Toshiko Akiyoshi is originally from Manchuria. She moved to Japan in 1945 and later to the United States in 1956 after Oscar Peterson met her and encouraged the move. She attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston studying piano and jazz composition. Her music is greatly influenced by the Far East. The first group she formed, the Toshiko Mariano Quartet, was with her first husband, Charlie Mariano, an altoist in the 1960s. She worked with Charles Mingus for a while in 1962. She played with him and is on the recording for The Complete Town Concert. This is not considered one of Mingus's better works. Allmusic actually calls it "a famous fiasco."Over the next few years she and her Mariano divorced and she went back to Japan for a few years. In 1965 she moved back to New York and formed a quartet with her second husband Lew Tabackin. She also did a radio series during this time. Then in 1972 after moving to Los Angeles she formed the Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Big Band with her husband. She tends to write for specific members in her band (much like Duke Ellington). She also plays in a piano trio. In the 1980s she relocated back to New York and reformed her big band there.
Here she is playing "The Village" at her 60th anniversary concert.
This is piece by Kim Clarke and performed by the Kit McClure Band. Clarke also plays bass on the video with Kit McClure on sax, Lilian Day Jackson on vocals, Sue Terwilliger on guitar, Bernice Brooks on droms and Glenna Powrie on keys and trumpet. This piece features vocals, and solos by bass, trumpet, and sax. It begins with a short intro with the rhythm section and a short repeated rhythm in the saxophone, the trombones then add onto this. The tenor saxophone adds another layer, then vocals enter. The form is AAB(long break/solo section)A.
Linda Oh is jazz bassists from Australia (born in Malaysia). I'm not going to do critical listening on her but this video of her is really interesting. She talks about her career and her inspirations. She won teh ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Award in 2008 and the 2010 Bell Award for Jazz Artist of the Year. She also received an honorary mention at the 2009 Thelonious Monk competition in 2009. She is already releasing a second album.
Sharel Cassity is another young jazz player. Here she is with her quartet playing "Say What?!"
The piece starts out with a short run by Cassity on soprano sax before the rhythm section enters. Long melodious phrases are interjected with short staccato notes. The form is AB... with the B section placing emphasis on her technique and talent. And then the video is stopped so since that wasn't a full piece for critical listening here is another:
Critical Listening #2
AfroBlue-(by Mongo Santamaria)-The Latin Jazz Women Band
After a short introduction, the flute solos followed by guitar/vocals and then trombone. After the chorus, the trombone has a solo. The chorus between each solo features the whole group. AABA form within verses. Just for comparisons sake here is the original version:
There are of course differences between the two due to one being live and the other recorded. I missed the mallets in the version by the LJW. It seems like covers often don't capture the feeling of the original. There is some extra flute technique, like flutter tonguing that was in the original. Of course covers by no means need to follow the original (see Contrane's version below) but its hard not to compare it the original. There are also versions by:
John Coltrane: Live in Japan-This one takes the original and greatly expands on it
What I really do enjoy about John Coltrane's version is that he didn't try to play it the same. After stating the melody he does his own thing and I admire that. Covers are more unique, entertaining and personal when the artist makes it their own.
Finally here is Lori Williams with her vocal version:
