fasstrack

I thought it was 'distant gray traces' for years.

I don't find it over the top at all. From a 22-year-old who also wrote the masterful Something to Live For around the same time this is genius writing. Lush Life is the perfect saloon song for its interior monologue.

Very good points. One of my favorite lyrics is from These Foolish Things: 'The winds of March that made my heart a dancer'. Also, I'm not sure I understand all of Send in the Clowns, but the imagery is so strong it gets me every time. I would add to your list perhaps the greatest internal monologue IMO: It was a Very Good Year.

Damn. That leaves Willie S. out. Good thing he left his bed to his old lady.........

As an aside, Stephen Sondheim made the observation that poets, whom you'd think would make great lyricists, don't. What reads well, it seems, doesn't necessarily sing well.

As a Smalls performer I'm curious how much I'd 'earn' from revenue sharing since I'm not one of the most visited artists.

Afterthoughts, no matter how well intended, don't make it IMO. The great ASB songs are great because the melodist/lyricist created them from the ground up. Vocalese is another animal altogether. What I most admire about it is the technique involved in pulling it off. What I least like is the corny tales of derring do attributed to the musicians playing the original solos. But I'm repeating myself.....

Just the lyrics to the song---and it's a nice record but the lyrics seemed a bit below all the great tunes he sang. Just my opinion.

Early Getz (Jimmy Raney date); Pure Getz; Dynasty; Sweet Rain; Jazz Samba; People Time; Voyage; You Gotta Pay the Band (Abbey Lincoln); Nobody Else but Me----many more. I'm a major fan.

The Hi-Los became the Singers Unlimited in the '70s. Phenomenal group led by the Hi-Los' vocal arranger, Gene Puerling. What a giant of a talent.

This weekend I heard an example of the very thing I was grousing about: pedestrian afterthought lyrics to a jazz standard. The tune was Freddie Green's Corner Pocket, and (sorry to say) the singer the great Tony Bennett. He made nondescript lyrics more palatable, at least.

Ray Gallon. Steve Ash.

I'm glad George Cables is still around and recording. I heard he had a multiple organ transplant. I've been hearing a new recording they've been playing on the local jazz station. He plays Lush Life, and my comment would be that as a lover and purveyor of saloon songs I would've liked to hear more of the lyric and less of a piano showcase. But that's just me, maybe pianistas would dig it. Also he plays a wrong note in the melody---repeatedly. But I repeat: I'm glad this fine player with a great history is still around and producing.

Maybe I just will. Thanks.

He's a real swinger. Bebopper to his socks, to quote Phil Woods on Pepper Adams.

Interesting.

It's called Have Piano, Will Swing. Has anyone read this? Hod's a great player. I used to hear him in the 70's with Joe Puma at Gregory's and we played together in Marshall Brown's Wednesday ensemble. He probably has stories to tell, being a veteran. The book's for sale at his website www.hodobrien.com

My one experience with Mac Rebennack/Dr. John was in 1981, on a gig I was on at Tramp's with Big Joe Turner (and subsequently was fired from by Doc Pomus----another story for another day). Dr. John came in during our one rehearsal to pay his respects to the old man. I was on the bandstand and he came up, sat at the piano, started a slow blues---and didn't kick me off. I don't know about the gris gris stuff, but the man could definitely play the blues.

WBGO played Mark Murphy's version of Effendi the other day. Wild! He kept repeating 'Effendi' at the end.

That's with Roy Eldridge and Stan Getz, right? Yes, great album.

John Collins was one of the greatest and most under-appreciated guitarists.

Dunno, but thanks.

Thanks for putting this on this and the other thread. Maybe none of these are 'my' date, but they're all worth having---big time.

It was all tenor. Sorry, but thanks.

I do think it was a studio date. I was half asleep when he played it, but I'm sure the scant outline I gave is correct. Doubt that that helps, though. Let's expand the search to include any pre-army Lester, same criteria.