Sunday, May 13, 2018

One Morning in May

Victor 24505-A (1933)
Hoagy Carmichael composed One Morning in May and Mitchell Parish wrote the lyrics. However, Carmichael's initial version of the song had its debut at the shown Victor disc recorded October 10, 1933 as an instrumental performed by the composer at the piano featuring a swinging combo


Vocalist Marion Harris
Other artists and orchestras of the time seem to have favoured the song performed with the lyrics by Mitchell Parish changing the music into a ballad, an example is the version recorded by Marion Harris in April 1934


One Morning in May was adopted by jazz musicians and later versions comprise both vocal and instrumenal versions of the song. Here I'll concentrate on some instrumental examples uploaded at You Tube. Firstly, Benny Carter and his orchestra recorded a swinging version in 1958, inserted below


Dusko Goykovich (photo by OhWeh, 2010 - Wikimedia)
Jazz trumpeter Dusko Goykovich recorded a great instrumental version of One Morning in May at his 2001 CD entitled In My Dreams


Another contemporary instrumental issue of One Morning in May was recorded by pianist Bill Charlap in a trio setting at his 2001 album entitled Stardust


Vibraphonist Lars Erstrand (You Tube)
The last example here of a contemporary instrumental version of One Morning in May was recorded by Swedish vibraphonist Lars Erstrand with Finish clarinetist Antti Sarpila in 2004 at the album entitled We've Got a Heartful of Music

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Jo
keepitswinging.domain@gmail.com

Retrospect Keep Swinging (old) Oscar Aleman Choro Music Flexible Records Hit of the Week-Durium Friends of the Keep Swinging blog Keep Swinging Contributions

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Hamilton de Holanda Trio Celebrates The Music Of Jacob do Bandolim

Jacob do Bandolim (14.02.1918 - 13.08.1969)
This year Brazil celebrates the Centennial of Jacob do Bandolim, the great master of choro mandolin. Some official events have already been settled and more will follow during 2018 paying homage to the musical legacy of Jacob do Bandolim. Among other musicians, who lead the legacy of Jacob further, is Hamilton de Holanda Hamilton de Holanda has just released a set of 12 recordings celebrating the music of Jacob do Bandolim, issued by the Brazilian Deckdisc label as digital download and in the vinil LP format
Hamilton de Holanda Trio - Jacob 10ZZ (Deckdisc, 2018)
Hamilton is accompanied by Guto Wirtti (acoustic bass) and Thiago da Serrinha (percussion), and the title of the disc refers to the 10 string bandolim used by Hamilton as well as the word jazz. Hamilton explains further in the notes published at his blog, quote "I looked for a title with few letters and a direct sound that could give meaning to the conception of this work. It's Jacob's choro with a hint of jazz. Not necessarily all tracks are of this genre, but they have this way of playing, which uses a lot of improvisation and solos created at the time of recording. The name summed up the spirit of the album well" - The disc has 12 tracks, ten of them featuring compositions by Jacob do Bandolim and the remaining two are a composition by Jacob's son, Sérgio Bittencourt, who wrote the tune titled Naquela Mesa following Jacob's death in 1969, and Hamilton's own Serenata Jacarepaguá composed in studio during recording of the disc, a homage to the location in Rio da Janeiro where Jacob lived and opened his house for the famous choro meetings which helped this music to evolve and survive during a difficult time in Brazil. The twelve recordings have all been uploaded by Deckdisc at YouTube in the audiovideo format, below I'll insert some examples to give you an impression of this great project production, which will be followed by more later this year according the info at Hamilton's blog. Hamilton uses Jacob's unique 10 stringed bandolim in all tracks, it's the first time this instrument has been recorded.
Hamilton de Holanda with Jacob's 10 string bandolim (photo by revistadachoro.com)
The recorded repertoire of tunes by Jaob do Bandolim comprises both well known compositions like Remelexo, Alvorada, Assanhado and Mágoas, a.o. and lesser known tunes, even some of which Jacob did not record himself (Saracoteando). Here is first Hamilton de Holanda trio performing Alvorada


Next is a rendition of Jacob's Assanhado, a tune attributed the term choro-jazz by many critics, Hamilton convincingly demonstrates inspiration from modern jazz improvisation in this recording of the tune


Another up-tempo composition by Jacob do Bandolim is Bole-Bole, a samba-choro first recorded on a 78 rpm by Jacob in 1951. Here is the version recorded by Hamilton de Holanda trio


As mentioned above the twelve recordings by the Hamilton de Holanda trio are the first in a series of recordings featuring the music of Jacob do Bandolim in a contemporary interpretation by one of Brazil's greatest bandolim players. You have the opportunity to listen to all tracks at YouTube, here or at streaming audio services like Spotify a.o. - the vinil version has not yet been released outside Brazil, I think. - To end this small presentation of the project, here is Hamilton's Serenata Jacarepaguá 

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Jo
keepitswinging.domain@gmail.com

Retrospect Keep Swinging (old) Oscar Aleman Choro Music Flexible Records Hit of the Week-Durium Friends of the Keep Swinging blog Keep Swinging Contributions