The Opening Notes That Thrill You The Most

[couw]

Coltrane entering on India © Live at the VV

[Jad]

Two involving Lee:

The Sermon-Jimmy Smith

It's Only a Paper Moon-AB and the Jazz Messengers

yeah!

[Don Brown]

Cotton Tail (the 1940 Victor original) - Duke Ellington

West End Blues - Louis Armstrong

Parker's Mood - Charlie Parker

Ghosts (the original version on ESP) - Albert Ayler

Brownie Speaks - Clifford Brown & Gigi Gryce

Choose Now - Tadd Dameron with Clifford Brown

Blue Serge - Duke Ellington

Rhythm-A-Ning - Thelonious Monk

Excursion on a Wobbly Rail - Cecil Taylor

Chelsea Bridge - Duke Ellington

Chelsea Bridge - Ben Webster & Gerry Mulligan

Blueport - Gerry Mulligan with Art Farmer

Haitian Fight Song - Charles Mingus

Burgundy Street Blues - George Lewis

Stars Fell on Alabama - Jack Teagarden

Stars Fell on Alabama - Stan Getz

Just a handful of opening notes that stir the blood and spirit of this elderly listener.

[vibes]

Dizzy Gillespie/Sonny Rollins/Sonny Stitt - The Eternal Triangle

Andrew Hill - Siete Ocho

John Coltrane - Blue Train, Giant Steps, Leo

[Big Al]

Listening to one right now: Jackie McLean's "Omega"

Pretty much any version of "Jumpin' at the Woodside" gets my adrenaline flowin'!

And I'll second previous mentions of Blakey's "Moanin'" and "It's Only a Paper Moon."

More nods:

I Never Knew - Kenny Burrell

Phinupi - Kenny Burrell (true story: I was in a restaurant that actually played this on their canned music; my family looked at me like I was nuts (well, they do that anyway) cuz I was about bangin' the table to Blakey's beat!)

It Ain't Necessarily So - Grant Green

Yes I Can, No You Can't - Lee Morgan

Cornbread - Lee Morgan

Bumpin' on Sunset - Wes Montgomery

And of course, Basie's "April in Paris!"

[B. Goren.]

Two tunes that come to my mind:

Caravan, the drums playing of Roach is amazing, and Greensleeves by Coltrane.

Edited July 15, 2004 by B. Goren.

[Brownian Motion]

To me, there is no recorded intro that can beat Louis Armstrong's original "West End Blues." The goose bumps don't go away until Zutty puts the lid on it.

Another vote for Louis' West End Blues. Also, Mahogany Hall Stomp, 1936 Decca version.

[Parkertown]

Wow, this thread is gonna make me one kick-ass mix cd!!!

[Parkertown]

Great idea, Dan! B)

[Brad]

A couple that come to my mind are

Night in Tunisia

Moanin

Shawnuff

Salt Peanuts

Now's the Time

Koko

[sidewinder]

Live versions of 'Autumn Leaves' by Miles. The Tokyo and Antibes versions come immediately to mind.

[mikeweil]

In jazz, the opening from "Black Groove", the 2nd track on "Something Special" by Richard Groove Holmes with Les McCann on Pacific Jazz.

But the greatest thrill I get from a classical piece:

the opening arpeggio in "En Tartane", the first movement of Déodat de Sévérac's solo piano cycle "Cerdana" never fails to send me to heaven.

brownie or EKE BBB, have you ever been there? One of my favourite places in the world, Cerdana and Roussillon.

The opening from Arthur Honegger's Toccata for solo piano is a close call.

[brownie]

brownie or EKE BBB, have you ever been there? One of my favourite places in the world, Cerdana and Roussillon.

Mike, I love the Roussillon province. Always make detours there when I travel to Perpignan every September for the Visa Pour l'Image photo show.

Not familiar with Cerdana but now that you mention I will certainly take a look at it when my wife and I will holiday in Catalunya later this year. It seems to be close to Gerona which is beautiful.

Will also have to check that Deodat de Severac...

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

'Karioka' from Hubbard's "Goin' Up"

[mikeweil]

Will also have to check that Deodat de Severac...

He was born there and stayed for most of his life. He wrote mostly piano music and songs with piano accompaniment - I haven't any of the latter, but several recordings of his piano music.

My favourite version is the OOP by Jean-Joel Barbier on Accord.

The cheapest is the well-done by Jordi Masó on Naxos.

Aldo Ciccolini did them for EMI, but while I love his Satie, his Séverac is too superficially virtuosic.

Another good recording is Billy Eidi's on Pianovox - just reissued on a different label.

There are two or three more. His music really breathes the wind and sun of his homeland. Cerdana and En Languedoc are his most famous pieces.

For info in French, click here.

Edited July 14, 2004 by mikeweil

[Harold_Z]

To me, there is no recorded intro that can beat Louis Armstrong's original "West End Blues." The goose bumps don't go away until Zutty puts the lid on it.

You got it, Chris ! That's the first one that came to mind for me. I purposely didn't look at this thread for a few days just waiting for someone to mention this.

In the early 60s I attended a Louis performance at a venue in Totowa, NJ called at that time, "The Gladiator's Arena". It's where the Holiday Inn on Rt. 46W is now. They had a Sunday night Jazz scene happening for 4 or 5 Sundays. I saw Pops, Duke, Stan Getz with Charlie Byrd, Maynard and Dave Brubeck's classic quartet with Paul Desmond, Morello and Wright. What a deal and what a delight for a teenage jazz freak!

Anyway...it was the All Stars with Trummy, Joe Darensbourg, Billy Kyle, Mort Herbert, and Danny Barcellona. I was in the front row. Louis asked if there were any requests and I shouted at the top of my lungs...."WEST END BLUES !"......Pops hit that intro immediately (and perfectly) ... I was floored.... and they played the tune.

I'll NEVER forget that.