Ahora que han vuelto los Rolling Stones a la Argentina y aparecen hasta en el supermercado chino de la esquina, mando una recomendación que repito a algunos amigos. Charlie Watts, el batero que aparece tan impávido e indiferente a las polillas revoloteando allá atrás de todo, en sus ratos libres saca maravillosos discos de jazz. El primero en destacar se llama "Warm & tender", es de 1993 y en él canta Bernard Fowler (el morocho de la foto, histórico en el coro del plantel y dueño de una voz estupenda, que actúa otra vez con ellos en esta gira-ver 1). No soy un experto pero escucho mucho jazz siempre y éste es el mejor y más emotivo disco de canciones/standards de jazz que oí en mi vida. No es para amantes de la bailanta, la cumbia villera o Ricky Martin, claro está. Tampoco es para cualquier momento: tiene una onda suave y muy melancólica. Después de aquel disco, sigan con "A tribute to Charlie Parker" (1991), también de un nivel extraordinario aunque como sospecharán por el título tiene un estilo diferente. Watts tiene al menos tres trabajos jazzeros más que no tuve oportunidad de escuchar, pero esos dos son cosa seria. No deben conseguirse fácil pero pueden escucharse en Youtube. Horanosaurus.
PD: como me entusiasmé reescuchando estos discos, me tropecé justamente en Youtube con "Long ago and far away" (1996), que evidentemente es una estupenda continuación del quinteto de Watts en "Warm & tender": otra vez con Fowler al frente y la misma onda, con composiciones de Gershwin, Armstrong, Cole Porter y otros clásicos.
"Warm & tender" (1993)
1 “You Go to My Head” - Coots, Gillespie 4:25
2 “For All We Know” - Coots, Lewis 4:22
PD: como me entusiasmé reescuchando estos discos, me tropecé justamente en Youtube con "Long ago and far away" (1996), que evidentemente es una estupenda continuación del quinteto de Watts en "Warm & tender": otra vez con Fowler al frente y la misma onda, con composiciones de Gershwin, Armstrong, Cole Porter y otros clásicos.
1 “You Go to My Head” - Coots, Gillespie 4:25
2 “For All We Know” - Coots, Lewis 4:22
3 “If I Should Lose You” - Rainger, Robin
4:08
4 “I'll Be Around”
- Alec Wilder 3:40
5 “I´ll Wind” - Harold
Arlen/Ted Koehler 4:55
6 “I'm Glad There Is You” - Dorsey, Mertz 4:25
7 “It Never Entered My Mind” - Lorentz Hart/Richard
Rodgers 4:44
8 “Love Walked In”
- Gershwin, Gershwin 4:04
9 ”My Foolish Heart”
- Washington, Young 4:42
10 “My One and Only Love” - Mellin, Wood 4:35
11 “My Ship” - Gershwin/Kurt
Weill 4:50
12 “Someone to Watch over Me” - Gershwin, Gershwin 5:38
13 “They Didn't Believe Me”
- Kern, Reynolds 4:18
14 “Time After Time”
- Cahn, Styne 4:08
15 “Where Are You?”
- Adamson, McHugh 4:01
16 “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” - Lorentz Hart/Richard
Rodgers 3:45
The Charlie Watts Quintet: Peter King: Alto Saxophone
& Leader - Gerard Presencer :
Trumpet - Brian Lemon: Piano - David Green: Acoustic Bass - Charlie Watts:
Drums - Bernard Fowler: vocalist. And The London Metropolitan Orchestra.
“I decided to put a few CDs in the deck that I hadn't
heard in quite awhile this morning and came across the 1993 release by Charlie
Watts Quintet - Warm & Tender.
Recorded, mixed and mastered in London, the album features superbly
sweet versions of gems such as My Ship (Kurt Weill), Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered (Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart), I'll Be Around (Alec Wilder), Ill
Wind (Harold Arlen/Ted Koehler) and It Never Entered My Mind (Richard
Rodgers/Lorenz Hart). All delivered in the wonderfully "warm milk before
bed" tones of Bernard Fowler's vocals. If there is anything that irritates
(no, make that shits) me about the whole thing it has to be the inclusion on
the Metropolitan Orchestra. It just completely negates the quintet - Peter King
(alto saxophone), Gerard Presencer (trumpet & fluegelhorn), Brian Lemon
(piano), David Green (acoustic bass) and Charlie Watts (drums)....”
