John Lewis, tribute to self

My first encounter with jazz was MJQ headed by John Lewis, a noble man. I went to Tokyo for their New Year's concert in early 60es. There was no Internet at the time and no jazz station in Japan. I have visited so-called "Jazz-coffee" shops where they play LP records with the high fidelity audio system of the time. MJQ was quite popular.

If you sit in the coffee shop, you are supposed not to move or converse but to listen. That was the time when I started smoking. I didn't like Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Sony Rollins. They were just too loud to listen to.

I wanted you to know that I like John Lewis best. The below video was recorded in 2000, a year before his death. He died on March 29, 2001, 80 years old. He lived long enough to be rewarded and respected, I believe.




I hear his tribute to himself. His left hand plays tribute and right hand wishes to keep living forever. A beautiful tune and pretty hard to play. Have you heard anyone played this tune other than John?

Art Tatum, Clint Eastwood, Ray Charles and Peterson

Hallelujah!

What kind of a group is it?

I was fishing through Art Tatum for I haven't picked his play before. I started listening jazz early 60es. We had FEN, Far East Network then. That is the only one who broadcast jazz. But the main stream was Glen Miller, Charles Bennet? and those who were top runner at the time. Yes, the broadcast was for military people in far east.

It was mid 1960 when I stared to realize there are lots of styles in jazz. Then Art Tatum and Lenny Tristano came into my vision. As far as I am concerned, both of them tell some kind of philosophy through piano. Tristano had never been my favorite. His phrasing was too sarcastic, let's say. As for Art, we didn't have any LP as that time. There was no internet of course.

This is my first time to really listen to him. I have known that he had done lots of tricks with his magical fingers. He could be better than Oscar Peterson. Peterson sounds to enjoy playing complicated phrase just for its sake. Art sings with it. Well, at the least I hear him pretty nice with this You Tube presentation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNAJlqn0nO4

Recording is good for the age.



 I found this astonishing video. It's conceivable for me. Ray Charles is talking with Clint Eastwood while watching a video of Art Tatum playing piano and saying comment on both Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum. Interesting, right?

There is a comment attached to this video saying that Peterson is a band men and Art Tatum is for solo. I agree with that. Art Tatum might have been too strict to play with, I guess. He just cannot accept what the sideman's say with their instruments.

Can you believe Hank Jones playing with John Lewis?

I liked listening to Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson and Red Garland but had never tried to grab a few phrases to enrich my improvisation. They are to tough to copy and paste into my ad lib. On the other hand, I was able to write down series of single tone of John Lewis, Hank Jones and Tomy Flanagan.

Their phrases sound like well planned and well thought out and sing pretty well. Oh, By the way I wrote about John's talking this perspective on jazz. Now, I found Hank Jones talking his personal history. It's here, check it. It's interesting.

I've never thought of them played together. MJQ was the second live jazz group I saw. The first one was Art Blakey, both at Shinjuku, Tokyo.

Chording is a bit different though, if you add Tomy Flanagan, the trio completes my improvisation tutors during my pianist age. I cannot remember when though, I drove down to Village to listen to Hank. He gave me the same impression I expected when I listened to his records. Those are the days I enjoy living. Am I dieing? No, not yet, but it could be within a few years.

Route 66, Diana with Natalie, just fantastic

I was following Diana further and found that she sung with Natalie Cole. Hey this is something I cannot miss. That apply you as well. 'Cause they are fabulous. Just fantastic!

You remember Route 66, the TV series? Oh, no. I should ask you "Do you know Route 66, a TV series?" instead. That was the America I was dreaming of. Martin Milner and George Maharis stared in. Above all the Corvette was the dream car at the time.

If you surf to find that TV series on line, the series run 1960-64. I was in college. It was broadcast in Japan. It was the dawn of TV entertainment here. I had to fight to watch it. Parents wanted to watch some boring news program, y'know.

I am not sure if the tune has been the theme music of the program. But I remember Nat King Cole sings Route 66 along with his trio.

