Milestone

This blog has had over 500,000 hits since its inception. Brilliant Corners was started by Chris Rich, who first posted on 7.18.09. I took over on 3.28.10. I'd like to thank everyone who visits the page-even the Russian hackers, who seem to have boosted the number lately. I welcome all feedback, suggestions, brickbats and kudos.

Holiday Head-Spinner

Have a jazz/R&B/funk/soul/gospel trip through the holidays on the 

Duplex Mystery Jazz Hour, WZBC.ORG, 12.22.2016.

LISTEN HERE
 
PLAYLIST

Paul Bley "Santa Clause Is Comin' to Town" (1953), on Debut
 
Dave McKenna "Jingle Bells" from "Christmas Party-Holiday Piano Spiked With Swing" (1997), on Concord
 
Ray Charles "Winter Wonderland" from "Spirit of Christmas" (1956) on MGM
 
Charlie Parker "White Christmas" from "Live at Royal Roost" (1948) on Savoy
 
Charles Brown "Christmas in Heaven" from "Christmas in Heaven" (1965) on Jewel Records
 
Eyal Vilner Big Band "Sevivon" from "Hanukkah - EP" (2016) on Eyal Vilner Big Band

Joe Pass "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" from "Joe Pass - Six String Santa" (1992) on LaserLight Digital ‎

Louis Armstrong "Twas the Night before Christmas" (1971) on Continental

Amos Milburn "Let's Make Christmas Merry, Baby"(1948) on Aladdin
 
Frank Sinatra "Let It Snow" from "Christmas Songs" (1948), on Columbia
 
Joseph Spence "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" from "Living On The Hallelujah Side" (1980) on Rounder
 
The Soul Saints Orchestra "Santa's Got A Bag Of Soul" (1994) on Hot Pie and Candy records
 
Charles Brown "Merry Christmas Baby" from "Cool Christmas Blues" (1984), on Bullseye Blues

Fats Domino "Jingle Bells" from "Christmas is a Special Day" (2006), on Cap
 
Otis Redding "White Christmas" (1967) on Atco
 
The Blind Boys Of Alabama "Last Month Of The Year" from "Go Tell it on the Mountain" (2008), on Real World
 
Clarence Carter "Back Door Santa"  (1968) on Atlantic

Vince Guaraldi "Christmas Time Is Here" from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (1965) on Fantasy

Funk Machine "Soul Santa" (1973) on Creative Funk

Ella Fitzgerald "The Christmas Song" from "A Swinging Christmas" (1960) on Verve
 
John Coltrane Quartet "Greensleeves" from "Africa Brass" (1961) on Impulse
 
Chet Baker "Joy To The World" from "A Christmas Jazz Album" (1997) on Dinemec Jazz
 
Duke Pearson "Wassail Song" from "Merry Old Soul" (1965) on Blue Note
 
Wynton Marsalis "We Three Kings" from "Crescent City Christmas Card" (1989) on Columbia  

Louis Armstrong "Cool Yule" from "Louis Armstrong With The Commanders" (1953), on Decca
 
Fats Waller "Swingin' Them Jingle Bells" (1936) on Victor
 
Dianne Reeves "Christmas Waltz" from "Christmas Time is Here" (2004) on Blue Note
 
Ray Charles "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" from "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (2009), on Concord

Fred Katz: Jazz Cellist, Composer, Arranger

The DuPlex Mystery Jazz Hour of 12.15.16 on WZBC.ORG featured Fred Katz (1919–2013), who may have been the most accomplished cellist jazz has seen. After studying under Pablo Casals and performing with several symphony orchestras, Katz made the move to jazz, performing with drummer Chico Hamilton and leading many groups himself. Katz also did film scores, including a bunch for Roger Corman-A Bucket of Blood and The Wasp Woman.


His solos and his compositions are an interesting hybrid of "inside" jazz, classical techniques and harmonic experimentation.

Check the program out HERE

PLAYLIST

Feelin the Blues, from "Fred katz and His Jammers" Fred Katz (cel) / Don Fagerquist (tp) // Gene Estes (vb) / Leroy Vinnegar (b) /  Lenny McBrowne (d) / Johnny Pisano (gtr), (1959) on Decca

"Elegy" from "Fred katz and His Jammers"-Fred Katz (cel) / Don Fagerquist (tp) /Gene Estes (vb) / Leroy Vinnegar (b) / Frank Butler (d) / / Johnny Pisano (gtr), (1959) on Decca

‪
Chico Hamilton quintet "Jonalah" from "Sweet Smell of Success" reedist/flutist Paul Horn, bassist Carson Smith, cellist Fred Katz, guitarist John Pisano‬ ‪(1957) on Decca‬

"I Remember Clifford" from "Carmen McCrae For Cool Ones" ,Fred Katz - arranger, conductor, cello, Buddy Collette - flute, alto saxophone, (1958) on Decca

"Old Paint" from "Folk Songs for Far Out Folk" Gene Estes, vibes - Billy Bean, guitar - Johnny T. Williams, piano - Mel Pollen, bass - Jerry Williams, drums, (1958) on Warner Brothers

"Pluck It" from "Zen"-Fred Katz, cello - Chico Hamilton, drums & tympani - Paul Horn, alto flute & clarinet - John Pisano, guitar - Carson Smith, bass, (Jazz, 1957) on Pacific Jazz

"Science Fiction," 45 rpm record- Fred Katz Quintet With Ensemble, Paul Horn (flute, clarinet, alto sax, piccolo) Fred Katz (cello) John Pisano (guitar) Carson Smith (bass) Chico Hamilton (drums) (1955) on Pacific Jazz

