to move up and down
Ultra-stylized character designs for Mickey Mouse by Disney animator Tom Oreb. These were used in a 1955 commercial campaign for Nash automobiles.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Someday My Prince Will Come
From Brubeck’s 1957 album Dave Digs Disney.
I heard this on the radio last night. I’ve always thought it was funny that this and other Disney songs have become jazz standards, but I guess that’s a testament to the strength of the folks who originally wrote them.
What really caught my ear was the shift in rhythm at 3:49. The song is in 6/8, and the drummer, Joe Morello, is playing a pretty straight forward 6/8 feel until that point, but then he switches things up and begins playing a 4/4 rhythm while the rest of the band stays in 6/8. Pretty awesome.
Overall, there’s very tasteful playing from everyone, including the dreaded saxophone player.
We Blue It by Ramsey Lewis
I heard this on the radio the other day and loved it. This simple blues number comes from Lewis’s 1959 album Down To Earth.
If I had to choose, I’d have to say that piano trios (piano, bass, drums) are my favorite type of jazz combo. Keep the horns far, far away, please. There’s something so tasteful and expressive about this setup.
According to his website, he’s still very actively touring. It looks like I just missed catching him here in Seattle, but I’ll be on the lookout for the next time he comes around.
(Source: youtube.com)
Lord Flea & His Calypsonians - Monkey (via rockpopjazz007)
I was just reading about Jamaican mento music on BoingBoing today, which is kind of like a Jamaican version of folk or bluegrass music. I had never heard of it, but I’m glad I stumbled on this. I’m not a huge reggae or ska fan, or at least, I’m not a fan of it the closer it gets to the present day, but I do love the roots of those kinds of music. I’m also a big Harry Belafonte fan, as evidenced by my earlier post. I think it’s safe to say that he was the first person to introduce this kind of music to a mass (read: white) audience, but to his credit he didn’t change much about it to make it more “palatable” to an unfamiliar audience.
This song makes me happy.
P.S. If you were curious, like I was, the ridiculous footage with Tony Danza and Don Knotts is from Cannonball Run II. Here’s the same scene, but in German, which only improves it as far as I’m concerned.
Harry Belafonte & Nat King Cole (via Ivospee1969)
Performing one of my favorite Harry Belafonte songs, Mama Look A Boo Boo. The version of this song from his album “Belafonte At Carnegie Hall” is excellent. The audience really gets into it and it’s a rare moment where the mood is light and he fully demonstrates his natural ability as a captivating performer. I can’t find it online, but it’s worth seeking out.
Little Richard - Lucille LIVE 1973 (via gimmeaslice)
Who is better than Little Richard? No one.
