Your favorite jazz standard

Mat

Sr. Regulator
Staff member
Sr. Regulator
Regulator
Tell me what's your favorite standard. Ok, I guess for me it's either "Girl from Ipanema" or "Autumn Leaves". How about you?
 

methodistgirl

New member
scott Joplin

I would have to say scott joplin because I like ragtime and New Orleans
style of jazz standard. There was a piece that was played on a pipe
organ called the preacher's rag and the pipe organ made it sound like
a polka played on a giant sized accordian. Even though, it sounded
really great. I also like the music of Louis Armstrong.
judytooley.:grin:
 

Art Rock

Sr. Regulator
Staff member
Sr. Regulator
Before reading your post, Autumn leavse was the first one I thought of. That and Cry me a river.
 

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
Ron Carter's version of *Autumn Leaves* on his CD *The Golden Striker* is one that I listen to once a day.
 

intet_at_tabe

Rear Admiral Appassionata (Ret.)
Tell me what´s your favourite standard

Tell me what's your favorite standard. Ok, I guess for me it's either "Girl from Ipanema" or "Autumn Leaves". How about you?

Hey Mat :).

Both your suggestions are very good standards, performed and recorded by hundreds of different great musicians, but I don´t think "The girl from Ipanema" composed by Carlos Jobim, in my humble opinion would be called a jazz standard. "Autumn Leaves" by Joseph Kozma/John Mercer/Jacques Prevert -however, now you´re talking.
Two other great jazz standards in my book are "All the things you are" by Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein or "All of you", by Cole Porter performed by The Standards Trio - Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette from the double album "Tribute" (ECM Records 1990) always does it to me. Best regards and a very happy New Year to you Mat.
 
Last edited:

Mat

Sr. Regulator
Staff member
Sr. Regulator
Regulator
Hello,
These were just two from the top of my head:).

I don´t think "The girl from Ipanema" composed by Carlos Jobim, in my humble opinion would be called a jazz standard.
That is interesing, what you wrote. You think that "The Girl from Ipanema"/"Garote de Ipanema" can't be numered among jazz standards?

Best regards and a very happy New Year to you Mat.
Thank you very much, intet-at-tabe. I also wish you all the best in this New Year.
 

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
My Funny Valentine and Autumn leaves are tied for first place.

Donna Murphy sings this ravishing jazz number on youtube which gets my heart bleeding:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7xERqMr_DM[/youtube]

Cheers,

Corno Dolce
 
Last edited by a moderator:

rojo

(Ret)
Oh gee, there are so many great ones.

Here are a few that I enjoy-

Fly Me To The Moon
You Stepped Out Of A Dream
Somebody Loves Me
Lady Is A Tramp
Night And Day
Somewhere Over The Rainbow (yes, I'm a sap)
Laura
Isn't It Romantic
Caravan
Days Of Wine And Roses
What's New

etc....
 

intet_at_tabe

Rear Admiral Appassionata (Ret.)
Hi Mat

Thank you for the reply and the best wishes.

I knew I would get myself in troubles, but please let me explain why by giving you some examples. Would you for instance call the song "Yesterday" by The Beatles - a jazz standard, because a lot of jazz musicians play/sing it, like good ole Blue Eyes (Frank Sinatra)? Or would you consider "Time after time" by Cindy Lauper - a jazz standard because the legend in modern jazz the late Miles Davis copied the song on his album "You´re under arrest" (CBS Records 1985)? Or "Imagine" by John Lennon, since three of danish top jazz musicians Palle Mikkelborg (trumpet), Kenneth Knudsen (keyboards) and the late N.H.Ø.P. (double bass) played it?

Antonio Carlos Jobim composed hundreds of songs like "Wave" - "Desafinado" - "One-Note samba" and "The girl from Ipanema", all songs american singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole took into their personal repertoire. But does it make these great brazilian songs - jazz standards?

What I mean is Jazz goes to the american music history. Jazz was evolved from the blues and before the blues there were the negro spirituals (The Mills Brothers for instance).

