Pick your favorite version(s) of a standard...

[Jim R]

I've got:

Stanley Cowell Live At Maybeck Recital Hall, Vol. 05

Herb Geller Fire In The West

Vince Guaraldi In Person

Eddie Higgins Live At The Dakota

Michel Legrand Legrand Jazz

Peter Leitch A Special Rapport

Junior Mance Happy Time

Bill Mays Live At Maybeck Recital Hall, Vol. 26

Horace Parlan Alone (orig on Musically Yours)

Bucky Pizzarelli A Portrait

Reg Schwager Resonance

Art Tatum The Complete Pablo Solo Masterpieces

Various Artists (Ralph Sutton) The Columbia Jazz Piano Moods Sessions

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Don't know that I can even choose one yet. Maybe Higgins or Schwager. I'm curious about who else (not on my list) might get some votes. Fats Waller, perhaps? B-)

[jlhoots]

Legrand Jazz

[AfricaBrass]

My favorite version of Jitterbug Waltz is Eric Dolphy's on the Conversations album.

[brownie]

Three favorite versions;

- Fats Waller and his Rhythm

- Michel Legrand 'Legrand Jazz' (with Miles Davis)

- Eric Dolphy

[JSngry]

Dolphy's is my favorite by far.

Ira Sullivan's version on Horizon is nice.

And then you got your Rahsaan and your Woody Shaw.

But Dolphy, that's the one.

[DTMX]

I have the Dolphy and Shaw versions, but my favorite is Zoot Sims' version recorded with a pick-up band in Atlanta in 1981, recorded on the Storyville release Zoot Sims at E.J.'s Atlanta Georgia.

An excerpt from the review on Allmusic.com:

"After opening his set with a gorgeous version of "That Old Devil Called Love," Zoot turns Yancey Korosi loose on the public with a very advanced rendering of Fats Waller's "Jitterbug Waltz." The recognizably familiar melody only appears during the last chorus. First the pianist tears up, playing all sorts of harmonic variations on the changes. Then Zoot enters quoting "When Yuba Plays the Rhumba on the Tuba." They gyrate together and by the time the piece ends the audience has obviously been goosed into a state of heightened receptivity. Anyone who has ever experienced a live club performance of real jazz will recognize this turning point in the program. It is very much what this kind of music is all about.

And that doesn't even get into the 11-minute double-timed bossa-nova version of "Over the Rainbow" which is one of my favorite performances of any song, ever.

Hadn't heard any Zoot before I bought this recording - only bought it because it was recorded locally (for me). Since then I've gotten a lot more of his stuff and have been very impressed. Seems to be one of those guys that's always on his game.

[couw]

There is also a 2CD set of that EJ's performance. It has the complete set with Rick Bell sitting in on tenor. It's titled "In a Mellow Tone" and gets panned on AMG, whereas the single CD version is praised like it were the best thing since they invented beer. Anyhow, the 2CD set comes highly recommended.

I am one of the few who believes that also Iancsi Körössy was always "on" and actually bought the set for the piano player. Not that I don't like my Zoot too!

As for the Jitterbug, I tend to agree with brownie here.

[Guest ariceffron]

jimmy smith on that old blue note lp plays fats waller

[kdd]

dolphy though the woody shaw has it's charms as well

[Peter F]

Legrand Jazz has my favorite version.

Other good versions I especially enjoy are:

Zoot Sims - Warm Tenor

Bob Rockwell - Born To Be Blue - Steeplechase

Dizzy Gillespie's Big 4 - Pablo

Peter F

[DTMX]

There is also a 2CD set of that EJ's performance. It has the complete set with Rick Bell sitting in on tenor. It's titled "In a Mellow Tone" and gets panned on AMG, whereas the single CD version is praised like it were the best thing since they invented beer. Anyhow, the 2CD set comes highly recommended.

Thanks couw, I'll keep an out for it!

[Chuck Nessa]

This tune gives me the heebie jeebies, creepy crawlies, etc. My favorites are recordings missing this tune.

[jazzmessenger]

I don't have many CDs with this song, but I really like Roland Kirk's live version on "Bright Moments".

[king ubu]

Dolphy, Legrand Jazz, and a live version I have by swiss tenor saxophonist Andy Scherrer.

ubu

[Clunky]

This tune gives me the heebie jeebies, creepy crawlies, etc. .

I can hear Fats saying that now !!!!

[Swinger]

Art Tatum The Complete Pablo Solo Masterpieces

I just love it.

[White Lightning]

I can't pick a favorite one from these 3 versions:

Nick Brignola - Raincheck

Zoot - Warm Tenor

Legrand Jazz

[B. Goren.]

My favorite version of Jitterbug Waltz is Eric Dolphy's on the Conversations album.

Eric Dolphy!!!

[Shrdlu]

Fats' original is a superb performance, very unlike most of his fare. I feel a twinge of sadness when I hear it (as also with "Romance à la Mode"), as it was recorded not long before his untimely death.

The best other version that I've heard isn't on record, sadly. It was by Zoot at Ronnie Scott's in 1974, with the superb rhythm section of John Taylor (p), Ron Matthewson (b) and Martin Drew (d). It, and the whole evening, were superb. I took some of my family back for a second dose, a few nights later. After that, I sought out a recorded version of that song by Zoot, and found one. It was an American recording. I was disappointed with its rhythm section (especially the pianist), which was very dull compared with the one at Ronnie's. I still remember Zoot gazing in amazement at Ron as he played a solo. Ron was easily as good as Ron Carter and Richard Davis. I asked Oscar Peterson if he had heard him, and he said yes. He was impressed, too. Later, Oscar hired Martin Drew, too.

"When you hear music, after it's over, it's gone and in the air. You can never capture it again." - Eric Dolphy.

[jazzbo]

Fats. I mean it has to be Fats.

But a more modern (decidedly, and not a piano based) version that I really enjoy is by Barney Wilen with Enrio Rava. Very cool.