Jawanza Kobie’s Weekly Wednesday Jazz Playlist April 20, 2022

Composer pianist Billy Strayhorn notable for his collaborations with composer bandleader Duke Ellington. Strayhorn joined the Ellington band at the age twenty four. Ellington liked what he saw in Billy and took this shy, talented pianist under his wings. Neither one was sure what Strayhorn’s function in the band would be, but their musical talents had attracted each other. By the end of the year Strayhorn had become essential to the Duke Ellington Band; arranging, composing, sitting-in at the piano. Strayhorn wrote many of the popular tunes performed by the Ellington band including ‘Chelsea Bridge’, ‘Lush Life’ and the track most associated with the Ellington Band ‘Take The A Train’.

Drummer Tony Williams was put on the world stage by his mentor trumpeter Miles Davis. Tony joined Miles Davis Band which included Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Wayne Shorter when he was seventeen years of age. After his stint with Miles, Tony started his own jazz fusion, jazz band Lifetime and played on many Jazz artist recordings before his untimely death in 1997. Here is ‘Fred’ from Lifeline: The Collection.

Mentored by the pianist educator Kenny Barron, pianist/composer Geri Allen was an extraordinary music force in jazz which included Jazz funk, blues and gospel. Geri was a graduate of Howard University and earned a Master’s degree from University of Pittsburg. As a pianist she pushed boundaries in rhythm, harmony and was a consummate player. She was married to the late trumpeter Wallace Roney for some years which produced a son Wallace Roney Jr. who is now currently a recognized talent in Jazz. Geri passed away in 2017 in Philadelphia. Here she is with her ‘Obtuse Angels’ from ‘Live At The Village Vanguard’ Album.

One of my new favorite pianist is this young master Christian Sands. I first heard this phenom when he was twenty three years playing with bassist great Christian McBride’s trio and I was blown away. He was mentored by the late great jazz pianist  Billy Taylor. Now thirty two years of age, this awesome talent is becoming a major force in Jazz music and I predict he will be revered as much as his influences in the future. This multi Grammy nominated composer pianist is here with ‘Samba de Vela’ from his Facing Dragons album.

Hard Bop pianist Benny Green was mentored by be-bop jazz pianist Walter Bishop Jr. who was heavily influenced by Jazz great Bud Powell and has appeared on more than 100 recordings, with artists such as Betty Carter, Milt Jackson and Diana Krall. In 1993, Oscar Peterson chose Green to receive the Glen Gould International Protégé Prize in Music. Here is Green with his track ‘Virgo’ from his ‘These Are The Soulful Days’ album.

Drummer Art Blakey with his Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers was a mentor to many of the great names in jazz such as Benny Golson, Lee Morgan, Bobby Timmons, Freddie Hubbard and the great Wayne Shorter who went onto higher fame playing with was considered the second great Miles Davis band and in the 1960s. Wayne is an icon in jazz and a composer who pushes the boundaries of harmonics and phrasing. Wayne and pianist Joe Zawinul created the jazz fusion band Weather Report. ‘FootPrints’ is now a jazz classic standard composed by Wayne first introduced when he played in the Miles Davis band.

The jazz dynasty of the Marsalis’s from New Orleans which includes Wynton, and Bradford was started by the patriarch of the family jazz pianist, teacher, educator Ellis Marsalis. Ellis was also a mentor to many in the New Orleans area such as pianist, singer and actor Harry Connick Jr. here is a collaboration between Bradford Marsalis and Ellis ‘Lulu’s Back in Town’ from ‘Loved Ones’ album.

Even the all time greats were mentored at sometime in their career and the great Louis Armstrong was no exception. Louis was mentored by King Oliver the reigning great jazz trumpeter influencer in New Orleans, Chicago and beyond. Nicknamed ‘Satchmo’, Pops’ Louis was a trumpeter and vocalist whose career spanned five decades and different eras of Jazz. He was the oldest person to have a number one hit knocking the Beatles off of the top charts with his rendition of ‘Hello Dolly’ in 1964. Here is ‘Skokiaan’ (South Africa Song) from his ‘All Time Greatest Hits’ album.

Drummer Marcus Gilmore is the nephew of drummer great Roy Haynes his mentor. Marcus is another young jazz phenom at the age of thirty five. He received a full ride scholarships at Julliard and Manhattan Schools of music in New York. He has played with Chick Corea winning a Grammy, pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba and others. Here is ‘Hazelnut Eyes’ from his Hearts Wide Open’ album.

Virtuoso guitarist composer Pat Metheny from Lee’s Summit MO came to Boston to study at Berklee College of Music invited by his mentor vibraphone great Gary Burton after Burton heard him play while on tour. He has gone on to become an icon in jazz and has played with a who’s who in the music industry Jazz and elsewhere. I met Pat Metheny on my first official day as a student at Berklee not knowing who he was or would become since he had just released his first album. We hung out and talked for an hour while he was waiting for his brother Mike who taught at Berklee. This is ‘America Undefined’ from his ‘From This Place’ album.

I hope you enjoy.

JK