Antonio Carlos Jobim (born 1927 in Brazil) is not an american, nor a typical educated jazz musician at all. Though many of his songs are internationally well known, I do not consider them for - jazz standards. IMHO more like pop. However it is a fact, that american jazz musicians during the 1960´s began looking down south to Brazil, Cuba and Argentina for new inspiration from Samba and Bossa Nova even Tango inspired music also because of the percussion instruments.

The internationally well known percussionist/drummer the brazilian Airto Moreira (married to vocalist Flora Purim) played with Miles Davis and later in Chick Corea´s band "Return To Forever" on songs like "Spain" - "500 miles high" - "Light as a feather" (title of the beautiful album as well by R.T.F. from Polydor Records 1972).

Anyways Mat, no matter what - I had no attack on you intended. Your opinion is as good as mine. I felt very grateful when I read your response. We obviously both dig jazz standards and jazz and brazilian composers, and I guess you also know that jazz as a musical direction evolved during the 1960-70´s into electric jazz with groups like R.T.F., Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Sergio Mendez and Brazil 66´.

Respect to you Mat from intet-at-tabe.
 
Last edited:

intet_at_tabe

Rear Admiral Appassionata (Ret.)
rojo

You obviously know your Frank Sinatra song list, all jazz standards. Frank Sinatra as a jazz singer a
favourite of mine too.

If you know of Keith Jarrett, then you know that the song "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" is his personal favourite jazz standard, one of mine too.

Best wishes for you as well in 2008,
intet-at-tabe
 
Last edited:

Mat

Sr. Regulator
Staff member
Sr. Regulator
Regulator
Hi intet-at-tabe,

Thank you for your response.

I knew I would get myself in troubles, but please let me explain why by giving you some examples.

No, no, I'm actually very glad that I can hear someone else's opinion on this. I find it very interesing. I would only like to say jazz is so wide and various definition that sometimes it is difficult to define explicitly whether something is a jazz standard or not. I also do respect your opinion on this topic.

I hope that now you are here with us, we will bring some more life into jazz section of this great forum:).

And about "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". Without a doubt, this is a fabolous piece. Actually, you may want to check out Blink 182's version of it. Not very much jazz in this version but still worth to be listened:grin:, IMHO.

Best regards,
Mat.
 

intet_at_tabe

Rear Admiral Appassionata (Ret.)
Hi back to you Mat (almost like on a chat today)

You said: "I hope that now you are here with us, we will bring some more life into jazz section of this great forum:).". You may bank on it!!;)

And then you said: "I would only like to say jazz is so wide and various definition that sometimes it is difficult to define explicitly whether something is a jazz standard or not.". Agreed. Some of the artists, who record with the ECM Records, I wouldn´t know whether it is jazz, rock or classical or perhaps a fourth ethnic unknown style of music.

If you remember an english group from the beginning of the 1970´s ELP equals Emerson, Lake and Palmer. They played music for instance by the classical composer Musorsky "Pictures at an exibition" for instance. But I would not dare to put a certain label to this kind of music.

The brazilian multi-instrumentalist Egberto Gismonti, who is considered a jazz musician often plays and record with a symphony orchestra as backup. Personally, I can´t tell whether it´s jazz or classical music.

Also the norwegian jazz saxophonist Jan Garbarek has done some cross over music with The Hilliard Ensemble.

Like the live improvised solo-piano concerts by Keith Jarrett. I could not tell whether it´s jazz or classical piano music. But then Jarrett also plays and has recorded classical piano copying Shostakovitch and Mozart for instance, or in a duet with the danish recorder virtuoso Mikela Petri.

My all time favourite jazz album however, at the same time favourite jazz standard songs come from "Kind of blue" by Miles Davis (CBS Records 1959). Incredible album. But then it does not hurt this band nor the songs, that the tenor saxophone master John Coltrane and the alto saxophone master Julian "Cannonball" Adderly with Bill Evans/Wynton Kelly (both on piano) and the legendary Paul Chambers (bass) and Jimmy Cobb (drums) sat in during those recordings.

See you later. Have a great day Mat!!

Regards, intet-at-tabe
 
Last edited:

Mat

Sr. Regulator
Staff member
Sr. Regulator
Regulator
If you remember an english group from the beginning of the 1970´s ELP equals Emerson, Lake and Palmer. They played music for instance by the classical composer Musorsky "Pictures at an exibition" for instance.

