Playlist and Notes 5 September 2023

Welcome to a New Year of Shark Jazz and Blues! 

It has been an exceptionally sad summer for music lovers, with the passing of many talented and important artists. Shortly before the end of the spring semester, we lost one of the giants of jazz, Pittsburgh native Ahmad Jamal. While we honored him in the spring, and in the coming weeks we will once again look at the career of Jamal, including his influence on hip-hop music. Tony Bennett was a giant in terms of jazz recordings. He had a very close relationship with Lady Gaga, a person who was 50 years younger, with whom he recorded two very successful albums. His son reported that his final words were, “Thank you.”[1] A fitting response and tribute to a great life.

We also will remember the great Brazilian pianist João Donato, listen to some new music from Iceland, and sample a couple of great blues songs. We end with an essential, Miles Davis to play us into the night. 

Playlist 

Connie Han – Grüvy

Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong – Summertime

Joey Alexander – Summer Rising

Chantal Chamberland – Le Mer

Tony Bennett – Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga – I Can’t Give You Anything But Love

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans – Young and Foolish

Heather Rigdon – Young and Naïve

Laufey – From the Start (To be released on 8 September)

João Donato – A Rã (The Frog) 

Keb’ No’ – Love in Vain

Lonnie Johnson – Another Night to Cry

Miles Davis – So What 


Notes: 
Check out these performances of João Donato, Lonnie Johnson, and Charles Trenet: 


[1] Carlos De Loera, “Tony Bennett’s wife and son reveal the late singer’s final words to them: thanks and love,” Los Angeles Times, 4 August 2023, https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-08-04/tony-bennett-last-words-wife-son-family. 


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