Covers for Sunday - Jazz Edition

The second Covers for Sunday this week and the second ever Covers for Sunday - Jazz Edition. Last time I did this it was really popular, I hope you all enjoy this one as well. If you didn't catch the last jazz edition it's here.

The premise is fairly simple, six jazz covers of songs. Some are covers of other jazz songs and others are jazz covers of non-jazz songs. Some of these songs will be pretty well known, others less so. The same goes for the musicians involved.

Hey Ya by 6iJazz (originally by Outkast). 6iJazz are an Icelandic jazz band, they've been around since 2005 but they don't have a lot of recorded music yet, or a complete band line-up (they're looking for a pianist). Still, this is a very good cover. It starts off all lounge/smooth jazz but soon develops into something much, much better. Check them out on myspace.

Wonderwall by Brad Mehldau Trio (originally by Oasis). You knew there'd be something by Brad Mehldau, right? He may be the most featured jazz artist on my blog, I think his covers/interpretations are top-notch and an easy way for non-jazz fans to find there way into jazz. But his work is far more than just covers, he's an incredible talent with a discography far longer than you'd expect from a musician who's been active for only 17 years.



The Creator Has A Masterplan by Louis Armstrong (originally by Pharaoh Sanders). Pharaoh Sanders, one of the free jazz saxaphone Trinity (the others being John Coltrane and Albert Ayler) wrote The Creator Has A Master Plan with vocalist Leon Thomas. It features on his album Karma and is over 32 minutes long. Louis Armstrong covered this towards the end of his life in 1969, the same year as Pharaoh Sanders. His version clocks in at just over 4 minutes. The novelty of Louis Armstrong covering a free jazz song soon wears off and you're left to appreciate just how good a recording this is, just how much talent the increasing ill Louis Armstrong still had.

Autumn In New York by Charlie Parker (originally by Billie Holiday). J. Harold Murray sang this first in the Broadway production Thumbs Up! but Billie Holiday recorded it first, as far as I can tell. Charlie Parker's recording seems to be the first instrumental version of what would soon become a jazz standard and would eventually be covered by everone from Frank Sinatra to Sun Ra.



Black Narcissus by Jim Snidero (originally by Joe Henderson). Ken from Jazz SDP (link in my blogroll) rates Joe Henderson as one of the top 10 jazz musicians from 1950 to 1965. I don't rank him quite that highly, but there's no doubt the tenor-saxophonist's music is very good. Alto-saxophonist Jim Snidero agrees, this comes from his album The Music Of Joe Henderson. If you want to listen to more jazz but you're put off by free or avant-garde jazz this is a great place for you to start. Straight-ahead jazz, really well played.

Evidence by Steve Lacy (originally by Thelonious Monk). Steve Lacy played dixieland, or traditional if you prefer, jazz and he played avant-garde jazz. He played with Thelonious Monk in 1958 and 1960 and regularly played his music. Thelonious Monk is undoubtedly one of the most important jazz composers to ever write (and a fantastic musician) and Steve Lacy interprets his work as well as anyone and better than most.