I'm afraid I don't know this group. I was born after 1970;). But I'll google it and see what comes up.


My all time favourite jazz album however, at the same time favourite jazz standard songs come from "Kind of blue" by Miles Davis (CBS Records 1959). Incredible album.

This is wonderful album, indeed. Also "My fuuny Valentine" and "Someday my prince will come" are great standards, especially when he plays them:grin:. I've read Miles Davies autobiography recently. Very interesing book. You get to know so much informations about him and his life. I really do recommend it.

Regards,
Mat.
 

intet_at_tabe

Rear Admiral Appassionata (Ret.)
You´re so right Mat :D - Btw. greetings to all polish citizens. I visited Warsaw, Radem (about a 100 kilometers south of Warsaw) and Krakow in the summer 1989, a few months before the Berlin Wall was broken down from each side of the former two Germany´s. Krakow the culturel center in Poland before the WWII with it´s roofs made of solid gold, at least from what we were told. I also visited the city of Oswiesim, where the NAZI camp Ausschwits was in those terrible years during the WWII, where millions of people were killed, because of a little austrian painter with no whatsoever respect on humanity.

Quote: "This is wonderful album, indeed. Also "My fuuny Valentine" and "Someday my prince will come" are great standards, especially when he plays them:grin:.".

Agreed. I have in my huge Miles Davis collection the double album "My funny Valentine" feat. George Coleman (tenor saxophone), Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass) and the incredible Tony Williams (drums). The latter Tony Williams was only 17 years of age, when Miles spotted him. Tony passed away a few years ago.

Replace George Coleman for Wayne Shorter (tenor and soprano saxophone) and you´ll have the famous Miles Davis Quintet, which made so many live performances and recordings around the world, from Tokyo, Japan to Berlin, Germany, to Montreal, Canada and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Schwitzerland.

Of course being polish you would know Tomasz Stanko (trumpet), who has contributed to the catalog from the ECM Records?

It seems Mat, we´re on the same shelf around jazz, jazz standards and Miles Davis.

Thanks Mat,
intet-at-tabe
 

Mat

Sr. Regulator
Staff member
Sr. Regulator
Regulator
Well well, I didn't know you have been to Poland. Hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to come and visit again. If you let me, I' d like to recommend to you our beautiful seaside. You may want to visit such places as Sopot, Mrzeżyno or Ustka.

Of course being polish you would know Tomasz Stanko (trumpet), who has contributed to the catalog from the ECM Records?

Yes, indeed, I've heard about him but to be honest I don't know his music very well. I have only one of his albums. I'm just not really into it (yet:grin:). Besides, I have so much other jazz music I haven't listened yet (even though I want to) that, being busy man that I am, I simply didn't have enough time for this. But lately because of Christmas and New Year I've had a longer break. Finally I could cath up a little bit with all the music:).

P.S Guess what I'm listenig to right now? Nothing else but Tomasz Stańko - "Suspended night". That's the one album I have. And I think it is you that motivated me to:D.

Cheers,
Mat.
 

intet_at_tabe

Rear Admiral Appassionata (Ret.)
Mat - confession time.

Well well, I didn't know you have been to Poland. Hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to come and visit again. If you let me, I' d like to recommend to you our beautiful seaside. You may want to visit such places as Sopot, Mrzeżyno or Ustka.

To be honest with you Mat recollecting our vacation to Poland, that is the parts I do remember, specificly from the city of Radom (not Radem). The people we visited showed us great hospitality, and much curiosity about driving my Ford Kadett 1,3 (12 people stood in line the whole afternoon to try it out behind the wheel). Then the first evening they all showed me the polish way on how to drink Vodka. Now, for you to know, I am not and have never been a great drinker of alkohol in generel, which became quite obvious around 9 P.M. some two hours after we (the 12 men, who had stood in line) in the evening with their wives and some neighbours included and our hosts sat around a long table. They all wanted to see, talk to and salute this danish "giraf" - individually. Everyone personly wanted to say Cheers to me in Vodka. For reasons I never knew they did not seem to have any soft drinks. Never before in my entire life or ever since have I been as drunk as then, and the size of the hangover the next day??? You know, when not used to alcohol. But what could I do as a guest, I mean I had to represent Denmark in a polite mature diplomatic (?) way, and my father told me before leaving for Poland: "It is not polite to say no, when asked to salute to someone".

