Here is some of the greatest the West Coast had to offer, from the very first release by Pacific Jazz Records! I scored an original 1952 10” pressing of this one (Pacific Jazz catalog number PJLP-1) on heavy microgroove vinyl in a garage sale many years ago! Not only did this record signal a bright […]
Song Of The Day – “Haunts Of Ancient Peace” by Van Morrison
Here we have one of Van Morrison’s most soulful pieces of music, originally from one of his most underrated albums. Common One was released in 1980 and features six deeply moving extended jazz meditations that hawked back to Morrison’s classic Astral Weeks album in sound and texture. However, unlike Astral Weeks, this record’s release was […]
Song Of The Day – “Rex Rhumba” by The Nat Cole Trio
Sure we all know Nat “King” Cole could sing…and lord knows he surely could play piano too. This Cole original highlights the guitarist in the trio, the great Oscar Moore, on a track from the essential 3-CD The Capitol Transcriptions recorded on March 20, 1946. Rounding out the trio was Johnny Miller on bass.
Song Of The Day – “That Old Black Magic” by Tony Bennett with The Dave Brubeck Trio
Every so often the reissue gods bestow upon us a truly special recording that music fans never knew existed. Recently, one such recording was unleashed upon an unsuspecting public by our friends at Sony Legacy, featuring a musical summit that took place between Tony Bennett and Dave Brubeck on August 28, 1962 at The White […]
Song Of The Day – “Our Man Higgins” by Lee Morgan
When an edited version of trumpeter Lee Morgan’s signature song, “The Sidewinder” was released as a single in 1964, it became the song that resuscitated Blue Note Records, literally saving the company from bankruptcy. As a result, Blue Note hounded Morgan to come up with another song that could do the trick again. The soul-jazz […]
Song Of The Day – “Harry’s House/Centerpiece” by Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell was coming off of Court And Spark, her most commercially successful studio recording to date, sporting several hit singles including “Free Man In Paris,” “Raised On Robbery” and “Help Me.” So by 1975 interest was very high as critics and fans alike awaited her next record which was believed to be the one […]
Song Of The Day – “Aire” by Chicago
By the time of the sessions for their sixth studio album (and seventh overall), Chicago had dozens of hits behind them and had grown restless and unhappy with the concise nature of their previous two records. Sure the albums established the group as a hit making machine, but the band began to feel that their […]
Song Of The Day – “House Party Starting” by Herbie Nichols Trio
If Herbie Nichols is remembered for anything, it’s probably for composing one of Billie Holiday’s signature songs “Lady Sings The Blues.” Problem is, Nichols is all but totally forgotten today, even though he recorded a handful of seminal EPs and an album for the Blue Note record label between 1955 and 1956. For the 30 […]
Song Of The Day – “Bloop Bleep” by Gary McFarland
Gary McFarland towed the line between samba infused light jazz and orchestral mood music. He was a vibist from California who was known as much for his vibe playing as he was for his arranging and orchestrations for others. After serving in the army where he took up trombone, trumpet and keyboards, McFarland settled on […]
Song Of The Day – “Down By The Riverside” by Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery
It was a summit between the leading purveyor of the Hammond B-3 organ, “The Incredible” Jimmy Smith, and one of greatest jazz guitarists of all time, Wes Montgomery. And together, they unleashed not one classic album, but two. They didn’t call him “Incredible” for nothing. Jimmy Smith was the single most influential jazz organ player […]
