August is a panoply full of the birthdays of magnificent, influential, and creative jazz musician. Starting with Louis Armstrong’s August 4th birthday and concluding with the August 29th birthday of Charlie Parker. And, oh Man, it’s what’s also in between those two birthdays: Charlie Haden, Abbey Lincoln, ahsaan Roland Kirk, Idrees Sulieman, Luckey Roberts, Benny Carter, Lucky Millinder, Jimmy Witherspoon, Count Basie, Pat Martino, Lester Young, and Dinah Washington—to name only a few. Ah, hell, check out this jazz calendar for yourself: August Jazz Birthdays.
Playlist for tonight’s show:
Houston Person “Equinox” from Horn to Horn on Savoy — Houston Person and Teddy Edwards, tenor
Cannonball Adderly “Them Dirty Blues” from Them Dirty Blues (1960) on Capitol
Etta Jones “Fine And Mellow” composed by Billie Holiday from Don’t Go To Strangers (2006) on Universal Music Mexico — Jones, vocals; Frank Wess, tenor; Richard Wyands, piano; Skeeter Best, guitar; George Duvivier, bass; Roy Haynes, drums;
Jimmy Rushing “Blues In The Dark” composed by Basie, Rushing from Brubeck and Rushing (1960) on Columbia
Jimmy Rushing “Am I Blue ?” from Brubeck and Rushing (1960) on Columbia — Jimmy Rushing, vocals; Dave Brubeck, piano; Paul Desmond, alto; Eugene Wright, bass; Joe Morello, drums
Ruth Etting “Ten Cents A Dance” composed by Rogers and Hart from Ruth Etting (1929) on Divas Of Music — This recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
Abbey Lincoln & Stan Getz “Brother Can You Spare A Dime” composed by Jay Gorney / E.Y. “Yip” Harburg from You Gotta Pay the Band (1991) on Verve — Abbey Lincoln, vocals; Stan Getz, tenor; pianist Hank Jones, bassist Charlie Haden, drummer Mark Johnson
Lou Donaldson “Blues Walk” composed by Lou Donaldson from Blues Walk (1958) on OJC
Branford Marsalis “Three Little Words” composed by Bert Kalmar / Harry Ruby from Trio Jeepy (1988) on Sony — Branford Marsalis, tenor; Milt Hinton, bass; and drummer Jeff “Tain
Pat Martino “Dearborn Walk” composed by Martino from Dearborn Walk (1970) on OJC — Pat Martino, guitar, leader; Eric Kloss, alto; Eddie Green, piano; Tyrone Brown, bass; Sherman Ferguson, drums
Count Basie “One O’Clock Jump” composed by Basie from At Newport (1957) on Verve — features Lester Young and Illinois Jacquet, tenors; and trumpeter Roy Eldridge
Sammy Davis, Jr. “Blues for Mr. Charlie” composed by Bobby Sharp from Our Shining Hour (1965) on Verve — Davis with the Count Basie Orchestra performing arrangements by Quincy Jones. Davis’ vocals are spot on.
Count Basie & Joe Williams “Every Day I Have The Blues” composed by Peter Chatman from Count Basie Swings & Joe Williams Sings (1956) on Stardust Records
Frank Sinatra “I Won’t Dance” composed by Dorothy Fields / Otto Harbach / Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern / Jimmy McHugh from Sinatra-Basie: An Historic Musical First (1962) on reprise
Lester Young “(Back Home Again in) Indiana” composed by Hanley/McDonald from Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio (1952) on Verve — Lester Young, tenor; Oscar Peterson, piano; Barney Kessell, guitar; Ray Brown, bass; J.C.Heard, drums
Lester Young “I Found a New Baby” composed by Palmer/Williams from Lester Young Trio (1946) on Verve — Lester Young, tenor; Nat King Cole, piano; Buddy Rich, drums
Oscar Brown, Jr. “Brother Where Are You” composed by Brown from Mr. Oscar Brown, Jr. Goes To Washington (1965) on Verve
Sarah Vaughn “No Count Blues” composed by Terry Jones / Thad Jones / Sarah Vaughan from No Count Sarah (1958) on EmArcy — Count Basie Orchestra (pianist Ronnell Bright substitutes for Count, thus the title)
Camille Howard and Her Boy Friends “Please Don’t Stay Away So Long” composed by Camille Howard from X-Temporaneous Boogie, Vol. 2 (1947) on Speciality Records
Call and Response 