Saturday Jazz Performance - "Quarantine Boogie" - Ladyva

Okay, so it's technically Boogie Woogie, but, this I think, it is appropriate for our times. Pianist Ladyva plays her own composition Quarantine Boogie from the sunny Dominican Republic.

According to her bio on YouTube, Ladyva began playing piano at age fourteen. Her inspirations were some of the masters of Boogie Woogie, though unfortunately she doesn't say who. She began performing with her brother Pascal Silva, at age sixteen.

She has appeared on many television programs both in Switzerland the Dominican Republic and elsewhere. In 2009 Ladyva released her first album; her current and third album is 8 To The Bar.

In September 2015 she performed at Jerry Lee Lewis’ 80th Birthday/Farewell U.K. Tour in London and Glasgow. She performed at the Cigar Awards in December 2016 and received the award for 'Best Boogie Woogie Pianist 2017' at the Boisdale Music Awards.

So, without further adieu...

 

Easter Music - Gregorian Chant

George A. Borgman, for whom this blog Yankee Jazz Beat was created to keep his research and love of music alive, said often that his favorite form of music was Gregorian Chant.

I thought that this music would be appropriate for Easter.

Saturday Jazz Performance - "Blue And Broken Hearted" - The Eddie Condon All Stars

Today we will travel back to 1962 to hear the tune Blue And Broken Hearted by some people who were there when jazz was starting to hit its stride. This performance is of the Eddie Condon All-Stars featuring Eddie Condon (1905-1973), Wild Bill Davison (1906-1989), Cutty Cutshall (1911-1968), Peanuts Hucko (1918-2003), Johnny Varro, Joe Williams, and native Bostonian by way of Kiev Buzzy Drootin (1920-2000)!

This 1960s performance was filmed in color on 35mm film and recorded professionally on stereo sound equipment. We have the Goodyear Co. to thank for it as it was part of a promotional campaign. Louis Armstrong's and Bobby Hackett's bands were also filmed during the same campaign.

This film showcases quite a line-up. The music was composed by Lou Handman (1894-1956) and lyrics for the tune, although not heard here, were written by Grant Clarke (1891-1931) and Edgar Leslie (1885-1976). The tune was recorded as early as 1922 and became a hit for singer Marion Harris (1896-1944) with her 1923 recording of the song.

The pianist from this performance Johnny Varro who was born in 1930 is still alive!

Wild Bill Davison (c), Cutty Cutshall (tb), Peanuts Hucko (cl), Johnny Varro (p),

Eddie Condon (g), Joe Williams (b), Buzzy Drootin (d). Recorded in New York City, 1962.

Here is a 1922 recording of the same tune by Eddie Elkins and His Orchestra. Notice how different this version sounds compared to the one forty years later.

Performed by Eddie Elkins and His Orchestra, October 27, 1922.

While we're at it, why not listen to Marion Harris' version from 1923?