Today's JAZZ playlist

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montrecott said:
Some twenty years ago I was working for a museum here in Chicago, and so was Ken. I did not deal with him on a daily basis but did occasionally, and had a few conversations with him (usually about jazz). If I recall correctly he was very into Eric Dolphy at that time. There was always music playing in the office he worked in. It was obvious then that he was all about the music--listening to it and playing it dand thinking about it was at the center of life. He played and practiced a LOT. His music is not for everyone but you have to respect a man so dedicated to his craft.
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That's a very cool story. Thanks for sharing. :thumbsup:
 
Rhapsody in Blue. George Gershwin's masterpiece. Everyone knows it. Many of us probably have multiple versions/recordings of it in our collections. But how many know it was written as a jazz concerto for solo piano and jazz orchestra, and commissioned by band leader Paul Whitman? Written in only a couple of weeks, with a rhythm that came to Gershwin while listening to the sounds of the rails on a train trip from NYC to Boston, it was first performed in February 1924, with George Gershwin at the piano. He had not even written the complete piano part on paper, with one section having a only a notation "Wait for nod" identifying that Whiteman would cue him when the orchestra would come in. As a result, some of that first performance was improvised by Gershwin, and the piano part was only completed after the performance. Nobody who wasn't there knows exactly what the original sounded like. Oh yes, that instantly recognizable clarinet glissando that opens the piece - it started as a joke on Gershwin by Whiteman's clarinettist Ross Gorman. Gershwin liked it and asked him to play it that way at the concert and add as much wail as possible. You can't make this stuff up. There is a lot more to this story. Look it up if you're interested, and have bothered to read this far.

This version is performed by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra with Eugene Weed at the piano, and recorded as part of the Paul Whiteman 50th Anniversary reunion, conducted by Mr. Whiteman. Eugene spent hours listening to recordings of the Rhapsody with George Gershwin at the piano to get as much of the original sound as possible. It sounds like no other version I've ever heard, and I like it. The other songs on the album aren't bad either. Check out the list of Whitman Band alums who play on it.

BTW, if you don't know who Paul Whiteman is, you should. Duke Ellington said of Whiteman "Paul Whiteman was known as the King of Jazz, and no one as yet has come near carrying that title with more certainty and dignity." Considering the source can there be any higher praise.

Paul Whiteman 50th.jpg
 
Christian B said:
Rhapsody in Blue. George Gershwin's masterpiece. Everyone knows it. Many of us probably have multiple versions/recordings of it in our collections. But how many know it was written as a jazz concerto for solo piano and jazz orchestra, and commissioned by band leader Paul Whitman? Written in only a couple of weeks, with a rhythm that came to Gershwin while listening to the sounds of the rails on a train trip from NYC to Boston, it was first performed in February 1924, with George Gershwin at the piano. He had not even written the complete piano part on paper, with one section having a only a notation "Wait for nod" identifying that Whiteman would cue him when the orchestra would come in. As a result, some of that first performance was improvised by Gershwin, and the piano part was only completed after the performance. Nobody who wasn't there knows exactly what the original sounded like. Oh yes, that instantly recognizable clarinet glissando that opens the piece - it started as a joke on Gershwin by Whiteman's clarinettist Ross Gorman. Gershwin liked it and asked him to play it that way at the concert and add as much wail as possible. You can't make this stuff up. There is a lot more to this story. Look it up if you're interested, and have bothered to read this far.

This version is performed by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra with Eugene Weed at the piano, and recorded as part of the Paul Whiteman 50th Anniversary reunion, conducted by Mr. Whiteman. Eugene spent hours listening to recordings of the Rhapsody with George Gershwin at the piano to get as much of the original sound as possible. It sounds like no other version I've ever heard, and I like it. The other songs on the album aren't bad either. Check out the list of Whitman Band alums who play on it.

BTW, if you don't know who Paul Whiteman is, you should. Duke Ellington said of Whiteman "Paul Whiteman was known as the King of Jazz, and no one as yet has come near carrying that title with more certainty and dignity." Considering the source can there be any higher praise.

View attachment 920590
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I think was Duke was being very gracious. Whiteman certainly did some nice things, but the giving him the title of "King of Jazz" is a little like calling Bill Haley the King of Rock 'n' Roll. That said, I need to go back and hear more of those Whiteman recordings.
 
jgannon said:
I think was Duke was being very gracious. Whiteman certainly did some nice things, but the giving him the title of "King of Jazz" is a little like calling Bill Haley the King of Rock 'n' Roll. That said, I need to go back and hear more of those Whiteman recordings.
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Duke was ever gracious, but looking at the artists Whiteman hired and those he influenced one could almost make a case. He certainly brought a much wider audience to jazz, good or bad as that might be, and being the one responsible for pushing Gershwin to write Rhapsody in Blue is no small feat in itself. Give his recordings a listen and let us know what you think. :)

Cheers

Chris
 
Christian B said:
Duke was ever gracious, but looking at the artists Whiteman hired and those he influenced one could almost make a case. He certainly brought a much wider audience to jazz, good or bad as that might be, and being the one responsible for pushing Gershwin to write Rhapsody in Blue is no small feat in itself. Give his recordings a listen and let us know what you think. :)

Cheers

Chris
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Well, it gets into the whole thing as to who was allowed to be given the opportunity to bring jazz to a wider audience, and that the music primarily comes out of the African-American experience. But all that doesn't mean that Whiteman didn't play some great music, nor that the musicians he hired weren't great. That said, again, I do need to hear some more of his recordings. I've heard them on the radio here and there over the years and things like that. Maybe I'll go over to youtube and start there.
 
Christian B said:
Rhapsody in Blue. George Gershwin's masterpiece. Everyone knows it. Many of us probably have multiple versions/recordings of it in our collections. But how many know it was written as a jazz concerto for solo piano and jazz orchestra, and commissioned by band leader Paul Whitman? Written in only a couple of weeks, with a rhythm that came to Gershwin while listening to the sounds of the rails on a train trip from NYC to Boston, it was first performed in February 1924, with George Gershwin at the piano. He had not even written the complete piano part on paper, with one section having a only a notation "Wait for nod" identifying that Whiteman would cue him when the orchestra would come in. As a result, some of that first performance was improvised by Gershwin, and the piano part was only completed after the performance. Nobody who wasn't there knows exactly what the original sounded like. Oh yes, that instantly recognizable clarinet glissando that opens the piece - it started as a joke on Gershwin by Whiteman's clarinettist Ross Gorman. Gershwin liked it and asked him to play it that way at the concert and add as much wail as possible. You can't make this stuff up. There is a lot more to this story. Look it up if you're interested, and have bothered to read this far.

This version is performed by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra with Eugene Weed at the piano, and recorded as part of the Paul Whiteman 50th Anniversary reunion, conducted by Mr. Whiteman. Eugene spent hours listening to recordings of the Rhapsody with George Gershwin at the piano to get as much of the original sound as possible. It sounds like no other version I've ever heard, and I like it. The other songs on the album aren't bad either. Check out the list of Whitman Band alums who play on it.

BTW, if you don't know who Paul Whiteman is, you should. Duke Ellington said of Whiteman "Paul Whiteman was known as the King of Jazz, and no one as yet has come near carrying that title with more certainty and dignity." Considering the source can there be any higher praise.

View attachment 920590
Click to expand...
Did not know this . Thank you.
 
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