Body and Soul

[fent99]

On my mp3 player the other morning a couple versions of Body & Soul came on one after the other, First the Coleman Hawkins classic version then a vocal version by Sarah Vaughan which suffered by comparison. I started looking through my cds for other versions and found loads as you can imagine.

Anybody got any standout favourites of the tune?

Its an intriguing one for me since its not a tune I love, but what Hawk does with it is. I can think of a few other versions I really like; Trane (on Coltrane's Sound?) is one that stands out for me.

Any other versions I should look for?

Apologies if this has been done on here already...

[mikeweil]

Lester Young! 1942 with Nat Cole - to these ears, unsurpassed, like any of his great ballad performances.

[jeffcrom]

Some of my favorites:

Louis - 1930

Red Allen - 1935

Benny Goodman Trio - 1935 (mostly for Teddy Wilson)

Serge Chaloff - 1955, from the Boston Blow-Up album. This is probably my favorite recording by Serge.

[BillF]

The version by the Mulligan Concert Jazz Band with arrangement by Bob Brookmeyer and solos by Mulligan and Brookmeyer.

[erwbol]

... I can think of a few other versions I really like; Trane (on Coltrane's Sound?) is one that stands out for me.

, but I like the version from the 1962 Birdland bootleg even better.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Well, I've only just got it and only heard it twice but Billie Holiday's version from the JATP concert of 22 Apr 1946 just kills me.

MG

[EKE BBB]

http://www.jazz.com/music/2007/11/21/chu-berry-roy-eldridge-body-and-soul

CHU BERRY & HIS “LITTLE JAZZ” ENSEMBLE NYC. Nov. 11, 1938

Roy Eldridge (tp), Chu Berry (ts), Clyde Hart (p), Danny Barker (g), Art Shapiro (b), Sid Catlett (dm).

Four titles were recorded for Commodore:

23699-1 Sittin’ In

23699-2 Sittin’ In

23700-1 Stardust

23701-1 Body And Soul

23702-1 46 West 52

23702-2 46 West 52

[brownie]

Three stand-out favorites beside Hawk:

Louis Armstrong 1930

Serge Chaloff on Capitol

John Coltrane on Atlantic

[sonnymax]

I like the 1947 version.

[fent99]

As ever here, you guys make me ashamed that i don't know the stuff I've got better. I'll need to dig out Prez, Armstrong and Coltrane at Birdland. a few others I'll need to look for.

A couple of others dug out Monk solo from Monks Dream and Dolphy on candid

Wish all was on itunes then it would be easy.

thought there would be more...

[thomastreichler]

There is a killer arrangement by Bob Florence, that can be heard on the album "Treasure Chest"; it is conceived not as a tender ballad, but as a hard swinging medium tempo big band chart.

[John L]

Lester Young! 1942 with Nat Cole - to these ears, unsurpassed, like any of his great ballad performances.

Actually, I think that Pres may have surpassed it himself on that live broadcast from Chicago from 1950 released by Savoy.

Two other people who did great things with Body and Soul many times on record: Art Tatum and Warne Marsh.

[colinmce]

Jason Moran's solo recitation is truly stunning.

[paul secor]

Among recent recordings, Don Menza plays a very fine version of "Body and Soul" on Jack Rabbit (Cadence Jazz Records)

Edited April 20, 2013 by paul secor