Category Archives: jazz

Emilio Caceres Trio – I Got Rhythm

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Emilio Caceres (1897-1980)

Emilio Caceres was a jazz violinist who was born in Corpus Christi, Texas. He led his own swing orchestra in San Antonio. Emilio’s style of jazz violin playing was inspired by the playing of another jazz violinist Joe Venuti and Emilio’s own family who were musicians. He led his own trio in the 1930s which featured himself on violin, his brother Ernie Caceres on saxophone or clarinet, and Johnny Gomez on the guitar.

Emilio’s brother was a prolific recording artist who made more than 500 recordings. Emilio only made a few recordings.

I Got Rhythm is a popular jazz tune composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by his brother Ira Gershwin. It was published in 1930 and became a jazz standard.

Here is a recording of the Emilio Caceres Trio with Emilio Caceres on violin, Ernie Caceres on clarinet, and Johnny Gomez on guitar. I hope you enjoy it.

Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang – “I’ve Found A New Baby”

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“I’ve Found A New Baby”

I’ve Found A New Baby is a popular jazz standard. It was written by Jack Palmer and Spencer Williams. Clarence Williams and his Blue Five were the first to record the tune in 1926. Since then it has been recorded by many musicians.

Joe Venuti (1903-1978)

Joe Venuti is considered by many people to be the father of jazz violin.  He is well known today for his recordings with jazz guitarist Eddie Lang.  Venuti also worked with Benny Goodman, the Dorsey brothers, Paul Whiteman’s orchestra, and the Boswell Sisters and Bix Beiderbecke as well as other jazz musicians.

Eddie Lang (1902-1933)

Eddie Lang is the father of the jazz guitar.  He worked primarily with violinist Joe Venuti (from 1921-1933).  Eddie Lang was a member of the Paul Whiteman orchestra.  He also worked with Louis Armstrong, blues guitarist Lonnie Johnson, and later in his career he was Bing Crosby’s accompanist.

Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang were a major influence on Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France.

Here is a recording of I’ve Found A New Baby by Joe Venuti (violin), Eddie Lang (guitar), Jimmy Dorsey (clarinet, baritone sax), Frank Signorelli (piano), and Joe Tarto (bass). It was recorded on November 12, 1930.

“My One and Only Love – Johny Coltrane

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“My One and Only Love” is a popular ballad. It was written by Guy Wood and Robert Mellin. Johnny Coltrane and his quartet recorded the ballad in 1963. The musicians are Johny Coltrane (saxophone), vocalist Johnny Hartman, and pianist McCoy Tyner. There is a drummer as well but I don’t know his name.

Johnny Coltrane (1926-1967)

Johnny Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Early in his career Coltrane played in the be-bop and hard bop styles. He pioneered the use of modes in jazz and later in his career explored free jazz. Later on in his career his solos were very abstract and sometimes he seemed to try and fit in as many notes as is humanly possible at a fast tempo. Here is a recording of Johnny Coltrane and his quartet performing “My One and Only Love.” Coltrane’s solo doesn’t stray much from the melody and he isn’t trying to set any speed records. His playing has a beautiful tone. Enjoy!

Dedicated to You – Ella Fitzgerald

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Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996)

Ella Fitzgerald was an American jazz singer.  She has often been referred to as the “First Lady of Song,” “Queen of Jazz,” and “Lady Ella.”  Ella Fitzgerald was known for the purity of her tone, impeccable diction, fine phrasing and impeccable intonation, as well as a horn-like way of improvising when she was scat singing.

Early in her career Ella Fitzgerald performed with the Chick Webb Orchestra and had musical success performing across the country.  Her solo career began in 1942.  Ella Fitzgerald appeared in many movies and as a guest on many popular television shows in the second half of the twentieth century.  Outside of her solo career, Ella was famous for her collaborations with Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and the Ink Spots.

Ella Fitzgerald made some of her most famous recordings on the Verve label such as a recording of the Great American Songbook.

Here is an early recording (1937) of Ella Fitzgerald singing “Dedicated to You.”  She is accompanied by the Mills Brothers.

Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang “Goin Places,” and “Stringing the Blues”

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Joe Venuti (1903-1978)

Joe Venuti is considered by many people to be the father of jazz violin.  He is well known today for his recordings with jazz guitarist Eddie Lang.  Venuti also worked with Benny Goodman, the Dorsey brothers, Paul Whiteman’s orchestra, and the Boswell Sisters and Bix Beiderbecke as well as other jazz musicians.

Eddie Lang (1902-1933)

Eddie Lang is the father of the jazz guitar.  He worked primarily with violinist Joe Venuti (from 1921-1933).  Eddie Lang was a member of the Paul Whiteman orchestra.  He also worked with Louis Armstrong, blues guitarist Lonnie Johnson, and later in his career he was Bing Crosby’s accompanist.

 

Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang were a major influence on Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France.  Here are two recordings of Eddie Lang and Joe Venuti entitled “Goin Places,” and “Stringing the Blues.”  On “Goin Places” Arthur Schutt joins Lang and Venuti on the piano.

