Standard jazz tunes written by non-Americans

[duaneiac]

41 minutes ago, The Magnificent Goldberg said:

 

 

 

And didn't Mongo Santamaria write a jazz standard? Can't remember, but I CAN remember that he did (I think).

MG

"Watermelon Man" was a big hit for him but Herbie Hancock wrote it.

"Sofrito" is a great Mongo Santamria tune that is kind of a Latin jazz classic

"Grazin' In The Grass" -- forget which South African musician wrote it (not Mr. Masekela), but it seems lots of musicians occasionally quote it even if they don't often play it.

Edited December 19, 2015 by duaneiac

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

8 minutes ago, duaneiac said:

"Watermelon Man" was a big hit for him but Herbie Hancock wrote it.

"Sofrito" is a great Mongo Santamria tune that is kind of a Latin jazz classic

"Grazin' In The Grass" -- forget which South African musician wrote it (not Mr. Masekela), but it seems lots of musicians occasionally quote it even if they don't often play it.

"Yeah, I have a nice version of 'Grazin; in the grass' by Jerry Hansen & the Ramblers, a Ghanaian band, on this

Different kind of material for a Highlife band, but it works well. It's the only version I know apart from Masekela's own. But there are several versions, mostly by people I've never heard of plus Boney James - does he count as jazz? Anyway, that one's going in.

And I've checked up on 'Cherokee'. It was intended as the  first of five movements for an "Indian Suite" (Cherokee, Comanche War Dance, Iroquois, Seminole, and Sioux. So I think that counts, as the words came later.

So is 'La valse de lilas', the original of 'Once upon a summertime', the French words to which appear to have been written a good bit later, from what one can gather.

MG

[JSngry]

Mongo wrote "Afro Blue".

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

16 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Mongo wrote "Afro Blue".

THAT'S IT!!!!!!

How could I forget that?

By forgetting, one of my old bosses used to say, and I suppose that's right.

MG

Checked up on 'Some time ago' in Lord's discog and, bloomin' 'eck, I have Cannonball's version of it, which is on 'The price you've gotta pay to be free'. Appears to be one of only three versions by American jazz players (Jete Jolly and Chick Corea are the other two), but quite a few European jazz musicians. So I guess it goes in, as it's widely, though not narrowly popular.

MG

PS Also checked on 'Estate' in Lord and, my God, there are 284 recordings listed in my edition!!!! Bloomin' 'eck, Tucker! Well, goodness, and I've never heard of it!

So it's in

 

[duaneiac]

Bronislaw Kaper's "On Green Dolphin Street" was written as the theme to the movie Green Dolphin Street.  I don't know when lyrics were added.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Oh, just looked 'Estate' up in Wiki. It was a pop song to start off with, called 'Odio l'estate' ('I Hate the Summer'). So that one's out.

But in is Victor Herbert's 'Indian summer', which wasn't originally a song. And Herbert was originally Irish and didn't get to America until he was in his mid twenties. (I dare say he became American at some point, but...)

MG

8 minutes ago, duaneiac said:

Bronislaw Kaper's "On Green Dolphin Street" was written as the theme to the movie Green Dolphin Street.  I don't know when lyrics were added.

Oh goodness yes! And not only 'On Green Dolphin Street' - there are several others I have in my collection here and there, could I but think of them. Wiki is no help with Mr Kaper's tunes. I bet Teasin' knows.

MG

[duaneiac]

Possibly Ernesto Lecuona's "Malaguena" would qualify. 

[Jim R]

1 hour ago, The Magnificent Goldberg said:

Checked up on 'Some time ago' in Lord's discog and, bloomin' 'eck, I have Cannonball's version of it, which is on 'The price you've gotta pay to be free'. Appears to be one of only three versions by American jazz players (Jete Jolly and Chick Corea are the other two), but quite a few European jazz musicians. So I guess it goes in, as it's widely, though not narrowly popular.

