Musical Musings Blog 2... The Infinite Musical Continuum

  Yours truly attended this show.  Daryl Hall at the Minnesota State Fair, last Thursday night.  Here is the encore.  "You Make My Dreams Come True".  So, this Sunday Special post has a lot of meaning to me, personally.  I was there, in the audience, digging the show.  The Daryl Hall Band lineup is: Daryl Hall: piano & vocals Charlie DeChant: tenor saxophone Elliott Lewis: keyboards Shane Theriault: guitar Klyde Jones: bass Brian Dunne: drums Porter Carroll Jr.: percussion, vocals

  From Bret "Jazz Video Guy" Primack. In 1987, McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones—surviving pillars of John Coltrane’s legendary quartet—reunited in Japan with bassist Cecil McBee for a transcendent memorial concert honoring Coltrane’s legacy. This rare performance captures the emotional weight and spiritual power of “Naima”, Coltrane’s haunting 1959 ballad written for his first wife, Naima Coltrane. More than a concert, this was a ceremonial offering. In Japan, where Coltrane is revered as a kind of musical bodhisattva, his music carries sacred weight—and Naima became the prayer at the center of this sonic temple. The trio’s performance weaves reverence, memory, and deep improvisational mastery, drawing a line from the past to the eternal. 🎷 McCoy Tyner – piano 🥁 Elvin Jones – drums 🎻 Cecil McBee – bass This performance stands as both tribute and testimony—echoing the spiritual intensity that defined Coltrane’s journey and the devotion of those who carried it forward.

It was a joyful and rollicking good time at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand, Thursday night, with the double bill concert featuring 1960s pop and rhythm & blues icons, The Rascals, and soul singer/rock and roll icon Daryl Hall, co-headlining a concert.  The Rascals began the show with a song called "A Ray of Hope" dedicated to the children who lost their lives in the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting that happened the day before, in Minneapolis.  From there, The Rascals weaved in and out of their classic popular hit songs, and they included snippets and quotes of popular songs of their contemporaries from the 1960s, and in this hour of need of positivity and healing after a tragedy, the music served as balm and comfort, upbeat and joyous the whole way through the opening set. Songs like "I've Been Lonely Too Long", "Mustang Sally" (Sir Mack Rice's song famously recorded by Wilson Pickett), and "People Got to Be Free" all had t...

  One of my favorite performances and definitely worth revisiting as we fondly and always remember Bobby Whitlock.  Derek and the Dominos (Clapton) performing "It's Too Late" and "Matchbox" (w/ Carl Perkins) live on the Johnny Cash Show.  Recorded November 5, 1970, and broadcast on January 6, 1971.  Complete appearance in a single post in perfect audio and video quality!

  Check out the Dizzy Gillespie Sextet playing their rendition of the great Thelonius Monk's wonderful composition, " 'Round Midnight", from a concert performed on July 10th, 1981.  

  From Bret "Jazz Video Guy" Prinack. Join us for an unforgettable performance from 1971 at Copenhagen’s famed Jazzhus Montmartre, featuring the soulful tenor saxophone of Ben Webster and the fiery trumpet of Charlie Shavers. ⁠ At this stage in his career, Ben Webster had settled into a mature, emotionally resonant style—rich, breathy, and unmistakably personal. From growling swing to whisper-soft ballads, Webster’s saxophone doesn’t just play melodies—it speaks them. Every sigh of his horn tells a story.⁠ ⁠ 🎷 In this rare footage, witness: – Webster’s signature wide vibrato and conversational phrasing – The dynamic interplay between sax and trumpet – A masterclass in jazz ballad interpretation and swing-era drive ⁠ 📍Recorded live at Jazzhus Montmartre, Copenhagen, 1971. ⁠ 👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more legendary jazz performances. #TheColtraneCode #JazzLegends #BenWebster

  Robert William Cray is an American blues guitarist and singer. In this North Sea Jazz concert on July 10th, 1987, he plays with his band a selection of his most recent repertoire, including several compositions of his 1986 album ‘Strong Persuader’ The Robert Cray Band is: • Robert Cray, guitar, vocals • Peter Boe – keyboards • Richard Cousins – bass • David Olson – drums Watch more World of Jazz videos ► https://goo.gl/Z28cxv Join us. Subscribe now! ► https://goo.gl/n2FHaL Thanks for all your support, rating the video and leaving a comment is always appreciated! Please: respect each other in the comments. This is the official YouTube channel of World of Jazz.

