The Jazz Version of....

[jeffcrom]

My recent find of The Coleman Hawkins Quartet Play The Jazz Version of "No Strings" got me thinking about the once-common practice of recording jazz versions of musical or movie scores. I'm not talking about scores written by jazz musicians, but about those after-the-fact jazz interpretations of scores.

I did a quick search to see if this topic has been covered before. I couldn't find such a thread, but I did find this Spontooneous quote:

We can all be glad that record companies' obsession with jazz versions of Broadway shows was short-lived, can't we?

(But, darn it, I still catch myself secretly hoping for a copy of Randy Weston's "Destry Rides Again.")

Although I agree that the whole idea was kind of half-baked, it did sometimes result in some interesting music. A quick look through my record collection turned up, besides the "No Strings" record:

Tony Scott - South Pacific Jazz (ABC-Paramount); Not bad, but not particularly memorable, either.

Don Elliott - Jamaica Jazz (ABC-Paramount); Does anyone remember the musical "Jamaica?" This is worth listening to just because Gil Evans did the charts.

The Guitar Choir (Barry Galbraith) - The New Jazz Sound of "Show Boat" (Columbia); John Carisi did the arrangements, solos are by Carisi, Phil Woods, Bob Brookmeyer, Galbraith, and Jimmy Raney. But it's still somewhat disappointing. Carisi and Galbraith wanted to record an album of originals, but the record company would only fund the "Show Boat" idea.

Walt Dickerson - Impressions of "A Patch of Blue (MGM); Pretty interesting, with Sun Ra on keyboards. Parts of this approach free jazz.

Mundell Lowe - Porgy and Bess (RCA Camden); Maybe "Porgy and Bess" interpretations deserve a thread of their own (and I'm not going to mention the Miles/Gil version). But this record is pretty damned good - it's got Art Farmer and Ben Webster, among others.

Jimmy Giuffre and His Music Men Play "The Music Man" (Atlantic); One of the best of this genre I've heard. Giuffre was the perfect choice for this; he makes the tunes sound like Giuffre originals.

So what do you think? What are your favorite examples of "The Jazz Version of...", or are you just as glad that the whole idea has run its course?

[Bright Moments]

i recommend this one without hesitation!

[Chuck Nessa]

No mention of the jazz version of My Fair Lady? This Contemporary session by Previn, Manne and Vinnegar started all this stuff.

Edited December 2, 2010 by Chuck Nessa

[Free For All]

I'm a fan.

[MartyJazz]

[Larry Kart]

"My Fair Lady Loves Jazz," the Billy Taylor ABC-Paramount attempt to follow up on the Manne-Previn-Vinnegar hit, is rather precious at times but has some striking solos by altoist Anthony Ortega, who was pretty darn "out" for that time and just damn good.

[jeffcrom]

i recommend this one without hesitation!

Roger Ruzow, the leader of the 4th Ward Afro-Klezmer Orchestra, calls this one the first Afro-Klezmer record.

No mention of the jazz version of My Fair Lady? This Contemporary session by Previn, Manne and Vinnegar started all this stuff.

Hey, there are plenty of gaps in my collection. This is one of those albums that I'be always felt like I should be familiar with, but which I've never felt compelled to pick up - I'm not much of an Andre Previn fan.

"My Fair Lady Loves Jazz," the Billy Taylor ABC-Paramount attempt to follow up on the Manne-Previn-Vinnegar hit, is rather precious at times but has some striking solos by altoist Anthony Ortega, who was pretty darn "out" for that time and just damn good.

Wow - I didn't know Ortega played on that. I think I know where there's a copy; might go pick it up tomorrow.

[AndrewHill]

Don Elliott - Jamaica Jazz (ABC-Paramount); Does anyone remember the musical "Jamaica?" This is worth listening to just because Gil Evans did the charts.

I have a copy of Phineas Newborn Jr's "Jazz Interpretation of Harold Arlen's Music from "Jamaica" on RCA. Terrific band including Jimmy Cleveland, Jerome Richardson, Sahib Shihab and George Duvivier.

[medjuck]

There were several jazz versions of West Side Story IIRC. I liked the Manny Album release but I think it's never been on cd. And of course we haven't mentioned Porgy and Bess which may hold the record for jazz versions. My favorite is the Ray Charles-Cleo Lane. Well, actually my favorite is Miles-Gil but it's in a class by itself.

[Big Beat Steve]

No mention of the jazz version of My Fair Lady? This Contemporary session by Previn, Manne and Vinnegar started all this stuff.

And even Shelly Manne's jazzed up version o "Li'l Abner" does have its moments.

That said, I cannot find that idea of doing "jazz versions" of musical or movie scores to be half-baked at all. Considering that a LOT of the all-time jazz standards originated as Broadway, musical or other show tunes written for a quite different musical concept, it speaks for the richness of the musical "raw material" that they have lent themselves so well to the jazz treatment. So wasn't it only logical to apply the same approach not only to individual tunes but to the entire "body" of tunes of a given musical or movie (considering this "body" might have been intended as a "unit")? The make or break point IMO only is if the individual tunes had enough to offer. And of course there are better and worse ones. But isn't it just like that with jazzmens' originals too? How many of their praised "originals" are just rehashes of blowing heads or 12-bar blues already heard a zillion times?

In short, you really cannot generalize.

I for one find the whole "Third Stream" idea a LOT more half-baked, for example (yes I know I am generalizing myself now ).

