Remembering Art Blakey: Live in Sanremo - Italy (1963)

Today was Art Blakey's birthday, he was born  october 11, 1919 and died october 16, 1990, just five days after his seventyfirst anniversary.

In 1963 he arrived in Italy to partecipate at 8th International Jazz Festival in Sanremo with his Jazz Messengers including Freddie Hubbard: trumpet, Wayne Shorter: sax, Curtis Fuller: trombone, Cedar Walton:piano, Reggie Workman: bass, one of his best line-up.

We want to remember him with the following video, in which you can see the whole concert, about one hour of exciting music.

Jazz Live in Europe: Chet Baker in Oslo (1983)

In august 1983 Chet Baker had some concerts in Oslo (Norway) supported by the Norwegian pianist Per Husby and his trio. Two of those sets were published posthumously  in a rare CD some years after.

part I [flac]

part II [flac]

Chet plays some long solos and he never seems to get tired or run out of ideas. In addition of some his favorite tunes of Hal Galper and Tad Dameon he does some nice playing on the standard Polka Dots and Moonbeams, a tune he didn't play much in those years.

The recording quality is not excellent, for a lot of talking and other noises, but the Chet performance lives them down.

Jazz Live in Italy: Remembering Jackie McLean on his birthday.

The alto saxophonist Jackie McLean was born in New York May 17, 1931 and died March 31, 2006. We want to remember him here in his last exibition in Italy at Umbria Jazz 2004, with a quintet including his son René, a good hard bop tenor saxophonist, Alan Palmer: piano, Nat Reeves: bass, Eric McPherson: drums. 
In the first two videos they play the classic standard of Thelonious Monk 'Round Midnight.

In the following two we can listen to a composition of Jackie McLean The Rhythm of the Earth

Jazz Live in Italy: Jimmy Giuffre Trio in Rome (1959)

During his european tour, organized in 1959 by Norman Granz, Jimmy Giuffre (1921-2008) had with his unusual trio a concert in Rome, june 19, at Teatro Adriano.

We can show here the most part of that exibition with a young Jim Hall, guitar and Buddy Clark, bass.

The first "tema" was a composition of John Lewis taken by the repertory of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Before an introduction of the concert, in a good italian, by Norman Granz.

The second tune is the well known composition of Giuffre: Four Brothers, famous for the four saxes arrangement, that he made for the Woody Herman orchestra.

The following tune is a composition of Jim Hall: Careful, 

The new tune is another original composition by Giuffre: Princess

A new one original composition by Giuffre: The Little Melody

The exibition was concluded with Time Machine by Giuffre

For that I know the Trio with Buddy Clark never was recorded in studio, so those videos are the only existing attestation.

Jazz Live in Europe: The Jazztet at Jazz Baltica 1997: an Historical Revival.

In Salzau (Germany) during the Jazz Baltica Festival, 1997 June 14^th, the program put together again, about 35 years after, Art Farmer (1928 - 1999) and Benny Golson (1929) leaders of an historical group “The Jazztet” that, during his three years of existence (1959-62), was, along with The Jazz Messengers of Art Blakey and the Horace Silver qintet, the definitive hard bop combo.

In that occasion some other famous musicians play along with them as Milt Jackson (1923-1999), N-H. Ø. Pedersen (1946-2005), Kenny Kirkland (1955-1998), Toots Thielemans (1922), ecc..

In the following video we can appreciate the best known I Remember Clifford, inevitable performance in a concert with his author Benny Golson.

Also the following video is a famous tune composed by Golson Whisper Not 

In the next video we can listen to the classic tune of Milt Jackson Bags Groove in a special performance with Toots Thielemans as guest

The following tune, also composed by Milt Jackson, S.K.J. is performed by the pianist Kenny Kirkland who in that evening took the place that in the original combo was of McCoy Tyner

This last video presents a classic tune Afternoon in Paris composed by John Lewis for the Modern Jazz Quartet,  here rappresented by Milt Jackson

A very interesting evening in which we can see a page of history of jazz.