Those were the years I enjoyed living. 50 years ago now, I can't believe it. Where are those TV stars like guys on 77 Sunset Strip, Rawhide, Man from UNCLE, The Fugitive etc etc. . . . .

Diana Krall≒Oscar Peterson

I wondered out to see if there's something new. I found this lady pretty nice. Her name is Diana Krall.

At first I was watching a video talking about Oscar Peterson and his life. There she was. She talked a little about him. I couldn't recognize her. But thanks to internet.

A few clicks later, I found her playing Night Train aka Oscar Peterson. Here it is.

She does two tricks of Oscar Peterson. One is the glissando and the other is the riff Oscar did of 4 bars. She traces nicely the way Oscar swings.

Yeah I like that far. Her chords are bit too complicated for me. But she sure has the mind of Jazz.

I'll be fan of you, honey.

Mr. Peterson plays with Count Basie, wow!

Who enjoyed this session most? Two of them, of course. Suppose, If you don't know them, that's a boring video that shows two old guys playing. But if you know who they are, you see them conversing all through the session. Oh, I wish I were there! During my active jazz age, we did not have internet. So there were very little information on players themselves. Yes, we were able to know how they look by snap shots printed on LP covers, or posters. It's been long time ago. My first live session of jazz was Art Blakey in Tokyo, in 1961 or 62. There were and still is nice concert hall that has around 2000 sheets. Art Blakey in concert hall? Yes, they were idol for young Japanese of my age at that time. I luckily bought ticket and went there on one of New years days. (We call January 1-5 as "inside of special occasion=Matsu no uchi") We read discography. We read a little gossip on jazz players here and there. The information was pretty limited. For you Americans, if it is nothing special to hear this duo of Mr. Peterson and Count plays a blues, it cannot be that ordinal for us. Oscar Peterson plays piano with Count Basie! waoh!, hey didyouhear that? They were so different for us. Mr. Peterson plays piano trio. The Count Basie plays Big band. How can those two players get together, don't you think? I sure appreciate internet. Otherwise, I would have died without knowing them play together, my, my

A hitory, "in a mellow tone"

It's been a while since I posted here. I've been busy to revise my way to affiliate. It's been time consuming and needed lots of focus than I have expected. During this period, I've been listening jazz through internet radio. I had been listening to jazzradio.com with winamp. Since I love piano jazz, I tuned to the "piano jazz". Yes, they play piano jazz all through the day. Well that's OK, that's why I tuned in with them, right?

But if you say you love piano jazz, you'd like to listen to other instruments every once in a while, don't you? For that I had to click through to reach a page where I select instruments that I wish to listen to. But who knows which instrument you'd like to listen till you actually start listening to it, right?

Then I checked smooth jazz. Well, they are not my jazz. Then finally I got my favorite. "Jazz Wyoming" They mix a couple of other instruments and vocal jazz other than piano during one hour nicely, or should I say it in subtle way. Yes, I am listening them lately. Try them
There are no big band jazz with them. So I wished to listen to Count Basie and started to surfing You Tube. And here they are! "In a mellow tone".



It was 35 years ago. I joined amateur big band that follows Count Basie's footsteps. We had two concert a year and the band tour once a year. The practice session was held in Shibuya. My love Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Tomy Flanagan, Hank Jones and never was Count Basie. I have listened to him at State room in Empire State Building once.

He sounded so light. I took him a composer rather than a piano player. I had to change my opinion when I encountered this tune "In a mellow tone". We got complete score of the tune. Those scene that you see starting from 4:30 and on, that get on with one the whole horn section was tough. There is a solo part in that score that has written down Basie's phrase. I never was able to get the reasoning of each sound. Yet, it swings nicely and sings beautiful. Yeah, that was Count Basie. Those were the good days, my, my. . . . . . .

My first encounter with Lynne Arriale

Ever heard of her play? Well, this is my first encounter. Nice, but colorless, let's say. She sure has learned classic music. I see it clearly from her play. Her tone is quiet and lonely somehow.

