Potrzebie
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
1959 Newport Jazz Festival
Streaming of the 1959 Newport Jazz Festival begins today with Joe Williams, Count Basie, Lambert, Hendricks & Ross! For previous LH&R posts here, click on "vocalese" in the labels below.
Just as the Basie set had built to an ecstatic peak, Williams introduces special guests Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, who leapt into the limelight just the previous year with their astonishing debut, Sing a Song of Basie on ABC-Paramount (later reissued on Impulse). Comprised of vocalese pioneers Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross, this invigorating trio specialized in setting lyrics (primarily penned by Hendricks) to existing and particularly memorable instrumental jazz solos. Ross was actually one of the first to successfully venture into vocalese with her 1952 hit "Twisted" (based on a famous Wardell Gray tenor sax solo). Her early experiments, along with those of fellow vocalese pioneers King Pleasure and Eddie Jefferson, marked her as a true innovator in vocal jazz. And when Ross joined forces in 1957 with Lambert and Hendricks - each of whom had been making notable strides on their own in the same vocalese direction - a powerhouse act was born. Their appearance at the 1959 Newport Jazz Festival came hot on the heels of their second triumphant release, The Swingers on the Pacific Jazz label (later reissued on EMI/Manhattan).
They enter with the jivey "It's Sand, Man" before tackling Basie's "Let Me See," Horace Silver's "Doodlin'" and the invigorating "Taps Miller." Williams joins them for a rousing rendition of Louis Jordan's "Rusty Dusty Blues," with Lambert, Hendricks and Ross providing backing vocal harmony and simulated horn pads. They deliver a soulful reading of Milt Jackson's "The Spirit-Feel," a tune that was also covered by Ray Charles the previous year at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival. And they wrap it up with a swinging "Avenue C," a Basie staple chockfull of clever Hendricks lyrics, before segueing to Basie's closing theme, "One O'Clock Jump," putting the capper on what was easily one of the most invigorating and memorable sets of the 1959 Newport Jazz Festival.
Usin' the phone booth,
Makin' a few calls,
Doodlin' weird things,
Usin' the booth walls.
Got me a big date,
Waitin' for my chick,
Puttin' my face on,
So she could look slick,
I enjoy procrastinating
'Cause I'm busy while I'm waiting,
Doodlin' away, doodlin away
Sittin' and dinin'
Dinner beginnin',
Started designin'
Usin' the linen
Streaming of the 1959 Newport Jazz Festival begins today with Joe Williams, Count Basie, Lambert, Hendricks & Ross! For previous LH&R posts here, click on "vocalese" in the labels below.Just as the Basie set had built to an ecstatic peak, Williams introduces special guests Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, who leapt into the limelight just the previous year with their astonishing debut, Sing a Song of Basie on ABC-Paramount (later reissued on Impulse). Comprised of vocalese pioneers Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross, this invigorating trio specialized in setting lyrics (primarily penned by Hendricks) to existing and particularly memorable instrumental jazz solos. Ross was actually one of the first to successfully venture into vocalese with her 1952 hit "Twisted" (based on a famous Wardell Gray tenor sax solo). Her early experiments, along with those of fellow vocalese pioneers King Pleasure and Eddie Jefferson, marked her as a true innovator in vocal jazz. And when Ross joined forces in 1957 with Lambert and Hendricks - each of whom had been making notable strides on their own in the same vocalese direction - a powerhouse act was born. Their appearance at the 1959 Newport Jazz Festival came hot on the heels of their second triumphant release, The Swingers on the Pacific Jazz label (later reissued on EMI/Manhattan).
They enter with the jivey "It's Sand, Man" before tackling Basie's "Let Me See," Horace Silver's "Doodlin'" and the invigorating "Taps Miller." Williams joins them for a rousing rendition of Louis Jordan's "Rusty Dusty Blues," with Lambert, Hendricks and Ross providing backing vocal harmony and simulated horn pads. They deliver a soulful reading of Milt Jackson's "The Spirit-Feel," a tune that was also covered by Ray Charles the previous year at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival. And they wrap it up with a swinging "Avenue C," a Basie staple chockfull of clever Hendricks lyrics, before segueing to Basie's closing theme, "One O'Clock Jump," putting the capper on what was easily one of the most invigorating and memorable sets of the 1959 Newport Jazz Festival.
--Excerpt from Wolfgang's Vault notes
Usin' the phone booth,
Makin' a few calls,
Doodlin' weird things,
Usin' the booth walls.