[Bill Nelson]

Jazz versions of Broadway shows bloomed during the 'golden era' of the LP from 1957 to 1963.

The two originators were Shelly Manne ('My Fair Lady') and Andre Previn ('Pal Joey'), both released in 1957 on Contemporary.

As for other artists, it's hard to imagine such recording dates were happy affairs. Doing such an album was a likely punishment for lackluster sales of previous LPs. By 1962, you could also earn a reprieve by doing a bossa nova album.

Besides the profuse versions of 'Porgy and Bess' and even more of 'My Fair Lady', here's some jazz notables:

Aaron Bell - 'Music from 77 Sunset Strip', 'Peter Gunn', and 'Victory At Sea' -- all LPs released consecutively on MGM's bargain Lion label and probably recorded on the same day.

Walt Dickerson - 'Jazz Impressions of Lawrence of Arabia' (1963) on Dauntless.

Wes Montgomery - 'Kismet' (1958) on Pacific Jazz.

Bill Potts - 'Bye Bye Birdie' (1963) on Colpix.

Billy Taylor - 'Original Jazz Score for Kwamina' (1961) on Mercury.

'Teddy Wilson and His Trio Play 'Gypsy' in Jazz' (1959) on Columbia.

[brownie]

Jazz versions of Broadway shows bloomed during the 'golden era' of the LP from 1957 to 1963.

The two originators were Shelly Manne ('My Fair Lady') and Andre Previn ('Pal Joey'), both released in 1957 on Contemporary.

After the success of the jazz version of 'My Fair Lady', Contemporary and Shelly Manne (plus André Previn) recorded more jazz versions of Broadway musicals:

[JSngry]

I thought that Porgy & Bess was an opera.

[crisp]

Here's a handy list.

This was definitely a late Fifties/early Sixties phenomenon, coinciding with the boom in Broadway shows and cast albums. The downside is that in any show there will be a song or two that doesn't adapt to jazz; the upside that, occasionally, a song that might have been overlooked forms the basis of a good performance.

I've often wondered whether Scott Hamilton put I've Just Seen Her from All American into his repertoire because of Duke Ellington's recording of it on his album of the whole score. It's a beautiful melody that hardly anybody else seems to have done. Have any other songs become artist favourites by this means?

[jeffcrom]

Here's a handy list.

Thanks for that link.

[Larry Kart]

Kenny Drew's "Pal Joey" album, with Wilbur Ware and Philly Joe, is a gem. No strain for jazz musicians to play on most of those songs.

I have vague and not that pleasant memories of an Elliot Lawrence-led version of "L'il Abner" on VIK, with a lot of the New York studio/Charlie's Tavern regulars of the time (c. 1958). Not much in that score -- "Jubilation T. Cornpone," indeed.

Wilbur Harden's "The King and I" was nice. Harden's sweet lyricism rhymes well with Rodgers'. IIRC, Harden's "We Kiss In a Shadow" is hypnotic.

[JSngry]

This one's nice too:

[jeffcrom]

This one's nice too:

That lineup made me start salivating.

[Chas]

That said, I cannot find that idea of doing "jazz versions" of musical or movie scores to be half-baked at all. Considering that a LOT of the all-time jazz standards originated as Broadway, musical or other show tunes written for a quite different musical concept, it speaks for the richness of the musical "raw material" that they have lent themselves so well to the jazz treatment. So wasn't it only logical to apply the same approach not only to individual tunes but to the entire "body" of tunes of a given musical or movie (considering this "body" might have been intended as a "unit")?

I agree completely.

I for one find the whole "Third Stream" idea a LOT more half-baked, for example.

Here we part company. In my view there is nothing half-baked about the idea behind Third Stream music. The execution, well, that's a different matter.

[AndrewHill]

Jazz versions of Broadway shows bloomed during the 'golden era' of the LP from 1957 to 1963.

The two originators were Shelly Manne ('My Fair Lady') and Andre Previn ('Pal Joey'), both released in 1957 on Contemporary.

As for other artists, it's hard to imagine such recording dates were happy affairs. Doing such an album was a likely punishment for lackluster sales of previous LPs. By 1962, you could also earn a reprieve by doing a bossa nova album.

How about both a musical and a bossa nova:

Bill Barron Orchestra-West Side Story Bossa Nova (1963) on Dauntless. It's got Kenny Burrell, Steve Kuhn, Henry Grimes and Charlie Persip on it.

[six string]

Paul Horn did one on Cleopatra didn't he? I have it at home but I'm having a TIA and I can't remember if it's Cleopatra or another version of Lawrence of Arabia.

That Here's Love looks great to me too. I've never seen or heard of it.

Edited December 4, 2010 by six string

[Larry Kart]

That 1957 Elliot Lawrence album on VIK was "Jazz Goes Broadway," and it included songs from several shows. "Jubilation T. Cornpone" just stuck in my head, probably on the grounds of sheer nastiness.

[Chas]

Just thought of one that fits this thread : Rod Levitt's Forty-Second Street album on RCA features his arrangements of movie melodies of the 1930's.

[AndrewHill]

There's this one by Urbie Green:

[Jim R]

I think this topic has been discussed here before, but perhaps not in a specifically dedicated thread.

Some personal favorites:

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Former member Mike Fitzgerald helped to compile a list some years back:

Jazz interpretations of show or movie scores