"From one Charlie" y "Tribute to Charlie Parker with strings" (1991)
"From one Charlie" y "Tribute to Charlie Parker with strings" (1991)
01. Intro - Charlie Watts Quintet
02. Practicing, Practicing, Just Great (Peter King)
03. Black Bird, White Chicks (King)
04. Bluebird (Charlie Parker)
05. Bound for New York (King)
06. Terra de Pajaro (King)
07. Bad Seeds-Rye Drinks (King)
08. Relaxin' at Camarillo (Parker)
09. Going, Going, Going, Gone (King)
10. Just Friends (John Klenner)
11. Cool Blues (Parker)
12. Dancing in the Dark (Arthur Schwartz)
13. Dewey's Square (Parker)
14. Rocker (Gerry Mulligan)
15. Lover Man (Jimmy Davis)
16. Perdido (Ervin Drake)
The Charlie Watts Quintet : Peter King : Alto
Saxophone & Leader - Gerard Presencer : Trumpet - Brian Lemon : Piano -
David Green : Acoustic Bass - Charlie Watts : Drums.
In 1985, he formed a big band and toured the
States, ultimately releasing Live at Fulham Town Hall on the Sony label. In
1991, he formed a small group to pay homage to the music that first grabbed him
while growing up in London. In a span of five years, The Charlie Watts Quintet
released a series of stellar recordings -- From One Charlie, Tribute To Charlie
Parker, Warm And Tender and Long Ago And Far Away. Next
came Charlie's heartfelt collaboration with Jim Keltner, The Charlie Watts/Jim Keltner
Project, in tribute to their favorite drummers with each
track titled after a different hero. Now we have Charlie's Tentet as recorded
live at the legendary Ronnie Scott's in London on Watts at Scott's. Hear
the warmth, joy, and virtuosity of this dream team of jazz masters as they
perform live on two full CDs, a diverse collection of compositions from the
likes of Duke Ellington and Thelonius Monk to originals from the Tentet
themselves including Gerard Presencer's take on the Glimmer Twins in
"Faction", to two tracks culled from the aforementioned Watts /
Keltner Project. Enjoy the CD while we await Charlie's re-appearance in the
jazz world after a short detour back to the world of rock & roll. Scott Yanow.
22/08/07 (Mr. Belzoni blogspot). El más puro, serio y elegante
Stone de todos (el único que nunca se divorció y al cual tanto Jagger como
Richards lo consideran el verdadero líder del grupo), nos sorprende con un
disco extraordinario.
Es sabida la pasión que Charlie Watts tiene por el jazz y especialmente por el bop, tanto que hasta ha escrito un libro dedicado a Charlie Parker: "Ode to a high flying bird".
En éste notable álbum homenajea a “Bird” con su quinteto y el agregado del cantante Bernard Fowler, quien además de narrar la vida del malogrado saxofonista, interpreta una excelente versión de “Lover Man”.
El disco está grabado en vivo en el Ronnie’s Scotts de Birmingham y Charlie Watts está secundado por el increíble saxofonista Peter King (escúchenlo con atención!!), el trompetista Gerard Presencer, el pianista Brian Lemon (ninguno de estos dos están a la altura del resto) y David Green en bajo.
El concierto cuenta de dos partes. La primera, con el quinteto a pleno, y la segunda con el agregado de cuerdas rememorando al famoso disco “Parker & Strings”. Se destacan "Just Friends", "Dewey Square" y "Perdido".
Es un álbum que si sigues a los Rolling Stones tienes que tenerlo como curiosidad; y si te gusta el jazz es imprescindible.
28/01/12 - El proyecto se inició 30 años atrás, como un ejercicio de
dibujo. En aquel momento, un incipiente diseñador gráfico, Charlie Watts, nunca
habría sonado que el libro de sus hijos “Ode to a High Flying bird” (”Oda a un pájaro de
alto vuelo”) se convertiría más adelante en la base para un
impresionante tributo al gran saxofonista Charlie “YardBird”
Parker (continúa en link).
Long Ago & Far Away: Virgin VPBCD 36. Marketed by Pointblank Records. The CD comes with a
nice cover booklet, showing photos of the band members, some nice ones of
Charlie, and also Bernard. The CD itself has got a nice photo print of Charlie
and Bernard.
