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Tunes Du Jour Celebrates International Jazz Day
Jazz is a genre that defies easy definition, yet its influence is undeniable across decades of music history. At its core, jazz represents freedom – freedom of artistic expression, freedom to improvise and venture into uncharted musical territory. From the early days of jazz pioneers like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Billie Holiday, this artistic freedom has been the driving force behind the ever-evolving sounds of jazz.
The genius of jazz lies in its ability to seamlessly blend composition and spontaneity. Take Miles Davis’ seminal album Kind of Blue, where masterful musicians like John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley were given a simple modal framework to build upon through their improvisations. The result was a transcendent exploration of space, melody, and emotion that still captivates listeners today. Similarly, Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” broke new ground with its innovative use of quintuple meter, exemplifying jazz’s boundary-pushing spirit.
Yet jazz is more than just innovative time signatures and harmonic progressions. It’s a language of human experience, a means of conveying the full spectrum of emotions through sound. Billie Holiday’s haunting rendition of “Strange Fruit” transformed a song into a searing indictment of racism and injustice. Nina Simone’s stirring vocals on “My Baby Just Cares for Me” radiate warmth and playfulness. And Chet Baker’s rendition of “My Funny Valentine” captures the exquisite vulnerability of heartbreak with effortless cool.
As the genre evolved through the latter half of the 20th century, jazz continued to defy conventions and push creative boundaries. The modal jazz of John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” was a spiritual exploration unlike anything that came before it. Ornette Coleman’s pioneering free jazz broke down traditional concepts of melody and harmony. And the fusion era saw artists like Herbie Hancock, Weather Report, and Grover Washington Jr. incorporate elements of funk, rock, and R&B into their jazz foundations.
From its humble beginnings in New Orleans to its modern global influence, jazz has remained a quintessential expression of artistic freedom. Its ability to constantly reinvent itself while maintaining a deep reverence for its roots is what makes it one of the most vital and culturally significant art forms of our time. Jazz is more than just a genre – it’s a living, breathing embodiment of the human spirit’s endless capacity for creativity and innovation.
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Tunes Du Jour Presents Covers of Show Tunes
The theme of today’s playlist is cover versions of songs that originated in stage musicals. Here are the songs listed with the shows that introduced them:
- Mack the Knife by Bobby Darin – From The Threepenny Opera (1928)
- Till There Was You by The Beatles – From The Music Man (1957)
- Smoke Gets In Your Eyes by The Platters – From Roberta (1933)
- Little Girl Blue by Nina Simone – From Jumbo (1935)
- You’ll Never Walk Alone by Gerry & The Pacemakers – From Carousel (1945)
- I Am What I Am by Gloria Gaynor – From La Cage aux Folles (1983)
- On The Street Where You Live by Vic Damone – From My Fair Lady (1956)
- Everything’s Coming Up Roses by The Replacements – From Gypsy (1959)
- Send In The Clowns by Judy Collins – From A Little Night Music (1973)
- I Don’t Know How to Love Him by Helen Reddy – From Jesus Christ Superstar (1970)
- Hair by The Cowsills – From Hair (1967)
- Put On A Happy Face by Diana Ross & The Supremes – From Bye Bye Birdie (1960)
- Losing My Mind by Liza Minnelli – From Follies (1971)
- Tomorrow by Grace Jones – From Annie (1977)
- My Favorite Things by John Coltrane – From The Sound of Music (1959)
- Well Did You Evah? by Debbie Harry & Iggy Pop – From DuBarry Was a Lady (1939)
- The Man I Love by Kate Bush – From Lady, Be Good! (1924)
- If My Friends Could See Me Now by Linda Clifford – From Sweet Charity (1966)
- Summertime by Big Brother & The Holding Company – From Porgy and Bess (1935)
- Cabaret by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – From Cabaret (1966)
- I Get A Kick Out Of You by Frank Sinatra – From Anything Goes (1934)
- Don’t Cry For Me Argentina by Festival – From Evita (1978)
- Somewhere by Pet Shop Boys – From West Side Story (1957)
- The Lady is a Tramp by Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga – From Babes in Arms (1937)
- I’ll Never Fall In Love Again by Dionne Warwick – From Promises, Promises (1968)
- I Love Paris by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – From Can-Can (1953)
- Night + Day by U2 – From Gay Divorce (1932)
- There Are Worse Things I Could Do by Alison Moyet – From Grease (1971)
- Corner of the Sky by The Jackson 5 – From Pippin (1972)
- I Enjoy Being a Girl by Phranc – From Flower Drum Song (1958)
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A Nina Simone Playlist
“I’ll be Nina Simone and defecating on your microphone.” So rapped Ms. Lauryn Hill on Fugees’ “Ready Or Not.” As several of my friends could tell you, I tend to take things literally. I didn’t know much about Nina Simone at the time this Fugees single was released. All I knew is that she was a singer from the past who while on stage performing, apparently, would defecate on her microphone. I thought “Who wants to see that shit?” I bought Ms. Simone’s autobiography last year, in part to find out if she discusses this unusual show ritual, though I haven’t yet had the chance to read it. In preparing this post I looked up the “Ready or Not” lyrics on genius.com, where I learned that the lyric seemingly about Nina Simone’s defecation works in tandem with the line before it, which is “So while you imitating Al Capone.” What this means is that while other rappers are celebrating and emulating the life and crimes of a white gangster, Ms. Hill will aspire to follow in the footsteps of a great Black cultural artist. In other words, Nina Simone did not actually defecate while performing. Ms. Lauryn Hill did.
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A Martin Luther King Day Playlist
“You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. 1963
“He had a dream now it’s up to you to see it through, to make it come true” – “King Holiday”
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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist (12-22-20)
Inspired by the season and the December 22 birthdays of Bee Gees‘ Maurice and Robin Gibb, Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen, Meghan Trainor, Vanessa Paradis, Alvin Robinson and 2 Live Crew’s Luke Campbell.
Your (Almost) Daily Playlist (12-21-20)
Inspired by the season and the December 21 birthdays of Beach Boys‘ Carl Wilson, Carla Thomas, Frank Zappa, Betty Wright, Nick Gilder, Gwen McCrae, Paul & Paula’s Ray Hildebrand, and Jane Fonda.