Wednesday, June 09, 2004  

Charlie Parker, "Barbados"
from The Complete Savoy & Dial Master Takes (Savoy 2002; rec. 1948)
Charlie Parker, "Barbados" (live)
from The Complete Live Performances on Savoy (Savoy 1998; rec. 1949)
Charlie Parker, "Barbados" (remix)
from Bird Up: The Charlie Parker Remix Project (Savoy 2003)
Lester Sterling, "Forest Gate Rock"
from Sir Lee's Rock Steady Party - At Greenwich Farm (Jamaican Gold 2000; rec. 1968)
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The Skatalites, "Surftide Seven"
from Ska-Boo-Da-Ba: Top Sounds From Top Deck, Vol. Three (Westside 1998; rec. 1964)
Duke Ellington, "In a Mellow Tone"
from Duke Ellington: The Blanton-Webster Band (Bluebird 1985; rec. 1940)
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Lester Sterling & Stranger Cole, "Bangarang"
from Trojan Jamaican Hits Box Set (Trojan 2000; rec. 1968)
Lieutenant Stitchie, "Bangarang"
from Bangarang (Shanachie 1995)

JA + Jazz Versioning, Day 7

I'm closing the ska/reggae + jazz series with a massive upsies now that I've finally finished my article about it for JazzTimes, which went to press today. You can buy it on the newsstands everywhere on July 7 and help me find typos (such as "mellotone" or "mellow tone").

Track the evolution of Charlie Parker's "Barbados," from the 1948 studio version, to the 1949 live version at the Royal Roost (Max Roach emulatin' congas during Parker's solo?), to Matthew Backer's 2003 remix with Hubert Laws and Redback, and then back to Lester Sterling's 1968 rocksteady version as "Forest Gate Rock."

Interlude with the Skatalites' "Surftide Seven" version of Ellington's "In a Mellow Tone"---er, "In a Mellotone"---featuring the talents of bassist Jimmy Blanton and tenor saxophonist Ben Webster---the Duke's finest band.

Then check out the absolutely joyful "Bangarang" in Lester Sterling & Stranger Cole's 1968 OG cut and in Lt. Stitchie's 1995 take. Meanwhile, if anyone can provide me with the track the tune was based on---Kenny Dorham's 1957 version of Ernie Henry's "Cleo's Chant" (not "Bongo's Chant")---I'd love to hear it. The album Kenny Dorham and Friends seems to be out of print, but it looks like all three Ernie Henry albums are available.

Ska & reggae at Ernie B's. Jazz at Amazon, B&N or Jazz Record Mart. BTW, I posted "Mello" from an older version of Ellington's Blanton-Webster collection. I think the newly remastered version from 2003, Never No Lament, sounds like ass. It's as if Demolition Plot J-7-era Pavement was the guiding spirit since it's all treble and hiss. Next time they remaster this stuff---and you know they will, once another format rears its beak---I'd sacrifice some dynamics to tone down the brightness (which is pretty much my mantra in life, too).

Next up: Some rock&roll.

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