Wednesday 15 October 2014

PART 2: GREATEST JAZZ ARTISTS TO WALK THE EARTH

PART 2 of the GREATEST JAZZ ARTISTS TO WALK THIS EARTH
No list will ever be totally satisfactory because someone always get left out - but we made a good start with PART 1 and we continue with the wonderful tenor saxophone of BEN WEBSTER - OK we featured him in Part 1 but what the hell - he was such a great player!
Julian "CANNONBALL" ADDERLEY a marvellous alto saxophone player of the Hard-Bop school - worked with Miles Davis on the epochal album "Kind of Blue" - had a big hit recording with "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy"


ART TATUM has to be considered the KING OF THE PIANO - his technique and brilliance shine throughout his life. All great pianists revered Art Tatum - the solo series and other recordings recorded by Norman Granz for his Verve Label are classics


CLARK TERRY'S career has spanned 70 years - Born December 14, 1920 in St Louis, Missouri he is still playing bless him. One of the all time greats - worked with Dule Ellington, Count Basie, Quincy Jones, Charlie Barnet, Oscar Peterson, Charles Mingus, Yusef Lateef, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and many others

ORNETTE COLEMAN one of the major innovators of what became known as "free jazz"in the 1960's and continuing until today. Played with Paul Bley, Charlie Haden, Don Cherry, Eric Dolphy, Jackie McLean, Pat Metheny and his excellent drummer son Denardo Coleman. His album "The Shape of Jazz to Come" was described as a "watershed event in the genesis of avant-garde jazz. The recordings at the Golden Circle Stockholm is a classic.

Dave Brubeck and his famous Quartet strode the jazz concert hall stages for a very long time  - Paul Desmond (alto) Eugene Write (bass) Joe Morello (drums) and the boss himself on piano made some of the most memorable recordings from "Take Five", "Blue Rondo A La Turk", "Its a Raggy Waltz" etc etc.

The great arranger GIL EVANS with MILES DAVIS - his classic albums include Porgy & Bess, Sketches of Spain, Miles Ahead, Quiet Nights - worked with a myriad of  artists from Astrud Gilberto, Paul Chambers, Ron Carter, Charlie Parker, Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz and Jimi Hendrix

BUD POWELL was greatly influenced by Art Tatum. Played with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Pettiford, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt, Fats Navarro, Kenny Clarke amongst others

CHARLIE HADEN was massively influential - his work with Ornette Coleman, Keith Jarrett and his Liberation Orchestra was superb. Created the Quartet West with Ernie Watts (tnr sax) Alan Broadbent (pno) and Larance Marable (drms)

DEXTER GORDON was a major tenor player - sent some years in Europe in the 1960's - recorded extensively for Blue Note and Prestige Records - made several film appearances and received a nomination for the Academy Awards for Best Actor in "Round Midnight"

DJANGO REINHARDT regarded as one of the greatest jazz guitarists of all time. Belgian born he was the first important European jazz musician who made major developments to the guitar genre. Co-Founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France with Stephane Grappelli

HANK MOBLEY was a hard bop and soul tenor sax player - highly rated although often fell between two styles - the aggression of John Coltrane and the mellow Stan Getz - recorded extensively for Blue Note Records worked with Horace Silver, Kenny Dorham, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Grant Green, Wynton Kelly and Lee Morgan


STAN GETZ was the king of the cool mellow tones - the successor to the style of Lester Young - played with Woody Herman's Band and went on to perform in the cool jazz style and achieved significant fame globally - especially with this Bossa Nova recordings such as "The Girl from Ipanema", "Desafinado",  "Jazz Samba Encore" etc…


QUINCY JONES influence as a arranger and later as record producer went far beyond the boundaries of Jazz - However, Quincy started life as a jazz trumpet player and toured Europe with the Lionel Hampton Big Band. Became musical director of Dizzy Gillespie's Band - studied composition with Nadia Boulanger and composer Olivier Messiaen. He worked as a arranger for Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra etc - became famous for his albums with Michael Jackson "Thriller", "Off the Wall", "Bad" - His career spans six decades - 79 Grammy Award Nominations.

HARRY "SWEETS" EDISON - member of the Count Basie Orchestra - worked with Jazz at the Philharmonic, Billie Holiday, Ben Webster, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Buddy Tate, Lester Young - moved to the West Coast and was featured in major studio sessions, television and film recordings

HORACE SILVER is known for his distinctive piano style and pioneering compositions. Headed up his own group and achieved major success with albums such as "Song for my Father", "The Cape Verdean Blues", "Silver and Strings" etc

 ARTIE SHAW was one of the most successful band leaders in the late 1930's - his rivalry with Benny Goodman was legendary - a superior musician Artie Shaw's band featured Billie Holiday, Buddy Rich, Billy Butterfield, Dave Tough, Mel Torme, Helen Forest, Tal Farlow and others. Had hit recordings with "Begin the Beguine", "Frenesi", "Moonglow" - married some of the most beautify women including Lana Turner, Ava Gardner, Kathleen Winsor - 8 wives!

KEITH JARRETT started his career with Art Blakey moving on to play with Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. He is undoubtedly on the finest jazz pianists of all time - his canon of recordings with the ECM record label are superb. "The Koln Concert" began his fame as a solo player but his trio recordings with Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette are wonderful

ZOOT SIMS had a very successful partnership with Al Cohn - he worked with most of the great jazz players from Woody Herman's "Four Brothers" to the bands of Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich and Gerry Mulligan's Sextet

 JOHNNY HODGES best known for his solo (alto saxophone) work with Duke Ellington and his Orchestra. Considered one of the definitive alto players. Started with Chick Webb and  Sidney Bechet. His best known solos with Ellington include: "Prelude to a Kiss", "Such Sweet Thunder Suite" and "Passion Flower".

An iconic photo of CHET BAKER - a tragic life that started with so much promise and ended with serious drug addiction. However, he produced some wonderful recordings and a documentary of his life "Let's Get Lost" achieved global acclaim.

THE GREAT COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA - One of the most prominent jazz orchestras of all time. Featuring great jazz artists such as Lester Young, Chu Berry, Buck Clayton, Thad Jones,Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Jo Jones, Freddie Green, Walter Page, Sonny Payne and many others

RUN OUT OF SPACE AGAIN - PART 3 WILL BE PRODUCED SOON

THANKS FOR READING


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