Here are the remainder of my top ten favorite jazz for late at night or early in the morning. The others were posted yesterday. These simply continue in alphabetical order.
Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax)– Nights Lights – recorded in 1965 mostly with his sextet of the time that included Art Farmer on trumpet Bob Brookmeyer on trombone, Jim Hall on guitar, Bill Crow on bass, and Dave Baily on drums. I had this as a record during college and was a favorite for late night listening. It alternates between very slow ballads like, Wee Small Hours of the Morning, some Brazilian themes done softly. I saw Gerry Mulligan at the 1986 Newport Jazz festival and got close enough to take some pictures.
Charlie Parker (alto sax) – Charlie Parker with Strings – sounds like an oxymoron but I first heard this on the Ken Burns Jazz series for PBS and liked it. Bird started a trend by being one of the first jazz musicians to record with a string backup. Others followed. But hen as the pianist Lennie Tristano said, If Charlie Parker wanted to invoke plagiarism, he could sue almost everyone who has made a record in the past ten years.” It features recordings from 1947 to 1952 and includes two versions of the classic “April in Paris.”
Art Pepper (alto sax and clarinet)– The Art of the Ballad – features recordings form 1957 to 1982. There are a host of different side men including Paul Chambers, Red Garland, Elvin Jones, and Gary Frommer. It has such standards as, ‘Round Midnight, Over the Rainbow, Blues in the Night, and All the Things You Are.
Sonny Rollins (tenor sax) – Ballads – recorded in 1956 and 1957. This is part of series on ballads that Blue Note produced. Side men include: Thelonious Monk, Paul Chambers, and three great drummers on different cuts: Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, and Max Roach. The selections end with “Softly as in a Morning Sunrise.”
Stanley Turrentine (tenor sax) – Ballads – recorded mostly in the 1960s with one exception in 1984. This is also part of the Blue Note Series that features Sonny Rollins. It starts with one of my favorites. Willow Weep for Me” which sets to tone for the rest. I often hit the replay button to hear this start again. Side men vary and include Tommy Flanagan, McCoy Tyner, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Smith.
As I said at the beginning, these are all CDs I put on to start the day, end the day or when I need to focus my writing. More were recorded in the 1950s and 1960s. I see now that there are seven sax leads, one trumpet, and two on piano. I always wanted to come back as a jazz sax guy but have no musical ability in this life, only appreciation.
