A jazz classic by Ron Raye, Gene de Paul and Pat Johnson.  Arrangement by Paul Harrison

I'll Remember April

By the brilliant Miles Davis, Tutu is the title track of one of the first jazz albums I ever owned.  The original was wonderfully cool and funky but was plagued by a typical 1980s over-produced style.  

Cassandra Wilson brought calm, beauty and lyrics to the track in her 1999 album 'Travelling Miles'.  Her version of Tutu was called Resurrection Blues.   I took that, re-introduced the funk but without the effects.  Ed Kelly's cool bass leads the groove.   In the instrumental solo, the interaction between pianist Paul Harrison and drummer Chris Wallace is electric.    

Photo credit - Image of Miles Davis from album Tutu by Irving Penn

Resurrection Blues (Tutu)

In 1947, Eden Ahbez approached Nat King Cole with his tune 'Nature Boy' - it was recorded in 1948 and stayed at No 1 in the Billboard charts for weeks.  It was ahbez' only major hit.  

 It's been recorded by many singers since.  Our take on it was to start with a slow rubato then build up to a rhythmic flourish.    On the solos, the interplay between pianist Paul Harrison and drummer Chris Wallace is a sheer delight to experience.

Nature Boy

A change of mood, Cailín deas crúite na mbó is an old Irish folk song - loosely translated as 'Pretty Maid milking the cows'. Usually sung in the Irish 'sean nós' (old style), I try to emulate that style.  But building on the modal nature of Irish folk, and of jazz, we overlay improvisational jazz on the ethereal free form of the vocals.  

By the way, the song is sung in Irish.  I'm not a native speaker, or singer.  But the formative years in the Connemara Gaeltacht left me with a love of the language and the music of my native country.

Cailín deas crúite na mBó

Black Nile

Goodbye Porkpie Hat - by Charles Mingus with lyrics by Joni Mitchell.  

I first heard this track hanging out with some jazz musicians in an Edinburgh basement flat.  Recognising the Mingus tune, a tribute to the great saxophonist Lester Young, I had never heard lyrics for it.  Imagine my surprise and delight when it was revealed that the lyrics were penned by my songwriting hero, Joni Mitchell.  She had been invited by Charles Mingus to visit him in Mexico shortly before his death.  Following that, she created 'Mingus', a superb album featuring  jazz giants such as Jaco Pastorius, Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock - to name a few.  

This song has a special place in my heart because thanks to a live performance on BBC Radio Scotland in 2004, with Ed Kelly on bass (who also features here).    I got my first break on the Scottish jazz scene.  That led to opportunities in the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, Glasgow Jazz Festival, Pizza Express Dean Street London, and tours in Scotland, Ireland and Italy.    
Thanks Joni. Thanks Charles. Thanks Lester

Goodbye Porkpie Hat

I like to sing jazz... I love to listen to jazz, funk, folk, rock, classical, contemporary...

ClaireDalyJazz

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