Tunes you wouldn't expect some artists to play.

[Hardbopjazz]

Anyone here ever hear Dexter Gordon playing Ornettte Coleman's "Blues Connotation"? I would never imagine Dexter playing an Ornette Coleman tune, but he did and he does a damn good job at it.

It's from a radio broadcast I recently came upon.

Any other covers that you wouldn't expect to hear played by an artists?

[Chuck Nessa]

Bill Dixon and Archie Shepp playing Somewhere from West Side Story.

[Noj]

organissimo - Peaches En Regalia

Also - not jazz, but a very creative version...

[jlhoots]

Rollins: Wagon Wheels, I'm An Old Cowhand, many others.

[Ted O'Reilly]

I always liked Abdullah Ibrahim's (then Dollar Brand) version of "Shrimp Boats"...

[JSngry]

[JSngry]

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGfVeCspmDs

[GA Russell]

We have discussed in the past the Rhino album Golden Throats, which featured...

Jack Webb singing Try a Little Tenderness, and

William Shatner singing Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

[JSngry]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8asQlY-SEk&feature=relmfu

[JSngry]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qAQq6IKM50

[

Edited October 9, 2012 by JSngry

[JSngry]

Edited October 9, 2012 by JSngry

[BillF]

Rollins: Wagon Wheels, I'm An Old Cowhand, many others.

Rollins' choice of "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?" is the one that sticks in my mind.

Then there was Bird's adoption of "White Christmas" and "Slow Boat to China".

Coltrane's use of the decidedly unhip "My Favorite Things" was seen as very surprising at the time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Favorite_Things_(song)

[alocispepraluger102]

jacob garchik (trombonist), a 'devout' atheist and modern day free musician, enjoys playing spirituals.

LINK

the late john tchcai recorded a marvelous version of 'somewhere over the rainbow'.

Edited October 9, 2012 by alocispepraluger102

[crisp]

Rollins: Wagon Wheels, I'm An Old Cowhand, many others.

Actually, those are just the sort of tunes I would expect him to play. He's always been drawn to offbeat songs. Lots of Al Jolson for some reason.

However, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil's Here You Come Again surprised me.

[JSngry]

However, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil's Here You Come Again surprised me.

It did a lot of people, but just because of the Dolly Parton association. It's actually a good melody with nice changes, especially the bridge. There's some live recordings where Sonny really eats that bridge up!

The older "oddities", Sonny attributed to his love of movies as a kid. I guess if you went to the movies a lot back then, you saw Jolson a lot. At least Rollins did.

Besides, who doesn't love Jolson?

[crisp]

However, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil's Here You Come Again surprised me.

It did a lot of people, but just because of the Dolly Parton association. It's actually a good melody with nice changes, especially the bridge. There's some live recordings where Sonny really eats that bridge up!

Oh you don't need to convince me. That record is a desert island disc for me. Made me think twice about Dolly Parton. I have a lot of time for her now.

Besides, who doesn't love Jolson?

I love him, he was a magnetic entertainer, but sadly a lot of people can't get past the blackface thing. Sometimes I understand that, sometimes I don't, depending on where the person in question is coming from.

[Swinging Swede]

Count Basie playing Albert Ayler's Love Flower and Pharoah Sanders's Japan. Happened on the 1970 Flying Dutchman album Afrique.

[brownie]

Speaking of Albert Ayler, I still get kicks hearing Ayler playing 'La Marseillaise' on his 'Spirits Rejoice' album!

[ejp626]

Count Basie playing Albert Ayler's Love Flower and Pharoah Sanders's Japan. Happened on the 1970 Flying Dutchman album Afrique.

I've got that LP and spin it from time to time. Was just thinking about it today in fact.

I think this has been discussed before, more in the context of things that shouldn't have happened rather than a move that was totally surprising at the time.

[JSngry]

Sure didn't see this one comin'!!!!

[sidewinder]

Miles Davis 'Basin Street Blues' and 'Baby Won't You Please Come Home'. Not to forget 'Jitterbug Walz' too.

[A Lark Ascending]

Shostakovich - 'Tea for Two'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=HoI_d_gQ62g

Think I prefer Norma Winstone's version.

[Though there's a bit 90 seconds in that sounds like the Wehrmacht arriving for elevenses in Leningrad].

Edited December 30, 2012 by A Lark Ascending

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Jimmy Ponder - 'The creator has a master plan'- on 'Smething to ponder' (Muse)

Gloria Lynne SINGING Kenny Burrell's 'All day long' (with her own words) on 'This one's on me' (HighNote)

Tommy McCook playing a Reggae version of 'Take five' (from 'Instrumental' - Justice) on FLUTE!

Buddy Guy playing 'Moanin''

Baby Washington singing 'Doodlin''

Harold Mabern playing Earth Wind & Fire's 'Fantasy' (Venus) - and on the same album, 'Lollipops & roses'; Donnie Hathaway's 'Harlem dawn' and the Sesame Street theme.

Africando singing 'La vie en rose' on the album 'Baloba' (Syllart)

Coumba Gawlo singing 'Fa fa fa fa fa fa' and the title track on the album 'Pata pata' (RCA France)

The Mar-Keys playing 'Sack o' woe' on their first LP 'Last night' (Stax)

MG

[Don Brown]

Sonny Rollins playing Irving Berlin's "There's No Business Like Show Business". Never cared for the tune until I heard Sonny literally blow it inside out. A wonderful performance from the album called "Work Time".

[robertoart]

Arthur Blythe - One Mint Julep

Pharoah Sanders - Giant Steps