Zoot Sims in Sweden with Red Mitchell (1984)

Zoot Sims (1925-1985) "was one of a group of tenor saxophonists born in the mid-1920s whose early professional experience came in big bands and who idolized Lester Young. The basic jazz skills of most of these reedmen were developed by the time they had reached their early twenties. But their styles flowered in the bebop atmosphere in which jazz matured so dramatically following World War II." (Steven A. Cerra - Jazz Profiles, march 20, 2009).

He was well known as one of the Woody Herman's Four Brothers (with Stan Getz, Herbie Steward and Serge Chaloff).

He played with many stars as Count Basie, Gerry Mulligan, Oscar Peterson, Art Pepper, Jim Hall, Hank Mobley and many others.

His career was struck down by a cancer at only 59 years.

Few months before his death he was in Sweden and, in a private house, with Red Mitchell at bass and Rude Gustafsson at guitar (porbably the householder) recorded the following rare videos. They play some classics standards, in which we can appreciate the sensibillity of Sims. 

In a Sentimental Mood - Zoot Sims di boberwig

Sweet lorraine Zoot Sims Red Mitchell 19 di boberwig

Gone with the Wind - Zoot Sims 1984 di boberwig

Castle blues - Zoot Sims 1984 di boberwig

Autumn Leaves - Zoot Sims 1985 di boberwig

These are, probably, the last video images of the artist.

Jazz Live in Europe: Oscar Peterson and Count Basie Together in Prague (1974)

In november 1974 Oscar Peterson was in concert at Prague Jazz Festival, and after some takes in solo and in duo with N-H. Ø. Pedersen, as the following exciting Mack the Knife, 

he invited Count Basie, who had to play after with his orchestra, to joint him on stage.

They played, with a rhythm session (Pedersen, Freddie Green and Skeets Marsh), the following three tracks,

Royal Garden - Basie, Peterson di boberwig

Blues in G -Peterson-Basie 1974 di boberwig

Jumpin' at the woodside - Peterson:Basie di boberwig

What can we say? Only invite you to enjoy these two fantastic jazz masters.

Jazz Live in Europe: Enrico Rava quintet at Sibiu Jazz Festival (Romania) 2007

The well known italian jazz trumpet player Enrico Rava with some of the most interesting italian jazz players: Gianluca Petrella (tbn), Andrea Pozza (piano), Rosario Bonaccorso (bs) and Emanuele Maniscalco caught during the Sibiu Jazz Festival in Romania in summer 2007

In the following video you can see the whole concert in a good quality.

Enrico Rava Quint. - Live at Sibiu Jazz Festival 2007 

Jazz Live in Italy: Charles Mingus quintet at Umbria Jazz 1974

Umbria Jazz is the most important and well known Italian Jazz Festival, that next year will reach its 40^th anniversary.

1974 was the second year of life and program was rich and ambitious, spread on different towns 

and including many important artists as Gerry Mulligan with Mariam McPartland, Keith Jarett, Horace Silver presenting two hopeful young artists: Tom Harrell and Bob Berg, Antony Braxton, Sam Rivers, Sonny Stitt, the Big bands of Gil Evans and of Thad Jones & Mel Lewis, and Charles Mingus New Group.

This last group was a kind of All Stars, with the leader, playing bass, there were George Adams (ten. sax), Hamiet Bluiett (bar. sax) Don Pullen (piano) and Dannie Richmond (drm).

In the following video it's possible to appreciate the central nucleus of a gorgeous concert of this group, performed in Todi on july 28, 1974 (not 1975 as wrongly written on video; the town is clearly Todi and in 1975 Mingus had only one date in Perugia with a little different group).

Charles Mingus quintet - Live at Umbria Jazz 1974 di giangijazz

The three themes played were:

1. Flowers for a Lady (aka Angry Reds)
2. Devil Blues (aka Stormy and Funky Blues)
3. Opus 3 (aka Squeezed Strings)

This about half an hour of exciting music, in front of an enthusiastic pubblic, is a great page of jazz played by five excellent musicians. Unfortunatly only one of them, Hamiet Bluiett, is still in life today.

