Jazz is a beautiful form of expression that transcends generation, race, and social class. There’s no doubt that, whether it’s been ten years, fifty years, or a century since its inception, jazz will continue to inspire musicians and artists across the world. This music is a gift worth cherishing, and we really enjoyed sharing this gift with you guys this week. Our final gift to you is this: a mixtape that includes every song we featured this week, so you can live every week like it’s jazz week. I even heard that there’s bonus content included, if the deal could be any sweeter.
We’d like to thank everyone who suggested music to us this week. Jazz week wouldn’t have been nearly as colorful and interesting without your suggestions.
SFTL Presents
Jazz
Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald - “Tenderly”
The big man with the huge smile… And his trumpet. Singing in his alligator voice with the sweetest woman in jazz. Ella and Louis. It really is A Wonderful World thanks to them.
The jazz week has almost reached its end. We hope so far you enjoyed it as much as we did.
Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald
Tenderly
Dizzy Gillespie – “A Night In Tunisia”
Jazz has this way of absorbing creative movements. Now you can’t mention jazz without thinking about merciless finger-wagging, meaningless toe-tapping, and big bands. Regardless, the evolution was welcome. The rise of bebop, with figureheads like Gillespie and Parker and Monk leading the way, would end up being the groundwork for what we call modern jazz.
We appreciated your similar suggestion, le-merle-chante. Thanks!
Dizzy Gillespie
Night In Tunisia
Aziza Mustafa Zadeh - “How Insensitive”
Aziza is simply known as the as The Princess of Jazz. Breathtaking vocal and piano improvisations. The mix of jazz and Azerbaijan national singing creates something unheard. Daughter of musical parents, she breathes with her music. “Once, my father was improvising at the piano playing in the mugam mode known as “Shur,” which creates a mood that evokes very deep, sad emotions. As my father was playing, I started to cry. Everyone wondered what was happening to me. Why was I crying? And then mother realized the correlation between my feelings and the music. ‘Vagif, please,’ she told my father, ‘change the scale. Go to Rast. Play Rast.’ And he did. Now ‘Rast’ is characterized by its joyfulness and optimism. And sure enough, with tears still running down my cheeks, I started to make dance-like movements. And Mom pointed out, ‘Look, look what she’s doing! Change back to Shur!’ And when he did, I started crying again louder than before. At least, that’s what they tell me. Back to Rast, and I began dancing again.”
It’s jazz week and we’re still open to your suggestions.
Aziza Mustafa Zadeh
How Insensitive
Thelonious Monk – “‘Round Midnight”
Who on Earth would host a jazz week without mentioning Thelonious Monk? One of the founding fathers of modern jazz, the monk was another one of those standards-establishing masterful musicians whose name is now mentioned in almost a whisper. It’s nearly impossible to choose between the countless versions of his most famous composition “‘Round Midnight,” which has been performed and re-interpreted by hundreds of musicians over the past seventy years, including most of the musicians we’ve featured this week.
Thelonious Monk
'Round Midnight
Joe Lovano – “Portrait Of Jenny”
This guy is no Kenny G. Joe Lovano is of the next generation of jazz masters, inheriting the talents of Coltrane and others before him. In this album the soloist plays with your mind in a way, shifting mood often like one would shift the transmission of a manual automobile. And thank god he knows stick because I sure as hell don’t. I’d rather have him at the wheel anyway: he always knows where I want to be.
It’s jazz week at Something For The Ladies. You should share your favorite jazz tunes with us.
Joe Lovano
Portrait Of Jenny