Just in my own collection, in addition to the 1964 Joe Pass and 1965 Pete Jolly versions, there are:

Ed Bickert & Bill Mays - Concord, 1994 (this is an all-time favorite of mine, and appeared on BFT #3, which of course makes it a classic )

Irene Kral "Wonderful Life" - Mainstream, 1965

Ali Ryerson "In Her Own Sweet Way" - Concord, 1996

Bob Brookmeyer And Friends - Columbia, 1964

Art Farmer "Interaction" - Atlantic, 1963

Jack Wilson "The Two Sides Of Jack Wilson" - Atlantic, 1964

 

I've heard other versions on the radio as well.  I wonder if there are separate entries in Lord, because it's often spelled as "Sometime Ago", as opposed to "Some Time Ago".

Edited December 19, 2015 by Jim R

[BillF]

6 minutes ago, Jim R said:

Just in my own collection, in addition to the 1964 Joe Pass and 1965 Pete Jolly versions, there are:

Ed Bickert & Bill Mays - Concord, 1994 (this is an all-time favorite of mine, and appeared on BFT #3, which of course makes it a classic ;))

Irene Kral "Wonderful Life" - Mainstream, 1965

Ali Ryerson "In Her Own Sweet Way" - Concord, 1996

Bob Brookmeyer And Friends - Columbia, 1964

Art Farmer "Interaction" - Atlantic, 1963

Jack Wilson "The Two Sides Of Jack Wilson" - Atlantic, 1964

 

I've heard other versions on the radio as well.  I wonder if there are separate entries in Lord, because it's often spelled as "Sometime Ago", as opposed to "Some Time Ago".

Spotify is also listing versions of "Some Time Ago" by the following jazz musicians: George Duke, Marian McPartland, Spike Robinson, George Shearing, Tony Coe, Karin Krog and Tal Farlow

[Jim R]

Kaper also wrote the music for "Invitation" (lyric by Paul Francis Webster) in 1952.  It became a standard, and probably more so as an instrumental, but technically it probably doesn't make the cut.

11 minutes ago, BillF said:

Spotify is also listing versions of "Some Time Ago" by the following jazz musicians: George Duke, Marian McPartland, Spike Robinson, George Shearing, Tony Coe, Karin Krog and Tal Farlow

I also just realized that Bill Evans recorded it on "You Must Believe In Spring" in 1977.

Now I'm more curious than ever regarding the correct title of the Mihanovich tune.  Is it "Some Time Ago", or "Sometime Ago"?  I see the latter more often, but I'm not sure if it makes sense spelled that way.

[Jim R]

4 hours ago, The Magnificent Goldberg said:

The only Jobim tune I know that was an instrumental is 'Desafinado'...

'Desafinado' was not originally an instrumental, and is not generally known that way in the world of Brazilian music.  Joao Gilberto recorded it in 1958, four years before Getz and Byrd's instrumental version.  Both Gene Lees and Jon Hendricks also wrote english lyrics for it.

[JSngry]

"Grazing In The Grass" ...i have a thing called "Mr. Bull No. 4"  by Mr. Bull on Ice Cream And Suckers that is probably the source for Grazing.

[Teasing the Korean]

3 hours ago, The Magnificent Goldberg said:

Oh, some of those were instrumentals to start off with, I'm sure; 'Watch what happens', 'Pieces of dreams', both of which I SHOULD have remembered, and... 'Once upon a summertime'? I know Miles recorded it with, I think, Gil Evans, on a Latin LP I used to have of his, but was that the start of it? I somehow doubt it.

(And yes, I did buy half a dozen Miles albums before I gave him up as a bad job.)

I'm sure the other two started out as songs, but maybe they changed their titles when someone wrote words.

'I will wait for you' makes me think of Dizzy Gillespie and 'Tin tin deo', which was written by Mr Pozo, a Cuban. So that one DEFINITELY goes in the list.

"Watch What Happens" started out as an instrumental, as part of the score for the film "Lola."  It later became a French song in "Umbrellas of Cherbourg."  "I Will Wait for You" was conceived as the centerpiece song of "Umbrellas," in French, of course.  English lyrics (by the Bergmans?) were added later.

"What Are You Doing" was written for "The Happy Ending" (not a porn film), and I believe that the lyrics by the Bergmans were written at the same time. 