Got me a big date,
Waitin' for my chick,
Puttin' my face on,
So she could look slick,
I enjoy procrastinating
'Cause I'm busy while I'm waiting,
Doodlin' away, doodlin away
Sittin' and dinin'
Dinner beginnin',
Started designin'
Usin' the linen
Photo: Charles O'Neal
At age 83, Annie Ross is still performing. Here she is in August 2009 after an outdoor Jammin’ on the Hudson at Harlem's Riverbank State Park with the park’s cultural director, Ruth Thomas (l.), and public relations person, Pat Vitucci (r.). Her current solo act includes "Twisted" and "Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime". Also at Riverbank State Park is Milo Mottola and Maria Reidelbach's Totally Kid Carousel, the "first carousel in the world designed by kids."Labels: count basie, dave lambert, hendricks, jazz, lambert hendricks and ross, mottola, newport jazz festival, reidelbach, totally kid carousel, vocalese
¶ 9:17 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Origin of vocalese
A more listenable vocalese version of "Singin' the Blues" was recorded in 1934 by Marion Harris (1896-1944).
Bee Palmer
Long before Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, Eddie Jefferson, James Moody and King Pleasure, there was Beatrice C. "Bee" Palmer (1894-1967). Here she is singing Ted Koehler's lyrics to Bix Beiderbecke's improvised solo on a 1929 recording of "Singin' the Blues" with the Frank Trumbauer Orchestra. Bee Palmer was best known as a shimmy dancer, vaudeville performer and Ziegfeld Girl, who toured with her Oh Bee! show. Her test recordings were rejected and never issued by Columbia.A more listenable vocalese version of "Singin' the Blues" was recorded in 1934 by Marion Harris (1896-1944).
Labels: bee palmer, hendricks, lambert, ross, vaudeville, vocalese
¶ 7:06 AM 2 comments
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Vocalese: More Lambert, Hendricks and Ross (with Ocie Smith)
Creed Taylor, producer of Sing a Song of Basie, commented: "Irv Greenbaum and I recorded this entire project on a 1/4” 15 IPS analogue monotape. Dave Lambert’s arrangements for voices, i.e. “instruments,” were recorded (overdubbed) one track at a time. The trumpet parts were sung by Annie Ross. The trombones and saxes were Dave and Jon. Annie, Dave or Jon performed the solos. We recorded and mixed each track as we proceeded to build the finished recording. Once completed, there was no turning back to remix the project. The technology that was to come was not available."
Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks, Annie Ross, Ocie Smith, Count Basie and His Orchestra, live in Paris, July 20, 1961. Count Basie (p), Thad Jones, George Cohn, Lenny Johnson, Snooky Young (tp), Henry Coker, Benny Powell, Quentin Jackson (tb), Marshall Royal, Frank Wess, Frank Foster, Charles Fowlkes, Albert "Bud" Johnson (sax), Freddie Green (g), Eddie Jones (b) and Sonny Payne (ds). "Everyday" was recorded by Lambert, Hendricks and Ross on Sing a Song of Basie (1957), leading off the album and followed by "It's Sand, Man." For the earlier LH&R post (with a different performance of "Everyday"), go to "Archive>February 2007."
Labels: basie, creed, hendricks, lambert, ocie, paris, ross, song, vocalese
¶ 7:23 PM 0 comments
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Vocalese
Lambert, Hendricks and Ross: "Avenue C" (3:05)
The Voices of Vocalese
Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross sing
"Avenue C" from Sing a Song of Basie (1957).
Here is clip of LH&R singing "Everyday"
(also on Sing a Song of Basie). Lambert, Hendricks and
Yolande Bavan do "Come On Home". More LH&R in
1995 Jon Hendricks audio interview. Dave Lambert Quintet
audition in 1964 after the breakup of LH&R. Clip (from
D.A. Pennebaker's Lambert & Co. shows Lambert, Mary
Vonnie, Sarah Boatner, Leslie Dorsey and David Lucas.
Lastly, Annie Ross sings "Twisted," written by Ross and
Wardell Grey.
The Voices of Vocalese
Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross sing
"Avenue C" from Sing a Song of Basie (1957).
Here is clip of LH&R singing "Everyday"
(also on Sing a Song of Basie). Lambert, Hendricks and
Yolande Bavan do "Come On Home". More LH&R in
1995 Jon Hendricks audio interview. Dave Lambert Quintet
audition in 1964 after the breakup of LH&R. Clip (from
D.A. Pennebaker's Lambert & Co. shows Lambert, Mary
Vonnie, Sarah Boatner, Leslie Dorsey and David Lucas.
Lastly, Annie Ross sings "Twisted," written by Ross and
Wardell Grey.
Labels: hendricks, lambert, ross, vocalese
¶ 2:31 PM 0 comments