Jazz Live in Europe: Woody Herman in Antibes (Cote d'Azur - France 1965)

An interesting rare recording of Woody Herman and his Swinging Herd taken in Antibes (Cote d'Azur-France) during his European tournée of 1965.

NEW LINK

Woody Herman - "Live in Antibes"

28 July, 1965 

Woody Herman (cl, s.alto); 

Bill Chase, Don Rader, Gerald Lamy, Dusko Gojkovic, Robert Shew (tp); 

Ron Myers, Don Doane, Henry Southall (tb); 

Sal Nistico, Andy Mc Ghee, Gary Klein (ts); 

Tom Anastas (bs); 

Nat Pierce (p); Antony Leonardi (b); Ronnie Zito (dm)

Tracks

1. Blue Flame (J. Noble)  0'45 

2. The Preacher (H. Silver)  4'30 

3. Wailling In The World (G. Roland)  3'57 

4. Hallelujah Time (O. Peterson)  3'21 

5. Satin Doll (Elington/Strayhorn)  3'43 

6. Somewhere (L. Bernstein)  4'24 

7. Four Brothers (J. Giuffre)  3'32 

8. Early Autumn (R. Burns)  4'08 

9. Medley:  

- - Rose Room (Williams/Hickman) 

- - In A Mellowtone (Ellington/Gabler)

- - Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Ellington/Russell) 6'18 

10. 23 Red (B. Chase)  3'37 

11. Northwest Passage (Herman/Jackson/Burns) 6'07 

12. Watermelon Man (H. Hancock)  7'39 

13. I Remember Cliford (B. Golson) 5'40

14. Caldonia (F. Moore) 6'35

15. Blue Flame (J. Noble) 0'57

Jazz Live in Italy: The Giants of Jazz in Milano (1971)

At the beginning of the 70s the producer George Wein had the opportunity to put together some of the main stars of the Bebop era: Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt, Kay Winding, Thelonious Monk, Al McKibbon and Art Blakey. The group was named The Giants of Jazz  and for about one year had a successful tournée around the world. 

On 1971, october 20, played at Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milano. 

New Link

Personnel

Dizzy Gillespie (tr)

Kay Winding (tbn)

Sonny Stitt (sax a)

Thelonious Monk (piano)

Al McKibbon (bs)

Art Blakey (drm)

tracks

01. I Mean You (T. Monk)  11'48

02. 'Round Midnight (T. Monk) 08'05

03. Tour de Force (D. Gillespie) 13'22

04. Tin Tin Teo (Chano Pozo-Gil Fuller) 09'58

05. Lover Man (Ramirez-Davis-Sherman) 04'29

06. Woody'n You (D. Gillespie) 9'36

07. Don't Blame Me (Jimmy McHugh-Dorothy Fields) 03'39

08. Night in Tunisia (D. Gillespie-F. Paparelli) 7'47

The following video was taken in Holland during the same tournée 

Jazz Live in Europe: Max Roach quintet feat. Abbey Lincoln in Paris 1964

A rare concert of the Max Roach quintet with the voice of Abbey Lincoln, at that time wife of Roach, performed in Paris on January 18, during the European tournée of 1964.

This exibition in front of an enthusiastic pubblic make, at that time, a great stir. Here we have only the fist part of that evening. In the second part was presented a new version of the Freedom Now Suite.  

NEW LINK 

Personnel

Clifford Jordan (sax t)

Coleridge T. Perkins (piano)

Eddie Kahn (bs)

Max Roach (drm)

Abbey Lincoln (voc. in *)

Tracks

1. This Night Mountain (Max Roach) 13'15

2. Ceciliana (Max Roach) 6'10

3. Mop Mop (Dalmerious-Williams) 5'45

4. Jordu (Duke Jordan) 6'25

5. Sophisticated Lady (Ellington-Mills) 6'15

6. Who Will You Buy? (Lionel Bart) 2'25 *

7. Love for Sale (Cole Porter) 4'10 *

8. Long as You are Living (Brown- Priester- Turrentine) 5'45 *

In the following video, taken in Belgium, during the same tournée, the group plays Driva Man from the Freedom Now Suite.