.
.
The cover of the 1959 album by the Jimmy Rowles Septet, which included Rowles (piano); Herb Geller (alto saxophone); Monty Budwig (bass); Mel Lewis (drums); Bill Holman (saxophone/arranger); Bob Enevoldsen (trombone); and Lee Katzman (trumpet). “Some Other Spring” (written by Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog), a song from this album, is featured on Bob Hecht’s new 26-song playlist – this one devoted to septets.
.
.
___
.
.
…..One day JJM Editor/Publisher Joe Maita—knowing all too well my penchant for curating playlists—suggested to me, “How about a playlist series in which each month we add an instrument?” Well, I’ve been having a lot of fun with that concept, and this month brings us to the lucky number seven, “Septets—Seven’s Heaven.”
…..Naturally, as the number of instruments expands, so does the important role of the arranger. This playlist features not only a tremendous array of soloists but an all-star lineup of arrangers responsible for melding all those instrumental voices together.
…..Here are some highlights.
…..We open with pianist Adam Shulman’s beautifully textured composition and arrangement, a tribute to two jazz greats at once, “Mingus Dreams of Billy Strayhorn.”
…..Jimmy Cleveland is not a name often on the lips of jazz fans today but in the fifties and sixties he was one of the finest and most in demand trombonists on the scene, possessing fantastic technique and a rich tone. Gil Evans featured him often. We hear him in a septet with Benny Golson’s arrangement of the Oscar Pettiford tune “Tricotism.” Art Farmer solos beautifully.
…..Mingus’s “Self-Portrait in Three Colors” shows his genius with expressive voicings in this through-composed piece.
…..Wynton Marsalis composed and arranged The classic “Black Codes from the Underground.” Kenny Dorham arranged his brilliant album “Blue Soring,” containing “Poetic Spring,” and featuring Cannonball Adderley.
…..For the Art Farmer Septet, Gigi Gryce arranged his composition, “Wildwood.”
…..Bill Holman arranged “Some Other Spring” for the Jimmy Rowles Septet.
…..From Denmark comes the Jan Kaspersen Septet, with a composition and arrangement by the pianist Kaspersen. A tribute to Ellington, the lovely “Flowers from Duke’s Garden.”
…..Gil Fuller arranged the intriguing ‘That’s Earl, Brother,” for Dizzy’s septet. That’s Sonny Stitt on alto not Bird! Nils Winther arranged the Nat Adderley septet album from which I’ve selected the tender “Home.”
…..The “Cincinnati Seven” includes several inductees into the Cincinnati Jazz Hall of Fame including Arranger Larry Dickson as they tackle the challenging Bud Powell tune, “Un Poco Loco.”
…..From Sweden’s Arne Domnerus comes a lovely arrangement of Tadd Dameron’s “If You Could See Me Now.” Buddy Rich’s septet with “Bloody Mary” was arranged by the great Ernie Wilkins.
…..The playlist closes with two unlikely septets: First, a piece from Chick Corea’s ‘“Septet” album, which is more classical in feel than jazz, feauturing flautist Steve Kujala and on French Horn Peter Gordon with a string quartet; and ending with a piece from the experimental Jazz Passengers, a band led by Roy Nathanson and Curtis Fowlkes.
…..Enjoy lucky seven!
.
…..Bob Hecht
.
.
.
.
Bob has curated an impressive array of listening experiences within playlists he assembles exclusively for Jerry Jazz Musician, and within them shares his profound lifelong journey with jazz music.
Click on the links below to be taken to the playlists within this series.
.
.
Next up…a playlist of octets!
.
.
___
.
.
This playlist was assembled by Bob Hecht, who frequently contributes his essays, photographs, interviews, playlists and personal stories to Jerry Jazz Musician. He has a long history of producing and hosting jazz radio programs; his former podcast series, The Joys of Jazz, was the 2019 Silver Medal winner in the New York Festivals Radio Awards. In addition, he is a widely published fine art photographer, whose work has appeared multiple times in The Sun, LensWork, Black & White Magazine, Zyzzyva and other periodicals, as well as in the book, Dream of Venice in Black & White, published by Bella Figuera Publications. He lives with his wife in Portland, Oregon. His photo website is roberthecht.com.
.
Click here to read about his book, Stolen Moments: A Photographer’s Personal Journey
.
.
In addition to putting together great playlists, Bob has conducted several fine interviews for Jerry Jazz Musician.
Click here to read Two of a Mind: Conversations on Creative Collaboration, featuring Bill Charlap and Sandy Stewart; Click here to read his interview with Pepper Adams biographer Gary Carner. Click here to read “Life in E Flat” – a conversation about Phil Woods – with pianist Bill Charlap and jazz journalist Ted Panken, and click here to read his interview with Alyn Shipton, author of The Gerry Mulligan 1950’s Quartets.
Click here to view all playlists published on Jerry Jazz Musician
.
.
.
.
___
.
.
Click here to read The Sunday Poem
Click here to read “Bluesette,” Salvatore Difalco’s winning story in the 67th Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest
Click here for information about how to submit your poetry, short fiction, playlists, art, or essays
Click here to subscribe to the (free) Jerry Jazz Musician quarterly newsletter
.
Click here to help support the ongoing publication of Jerry Jazz Musician, and to keep it ad and commercial-free (thank you!)
.
___
.
.
Jerry Jazz Musician…human produced (and AI-free) since 1999
.
.
.
