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"Work Song" Monty Alexander


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Monty was hot back in the day.

 

[video:youtube]

Harry Likas was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 700 of Harry’s piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and jazz piano tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas

 

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Then there was the soulful Ray Bryant:

 

[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar9tKSlyg4o

Harry Likas was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 700 of Harry’s piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and jazz piano tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas

 

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And Gene always tore it up:

 

[video:youtube]

Harry Likas was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 700 of Harry’s piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and jazz piano tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas

 

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the soulful Ray Bryant

:thu:

I was and am a huge Ray Bryant fan. If I'd stayed on the path my Dad had wanted, I'd still be trying to play like Ray. :cool:

That sounds like a different performance than the one on the record of the same name (the one with the real "Little Suzie" on the cover. I still have the LP (in the next room actually), but I no longer have a working needle for my old AR turntable. :(

 

Nice to see that you and I have found a couple of things lately we agree on :laugh:

 

 

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Yes, it is nice to agree. And I still happen to play some of your fills on "Tonight I Wanna Cry". I didn't know it was you when I got a request to play it at some reception and I added your fills when I made the lead sheet. I still play it on many of my "society" gigs.

 

I dug Ray Bryant playing "Little Susie" on the radio the other day and now I realize you are right, it was a different version. The station played the track from the album "North Of The Border" (2001 Label M, Recorder Live at the Montreal Jazz Bistro in Toronto, Canada, January 20, 1997 ).

Harry Likas was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 700 of Harry’s piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and jazz piano tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas

 

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And here's another "Little Susie" by Ray Bryant, perhaps the original? Listen to some of the left hand work, amazing.

 

[video:youtube]

Harry Likas was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 700 of Harry’s piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and jazz piano tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas

 

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And another "Little Susie" (he recorded it so many times)

"Jo Jones Trio"

Ray Bryant (piano) Tommy Bryant (bass) Jo Jones (drums)

NYC, April 30, 1958

 

[video:youtube]

Harry Likas was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 700 of Harry’s piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and jazz piano tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas

 

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Thanks! Love Monty! Saw him (and had the chance to talk to him a few words after the show) last year in a little theater in Strasbourg (France) with his trio - he's definitely still HOT!

 

I think "Montreux Alexander Live at the Montreux Jazz festival" is one of his best recordings.

Yamaha C3 | CP4 | CK88 | P-121 | Sauter 108 Studio | Schimmel 112 |

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Damn Monty really swings his ass off.

 

Couldn't agree more. The rhythmic phrasings and melodic ideas he whips up in his first choruses, starting 1:10, are thrilling. Listening to it I experience sympathetic swing response which has my whole body tapping along.

Harry Likas was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 700 of Harry’s piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and jazz piano tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas

 

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I appreciate you reminding us of these pianists. They swing so outstandingly... Gene Harris, starting a Blues off by playing an extended bass line, with what appears to be one of the world's greatest bass players ( Ron Carter ) on the bandstand, was wonderful. I noted that after Gene passed the bass line over to Ron, the Tempo and feeling pretty much stayed the same.. a tribute to their empathy and talent.

I seemed to slightly prefer Monty and Gene over Ray, which is embarrassing to say, since I don't like to speak that way about a famous musician.

Can you recommend something perhaps "the best" of Ray Bryant, that will "convince me" of his stature; since he was brought together in this thread with 2 all time greatest of that style?

I apologize for any disrespect to Mr Bryant and his admirers. ( I am not saying he is not highly accomplished, I was just making those typical musician comparisons..best of among the best- I should know better, right! )

You don't have ideas, ideas have you

We see the world, not as it is, but as we are. "One mans food is another mans poison". I defend your right to speak hate. Tolerance to a point, not agreement

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Fortunately, you don't have to choose, you can have them all!

 

Great thread, just what I needed on this Friday. I could listen to these great blues/jazz players all day.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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A couple of my favorites.

 

http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0002/367/MI0002367529.jpg

 

http://www.jazz.com/assets/2008/5/25/albumcoverRayBryant-LittleSusie.jpg

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Steve N, thank for the cuts!

 

True I don't have to "choose", but as a working professional I need to play catch up, stylistically speaking,, so it seems like in the interest of saving time in learning aspects of jazz playing or whatever style.. i make a choice on whom to focus on, for various purposes.

Eg here is a new category for me to study.. this could be a thread in itself, but since jazz ppl are so few here, I will pass on the thread for now!- here is something new, thanks to my keyboard corner members pulling my coat to Gene Harris.

That new category for me as a soloist is this

"Who epitomizes multiple :crescendo's" ( there is a better musical term that is escaping me ) - and answer was Gene Harris. Then I recently mentioned Gene to a friend music teacher player, and he said, Monty!!

Building a solo to a single crescendo is quite a task in itself.. And Gene does this many times!!!

You don't have ideas, ideas have you

We see the world, not as it is, but as we are. "One mans food is another mans poison". I defend your right to speak hate. Tolerance to a point, not agreement

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I have nice head charts for Work Song and Little Susie. Shows the rhythm kicks for Work Song and the chord voicings for Susie

Harry Likas was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 700 of Harry’s piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and jazz piano tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas

 

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