In 1963, Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto started a bossa nova sensation in jazz with their Getz/Gilberto album (iTunes)(Wikipedia). People went crazy for this album and particularly its first track, The Girl from Ipanema. This is a rare jazz song that entered the pop charts, peaking at…

Usually, when jazz people try to cover pop songs, things get ugly. Not so with this charming video from Kate Davis and the Postmodern Jukebox playing Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass”. I wasn’t familiar with Kate Davis until I stumbled across this video…

With this last Jazz Friday post before Christmas, I’m going to feature one more holiday song. You can’t think of the Peanuts without hearing Vince Guaraldi’s amazing music. Vince (Wikipedia) was an accomplished jazz musician with a career entirely outside of the Peanuts. By far,…

There is a jazz classic, called Night in Tunisia written by Dizzy Gillespie and Frank Paparelli in 1942. It’s a great song that starts with this sort-of desert vamp that’s infectious. The bass line really sells it. According to Wikipedia, Night in Tunisia is available on 500…

Buddy Rich (Wikipedia) got started playing drums on Vaudeville when he was 18 months old. They called him “Traps the Drum Wonder”. Buddy Rich was an amazing drummer. To this day many drummers of all genres cite to Buddy as one of their primary influences. Buddy…

While I’ll admit I have a particular affection for jazz artists from the bebop and cool jazz movements, there are also some contemporary artists I really enjoy. This week is the first time I’m featuring someone (slightly) younger than me. Joshua Redman (Wikipedia) is one…

There are very few live recordings of the bebop jazz titans in the early days. That’s why the May 1953 Massey Hall concert is especially loved by jazz fans. The band included Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach. It…

John Coltrane is one of the most well-regarded saxophonists ever to pick up the instrument. He was a vital band member with Miles Davis and a force of his own as a solo artist. I used his Ballads album to serenade my children when they were…

Don Cheadle is doing an Indiegogo campaign to fund a movie about Miles Davis. Miles has both the brilliance and flaws required to make an interesting movie. I grew up obsessed with his older music and not so interested in his then-modern fusion stuff,…

That’s right. Monk even looked cool in a red wagon. Thelonious Monk composed Ruby, My Dear for his first love, Rubie Richardson. I first heard the song when I about twelve. At that point I was listening to jazz, but nothing like this. Monk’s…