Today I still believe, that night in Radom, Poland in 1989, visiting the family of my wife, surrounded by all these friendly smiling cheering laughing polish people, who found one bottle after the next from places I did not know excisted, made a crusual damage to my second marriage then. She, who should always be obeyed, did not think my version of the polish national anthem during the evening - was properly sung. Of course I never argued it with her, mostly because I couldn´t remember having sung the polish anthem or much else :eek::smash:.

Quote: "P.S Guess what I'm listenig to right now? Nothing else but Tomasz Stańko - "Suspended night". That's the one album I have. And I think it is you that motivated me to:D.".

Wow Mat :), for me it is only the second day here, and I have motivated you to listen to polish jazz and Tomasz Stanko. Now Mat, this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship...(except from the american movie "Casablanca" feat. Bogart/Bergman).

Thank you Mat, and I am not finished with Poland at all - great country, nature and history, not to mention the union leader Lech Valensa and the SOLIDANOSZ movement.

I think, I read some where that you play the instrument oboe? If this is right, then perhaps you should listen to an american jazz musician Paul McCandless, who also plays oboe and english horn in jazz along with different saxophones and bassclarinet as well, who has recorded with the german Eberhard Weber (weber upstanding el. bass) and his group and the well known american band OREGON from the state with the same name on the west coast of the USA.

Reading your post Mat made me feel very cool :cool:.
 
Last edited:

Mat

Sr. Regulator
Staff member
Sr. Regulator
Regulator
That is quite impressive post:). Thank you for sharing.

However, I feel I need to say that it has changed a lot since your visit. I do not want to go any further about this as Poland has very rich history and this jazz forum after all.;)

As a matter of fact, I do play oboe. And I even tried to play some jazz but I was no good in this. Now, when it comes to jazz I rather stick to piano. And call it telepathy or whatever you want - I've been looking for some jazz-oboe-players for a long time now. And I managed to find only one. Jean Luc-Fillon is the one. He plays both oboe and english horn. Here is some sample of music he plays http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=ijo9HyHIc7Y. I thought that I would find maybe someone out here who can help me with finding more of his music but I had no luck. I have only few of his recordings but I definately want some more. I've never heard of Paul McCandles but I'm gonna check this guy out:). Thanks for suggestion.


P.S Stańko maybe I don't know too well but I like Polish jazz musicians. For example Adam Makowicz, Leszek Możdzer, Andrzej Kurylewicz Wojciech Karolak or Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski:). They are all great.

Take care,
Mat.
 
Last edited:

intet_at_tabe

Rear Admiral Appassionata (Ret.)
Mat, check out this link: www.ecm.com 0r simply google ECM Records and Paul McCandless and Tomasz Stanko or OREGON. Press artists and there you´ll find it all.

Paul McCandless also played with a friend of his Fred Simon (piano) and Steve Rodby (double bass), the latter who has played the double bass/el. bass with the Pat Metheny Group for more than twenty years. Both of them from the USA on Fred Simon´s album "Remember the river" 2004 from a label called www.naim-audio.com

Adam Makowicz (piano) I already know, if he is the one you mentioned.

So you also play the piano. Are you classical educated on oboe and/or piano? Perhaps you have played professionally in a symphony orchestra? Or a smaller ensemble?

I watched Jean Luc-Fillon earlier today on youtube, unfortunately my speakers are dead at the moment.

Best regards,
intet-at-tabe
 

Mat

Sr. Regulator
Staff member
Sr. Regulator
Regulator
Thanks for the links. I'll check them out as soon as it's possible. I see that Paul McCandless plays also a soprano saxophone. That's even better 'cause I love sopran.:)

The case of my education is quite complicated. I'm being educated classical on oboe. I had about ten years of piano education, however this is not my main instrument. I also played cello for a couple of years. But it was ages ago.

I played in few amateur orchestras, for example Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (if you'd like to hear some samples of what we played contact me via PM).

