by Robert Wilkinson
Our Sunday second show lays down a late night mood groove celebrating the birthdays of two remarkable jazzsters, Cozy Cole and Barney Kessel, and Buddy Saltzman, one of the great session drummers of all time! “Like I dig jazz…”
Cozy Cole (October 17, 1909- January 29, 1981) was one of the great jazz drummers of the 30s, 40s, and 50s, and played with some of the legends of jazz, including Jelly Roll Morton, Benny Carter, Lionel Hampton, Cab Calloway, Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday, Louie Armstrong, Jonah Jones, Jack Teagarden, and Earl Hines. Yes, he was that good!
Today I found a few pieces for your enjoyment. “Topsy Part 2” turned me on as a kid, and the drumming was the coolest thing I had ever heard! I also found Sandy Nelson’s version which I included at the end of this CC tribute.
So for some "pounding skins" by one of the best, here are a baker's dozen and a handful more of great tunes featuring the swing/bop drumming of the great Cozy Cole.
From the Timex All Star Jazz Show in 1957, with Lionel Hampton on the vibes, Gene Kruppa and Cozy Cole in a drum duet.
In 1958, with the Roy Eldridge sextet, "Sunday."
From 1959, the 26 minute pilot titled The World of Jazz – After Hours, Cozy, Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Milt Hinton, and Johnny Guarnieri giving us "After Hours”
The following are set to stills.
The greatest! From 1958, “Topsy” and the “B” side #3 Hot 100 and #1 R&B megahit! “Topsy – Part 2”
"Sing Sing Sing With A Swing."
"Willow Weep For Me." (1944)
From 1944-45, with Don Byas, Coleman Hawkins and Billy Taylor, "Smiles." Also with Coleman in 1944, "The Sunny Side of the Street."
Cozy Cole doing a great drum solo in "Stompin' At The Savoy."
Cozy and Slam Stewart doing the classic "All Of Me." From the same album, "Night Wind."
From 1962, "Big Noise From Winnetka, Part I." and "Big Noise From Winnetka, Part II.”
Here’s a great audio from 1962 of Cozy Cole and Gene Krupa having fun doing "I Could Have Danced All Night."
We'll close with Sandy Nelson’s version of “Topsy Part 2.” It's nowhere as good as Cozy's version, but what do you expect?
RIP and thanks for the beat, Cozy. You certainly turned my young mind and heart on to some great jazz!
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October 17 was also the birthday of legendary “cool bop” jazz guitarist Barney Kessel (October 17, 1923-May 6, 2004). Though their careers overlapped a little, Barney was from a slightly more modern era of jazz than Cozy Cole. He was a top player with Artie Shaw, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Shelly Manne, Herb Ellis, Charlie Byrd, and along with Steve Douglas, Hal Blaine, Carol Kaye, Glen Campbell, Leon Russell, James Burton, and Tommy Tedesco, was a member of the legendary Wrecking Crew.
Today we have a few tunes from this legend.
First, a live performance from 1979 by the Barney Kessel Trio of “Autumn Leaves.” Here’s another great live performance of “Autumn Leaves”
A live performance in 1974 at Ronnie Scott’s with Oscar Peterson of “Watch What Happens.” From the same gig, here’s “Boogie Blues Study,” followed by “Boogie Blues Etude” and we'll close with “March Past”
From the early 60s, here’s a 26 minute “live in the studio” performance featuring Barney Kessel called “Jazz Scene USA”
A live solo performance by Barney of “Basies Blues”
From the 50s, he’s the guitar on Julie London’s original studio version of “Cry Me A River”
From 1957’s “Poll Winners Three,” the studio version of “Soft Winds”
From 1985, a live “guitar graduation” video of Barney jazzed out giving us “Minor Mode”
Here’s Barney Kessel live with Herb Ellis in La Jolla, CA, giving us a smooth version of “Body and Soul” (the entire show is in our encore section.)
We’ll close this set with a pair of songs from 1958 with Barney and Sonny Rollins doing the studio version of “In The Chapel in the Moonlight” and “How High The Moon”
Here’s a master class for all you guitarists out there! I found Barney Kessel live giving us 21 lessons in jazz guitar! Barney Kessel Jazz Guitar Improvisation – Chord, Melody Style
It’s back! Here’s an hour and 42 of Jazz At the Maintenance Shop featuring Barney, Charlie Byrd, and Herb Ellis in 1979! “Great Guitars Live at the Jazz Maintenance Shop” – 1979.
We’ll close this set with a 30 minute gem from San Diego TV in 1989 at Eralio with Barney and Bob Magnusson cranking out some smooth jazz! Barney Kessel and Bob Magnusson Live in San Diego - 1989
For our first encore, an hour and 11 live at Great Guitars – The 1982 North Sea Jazz Festival with Barney Kessel, Charlie Byrd, and Herb Ellis
For our second encore, an hour and 6 of Mezzo Archive 79
Smooth jazz AND a member of the Wrecking Crew! Not a bad gig. RIP and thanks for the memories.
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The last of our October 17 superstars features the amazing session drummer Buddy Saltzman (October 17, 1924 – April 30, 2012), who played on a bunch of the biggest hits of the 60s! Today we have a few!!
“I’m a Believer” (Al Gorgoni is on guitar; he also played on “Brown Eyed Girl,” “The Sound of Silence,” and “Cherry Cherry.”)
“The Rain, The Park and Other Things”
He also was all over these albums!
Eli and the Thirteenth Confession
You were a thrilling drummer when you pounded those dynamic beats for the Four Seasons! I just wish Bob Crewe had kept better records of who played on which sessions. We'll close with one I'm sure you played on! For your memory, the pounding drums of "Ronnie" by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons!
© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson
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