Fav Jazz Song?

[Captain_Pants]

I was listening to someones(sorry, I forgot who) cover on here of Desmonds Take Five, and I was wondering if or what anyone elses favorite jazz tunes were? I was heavily influenced by Jazz a few years ago when I working at Boeing. Everyday id get to work, and crank on my Los Angeles Jazz station, even though I knew that 80% of the playlist was a repeat of the previous days, I still enjoyed it, and looked forward to hearing new pieces. It was a fun learning expierience. Pieces I enjoyed are:

1: Avenue Blues cover of 'Pick Up The Pieces'
2: The Rippingtons ~ Kenya
3: Fishbelly Black
4: Some good ol' Boney James
...

Anyone else care to participate?

[Chris Cavell]

Desmonds?

I'm almost positive it's Dave Brubeck's composition.

Well, I'll add that my favorite jazz album in a loooong time has to be Notes From the Underground by Medeski Martin and Wood.

Cheers,
Chris

[spkguitar]

A favorite piece that I like to play is Monk's "Straight, No Chaser", though I haven't played it (or any other jazz for that matter) in a very long time.
Not necessarily songs, but I have some favorite artists too:

Classic:
1. Thelonious Monk (obviously)
2. Miles Davis
3. Coltrane
4. Brubeck
5. Django


Modern/Fusion:
1. Dregs
2. Metheny
3. Di Meola
4. Scofield

[Captain_Pants]

Well, Chris, actually in 1959 Paul Desmond penned Take Five, which actually is also the first million selling Jazz single in the world. Paul Desmond is in the Dave Brubek Quartet. The song was not written by Dave though.

=-Ben

[Riad]

Who just did a remake of Take Five, Another Take? George Benson?

[Captain_Pants]

Eric Singleton did one recently... sort of with electric drums and stuff..Thats all I know of..

[where02190]

Having worked for Miles (and John Scofield) for a number of years, I'm partial to his version of "Time after Time". I remember a show on the Pier in NYC that Cindi Lauper attended, and seeing her almost in tears when he played it she was so moved.

Jeanne Pieere is another fav. I remember a show in Seville, Spain, probably summer of 83. We were playing a festival that was in the bullring. The smell of death was everywhere, the heat unbearable, and there was not even a trace of wind. Miles' dressing room was the chapel the matadors use to pray before fights.

During Jeanne Pierre, which live could go on for 30 minutes or more and get very dark and mysterious, we started to notice somethinng. Lights dim, Miles slowly drifing about, playing with the Harmon mute, we begin to see two wispy, miniture cyclone-like images about 2-3 feet tall on either side of him, that seem to move and dance with him. This goes on for several minutes, during which, the local promoter suggests that Miles has conjured the spirits of the men and beasts that have died in battle in the ring over the centuries. As the intensity of the song grows to it's climax, these "spirits become more visible to us and the audience, all except Miles, who is, as always lost in his creation. Finally, the tune ends with the removal (and subsequent tossing, we carried cases of them) of the Harmond mute, and one final blast from his mighty horn....and, as quickly as they appeared, the "spirits are gone.

It was one of those hair standing up on the back of your neck experiences, one of many with Miles, that I will never forget. They served as reminders to us experiencign the shows day after day that he was on a vastly different level than the rest of the world.

[Chris Cavell]

Ben,

I should have remembered the whole Desmond/Brubeck authorship debate...has anyone ever really figured out just how many tunes were really written by Paul but put out under Dave's name instead?

-Chris

oooohhhh "straight, no chaser" is a good one...but then again, there are lots of good ones...

[doylemusic]

Having worked for Miles (and John Scofield) for a number of years, I'm partial to his version of "Time after Time". I remember a show on the Pier in NYC that Cindi Lauper attended, and seeing her almost in tears when he played it she was so moved.

Jeanne Pieere is another fav. I remember a show in Seville, Spain, probably summer of 83. We were playing a festival that was in the bullring. The smell of death was everywhere, the heat unbearable, and there was not even a trace of wind. Miles' dressing room was the chapel the matadors use to pray before fights.

During Jeanne Pierre, which live could go on for 30 minutes or more and get very dark and mysterious, we started to notice somethinng. Lights dim, Miles slowly drifing about, playing with the Harmon mute, we begin to see two wispy, miniture cyclone-like images about 2-3 feet tall on either side of him, that seem to move and dance with him. This goes on for several minutes, during which, the local promoter suggests that Miles has conjured the spirits of the men and beasts that have died in battle in the ring over the centuries. As the intensity of the song grows to it's climax, these "spirits become more visible to us and the audience, all except Miles, who is, as always lost in his creation. Finally, the tune ends with the removal (and subsequent tossing, we carried cases of them) of the Harmond mute, and one final blast from his mighty horn....and, as quickly as they appeared, the "spirits are gone.

It was one of those hair standing up on the back of your neck experiences, one of many with Miles, that I will never forget. They served as reminders to us experiencign the shows day after day that he was on a vastly different level than the rest of the world.

Being primarily a jazz trumpeter, i have just discovered a new found dis-like for you......lucky b*****tard! I'm jealous.

[lemix]

Guys,

I have to shamefully admit that I'm not up on the more recent stuff...
And it's very hard to choose favs..but;
-Most Miles stuff, "Seven Steps to Heaven" is probly #1 fav.
-Weather Report
-Tony Williams Lifetime

And as a side note; I have had the honor and absolute pleasure to record, mix and master an entire album guest starring John Abercrombie and Jerry Bergonzi. Witnessing their coolness and talent on the spot was an experience, that I'll never forget.
[Jacek Kochan / Gray Angel" / 1995 counterpoint recordings]

cheers,