Swing Gitan – All of Me, Avalon, and That’s A Plenty

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Swing Gitan is a gypsy jazz ensemble based in Chicago.  The group plays 1930s style music of Django Reinhardt on acoustic instruments.  Alfonso Ponticelli is the lead guitarist, Tony Ballog (died in 2013) is the violinist, Jason Miller is the rhythm guitarist, and Beau Sample is the bass player.  Here they are playing “All of Me,” “Avalon,” and “That’s A Plenty” at Midwest Gypsy Swing Fest in 2009.  I hope you enjoy this.

 

Martin Weiss (jazz violinist) Them Their Eyes, After You’ve Gone, I Can’t Give You Anything But Love

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Martin Weiss is a jazz violinist, guitarist, and singer.  He is one of the top jazz violinists in the world.  Here he is playing three jazz standards:  “Them Their Eyes”, “After You’ve Gone”, and “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love.”

“Them Their Eyes” and “After You’ve Gone” are from the album Gipsy Celebration.  Martin Weiss is the violinist, Kussi Weiss is the solo guitarist, Tschabo Franzen is the rhythm guitarist, and Dietmar Osterburg is the bass player.

“I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” is performed live by Martin Weiss and his group, the Martin Weiss World Sinti Jazz Ensemble at Luxembourg in April 2010.

I hope that you enjoy these upbeat performances of three great jazz standards.

Birelli Lagrene – Gypsy Project

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Birelli Lagrene (1966 –

Birelli Lagrene is a French guitarist and bassist.  He first became famous in the 1980s for his Django Reinhardt influenced style of guitar playing.  Birelli is also known for playing fusion jazz and post bebop style jazz on the guitar.

Florin Niculescu (1967 –

Florin Niculescu is a Romanian gypsy violinist.  He is one of the top jazz violinists and is comfortable playing gypsy jazz as well as modern jazz.  Some people have called him the successor to the great French jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli.

In 2001 Niculescu joined Birelli Lagrene and his “Gypsy Project” which takes its inspiration from Django Reinhardt and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France.

Here is a recording of several jazz standards played by Birelli Lagrene and his “Gypsy Project” in 2001.  The musicians are Birelli Lagrene (solo guitar), Florin Niculescu (violin), Rhythm guitars – Hono Winterstein and Holzmano Lagrène, Diego Imbert (double bass), and Richard Galliano (accordion).  I hope you enjoy it.

 

“I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” and “After You’ve Gone” Freddy Taylor (singer), Quintet of the Hot Club of France

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Freddy Taylor

Freddy Taylor was a jazz singer, trumpet player, band leader, guitarist, and dancer. He came to Paris from New York with the Lucky Millander orchestra on a tour in 1933. He worked with the orchestra for about a decade. During that time he took trumpet lessons from Bill Coleman. While he was in Paris in the 1930s, Freddy met up with Django Reinhardt and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France. They made recordings together. Freddy Taylor also had his own group called Freddy Taylor and His Swing Men from Harlem. In the 1940s Freddy came back to the U.S.A. and continued performing until the late 1960s.

The Quintet of the Hot Club of France

The Quintet of the Hot Club of France was formed by gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grapelli in 1934. During the period before World War 2 the group was very popular and made hundreds of recordings. In the war years Django and Stephane split up and played with other groups. They met up again briefly after World War 2 and made some more recordings. Django Reinhardt died in 1953 and the group was disbanded. Stephane Grappelli had some difficult times and in the 1970s he became popular again. He performed and recorded with lots of musicians (jazz and classical) and toured around the world until his death in 1996.

“I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” is a popular jazz standard.  Django Reinhardt, the Quintet of the Hot Club of France and jazz singer Freddy Taylor recorded it in 1947.  Here is their recording of “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love.” Enjoy.

“After You’ve Gone” is a popular jazz standard written in 1918 by Turner Layton.  Henry Creamer wrote the lyrics.  Django Reinhardt recorded “After You’ve Gone” three times (in 1934, 1936, and 1949).  Here is a recording of the song by Django Reinhardt, the Quintet of the Hot Club of France and jazz singer Freddy Taylor.  Enjoy.

 

“Blue Drag” and “Shine” with Freddy Taylor (vocals), Swing men from Harlem, Quintette of the Hot Club of France

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Blue Drag is a famous Django Reinhardt tune.  It was recorded by Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli, and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France in 1935.  Here is a recording done by Freddy Taylor (vocals) and his group the Swing Men from Harlem.  Freddy Taylor recorded another tune called Shine with Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France.  He was a very popular jazz singer, tap dancer, trumpet player, and bandleader during the 1930s.  Here is a recording of Blue Drag done by Freddy Taylor and his Swing Men from Harlem.  Enjoy.

Shine was a tune that Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli, and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France recorded with jazz singer Freddy Taylor in 1936.  Here is the recording of Shine done by Freddy Taylor and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France.  Enjoy.