Big Bands

Em cima da mesa, junto ao leitor de CDs e entre as últimas aquisições, há discos que teimam em continuar a tocar, resistindo a ocupar o espaço que lhes está destinado nas prateleiras.


De Hollywood, CA, gravado nos Capitol Studios, chega-nos a big band de Patrick Williams.
Contando com parceiros como Arturo Sandoval, Peter Erskine, Tom Scott, Hubert Laws ou Eddie Daniels, Williams diz da sua música "I wanted to do something that was certainly part of the big band tradition, but I wanted to try and put my own stamp on it ... This doesn't sound like Glenn Miller, believe me".

Patrick Williams
Aurora (ArtistShare)

Heat (Patrick Williams)
Solos: Warren Luening (trompete) e Bob Sheppard (sax tenor).

Do velho continente, a Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw presenteia-nos com Blues for the date.
Bons arranjos, bons solistas, swing, blues, ritmos latinos ... Viciante!

Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw
Blues for the date (Challenge Records)

Do Canadá, Christine Jensen traz-nos Treelines. Com um som schneideriano, uma escrita que se move entre o jazz e o clássico, a música é de 1ª escolha.
Aqui ao lado, no gira-discos, ainda pode ouvir um dos temas do álbum.

Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra
Treelines (Justin Time)

Are big bands coming back? Sure, every football season.
Woody Herman

3 Desejos # 37

Philly Joe Jones

"Money, money, money!"

3 Desejos # 36

Dizzy Gillespie por John Taylor

"Not to play for money.
Permanent peace in the world.
A world where you don’t need a passport."

Luz de fim de tarde

A Barragem da Coutada fotografada com a luz do fim de uma tarde soalheira.

Foto: O Pescador

Quotes # 171

In fifteen seconds the difference between composition and improvisation is that in composition you have all the time you want to decide what to say in fifteen seconds, while in improvisation you have fifteen seconds.
Steve Lacy

Pois, pois ... # 118

"I don't train girls."



Million dollar baby (2004), Clint Eastwood

Pois, pois ... # 117

"- Strange, and I thought you were an aryan.
- No. I'm a vegetarian."



The great dictator (1940), Charles Chaplin

Clips de letras # 12

Roswell Rudd

But in the words of Duke Ellington, to take it as far back as way back goes; the avant-garde is the most ancient thing. It’s the first shocking, expressive behaviour that was ever unleashed in the tribe or the world or the community, whatever it was. That started it... When I was coming up with Cecil Taylor, Archie Shepp, Carla Bley, Steve Lacy and so forth in the sixties, while the revolution was fermenting, we were labeled avant-garde by a lot of critics. But we were also labeled ‘shit, fuck, piss, noise, hate, bullshit, nonsense, yucky, poo, doo-doo...’ and everything else bad you could say about anything.
(in Fink, Larry; Somewhere there’s music)

Bernardo Sassetti Trio

Ontem à noite o Trio de Bernardo Sassetti abriu o Portalegre JazzFest 2011.

Bernardo Sassetti - piano
Carlos Barreto - contrabaixo
Alexandre Frazão - bateria




Bernardo Sassetti




Carlos Barreto




Alexandre Frazão


Bernardo Sassetti Trio

Fotos: O Pescador

What's your name # 32

"Sonny" Sharrock - Warren Harding Sharrock (1940-1994)

"Sonny" Stitt – Edward Boatner Stitt (1924-1982)

"Sonny" Simmons – Huey Simmons (b. 1933)

"Sonny Boy" Williamson - John Lee Williamson (1914-1948)

"Sonny Boy Williamson II", "Little Boy Blue", "Footsie", "The Goat" - Aleck Ford, a.k.a. Aleck "Rice" Miller (c. 1899-1965)

Quotes # 170

Boxing is like jazz, the better it is, the less people appreciate it.
George Foreman

Vila de Caria # 3

Janelas, na vila de Caria.

Fotos: O Pescador

Quotes # 169

(Artwork: Nicola Cairns)

During the year 1957, I experienced, by the grace of God, a spiritual awakening which was to lead me to a richer, fuller, more productive life. At that time, in gratitude, I humbly asked to be given the means and privilege to make others happy through music. I feel this has been granted through His grace.
John Coltrane

Pois, pois ... # 116

"Voglio una donna!"



Amarcord (1973), Federico Fellini

George Shearing

Sir George Shearing
(1919-2011)


Foto de George Shearing por Jacques Lowe

É com pesar que hoje assistimos à partida do pianista de jazz George Shearing, que completara 91 anos em 13 de Agosto do ano passado. RIP.

53rd Annual Grammy Awards

Aqui ficam alguns dos vencedores dos 53rd Annual Grammy Awards nas categorias de jazz, blues e gospel.

