Since it's Friday and since I've had a long workweek, I thought it time to kick back with some jazz.
My grandfather played in Tommy Dorsey's band during World War II, and, having grown up listening to jazz greats like Billie Holiday, Count Basie and Joe Williams, jazz is ingrained in me – the whole way down to my toes. My grandfather’s clarinet sits on my mantel, and I even have some of his old 78 records sitting in the media closet.
When it comes to the saxophone, my favorite artist is John Coltrane - and one of my favorite Coltrane albums is Lush Life. Recorded in 1957 and 1958, with musicians like Red Garland on piano and Albert “Tootie” Heath on drums (cool name), Lush Life is laid back and cool, like the music Coltrane had recently recorded with Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk.
Like most albums of the time, the track list is short and the playing time barely cracks 35 minutes. But even though the quantity is slight, the quality is out-of-this-world great with songs written by Cole Porter, Billy Strayhorn and Coltrane himself.
My grandfather played in Tommy Dorsey's band during World War II, and, having grown up listening to jazz greats like Billie Holiday, Count Basie and Joe Williams, jazz is ingrained in me – the whole way down to my toes. My grandfather’s clarinet sits on my mantel, and I even have some of his old 78 records sitting in the media closet.
When it comes to the saxophone, my favorite artist is John Coltrane - and one of my favorite Coltrane albums is Lush Life. Recorded in 1957 and 1958, with musicians like Red Garland on piano and Albert “Tootie” Heath on drums (cool name), Lush Life is laid back and cool, like the music Coltrane had recently recorded with Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk.
Like most albums of the time, the track list is short and the playing time barely cracks 35 minutes. But even though the quantity is slight, the quality is out-of-this-world great with songs written by Cole Porter, Billy Strayhorn and Coltrane himself.
