Jazz for aficionados

*******Jessye Norman was too operatic********

Lets just say she was teetering on the fence. :)

******kathleen Battle and Fredrica Von Stade; they made me long for the magabuck system I don't have in order to hear everything, or to have been there in the flesh.******

Mega buck system not required. People have been enjoying this great recorded music since Edison and his player. Sounded great on my Yorx setup! Now being there, I agree! I have since ordered and received, all DVD:

Richard Strauss Gala: New Year's Eve Concert 1992 , also with Battle and von Stade and others. Berlin/Abbado.

New Year's Concert Vienna 1987: Also with Kathleen Battle. Wiener / Karajan

Rossini: IL Barbiere di Siviglia with Battle and others.
MET Opera Orch and Chorus / Weikert

Love her singing. Her beauty has nothing to do with it.

Cheers

Speaking of photos in Nica's book, can you believe Lee Morgan was a giant among giants at that young age. In the compilation "The 100 best tunes of the 50's", he appears as a sideman on: Moanin, Blue Train, The Sermon; plus lead on "I Remember Clifford".

Lee was shot by a jealous woman at Slug's Saloon, a jazz club in New york city's East Village where his band was performing, and bled to death because the ambulance took so long getting there; it seems they were reluctant to go into that neighborhood. Can you imagine an ambulance being reluctant to go into a neighborhood where Nica "The jazz baroness" went in her Bentley and fur coat after midnight; what a contrast.

I checked Ray Bryants "Slow Freight" and it's on my list.

Enjoy the music.

Nica's story is the most fascinating jazz story I've ever encountered and she never wrote a tune or played an instrument; she was even too busy living her story to write about it. Since all I had to go by were the slanderous rumors, I believed them up until now.

Clint Eastwood made some disparaging remarks about her beauty after she had gotten older, and I believe he was truly jealous; with all his fame and fortune, he was nobody in the jazz world compared to Nica.

She was super cool and hip without making any effort what so ever to be that way. I've met people like her, and I wish I could be that way. One such person gave me some sage advice, "Be true to thine self", he told me, in his naturally hip manner; and so he was.

Nica lived for the moment, and her life after she became "The Jazz Baroness" was one continues set. She told one of her nieces to meet her at a club: "How will I recognize the club"?

"Look for the car" was Nica's response. The niece instantly recognized the club, it was the the one with the badly parked Bentley in front, that had two winos lolling around on the leather seats. "They keep anyone from stealing the car", she was told after finding Nica. This was in a tiny basement club, where Nica was the only white person in the joint.

"Smoking a cigarette in a long black filter, her fur coat draped over the back of a spindly chair, Nica gestured to an empty seat, and picking up a teapot from the table, poured something into two chipped china cups. We toasted each other silently. I'd been expecting tea. Whisky bit into my throat; I choked and my eyes watered. Nica threw back her head and laughed."

"Thanks", I croaked. She put her finger to her lips, and nodding at the pianist on stage, said "Sssh, just listen to the music Hannah, just listen", as she swayed to the sounds.

After that soaks in, you can begin to percieve Nica; no wonder "Nica's Dream" is my favorite tune.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDrxzKYdwsA

Enjoy the music.

I think our OP has been smitten by the Baroness! :) Screw Eastwwod, she was a beauty by the standards of the European elite.

Cheers

Today's Listen:

Louis Armstrong & Oscar peterson -- LOUIS ARMSTRONG MEETS OSCAR PETERSON

Pops mostly sings here. Very little trumpet playing. Oscar and his trio give awesome support. Great line up of tunes. Louis is in fine voice.

Still, something is just not right here. Maybe it's because it's a studio recording. Maybe the Trio is not the best backing for Louis.

I am used to him carrying on, and interacting with the other performers. A lot of trash talking / flirting with a female vocalist. Also, no trombone!!

Both Louis and the Trio were great. The overall effect was just not what you would expect, given the performers. Perfunctory?

Maybe live, with Basie or Ellington would have been a better match. Of course he and Ella would have been the dream team!!

But, Louis and Oscar can never be bad. Just not as great as they usually are. This is like Louis in NYC, when we want him in Nawlins!! :)

Cheers