  This week's Sunday Special. This concert was Lou Rawls’ first live performance in the Netherlands. It took place at the North Sea Jazz Festival 1989 at the Congressgebouw, The Hague, The Netherlands. Louis Allen Rawls (December 1, 1933 – January 6, 2006) was an American recording artist, actor, voice actor, songwriter, and record producer. He performed the following songs: 1. See You When I Git There (Gamble & Huff) 2. Lady Love (Von Gray, Sherman Marshall) 3. A Natural Man (Sandy Baron, Bobby Hebb ) 4. Let Me Be Good To You (Gamble & Huff) 5. Love Is A Hurting Thing (Ben Raleigh, Dave Linden) 6. Send In The Clowns (Judy Collins) 7. (I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man (Willie Dixon) 8. Unchained Melody (Alex North, HyZaret) 9. Bring It On Home To Me (Sam Cooke) 10. The Wind Beneath My Wings (Bette Midler) 11. It Was A Very Good Year (Ervin Drake) 12. (Everyone Knows Him As) Old Folks (E tta James) 13. One Life To Live (Gamble & Huff) 14. At Last (Etta James) 15. Fine Brow...

  Watch more World of Jazz videos ► https://goo.gl/Z28cxv Join us. Subscribe now! ► https://goo.gl/n2FHaL Thanks for all your support, rating the video and leaving a comment is always appreciated! Please: respect each other in the comments. This is the official YouTube channel of World of Jazz.

  From Bret "Jazz Video Guy" Primack. The video opens with “My Blue Heaven” and moves through standards like “Lady Be Good” and “Girl from Ipanema” performed by Stuff Smith (violin) with Kenny Drew on piano, supported by Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (bass) and Alex Riel (drums). This Montmartre gig wason March 18, 1965, in Copenhagen—and were issued commercially under the album Live at the Montmartre (Storyville Records, 1965), featuring Smith (violin), Drew (piano), NHØP on bass, and Riel on drums.

  Happy Birthday to the one and the only Count Basie.  Celebrating him today with two concerts from the North Sea Jazz Festival, both of which took place on July 13th, 1979.   The first concert of bandleader/pianist William ‘Count’ Basie and his Count Basie Orchestra at the North Sea Jazz Festival 1979 features great solos by bassist John Clayton and drummer Butch Miles. Basie did two concerts at the festival, one month before his 75th birthday. This is the first concert with some great solos by John Clayton, Butch Miles, Freddie Green, Sonny Cohn and Danny Turner The Orchestra: • Count Basie: piano • John Clayton, bass • Butch Miles, drums • Freddie Green, guitar, • Sonny Cohn, Pete Minger, Ray Brown, Paul Cohen, trumpet • Bill Hughes, Mel Wanzo, Mitchell Wood Jr, Dennis Wilson, trombone • Eric Dixon, Charlie Fowlkes, Kenny Hing, Bobby Plater, Danny Turner, saxophone • Dennis Rowland, vocals The repertoire: Wind Machine Shiny Stockings John The III There Will Neve...

  On june 11th, 1976 a very special concert took place in the studio's of the dutch TROS tv-programme "Music all Inn". The audience witnessed a great concert of Gladys Knight and (her family group) the Pips, and as a special guest starred Al Foster, the drummer who played for a long time with Miles Davis. Watch more World of Jazz videos ► https://goo.gl/Z28cxv Join us. Subscribe now! ► https://goo.gl/n2FHaL Thanks for all your support, rating the video and leaving a comment is always appreciated! Please: respect each other in the comments. This is the official YouTube channel of World of Jazz.

  Rest In Peace, Eddie Palmieri.   From Bret "Jazz Video Guy" Primack. Eddie Palmieri was one of the most influential figures in Latin jazz and salsa, a pianist, composer, and bandleader whose career was defined by fearless innovation and deep cultural roots. Emerging in the 1960s with ensembles like La Perfecta, Palmieri broke the mold of traditional Latin dance bands by incorporating trombone-heavy horn sections, jazz harmonies, and complex Afro-Caribbean rhythms. His work blurred genre boundaries, drawing from jazz improvisation, Puerto Rican and Cuban traditions, funk, and even classical influences. This willingness to experiment did not just refresh Latin music—it redefined it, paving the way for future generations to think beyond rigid categories while still honoring the music’s ancestry. Palmieri’s importance also lay in the energy and integrity he brought to performance. His playing was a storm of rhythmic drive, harmonic daring, and emotional intensity, and his ...

  From Bret "Jazz Video Guy" Primack. In 1961, DownBeat magazine branded John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy’s music as “anti-jazz”—a term that sparked outrage, debate, and ultimately transformation within the jazz community. This rare German TV broadcast from November 4, 1961, filmed in Baden-Baden for Jazz gehört und gesehen (“Jazz Heard and Seen”), captures the full power of Coltrane’s classic quartet—McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman, and Elvin Jones—joined by the singular genius of Eric Dolphy on alto sax, bass clarinet, and flute. Coltrane and Dolphy responded to their critics not with words, but with music that transcended boundaries and redefined the art form. High-quality sound. Studio intimacy. Historical fire. This is not anti-jazz. This is a revolution in real time. 🎥 Recorded: Nov. 4, 1961 📍 Location: Baden-Baden, West Germany 📺 Program: Jazz gehört und gesehen (Süddeutscher Rundfunk) 🕊️ “We’re just trying to express ourselves.” — John Coltrane

  This week's Sunday Special.  From Bret "Jazz Video Guy" Primack. Experience jazz royalty in full swing. The Timeless All-Stars, a powerhouse ensemble of modern jazz masters, perform Cedar Walton’s classic “Firm Roots” at the 1988 Newport Jazz Festival in Madarao, Japan.Billy Higgins – drums, Cedar Walton – piano, Buster Williams – bass, Curtis Fuller – trombone, Harold Land – tenor saxophone, Bobby Hutcherson – vibraphone, This legendary lineup delivers a soul-deep performance—tight, lyrical, and brimming with post-bop elegance. A rare and timeless moment captured live. Firm roots, indeed—this is jazz that stands the test of time.'

