By Roger Crane, the Song Scout There is a Chelsea Bridge and it is located on the Thames in north London. According to David Hajdu’s intelligent, comprehensive and most readable 1996 biography of Billy Strayhorn, Lush Life, his evocative instrumental of the same name resulted from his viewing of a James McNeill Whistler painting. But,… Read More A ROGER SONG SCOUT AURAL BACK RUB: “Chelsea Bridge”
by Roger Crane, the Song Scout BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION When Chelsea Clinton got married, her father, the jazz-loving Bill Clinton showed up with a recording of Frank Sinatra singing the Jerome Kern-Dorothy Fields’ “The Way You Look Tonight.” This was the ex-President’s choice for the Bride-Father dance. (“Good selection, Mr. President.”) Fred Astaire introduced this lovely, warm song in the… Read More Keeping the GAS (The Great American Songbook) Flame Burning: “The Way You Look Tonight”
“How Long Has This Been Going On?” By Roger Crane, the Song Scout BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION “How Long Has This Been Going On?” is an early song (1927) composed by the Gershwin brothers that expresses the delight of a first kiss. George was blessed to have a brother who was a… Read More Keeping the GAS (Great American Songbook) Flame Burning
By Don Heckman Bill Cunliffe’s accomplishments are many. Not only is he a world class jazz pianist, composer and arranger. He’s also acknowledged for his many skills by his musical compatriots. He’s been honored with a Grammy Award, a Down Beat Award, multiple Grammy nominations, and several Emmy nominations. Add to that a winner’s award… Read More Live Jazz: The Bill Cunliffe Big Band and Quartet with Harry Allen at Vitello’s
Chico & Rita Directed by Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal, Tono Errando Screenplay by Fernando Trueba, Ignacio Martínez de Pisón Music by Bebo Valdés By Fernando Gonzalez “Chico y Rita” has been presented at several film festivals but does not yet have commercial distribution. It is being reviewed here for its evocation of a significant period… Read More Film Review: Chico & Rita
By Tony Gieske “Aurora” was not named after Aurore Dupin, Baronne Dudevant, better known as George Sand, as one would no doubt expect. No, it was in fact a richly imagined jump tune by Patrick Williams, of whom we all know who that is. Since his flawless, boisterous and wonderfully precise band, which even had… Read More Live Jazz: The Patrick Williams Big Band at Vitello’s
By Don Heckman I’m willing to bet that anyone who was actually around in the sixties remembers the decade as a whirling kaleidoscope of people, events and places. Yes, I know the line – if you remember the sixties, you weren’t there. But I was there, and I remember it well. Or, at least, I… Read More Here There & Everywhere: “Civil Rights — Jazz Document 1963”
The International Review of Music 