Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Now's the Time: Tony Bennett
Eighty-two-year-old Tony Bennett croons at The Midland Theater Saturday night. I don't want to hear any whispers that Bennett isn't a jazz cat. His most recent album was recorded with The Count Basie Big Band. One of his best efforts is a sublime recording with Bill Evans. And just this week, he donated a painting of Duke Ellington to The National Portrait Gallery. Oh, he's a jazzer alright. (Incidentally, I almost featured "Slimey To the Moon" instead of Ellington's "In a Mellow Tone.")
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9 comments:
the bill evans cd is good, but i think one of his best is the MTV Unplugged live recording. just awesome.
Thanks for the tip. But the next Bennett album I buy must include "Slimey To the Moon."
Tony is great, and definitely a jazz guy. I saw him in 93 and 03 and he is a great, feel-good performer. I'll second the Unplugged recommendation. I love the bit where he puts the microphone down and sings out to the house.
DLC... you're absolutely right, that is a sterling moment and he just wows the place. doesn't even sound like he's trying all that hard. would love to see him, but can't afford to go. i'll be there in spirit.
can anyone recommend a good jazz cd that features some artful, smooth drumming? i've got one art blakely cd and one featuring gene krupa vs buddy rich, but that's it. need more! i'm learning the drums. thanks! - mike t.
anon (or mike t), you've opened a can of worms. you can't go wrong with any recording by those you've already mentioned. mr. plastic sax has a deep library of stuff and can recommend just about anything in jazz, or any genre for that matter.
check out matt wilson. his "arts & crafts" band is stellar. you can stream their last disc in its entirety at palmetto-records.net.
direct link here:
http://www.palmetto-records.net/matt-wilson:the-scenic-route,64,129
I love Blakey, Rich and Krupa, but I'd hardly characterize their playing as "smooth." Rather, they're brash. There are, however, several impeccable jazz drummers in Kansas City, Mike, and I'd encourage you to study them in person.
Matt Wilson, as PJ, suggests, is very good.
I hope to catch Tony tomorrow, all, and I'll give you a report.
yes, to echo PS comments - there's lots of great local drummers. mike warren, brandon draper, sam wisman...to name a few.
Smooth drummers? Try Todd Strait. You can find him on most any recording with Karrin Allyson. Another choice could be Tommy Ruskin. His discography is harder to nail down, try recordings of Luqman Hamza. Thirdly, Jeff Hamilton. Look for his recordings with the Clayton-Hamilton Big Band, Jeff Hamilton Trio and many of Diana Krall's earlier albums.
thanks for the recommendations on jazz drummers. yeah, i know krupa and rich aren't "smooth" per se. i want to learn a softer technique before i graduate into that. neal peart i ain't! - mike t.
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