"Take the A Train/Perdito" Chico Hamilton Quintet from "Ellington Suite" Alto Saxophone, Flute – Paul Horn, Bass – Carson Smith Cello – Fred Katz Drums – Chico Hamilton Guitar – Jim Hall, Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Buddy Collette, (1958) on World Pacific

"Stella By Starlight" from "Fred Katz Trio at the Strollers" Fred Katz (cello), Jim Hall (guitar), Carson Smith (bass), (1955) on World Pacific

"Junk Man" Ken Nordine and the Fred Katz Group from "Son of Word Jazz" Bass – Harold Gaylor, Cello – Fred Katz, Drums – Red Holt, Guitar – John Pisano, Narrator,– Ken Nordine, (1958) on Dot

"4-5-6" from "4-5-6 Trio" Fred Katz Trio Fred Katz (cello) Johnny Pisano (guitar) Hal Gaylor (bass), (Jazz, 1958) on Decca

"Wax and Wane" from "The Rubaiyat Of Dorothy Ashby"-Dorothy Ashby - harp, koto, vocals, Stu Katz - vibraphone, Fred Katz - kalimba, Unidentified Orch.(1970) on Cadet

"Tea For Two" from "The Original Chico Hamilton Quintet at the Strollers"-Buddy Collette (clarinet), Fred Katz (cello), Jim Hall (guitar), Carson Smith (bass), Chico Hamilton (drums), (1955) on World Pacific

Lee Morgan Ballads

Trumpeter Lee Morgan was a bravura player on up-tempo tunes, but also a master at medium-slow and ballad tempi. The DuPlex Mystery Jazz Hour of 12.8.16 on WZBC presented a small sample of this beautiful work.

LISTEN HERE

Lee Morgan "You Go To My Head" from "The Gigolo" 1966 Blue Note, Lee Morgan (tp), Wayne Shorter (ts), Harold Mabern, Jr (p), Bob Cranshaw (b), Billy Higgins (d)

Lee Morgan "All the Way" from "All the Way" 1958 Sunset-Lee Morgan (tp) Sonny Clark (p) Doug Watkins (b) Art Taylor (d)

Lee Morgan "I'll Never Be The Same" from "Sonic Boom" (Jazz, 1967) on Blue Note-Lee Morgan-t; David "Fathead" Newman, George Coleman (tenors); Julian Prester (tr); Cedar Walton, Harold Mabern (piano); Ron Carter, Walter Booker (bass); Billy Higgins, Mickey Roker (drums).

Lee Morgan "Flamingo" from "The Sermon!" (Jazz, 1958) on Blue Note-Lee Morgan, Jimmy Smith (org), Kenny Burrell(g), Art Blakey(d)

Lee Morgan "I Remember Clifford" from "Lee Morgan" 1957) on Blue Note-Lee Morgan,Benny Golson-ten,Gigi Gryce-alto, flute, Wynton Kelly-p, Paul Chambers-bass Charlie Persip - drums

Lee Morgan "Ceora" from "Cornbread" (Jazz, 1965) on Blue Note-Herbie Hancock(p), Billy Higgins(d),  Jackie McLean(as), Hank Mobley(ts) and Larry Ridley-bass

Lee Morgan "I Remember Clifford", from "Lee Morgan Vol. 3," 1957-Lee Morgan,Benny Golson-ten, Gigi Gryce-alto, flute, Wynton Kelly-p, Paul Chambers-bass Charlie Persip - drums


Lee Morgan "I'm Old Fashioned" from "Blue Train" (Jazz, 1958) on Blue Note-John Coltrane(ts) Lee Morgan(tp) Curtis Fuller(tb) Kenny Drew(p) Paul Chambers(b) Philly Joe Jones(ds)

Lee Morgan, "Twilight Mist"-from "Tom Cat" Blue Note, 1964, Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Jackie McLean, McCoy Tyner, Bob Cranshaw – bass, Art Blakey – drums

Browsing the 1927 Victor Catalogue

On the DuPlex Mystery Jazz Hour of 12.1.16 I played a variety of music offered by the Victor record company in 1927-jazz, jug band, blues, country, tango.

LISTEN HERE
All tunes are from 1927, recorded for Victor.

‪Duke Ellington - "East St Louis Toodle-oo"
‪Dixieland Jug Blowers - "Don't Give all the Lard Away!"
Benny Moten's Kansas City Orchestra - "Moten Stomp"
‪Orquesta Tipica Victor - "Tandas" 
‪Julius Daniels - "Ninety-Nine Year Blues"
‪Ben Pollack & His Orch. - "Waitin' For Katie"‬
‪Bobbie Leecan's Need-More Band "Washboard Cut Out"
‪Jelly Roll Morton Trio w.  Johnny Dodds & Baby Dodds‬-"Wolverine Blues"
‪Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra feat. Bix Beiderbecke - "Slow River"
‪Coon-Sanders Nighthawks - "Sluefoot"
‪Elizabeth Smith  w. Rex Stewart-cornet‬ "Police done tore my Playhouse Down"
‪Ross de Luxe Syncopaters- "Believe Me, Dear"
‪Clifford Hayes' Louisville Stompers "Blue Guitar Stomp"
‪Fats Waller & Alberta Hunter "Beale Street Blues"
Jimmie Rodgers - "Blue Yodel"
Louis Dumaine's Jazzola Eight ‬-"Red Onion Drag"
‪Fletcher Henderson "Variety Stomp"