I do not know or remember offhand if "Pieces of Dreams" or "Once Upon a Summertime" were conceived as instrumentals and had lyrics added later, or if they began as songs. 

[sidewinder]

3 hours ago, The Magnificent Goldberg said:

 

Two recordings (one a tribute to the other) hardly make a standard part of the Jazz literature.

MG

 

Well - I've heard enough bands play that tune live over the years so it qualifies as as standard in my book.

[medjuck]

1 hour ago, BillF said:

Spotify is also listing versions of "Some Time Ago" by the following jazz musicians: George Duke, Marian McPartland, Spike Robinson, George Shearing, Tony Coe, Karin Krog and Tal Farlow

I first head it by  the Clarke Terry-Bob Brookmeyer quintet. I thought the name of the composer was some sort of in-joke. 

[GA Russell]

Unless I'm mistaken, I have Gerry Mulligan playing Sometime Ago on his Something Borrowed Something Blue Limelight album.

I also have Brasil '66 doing it on an early '70s album.

[Jim R]

 

[uli]

Manteca

well, at least parts of it were written by Chano Pozo iirc.

[GA Russell]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NipJ_uzMu5o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kfASOzPUO8

Edited December 20, 2015 by GA Russell

[duaneiac]

Versions of Astor Piazzolla's "Adios Nonino" have been recorded by Gary Burton and Phil Woods, that I know of.  There are likely other versions.

Edited December 20, 2015 by duaneiac

[A Lark Ascending]

Kurt Weill

Although many of his songs were written in the States some of his German/European tunes have been used in jazz. The most obvious is 'Mack the Knife'. 

There are many Weill themed albums drawing off the before and after. 

[Teasing the Korean]

Legrand also wrote "You Must Believe in Spring."  It originally had a French lyric and was part of Les Demoiselles de Rochefort;

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Wow! I'm most grateful for all those comments. Some new ones to go in, and some now to come out.

Coming in:

Looks like 'Malaguena' should be in. I always thought it was a song.

Jim R's info on the different spellings of 'Some other time' has proved most interesting, so that one stays IN.

And Bronislav Kaper's 'Invitation' is the other one he wrote that I couldn't think of. Many thanks again, Jim.

'Adios Nonino' has to go in, too. Another I'd never heard of - but I've never yet got into Tango. Thanks Duaniac.

And Uli suggested 'Manteca should be in because Chano Pozo contributed to it, with Diz and Gil FUller. I don't see too many non-American writers in this list, so I'm inclined to go with it.

Going, or staying, out

I hadn't put 'Desafinado' in because of doubts, which Jim has confirmed. More thanks, Jim.

Thanks to Teasin', out comes 'Watch what happens'. (But, in view of uncertainty, 'Once upon a summertime' and 'Pieces of dreams' stay in.)

'Mack the knife' was a German pop song of the heavily satirical variety, so it's not going in.

I'll do a full list in a few days, if there are more responses. Looks like there are only seventeen at present. And some are not terribly widely played.

MG

[danasgoodstuff]

23 hours ago, The Magnificent Goldberg said:

THAT'S IT!!!!!!

How could I forget that?

By forgetting, one of my old bosses used to say, and I suppose that's right.

MG

Checked up on 'Some time ago' in Lord's discog and, bloomin' 'eck, I have Cannonball's version of it, which is on 'The price you've gotta pay to be free'. Appears to be one of only three versions by American jazz players (Jete Jolly and Chick Corea are the other two), but quite a few European jazz musicians. So I guess it goes in, as it's widely, though not narrowly popular.

MG

PS Also checked on 'Estate' in Lord and, my God, there are 284 recordings listed in my edition!!!! Bloomin' 'eck, Tucker! Well, goodness, and I've never heard of it!

So it's in

 

Afro Blue was recorded (magnificantly) by Coltrane and Tyner and, I think, several others.

[Jim R]

2 hours ago, The Magnificent Goldberg said:

Jim R's info on the different spellings of 'Some other time' has proved most interesting, so that one stays IN.

Very nice tune that is also, MG, but of course written by an American (Leonard Bernstein).  I think you meant 'Sometime Ago' (or 'Some Time Ago'... and I still would like to know which is correct!).