Orgeon is a progressive Jazz quartet that created a singular sound all of their own by melding a then New Age sensibility (before New Age was a genre) with Indian sensibilities. Featuring phenomenal musicianship courtesy of the world-class talents of Ralph Towner on guitar, Paul McCandless on reeds, Glen Moore on piano and the late, […]
Encore Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Voice Poetry” by Ornette Coleman
Back in 1978, Ornette Coleman formed his first double trio, “Prime Time,” and began releasing records on his own Texas-based record label called Artist House Records. “Body Meta” was recorded in 1976 and featured Jamaaladeen Tacuma on bass, Charles Ellerbee and Bern Nix on guitars, and Ronald Shannon Jackson and his son Denardo Coleman on […]
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Reincarnation Of A Lovebird” by Charles Mingus
You can almost see the flight of the bird in question during the introduction of this masterwork by bassist Charles Mingus. However, this bird is actually Charlie Parker, with whom Mingus performed on many occasions and to whom this song is dedicated. In Mingus’ own words: “I wouldn’t say I set out to write a […]
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Ode To Charlie Parker” by Eric Dolphy
Leave it to Eric Dolphy to record this Jaki Bayard tribute to Bird and not play a lick of saxophone on it. I believe that’s Dolphy soaring effortlessly on the flute here, although the “Iron Man” record credits Prince Lasha on flute. I say that because the soloing here sounds unmistakably like Dolphy and there […]
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “For Mods Only” by Chico Hamilton
Sixties jazz tunes don’t come any more “Austin Powers” than this raver by Chico Hamilton from 1966. Hamilton spent the years working up to this recording gigging and recording with the likes of Eric Dolphy, Jim Hall, Gabor Szabo, Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Nat Cole, Billie Holiday, Gerry Mulligan and numerous others. In […]
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “A Night In Tunisia” by Yusef Lateef
Don’t let the stoner intro fool you, stick with this one and it will pay major awards! The former William Emanuel Huddleston converted to Islam in 1950 and Yusef Lateef was born. Like his contemporary, Eric Dolphy, Lateef played saxophone, flute, bassoon and oboe and like Dolphy, both shared an interest in Eastern music. Lateef […]
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “The Maze” by Herbie Hancock
While most people gravitated to Hancock’s recording of “Watermelon Man” on his 1962 debut album called “Takin’ Off,” there were many other tracks that were equally powerful on the platter. Together, the lineup of Dexter Gordon on saxophone, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Butch Warren on bass and Billy Higgins on drums, created one of the […]
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Eli’s Comin’” by Maynard Ferguson
He was considered one of the top “screech” trumpeters in Jazz, a style that was typified by a proclivity to spend an unfathomable amount of time playing in the upper registers of his instrument. But Maynard Ferguson was much more than just a screech trumpeter, he was also an educator and perhaps the most popular […]
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)” by Deodato
“Popcorn” by Hot Butter…”My Ding A Ling” by Chuck Berry…and this Tchaikovsky masterwork reconfigured for Jazz by Brazilian keyboardist Eumir Deodato were amongst the many left-field hits of 1972. This Grammy Award winning track was the standout hit from Deodato’s first album called “Prelude” which featured the stellar musicianship of Billy Cobham, Ron Carter, John […]
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Oleo” by Eric Dolphy
Today, I had the chance to play all three albums of Eric Dolphy’s Copenhagen concert from September, 1961. I haven’t played these recordings in many years and it was great to get reacquainted to the mastery of flute, saxophone and bass clarinet that was Eric Dolphy. The music has been released in all different ways […]
