Jazz artists play Beatles

[Lazaro Vega]

There's also a nice re-worked version of "Let It Be" on Geri Allen's new solo cd.

[ghost of miles]

Also a nice version of "Let It Be" on Joshua Redman's latest CD.

Some early jazz interpretations of the Beatles on this Night Lights show:

http://indianapublicmedia.org/nightlights/fab-jazz/

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

_{Oh, I forgot a very funky and electronic version of 'With a little help from my friends' by Junior Mance, on the album of the same name.}

_MG

[Hot Ptah]

Ella sings "Savoy Truffle" and "Got To Get You Into My Life" on this 1969 album of then recent pop songs.

Edited September 20, 2013 by Hot Ptah

[A Lark Ascending]

1 Come Together 4:51

2 Something 8:46

3 Maxwell's Silver Hammer 3:34

4 Oh! Darling 4:31

5 Octopus's Garden 4:17

6 I Want You (She's So Heavy) 7:57

7 Here Comes The Sun 6:24

8 Because 10:00

9 You Never Give Me Your Money 7:08

10 Sun King 2:28

11 Mean Mr. Mustard 2:06

12 Polythene Pam 1:50

13 She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 2:39

14 Golden Slumbers 3:55

15 Carry That Weight 1:20

16 The End 1:55

Alto Saxophone, Clarinet – Peter Whyman*

Baritone Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Alan Wakeman

Drums – Peter Fairclough

Guitar – Brian Godding

Piano, Arranged By [Arrangend By] – Mike Westbrook

Tuba – Andy Grappy

Vocals, Horn [Tenor], Piccolo Flute – Kate Westbrook

Vocals, Trumpet – Phil Minton

1989

[Jim R]

The Beatles wrote pretty decent ballads for other people to make effective.

David Newman's version of 'Something' is a hell of a lot more passionate than George Harrison's.

Almost ANYBODY'S version of 'Eleanor Rigby' is more effective than the Beatles' - Jazz Crusaders; Charles Earland, Lonnie Smith - lots to choose from.

When done well, jazz interpretations of Beatles material are fine, but nobody did Beatles' songs more effectively than The Beatles (ballads or otherwise).

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Oh well, my mileage definitely DOES vary

MG

[mrjazzman]

imho, the Turrentine version of Can't Buy Me Love with Lee Morgan and McCoy Tyner is far superior to the one with Shirley Scott because of the Morgan solo

Edited September 20, 2013 by mrjazzman

[Chuck Nessa]

Cover works, content not so much.

[JSngry]

[paul secor]

Supposedly, Columbia tried to get Teo Macero to convince Monk to do an album of Beatle songs.

[randyhersom]

I always liked Ira Sullivan's Norwegian Wood, from Horizons.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

Grant Green- A Day In The Life, my favorite beatles/jazz cover

[uli]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGT5kHpmH78

[JSngry]

[robertoart]

Wes Montgomery's version of A Day in the Life is pretty great, despite the strings.

Grant Green's version is better.

[Guy Berger]

I don't think it's an amazing version (or a bad version), but I love Lee Morgan's "Yesterday" (on DELIGHTFULEE) just because we get to hear Wayne on it - was this the only time he soloed on a Beatles tune?

I think generally speaking, post-1980 jazz interpretations of Beatles material are better; 1960s jazz musicians didn't always have a great rapport with this music, and their interpretations sometimes came off as commercial pandering.

[king ubu]

Yesterday stinks ... even when Shirley Horn did her Yesterdays-Yesterday thing ... not sure what my problem with Beatles covers really is, but somehow I think most of the songs (while fine by themselves, when played by The Beatles - no issues there, at least most of the time) just don't rend themselves well to swinging. Guess by clicking all the youtube links here, I could prove myself wrong, might give it a try eventually, but there's some tracks here I remember as dreck (again my former self might be terribly wrong ... I mean I like Bud Shank and all, but ...)

[paul secor]

Let's get honest. What this was - especially back in the 1960's - was jazz musicians and their record companies looking to cash in. Nothing more, nothing less.

[.:.impossible]

Does Gary McFarland not count as jazz?

Here, There, and Everywhere

from Does The Sun Really Shine On The Moon?

Get Back

Michelle

from Today

The Word

Norwegian Wood

from Simpatico with Gabor Szabo

Off the top of my head.

[.:.impossible]

Gabor Szabo did a lot of The Beatles songs:

Dear Prudence

In My Life

I've Just Seen A Face

You Won't See Me

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (live version from More Sorcery previously mentioned)

[Jim R]

I've heard a few nice jazz versions of "The Fool On The Hill", for example:

Brazilian Jazz interpretations of Beatles material, by the late great Manfredo Fest:

[JSngry]

[JSngry]

[JSngry]

Lest we forget.