1. “I've Got A Crush On You” (Ira
Gershwin/George Gershwin)
2. “Long Ago And Far Away” (Ira Gershwin/Jerome Kern)
3. “More Than You Know” (William Rose/Edward Eliscu/Vincent Youmans)
4. “I Should Care” (Sammy Cahn/Axel Stordahl/Paul Weston)
5. “Good Morning Heartache” (Irene Higgenbotham/Ervin Drake/Dan Fisher)
6. “Someday (You'll Be Sorry)” (Louis Armstrong)
7. “I Get Along Without You Very Well” (Hoagy Carmichael)
8. “What's New?” (Johnny Burke/Bob Haggart)
9. “Stairway To The Stars”(Mitchell Parrish/Matt Malneck/Frank Signorelli)
10. “In The Still OF The Night” (Cole Porter)
2. “Long Ago And Far Away” (Ira Gershwin/Jerome Kern)
3. “More Than You Know” (William Rose/Edward Eliscu/Vincent Youmans)
4. “I Should Care” (Sammy Cahn/Axel Stordahl/Paul Weston)
5. “Good Morning Heartache” (Irene Higgenbotham/Ervin Drake/Dan Fisher)
6. “Someday (You'll Be Sorry)” (Louis Armstrong)
7. “I Get Along Without You Very Well” (Hoagy Carmichael)
8. “What's New?” (Johnny Burke/Bob Haggart)
9. “Stairway To The Stars”(Mitchell Parrish/Matt Malneck/Frank Signorelli)
10. “In The Still OF The Night” (Cole Porter)
11. “All Or Nothing At All”
12. “I'm In The Mood For Love”
13. “In A Sentimental Mood”
14. “Never Let Me Go”
Charlie was the first of the Stones to issue a new
solo album following the successful Voodoo Lounge tour of 94/95. His fourth
solo CD is released by Virgin Records worldwide on June 11.
Just like his previous solo releases, this is another
jazz record. It's basically Charlie Watts Quintet, featuring Charlie Watts (drums), Peter King (alto sax), Brian Lemon (piano), Gerard Presencer (flugal horn and
trumpet), David Green (double bass).
In addition they have got Bernard Fowler
(vocals), famous from the Stones tours of 89/90 and 94/95, and Louis Jardim (percussions). Also, they
are backed with a 24 piece London
Metropolitan Orchestra.
The album was recorded over a two week period in
January 1996, and is the follow up release to his previous CD Warm & Tender from 1993. The title is inspired by the track selections. As
Charlie states, the songs on this album are the typical ones his mother used to
sing to him when he was just a little boy, long ago...
The Charlie Watts Quintet origins from 1991, when
Charlie got involved in releasing the 2nd run of his now rare book Ode To A High Flying Bird. This book,
first time released in 1964, is a small and intereresting piece of work, all
drawings by Charlie, inspired by the life of legendary jazz saxofonist Charlie
Parker, known as "Bird".
For making a CD to come with the "Ode" box,
Charlie brought in Peter King and David Green, both having worked with Charlie
previously in his big band. Charlie and Peter was long time friends from the
times back to grade school, and as youngsters they were next-door neighbors
sharing the love of jazz music. Brian soon joined, and he recommended the then
18 year young Gerard for the group. When the quintet got together, a strong
personal and musical chemistry was immediately apparent.
Bernard Fowler was invited to provide narration for a live tribute to Bird, reading
from the text of "Ode" with the quintet, and he was singing on one
song on their second release A Tribute
To Charlie Parker With Strings.
The songs on Long
Ago & Far Away are sweet, emotional and melodic, from writers such as
Duke Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael, the Gershwins, Cole Porter and Louis
Armstrong. Expect to see the Charlie Watts Quintet performing live in some
selected places in Canada and USA, then may be in UK as well, but they will not
tour extensively. If they are close to you, then don't miss it, as it my be a
while untils they are back! (...) It's Only Rock'n Roll no. 26 June 1996
Nota (1): Fowler vino a Buenos Aires varias veces a presentar sus trabajos solistas. En esta gira de los Stones tocó con un grupo de músicos argentinos en el hotel Faena. Ver:
"El corista de los Stones tocó con Charly García en el Faena".
"Bernard Fowler y Charly García avivaron la fiebre stone".
"El corista de los Stones tocó con Charly García en el Faena".
"Bernard Fowler y Charly García avivaron la fiebre stone".
Entrevista a
Bernard Fowler. Bernard Fowler acompaña a Mick Jagger y Keith Richards desde
hace 30 años. El músico, que se mueve por Buenos Aires como un porteño más,
acaba de editar "The Bura", su segundo disco solista. Allí aparecen como
invitados músicos como Slash, Chuck D de Public Enemy, y muchos más. Luego del
segundo show con los Stones, esta noche en el Estadio Unico de La Plata, tomará
un recreo para presentarse con su banda local en el Roxy este jueves a las 22. Clarín 09/02/16.
Otras
entradas de este blog relacionadas con música/músicos:
El primero de ChW es From one Charlie, del 91. El dibujo de la tapa es parte del libro titulado Oda a un pájaro de alto vuelo, libro de cuentos y dibujos infantiles publicado la vez primera en 1966.
ResponderEliminarLa rubia de la tapa Warm and Tender es us propia hija...
Gracias por la muy buena info!
ResponderEliminar