I really started to explore jazz more in 2014. Prior to that time I had a few favorites I listened to regularly. Those artists included mostly Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith and occasionally Freddie Hubbard and McCoy TYner. When I set out to expand my jazz listening I would review both the Jazz Charts at both the Roots Music Report and JazzWeek. Additionally, I would review the Jazz Birthday Page at All About Jazz.
Today is the birthday of the musician whom many people call “the grandfather of the jazz violinists”Stephane Grappelli. Grappelli was born in 1908 and passed away in 1997 at the age of 89! He had performed well into his 80s! Basically, I know of Grappelli through the album Paris Encounter recorded with Gary Burton in 1969 I should now Stephane Grappelli because he founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934! The group was one of the first all-string jazz bands!
This morning I took a little time and listened to some of Stephane Grappelli’s vast catalogue of music. The first album I listened to was Skol which he recorded with the great Oscar Peterson in 1979. Scott Yanow at AllMusic writes….
Pianist Oscar Peterson and violinist Stephane Grappelli meet up on this Scandinavian concert. The “backup” crew (guitarist Joe Pass, bassist Niels Pedersen and drummer Mickey Roker) is not too bad either. In addition to a closing blues (which is highlighted by tradeoffs from Peterson and Grappelli), the quintet performs five veteran standards with creativity and swing. This CD, a straight reissue of a Pablo LP, contains plenty of fine music. More at AllMusic
The second album of Stephane Grapelli‘s that I listened to several tracks from was, Stephane Grapelli and David Grisman Live – released in 1981. I only had a chance to listen to a few tracks on this album, but I loved what I heard and I really want to go back and listen to these two great musicians trade licks on this album!! Both of these guys are masters of their respective instruments!!
Later in the day I was listening to Emergence from Lawrence Blatt and the violin of Lila Sklar. When I went to Spotify and put in Lila’s name the only thing that the search returned was that she appeared on The Best of the pickPocket Ensemble. So I put the album on, while I was doing some surfing on the Internet. It seems that
the pickPocket Ensemble
Violinist Mads Tolling was born on this date July 5th in 1980 in Copenhagen,Denmark is violinist. If you think that I didn’t recognize his name on the list of jazz birthdays at All About Jazz this morning, you would be ……correct!! So
Mads Tolling (born July 5, 1980)[1] is a Danish-American violinist, violist, and composer. Tolling won Grammy Awards for “Best classical crossover album” as part of Turtle Island Quartet’s recordings 4+Four (2006)[2] and A Love Supreme – The Legacy of John Coltrane (2008).[2] Tolling also recorded on Stanley Clarke‘s The Toys of Men (2007).[3] He is currently first violinist with the Turtle Island Quartet,[4] soloist with bassist Stanley Clarke’s band,[3] and bandleader of his solo project the Mads Tolling Quartet.[5]
Born and raised in Copenhagen, Denmark, Tolling relocated to the United States to study at Berklee College of Musicwhere he graduated Summa Cumme Laude in 2003. Tolling received Denmark’s Sankt Annae’s Award for Musical Excellence as well as grants from Queen Margaret, the Sonning Foundation and the Berklee Elvin Jones Award. Since graduating from Berklee College of Music, Tolling has toured worldwide with the Stanley Clarke band and Turtle Island Quartet. Tolling has also performed with Al Di Meola, Kenny Barron, Paquito D’Rivera, and Leo Kottke. Read More
So after reading the above and a quick visit to Mads website I headed over to Spotify and gave a quick listen to some of his 2009 release The Playmaker and being impressed with what I heard I downloaded to the iPhone
Celebrating Jean-Luc Ponty: Live at Yoshi’s
Digitally remastered using 24-Bit technology by Kevin Reeves (Universal Music Studios-East). VERY TALL was the first of several collaborations between pianist Oscar Peterson and vibraphonist Milt Jackson, and is a particularly enjoyable session of accessible, hard- swinging post-bop. Peterson’s trio of the time, which included bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen, was already a tight working unit, and the addition of Jackson’s cool, shimmering vibes fleshes their sound out beautifully. The set list includes a breezy take on “Green Dolphin Street,” Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “A Wonderful Guy,” and two Jackson originals, the 12-bar jam “Reunion Blues,” and “Heartstrings,” an aching, melancholic ballad. Nat Adderley’s “The Work Song” and a bluesy improv on “Battle Hymn of the Republic” entitled “John Brown’s Body” round out the album. With its fine performances and laid-back, easy feel (Jackson’s cool style tempers Peterson’s usual fiery approach here), VERY TALL is a highly satisfying set. This is part of the Verve Records Master Edition series. Trio With Milt Jackson Vme-Remastered Recorded at Nola Recording Studios, New York, New York on September 15 & 18, 1961 Read More
