It’s been a cool autumn day so this seems appropriate. It’s from the classic 1958 album Somethin’ Else which was Cannonball Adderley’s first as a leader, and one of Miles Davis’s last as a sideman (also a rare recording for Miles on the Blue Note label). Adderley went on to play alto sax with the great Miles Davis sextet that recorded Kind of Blue, and Miles obviously influenced this album enormously, but the rhythm section here is different from that band’s – Art Blakey on drums, Hank Jones on piano, and Sam Jones on bass. Miles Davis was also responsible for this arrangement of the standard Autumn Leaves, which he based on a version by Ahmad Jamal.
Archive for Hank Jones
Autumn Leaves – Cannonball Adderley
Posted in Jazz with tags Art Bl;akey, Art Blakey, Cannonball Adderley, Hank Jones, Sam Jones on October 23, 2025 by telescoperThey Can’t Take That Away From Me
Posted in Jazz with tags George Duvivier, Hank Jones, Harry Edison, Herb Ellis, Laughin' to Keep from Cryin', Lester Young, Mickey Sheen, Roy Eldridge on November 10, 2016 by telescoperThis seems an appropriate piece of music for these days. It’s an unusual but deeply moving performance by the legendary Lester Young who was best known as a tenor saxophonist, but decided to play clarinet on two numbers that wound up on an album called Laughin’ to Keep from Cryin’. I have the original vinyl LP, which was issued on the Verve label, but it’s still waiting for me to transfer it to digital. The other members of the band are Roy Eldridge and Harry Edison (trumpets), Herb Ellis (guitar), Hank Jones (piano), George Duvivier (bass) and Mickey Sheen (drums).There were lots of problems making the record, apparently, but it did produce some fine music including this devastatingly tragic version of the standard They Can’t Take That Away From Me which is among the very best recordings he ever made.
At the time of this recording, in February 1958, Lester Young was terminally ill with cancer – he died just a year later at the age of 49. Despite being barely able to stand, struggling with his breath control, and playing almost in slow motion, he manages to cast his fading light over this tune in a way that’s heartbreaking as well as beautiful.
Laughin’ to Keep from Cryin’
Posted in Jazz with tags George Duvivier, Hank Jones, Harry Edison, Herb Ellis, Laughin' to Keep from Cryin', Mickey Sheen, Roy Eldridge on March 13, 2012 by telescoperNeither the time nor the energy to post anything other than a bit of music, so I’ve picked a track someone happens to have posted on Youtube. I have Laughin’ to Keep from Cryin’ the original vinyl LP on the Verve label, but it’s still waiting for me to transfer it to digital. I love this record so much because it’s so joyful and at the same time so tragic. There’s some wonderfully upbeat stuff from the two trumpeters, the great Harry “Sweets” Edison (whom I’ve had the privilege to hear play live), who opens the piece, and then the perhaps even greater Roy Eldridge, but it’s also one of the last recordings made by legendary saxophonist Lester Young who was terminally ill with cancer at the time of this session in February 1958; he died just a year later. His formerly smooth tenor tone now ragged, barely able to stand or hold the saxophone, and playing almost in slow motion, he nevertheless manages to cast his fading light over the latter part of this tune and conjure up something quite magical. The other members of the band are Herb Ellis (guitar), Hank Jones (piano), George Duvivier (bass) and Mickey Sheen (drums) and this track is called Romping.
In the Dark 