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IOSPlayer – Lush Life Thanks for posting this wonderful rendition of a tune by this great American composer who worked together with Duke Ellington (I knew him from the composition “Take the “A” train”). I had not heard “Lush Life” before, only recently heard a pop song with the same title from a girl named Zara Larsson - what a difference! I rather prefer Strayhorn, well, the girl is much on looks...

Beemer So you were just sight reading those pieces? That makes your playing even more impressive.

Thanks, Pianist685. The definitive rendition is by Johnny Hartman and John Coltrane. Search YouTube. You will love it!

Ladypayne - nice to see you back in the bar, dont know this one but a nice change of pace , good arrangement and playing.

Beemer - a feast of wonderful everlasting tunes although I didn't know Lonely. Acker said Stranger on the Shore was his old age pension, I bet it was :-)
Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square is one of my favourites which I play through often. Great stuff and excellent sight reading.

IosPlayer - great conception and substitutions/voicings on Lush Life, the music/improvisation has a wonderful flow and maintains interest right through to the end ( no mean feat) The piano sounds wonderful, you can really feel the depth of tone in that steinway.

Handyman - Thanks for the Harry James link, Harry's sound is amazing on this, he really was one of the all time greats. I also rather like June Christie's version with Stan Kenton, also on YouTube.

Thanks for the kind words, jazztpt. You must know this Coltrane Johnny Hartman rendition... but others should have a listen. Pure bliss!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0izjSUqCcSQ

Indeed and most of the album seems to be available on YouTube along with quiet a bit of his other recorded material which I hadn't heard before.

jazztpt - checked out the Christie/Kenton version - good stuff! Haven't heard her "smokey" voice in a "long, long time" - my brother and I had her LP "The Misty Miss Christy" years ago that we wore out...

There were so many good girl singers in the Big Band/Swing Era - Helen Forest is considered by some to have been a slight cut above most - her's is an easy voice to listen to - she was the only one who sang with the 3 "Big" Big Bands: Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and Harry James (whom she had an affair with and loved dearly, even thru 3 marriages with other men - end of salacious gossip! )

What is this piano bar about?

Drinkin' Smokin' Cussin' and findin' beautiful women.

Ladypayne, a lively rendition of a timely folk song, well done.

Beemer, kudos for making up for lost time. Good songs all, though I was previously unfamiliar with all but Nightingale and Lili Marlene. Well done.

Iosplayer, a beautiful and sophisticated version of a beautiful and sophisticated song. Doesn't get any better. Here is my much simpler version, which I transposed to a friendlier key to make it easier to deal with. Didn't help much!

Lush Life

Ed

Hi Riddler, thanks for the praise. It seems like your file was removed from Box. I would like to listen. Mike

Riddler - Ed great version (surely one of your best ) and yes, different from Mike's which is why I love jazz so much :-)

I uploaded it to SoundCloud. Hope this works.

Ed

Lush Life

That worked, Riddler. I liked it. Nothing extra. A great way to play,

Hope no one minds me posting again this month. I have been reviewing some old files and this is one from a couple of years ago which I submitted to the quarterly recital. At the time it was somewhat of a breakthrough for me as I managed to let loose and improvise without being inhibited by the red dot, as a result I named the tune Let Loose . Actually there is very little tune, its just a framework to play jazz on.


Let Loose

Really good Jazztpt. Wish you were still playing horn to jiz over it. If you had recorded in midi you could print out the score. So many possibilities.

My arrangement of Stella by Starlight. Still a bit of a work in progress.

https://app.box.com/s/nwy26knb0ab29u77thx2g4870bnx5tle


I will see if I can comment on all the submissions. There seem to be so many this month.

Riddler - lovely rendition of Lush Life. A wonderful tune with which to start my Sunday morning. An added bonus is the picture of you on Soundcloud! Nice to put a face with the name.

Jazztpt - very interesting and complex rhythms and phrasing. This one woke me up! Short but very cool.

RootSeventHird - nicely played. I was disappointed when it ended so suddenly. Your performance deserves a repeat or two.

I agree - both about "Lush Life" and the face!