I was watching Woomy Schmidt interviewed her. The video is listed here with the title of "An Interview with Jazz Pianist Lynne Arriale (part 1 of 2) " . She said that she was adopted. She could have been lonely in her youth, I guess. And I hear it in her play. Does it? Well, at least it sounded me that way.

Woomy is a quick interviewer. He may sound too hard to be interviewed. But I liked him. He is talking with someone to entertain other people, after all.

Now, Would you like to listen to her play? Here's one:

At his interview, she said that McCoy Tynar is her respected jazz player. Does she sound one? No, I don't think so. Woomy asked her: What makes the great tune?

She replied saying; "A Great tune needs to tell a little story. Just like a short story in literature. Has beginning, middle and end. And one thing that is very important with great tune is having the first idea be completely engaging. In another word, we hear that idea 'n somhow our ears just relates to that. y'know, something universal that idea has touched. Then the big question is what needs to follow. What must be the next phrase. 'know, there are several versions with Beetobens 5th syphony. Well, he rewrote sections. And historians can looked at it saying 'see, the ultimate version we know is the best.'"

"When I'm writing a song often we have one idea and have another one ans, which one feels right idea that needs to follow organically. And again that's very subjective, and there's no books says this is what needs to happen next. But we look up the shape, we look at the idea and answer and an another idea and it takes us to engage a little musical journey."

Right, she is a professional piano player all right.

Jon the cocktail piano, in England

Hey, this guy's hilarious. I can build up lots of funny story concerning to his daily life. Here's one.

As Jon arrived home, a few minutes before midnight, his wife was standing at the entrance and blocking his entering to his home. As he's lots taller than his wife, he asked her why he could not enter.

She answered saying: "Oh, Jon, you have to smile at me with that silly empty smile first." Jon said　"Well, OK. but you cannot say it an empty smile, y'know" She said "Oh? I didn't know that".

Taking an advantage of this situation, well that was just that he was taller than she though, he said; "Her majesty didn't say that my smile was empty. You cannot argue with the Queen"

"Yeah, I know, That's why I'm arguing with you at this moment. Now you have to show me that silly smile so that I can . . . . . . "

Well, since I am not the native English speaker, I cannot complete this story with big laugh. But you can, right?

I was going through You tube searching with a keyword of "jazz pianist in England" and I got him. It's a kind of surprise that Her Majesty is present to make a comment. I have no idea how well he is known in England. So, I am not sure how famous he is.

Now, you sure will notice the way he look at camera, right? That's funny. And the piano play is so old and that reminds me of the good old cocktail piano, or champagne music. Besides, he should have tuned piano before he took this video.

I have noticed there's a lot of Tristano at U tube.

I have never picked up Lennie Tristano. I had only a couple of LPs of his. I had a lot of Bill Evans, Red garland, Wynton Kelly, Oscar Peterson and such. But never was fond of listening to Lennie. For one thing, his piano play sounded me not American. I mean, his sound is rather modest. It was not like Peterson. Well for that matter, Wyton Kelly did sound modest as well but he swings a lot.



Now I notice that there are many of his recording on You Tube. And along with him, I have noticed a guy named Dave Frank. I didn't know him but boy! he is nice. It sure indicates America is where the jazz has originated.

This webpage gives you splendid guides on Dave. Well, this is for my reference, tell you the truth.

Female Jazz Pianist

I was wondering how many female jazz pianist around. I searched You tube with this keyword. There seemed to be a lot, but was not that many. After about an hour research, I concluded that there was not many. And I finally picked three Japanese females. They satisfy the criteria of technicality as well as the perspective of jazz.

I have heard Carmen McCrae when I visited Newport Jazz Fes, in 1968, or was it 1967? I cannot be sure now. She is the only female jazz pianist I have known to this date. Well, she is rather a singer, don't you think? She passed away in 1995 at her age of 74.

I picked those three: Asako shirasaki, Yoko Miwa and Hiromi Uehara. All of them sound like having their base upon the mixture of Thelonious Monk, MacCoy Tyner and a little bit of Bill Evans. I just wanted to say they are pretty close in the way to look at jazz music.

