
4. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
5. I'll See You Again
6. For Heaven's Sake
7. Dancing In The Dark
8. Everything Happens To Me

Bill Evans - piano
Gary Peacock - bass
Paul Motian - drums

recorded 12/18/63. NYC

Verve V-8578

Dizzy Gillespie - Have Trumpet.../ The Ebulliant...

Tonight, a pair of overlooked Dizzy lps on the Verve label.
The first one is covers, mostly standards, with the exception of his own Woody'n You which has found its way into the bop standards in it's own right. Full of grace and lyricism and no less tha a dash of humor and you'll find this recording can hold its own against any middle period Gillespie lp. Upon archiving these, the one thing that took me by surprise was Les Spann's flute and guitar work. I have long considered those to be some of my least favorite instruments in the jazz idiom. The guitar I had come to accept as a necessary evil but the flute I still avoided like the plague. Turns out the flute is like cold beets. I don't mind at all, and even enjoy them in medium doses. Surely wouldn't want a steady diet of beets (or flute, for that matter) but damn if I didn't find myself digging it way beyond what I had ever thought I would. I guess growing older does open the possibilities for new things. Who knew?

The second lp, finds Dizzy sporting the same band but with the inclusion of Chino Pozo on congas, it takes a decidedly more percussive flair. While nothing will top the Cole Porter cover on the last record, over all I find this lp more interesting.
Since he takes great liberties with Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac; Always, and Willow Weep For Me are the only straight forward standards on this lp.

As Dizzy had been working this combo in the clubs for awhile, I'm assuming these songs were comfortable for all, and so the recording sessions were very relaxed and highly entertaining.

For the record, Chino Pozo was said to be the nephew of the more famous Chano Pozo.

I have not been able to listen to one of these records without pulling out the other immediately for many years now. I hope you enjoy this pair together as I have.

Dizzy Gillespie
Have Trumpet, Will Excite

1. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
2. My Man
3. Moonglow
4. St. Louis Blues
5. Woody'n You
6. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
7. There Is No Greater Love
8. I Found A Million Dollar Baby In The Five And Ten Cent Store

Dizzy Gillespie
The Ebullient Mr. Gillespie

1. Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac
2. Always
3. Willow Weep For Me
4. Ungawa
5. Lorraine
6. Girl Of My Dreams
7. Constantinople
8. The Umbrella Man

Dizzy Gillespie - trumpet. vocals
Junior Mance - piano
Les Spann - flute, guitar
Sam Jones - bass
Lex Humphries - drums
Francisco "Chino" Pozo - conga drums


MG V-8313

MG V-8328

Once again - my apologies as these were taken from my less than perfect vinyl copies.