My break I mentioned earlier, is now over. So I may not be so frequent guest for next few days.

Regards,
Mat.
 

intet_at_tabe

Rear Admiral Appassionata (Ret.)
My break I mentioned earlier, is now over. So I may not be so frequent guest for next few days.
Don´t worry Mat, I´ll be here whenever you wish to talk again.

I´ll send you the best blessings while you´re back to working hours with some deep thoughts on Miles Davis.

First of all he was a very distingquished trumpet player. He never played or recorded a lot on the flugelhorn, but he did one album that I have where he only used the flugelhorn "Miles Ahead" Columbia Records, 1958. His co-musicians on this album are: Wynton Kelly (piano) Paul Chambers (bass) and Art taylor (drums) and The Gil Evans Orchestra. Funny Gil Evans´s real name is Ian Ernest Gilmore Green, just a footnote.

I believe Miles Davis had an almost one-man-kind-of-talent. He always managed to find new musicians on various instruments, who were about to make the breakthrough on the american jazz scene, and sort of just needed the last puuuush (as the late rock star the incredible very missed Frank Zappa/Mothers would say it).

I happened to watch an interview on the TV some years back during the danish night with the very young at the time new international (almost) star on tenor and soprano saxophone: Bill Evans. He told the funny story on how Miles contacted him at Bill Evans home adress, and said: "My name is Miles Davis. My band will do a concert to night in Baltimore. I would like to hear you live, so if you want to play with the band, please show up at 6 P.M."

That was the message by phone.

Bill Evans of course knew of Miles Davis a-legend-in-jazz (who didn´t?), an he felt almost embarrased and a bit nervous to get the chance to play with Miles Band for the first time, and then live.

So Bill turned up, and Miles instructed Bill Evans after the introduction to the rest of the band members: "Bill, you know the songs we play, right? We always improvise during concerts. Just fall in and follow me, keep the time and the rhytm, and I will signal you with my eyes and then you play solo".

That was it. Bill Evans after the concert became a member of the Miles Davis Band, and later began recording with his own bands.

Miles Davis had this very significant talent to be able almost to see inside someone, whether he was good or not, and just needed the final puuuush. Every famous jazz musician from Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland, Joe Zawinul, Miroslav Vitous (from the former Chechoslovakai - proberly spelled wrong), Anthony Braxton, John Mclaughlin, Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette, Marcus Miller, Airto Moreia, John Scofield, Mike Stern, Mino Cinelu etc.etc.etc. All of them played with Miles who gave the musicians inspiration and one chance playing with him and his current band, and they all succeded in each their own bands later in life.

That talent of Miles Davis to me is what Miles Davis was all about. An incredible trumpet player, band leader and then this significant talent to spot new talents and give them the room they needed to do the very best they could offer, musicians who would carry on as international jazz musicians.

I had the pleasure to attend a concert close to where I live years ago, after his many years of illness, in the beginning of the 1980´s around the time after the release of his album "The man with the horn" 1981. The band then were Miles (trumpet) Bill Evans (soprano saxophone), Barry Finnerty/Mike Stern (guitars) Robert Irving III (piano, keyboards), Randy Hall (vocals, syntheziser, guitar), Marcus Miller/Felton Crews (fender el. bass), Vincent Wilburn/Al Foster (drums) and finally Sammy Figuera (percussion).

The press the next day felt angry, cheeted and told that Miles Davis was arrogant on the stage, because Miles at all times had his back to the audience. But then that was Miles in the essence. His appearence on any stage was always in close interaction with each musician in his band. That was what counted to the legend Miles Davis. Obviosly the musicians they knew, that improvising on the stage in front of thousands of audience, there had to be at least one leader, who keept the whole shabang together, like a conductor, and yet not.

So Mat you´re classical educated and play oboe, piano, cello and have dreams for the soprano saxophone. Some day (if God and you will) you´ll make your own one-man-band chamber orchestra. or perhaps something in jazz, like the englishman John Surman, an expert on the soprano saxophone and various other instruments. I wish to be alive then.

See you and take care on the roads if slippery,
intet-at-tabe
 
Last edited:
Top