For this week’s blog post we are returning to the realm of jazz and looking at a few more legendary jazz artists. Again, this list will definitely not cover every amazing jazz artist, these are just a small collection. I will include a range of different instruments so hopefully there is something for everyone, enjoy!
Paul Desmond
Up first on this list is perhaps my favourite saxophonist of all time, Paul Desmond! Desmond was born in San Francisco, California in 1924. He is most famous for being a part of The Dave Brubeck Quartet, playing songs such as Take Five and Blue Rondo a la Turk. Throughout his life he also led other groups, collaborating with artists such as Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker and Jim Hall; if you like these recordings below, definitely give those artists a listen!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZbahdBHv9E – Emily
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us_n5q9uzak&list=PLHyky5SR7eifxxumoAgpAkOubO2zcimWO – Bewitched
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R6E_2GZ3Pg – Here’s That Rainy Day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueFBFc-DikM&list=PL4NXUZspQ7ByKudKiWfv6-jhhdvTfp2vh&index=14 – All the Things You Are
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmDDOFXSgAs – Take Five (Dave Brubeck Quartet)
Oscar Peterson
The next artist on our list is the incredible, Oscar Peterson. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1925 and is known in the jazz community as “the King of inside swing.” In total, he has released over 200 recordings and won seven grammy awards throughout his career. Peterson is considered as one of the best jazz pianists ever, with his career lasting over sixty years and thousands of concerts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR2l8zkMaWI – The Days Of Wine And Roses (Oscar Peterson Trio)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwuO0rtX6R8 – Autumn Leaves (Oscar Peterson Trio)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPlU9xYmWKI – Summertime (Oscar Peterson Trio)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JrIcoFcnjE – Multiple live concerts.
Billie Holiday
Eleanora Fagan, known as Billie Holiday is the next legend on our list. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. in 1915. She was nicknamed “Lady Day” and worked alongside other legends such as Lester Young. Her iconic vocal style was majorly inspired by various jazz instrumentalists and was at the forefront of vocal phrasing and the use of tempo in jazz – her use of vocal improvisation was also extremely impressive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldwDvw99HHs – What a Little Moonlight can do
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DGY9HvChXk – Strange Fruit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDlKb2cBAqU – I’ll Be Seeing You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC_XM4l1DHo – When You’re Smiling
Phil Woods
Last but certainly not least for this week’s post is Phil Woods, who was an American saxophonist and clarinetist. Woods was born in 1931 in Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S. Throughout his career Woods received two grammy awards and a NEW Jazz Masters award in 2007. He has performed with some of the best jazz musicians in history such as; Charlie Park, Quincy Jones and Dizzy Gillespie to name a few.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSfc8qUbALc – Have You Met Miss Jones?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBCO3wqHuGU – Billie’s Bounce
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkaA6Lz-cUk – Body and Soul
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrhRhuKQXlw – Live 1969 Pari performance.
Thank you for taking time to read through this blog post! A new post will usually be uploaded every Tuesday/Wednesday and will be around the topic of music in some form. If you have any feedback or suggestions please feel free to leave a comment, or visit my website!
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