Tete Montoliu’s Triplet Lines on “Manha de Carnival” (LOTW #237)
Tete Monotliu is an often undercelebrated jazz pianist from Catalonia, Spain. When notable jazz musicians such as Kenny Dorham, Ben Webster, and Dexter Gordon emigrated to Europe during their careers, Tete recorded with all of them. Here he is playing with KD on “Manha de Carnival,” more commonly known as “Black Orpheus.” https://youtu.be/CQiKDb02-8E CLICK HERE […]
Charlie Parker’s Opening Lick from “White Christmas” (LOTW #236)
Recorded live on Christmas Day at the Royal Roost in 1948, this version of the classic Christmas tune “White Christmas” has Charlie Parker’s trademark written all over it. Rather than the playing the tune in its usual ballad style, they decided to swing it. Boy, does this version swing! Check out his opening lick during […]
Vince Guaraldi’s “Skating” from a Charlie Brown Christmas (LOTW #235)
A Charlie Brown Christmas is a staple of American culture during the holiday season. Inspired by pianists like Bill Evans, Vince Guaraldi composed the soundtrack for this Christmas special and many tunes have become widely celebrated during the holiday season. This one, “Skating,” features a complex passage using parallel thirds in the right hand of […]
Bud Powell Blazes Through the Changes of “All God’s Chillun” (LOTW #234)
On one of his trademark recorded tunes, Bud Powell shows his true prowess as one of the originators of the bebop language. “ All God’s Chillun Got Rhythm” incorporates a sequence of several 2-5-1 progressions, and Bud executes them seamlessly on this rendition off of his album Jazz Giant (1950). https://youtu.be/LKlIKQpv0G8 CLICK HERE FOR THE […]
Oscar Peterson’s Ornamental Solo Break (LOTW #233)
Oscar Peterson is not only a master of playing changes, but also adept in his use of ornaments. He expresses his own unique style by utilizing chromatic neighbor tones, repeated notes, and enclosures which add an extra flair to his improvised lines. Check out this opening solo break from an early version of “I’ve Got […]
Hank Jones Trades Some Hot Lines with the Drums (LOTW #232)
As the oldest of the Jones Brothers, Hank Jones always seemed to be the knowledgable older brother. An accomplished solo pianist, sideman, and leader of his own groups, Hank’s artistry shined through in various settings. Here is an excerpt from a trading section with Kenny Clark on drums over his own composition “We’re All Together” […]
McCoy Tyner’s Opening Line from “Autumn Leaves” (LOTW #231)
It is always interesting to see how great jazz improvisers interpret classic standard tunes. In this case, we are looking at McCoy Tyner’s rendition of “Autumn Leaves,” one of the most played songs in the jazz idiom. Check out his use of chromatic notes, as well as the whole tone scale. The rest of this […]
Wynton Kelly’s Minor Madness on “Whisper Not” (LOTW #230)
We all know that Wynton Kelly can show us how it’s done when it comes to playing the blues. How about minor bebop vocabulary, you might ask? Well… he’s got that covered too! Check out these expert minor ii-V-I lines from Wynton over Benny Golson’s jazz standard tune, “Whisper Not” from his album “Piano” (1958). […]
Lee Konitz “Sub-Conscious Lee” Pt. 2 (LOTW #229)
This tune is a prime example of a new melody composed using pre-existing chord changes from another song, also known as a “Contrafact.” This contrafact by Lee Konitz as played with Lennie Tristano is based on the changes of “What is this Thing Called Love” by Cole Porter. Lee Konitz demonstrates his own unique melodic […]
Lee Konitz “Sub-Conscious Lee” Pt. 1 (LOTW #228)
This tune is a prime example of a new melody composed using pre-existing chord changes from another song, also known as a “Contrafact.” This contrafact by Lee Konitz as played with Lennie Tristano is based on the changes of “What is this Thing Called Love” by Cole Porter. Lee Konitz demonstrates his own unique melodic […]