Best contemporary jazz album
The Stanley Clarke Band - The Stanley Clarke Band


Best vocal jazz album
Dee Dee Bridgewater - Eleanora Fagan: To Billie With Love From Dee Dee


Best jazz instrumental album
James Moody - Moody 4B


Best large jazz ensemble album
Mingus Big Band - Mingus Big Band Live at Jazz Standard


Best latin jazz album
Chucho Valdes and the Afro-Cuban Messengers - Chucho's Steps


Best Traditional Gospel Album
Patty Griffin - Downtown Church


Best traditional blues album
Pinetop Perkins & Willie "Big Eyes" Smith - Joined At The Hip


Best contemporary blues album
Buddy Guy - Living Proof


Best new artist
Esperanza Spalding

Todos os resultados aqui.

Wardell Gray

Hoje, se ainda estivesse connosco brindando-nos com a sua música, o saxofonista tenor norte-americano Wardell Gray completaria 90 anos.

Frank Beacher, Clyde Lombardi, Wardell Gray & Benny Goodman
(Foto: William "Popsie" Randolph)

Quotes # 168

There are only twelve notes and they belong to the world.
Dave Liebman

Pelo Vale do Lucriz # 4

Estamos rodeados pelo nevoeiro matinal do Vale do Lucriz.

O meio-dia traz-nos uma Primavera temporã e o ar enche-se do canto do trigueirão que, instalado nos cruitos, clama por companheira.

Trigueirão
(Emberiza calandra)

Na Senhora da Graça há muito que o tempo parou.

Senhora da Graça, no Vale do Lucriz.

As portas e as janelas ainda fechadas escondem a desolação do que foram casas.

A capela perdeu os fiéis.

Capela da Senhora da Graça

E a natureza quer tomar mão do que o homem lhe retirou e moldou à sua maneira.

Fiéis continuam os nossos amigos de penas que fazem na Ribeira do Lucriz os seus banhos termais.

Ribeira do Lucriz

Enquanto o chamariz ainda toma as águas…

Chamariz
(Serinus serinus)

…Já outros clientes secam os abrigos.

Verdilhão comum
(Carduelis chloris)


Pintassilgo
(Carduelis carduelis)

Hoje, ora sombria ora soalheira, a Ribeira do Lucriz segue o seu curso, enquanto o tempo continua parado na Senhora da Graça.

Ribeira do Lucriz

Fotos: O Pescador

Clips de letras # 11

Foto de Nina Simone por Roland Godefroy

Well, in general, I like what’s happening in pop music. It’s taking on some standards – I’m glad to say – that it should have had years ago. I believe the time will come when the whole definition of pop music will change. It will get to the point where a song will not be a good song until it has a high level of creativity in writing and performance. In other words, in order to be popular, songs will have to meet these high standards.

And because of the better quality in pop music, I find that the gap between my audience and what I am trying to say is closing. I still have the old audience I had before, but it’s growing now. However, it is difficult to retain your standards with the pressure of trying to make money, which always has its rules... It’s hard to walk the tighrope of doing what you think is your best and making money at it. The pressure of show business is on all the time, and show business is a fickle business.

Whatever is popular now – that’s all that counts. I have to constantly re-identify myself to myself, reactivate my own standards, my own convictions about what I’m doing and why.
(In Downbeat Magazine – January, 1968)

Livros de jazz # 8

West Coast
Bob Willoughby

A preto e branco, um conjunto de 30 fotografias de Bob Willoughby publicadas por ocasião da VI edição do Enghien Jazz Festival.
Imagens captadas nos 5 primeiros anos da década de 50 que incluem, entre outros, Billie Holiday, Cole Porter, Armstrong, Brubeck, Chet Baker e Ella Fitzgerald.

Luís Figueiredo Trio

Ontem, Sábado, na Moagem - Cidade do Engenho e das Artes, no âmbito do Moazz - Ciclo de Jazz do Fundão, tocou o Luís Figueiredo Trio.
Um bom momento de jazz!

Luís Figueiredo – piano
Nelson Cascais – contrabaixo
Bruno Pedroso – bateria




Luís Figueiredo




Nelson Cascais




Bruno Pedroso

Fotos: O Pescador

John Pisano

Hoje, dia 6 de Fevereiro de 2001, o mestre guitarrista de jazz John Pisano chega à bonita idade de 80 anos.

Foto de John Pisano por Bob Barry

Happy 80th anniversary Mr. Pisano!

Olhó pisco cantador

Pisco de peito ruivo
(Erithacus rubecula)





Pisco de peito ruivo fotografado junto ao Rio Ponsul
(Estrada para Malpica do Tejo)

Fotos: O Pescador