As I write this, Vince Guaraldi's classic album 'Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus' is spinning on the turntable. "Moon River", to be specific. Guaraldi always did dig a good Mancini tune. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Some context is in order. For years now, I've gravitated towards playing that special brand (some would say [...]
Yesterday, October 26th, the world of comedy lost one of its more original and trailblazing members when Mort Sahl passed away. At 94 years old, he had certainly seen a lot, and his acerbic wit and style of comedy was directed not only at daily observations and absurdities but at political figures. From the beginning [...]
Well, jello again. It's ME, Jack Benny. No, but seriously, after a lengthy pause, I'm back, and boy do I have a lot of albums that I'm excited to share with you all. Lots. But before taking that plunge into the sea of the new and exciting, here's an old and familiar album that I've [...]
To say these are uncertain times would be an understatement. Every day there seems to be more bad news, more news of orders and decrees going into action that further disrupt our daily life. In times like these, my records mean more to me than almost anything else. They're a sonic refuge, a place to [...]
There aren't very many albums that I can listen to nonstop repeatedly day and night for years without needing to shelve it for a while. Even fewer are albums that continue to surprise me with each listen, almost becoming more fresh with each play. This record is one of those rarities. The Music The Tune: [...]
Taking a (momentary) break from Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond, here's another college concert album, this time recorded on the Best Coast in California. Following the example of his one-time leader Dave Brubeck (told you it was momentary), Cal Tjader took his good vibes directly to the students via college appearances. Luckily, Fantasy had a [...]
No, this is not deja vu. Well, it is but it isn't. This may technically be the same album as the one I just wrote about, but there's a two-inch difference that is rather significant. Does size matter? To the music! The Music The Tune: "The Way You Look Tonight" Recorded: 2 March, 1953 at [...]
Due to recent events, I decided to switch gears a bit and delve into another form of live jazz: Jazz with a learned twist. And if you want to talk about jazz at college, there's no better place to start than the granddaddy of all college jazz albums.The Music The Tune: "Perdido" Recorded: 2 March, [...]
Continuing the exploration of jazz clubs via records in my collection, and after checking clubs out on the eastern side of the United States, this post marks our foray into the West Coast scene. Naturally, we start in California, and if we're in California, naturally we begin in San Francisco. And if we're in San [...]
After spending time in the jazz capital of the world (New York City), it's time to explore some other jazz clubs. But before we leave the East Coast, there's another spot that is worth checking out. We're headed to Massachusetts. The city? Boston. The club? Storyville. It's another exploration in 'Nightclub Jazz', the sub-genre of [...]
It's A Raggy Waltz 