Out of those three, if I dare to pick the most favorite, it could be Miwa. Here's her play at a Jazz fes in Japan.



I like her harmony. She has the punch in her left hand. Swings pretty nice.

Ms. Uehara is exceptional. This play with Chick Corea won't bother you at all. The tune is All Blues, yes that All Blues that played by Miles Davis in early 60es. or was it the late 50es? No player ever played this tune so excitingly as this play of Ms Uehara and Corea. I mean not exciting but thought provokingly. Check it out, you'd love it.



Why do I put Uehara over Miwa? Well, the jazz perspective of Uehara is much larger, or should it be wider? than Miwa. She really SWINGs!

Too much notes, Mccoy Tyner

Right, I've never wrote about him, McCoy Tyner. I had a chance to watch his live session sometime in 1970 or 71, and the show was in Village. I cannot recall the name of the place. I remember that my friend told me that we should leave there sooner for its location wasn't safe.

Yes, he was playing trio. I was amazed how fast he could play. I had realized that those players known as recording artists had played much more notes than he had done at the recording session by then.

Boy, he was exceeding my expectation. It was too much.



This is a tune Thelonious Monk had composed. Not many player record this tune. It may be too much Monk. Bu it sounds unbelievably Tyner, don't you think? The sound reminds me of the great John Coltrane. The Coltrane sound had been a challenge for a foreigner wishing to play jazz or let's say the music that sound jazzy. I was able to stand his power for I was mere 18, 19 years old at the first encounter.

Do I listen to him lately? No, no way. he is too heavy for a guy aged so old. It could be said to Tyner as well. He is powerful, but I love John Lewis, Tommy Flanagan and Hank Jones far more in these days. How about you?

Do you know a Japanese pop played by Pink Martini?

This is my favorite Saori, the lady singer who recorded pure Japanese song with Pink Martini lately. It's been a while since I heard this song last time. I got tear comes out pretty hard. I can't guess teh reason.



This arrangement itself is rather new. I remember that the original had been played slower. I'm not sure now, it's been long time ago, some 40 years back, you know. 40 years has been a long but short while. That was when I got married with my first wife. The life was full of hope and joy and expectation from others. Well, I should settle myself for having those days.

She has exceptionally beautiful voice, don't you think? And her face does represent the beauty of ancient Japan. No, don't take me wrong. The face of 6th to 10th century Japan. Her face represents a typical impression of Japanese women with slit eyes on oval and smooth blank face for the foreigners, right?

Is she a beauty? No, not in the modern sense but she sure is an adult lady worth earning respect.

Americans, how do you think foreignes playing jazz?

Ever listened to jazz music played by foreigners, you Americans? Being a foreigner I have been wondering for long time what it could be like.

We, had encountered a debut of foreigner as the "Enka" signer in 2008. It finally made me understand what it was like. The beautiful music is the music and nothing but the music, that what I've found.

There is this Japanese specific category of music called "Enka", It is like American country music, I assume. A foreigner has made his debut as the "Enka" singer in 2008. He was born in Pittsburgh, PA, 26 years old, a quarter of Japanese and American and named "Jero".
When I heard him the first time, I had been bewildered a bit. He has a face of foreigner yet sings beautiful Enka. Most of us, Japanese welcome his debut and he is active singing here.

The melody line is written in minor scale and sounds like there is the fixed grammar for the composition. Yes, I've meant to say that they sound pretty much same.

What you listen to is the verse.

I reckon in these days that I had been too easy to get into tear by listening to Enka and that could be the reason why I started to play piano jazz myself. Since "Enka" has nothing without its verse. On the other hand jazz sounds beatiful without any verse at all. Right! you can filter through your nerve touching particles out from the music and can enjoy the rhythm, melody and technicality of the players along with their personality.



Ever heard this? merci beaucoup! Michel Petrucciani, piano player. He is a foreigner, a French. He has his style and we can enjoy if we don't know the French language, right?