As someone who briefly played the clarinet and almost wishes to return to it, listening to Buddy DeFranco this evening has been pure delight. Further, as a fan of "I Loves You, Porgy," it has been nothing short of beautiful to come across a recording from Buddy DeFranco. He brings to mind a more modern Benny Goodman in his tone and style.
One of my favorite recordings of a personal favorite, "I Loves You, Porgy." Fitzgerald's perfect voice enhances this haunting melody, pushing it in different directions than the instrumental recordings I usually listen to. Listening to Ella sing the standards has been my thing for the last week or two now...so much to learn.
This has been on repeat for the last 12 hours. Hearing Eddie Gomez tackle one of my favorite standards with someone who is not Bill Evans is a little depressing, but still lovely. It's a shame his solo is too brief, but Kuhn plays wonderfully here. Beauty is a rare thing...
I was listening to Bill Evans's short-lived trio with Jack DeJohnette and Eddie Gomez again, and somehow I missed the utter pulchritude of this solo piano rendition of "I Loves You, Porgy." I hate the title, but the music is pure ethereal beauty. While this recording may not be as famous as the legendary Village Vanguard trio recording, the cascading musical explorations of Bill are nothing short of soul-searching. I may have to revisit his solo recordings...