  From Bret "Jazz Video Guy" Primack. Step inside the iconic Blue Note in Tokyo for a timeless performance by the legendary Modern Jazz Quartet—featuring: • Milt Jackson on vibraphone • John Lewis on piano • Percy Heath on bass • Connie Kay on drums In this rare live set, the MJQ brings elegance and swing to Charlie Parker’s bebop masterpiece, “Confirmation.” A crystal-clear moment in jazz history—intimate, refined, and deeply grooving. 🎵 Filmed live in Japan | A must-watch for fans of cool jazz, bebop, and timeless quartet interplay.

  From Bret "Jazz Video Guy" Primack. Mulgrew Miller (1955 – 2013) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and educator—one of the most respected and in-demand pianists of his generation. Background & Career • Born: August 13, 1955, Greenwood, Mississippi • Died: May 29, 2013, Allentown, Pennsylvania • He grew up immersed in gospel and blues, started piano at age 6, and discovered jazz as a teenager after hearing Oscar Peterson. • In the late 1970s, he began touring with the Duke Ellington Orchestra (led then by Mercer Ellington) and later worked with Betty Carter, Woody Shaw, and Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers—earning a reputation for swing, elegance, and versatility. • He was a member of Tony Williams’ quintet in the mid-to-late ’80s and recorded extensively as a leader, including albums such as Keys to the City, Hand in Hand, and Live at Yoshi’s. Style & Influence • Miller’s playing blended bebop, post-bop, blues, and gospel elements, with a strong rhythmic d...

  From Bret "Jazz Video Guy" Primack. What matters to me is this — the creativity, the raw expression, the humanity that lives and breathes in this music. Every morning, I wake to headlines dripping with despair and idiocy, a chorus of fools trying to drown out the light. And then I press play. The first notes cut through the noise, reminding me that they won’t win — they can’t win. Because this music, this beautiful, unbreakable music, will outlast them all.

  From Bret "Jazz Video Guy" Primack. R.I.P. Sheila Jordan. She was an instructor at Jazz in July UMass at the 30th Anniversary edition of the Jazz camp founded by Dr. Fred Tillis, Max Roach, and Dr. Billy Taylor and I had the honor of documenting her. Sheila Jordan (1928 – 2025) was an American jazz singer celebrated for her pioneering role in vocal bebop and her deep, personal approach to improvisation. Born in Detroit, she grew up immersed in jazz, especially the music of Charlie Parker, who became her lifelong inspiration. She began her career singing in clubs and jam sessions, developing an intimate, conversational style that blended scat singing, melodic invention, and lyrical storytelling. Jordan’s breakthrough came in the early 1960s with her album Portrait of Sheila on Blue Note Records—one of the first vocal jazz albums on that label. She was especially known for her stripped-down performances with just bass accompaniment, allowing her voice to weave freely throu...

  From a concert on July 10th, 1997, here are The Crusaders with "I Felt the Love" originally released, with two different versions of the song on 1975's "Chain Reaction" record, and again, on 1977's "Free as The Wind" recording.  

  From a concert on July 10th, 1987, here is The Robert Cray Band with "I Guess I Showed Her".  Robert Cray is a modern blues guitar legend, and a great singer and songwriter as well. 

  This week's Sunday Special.   From Bret "Jazz Video Guy" Primack. Leon Russell’s “This Masquerade” belongs in the Great American Songbook—and this 2003 performance at Jazz Baltica proves why. With a once-in-a-lifetime ensemble led by Pat Metheny and featuring Nils Landgren (vocals & trombone), Lars Danielsson (bass), Wolfgang Haffner (percussion), Esbjörn Svensson (piano), and the legendary Michael Brecker on tenor sax, this rendition is a masterclass in taste, texture, and emotional gravity. A haunting, beautiful journey through one of America’s most enduring ballads.

  "Fearless (Pink Floyd)" (Live) by The String Cheese Incident Official Concert Video - Recorded live at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY More at nugs.net 🎧 🎥

  Full Concert Friday this week featuring Black Sabbath, in many ways, the pioneers of heavy metal music to pay homage to the late, great Ozzy Osbourne.  Osbourne along with bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward blended what came to be the unholy trinity, the "devil's music" of American delta blues, British hard rock, and heavy metal.  The bands songs performed here include classic numbers such as "Paranoid", "Hand of Doom", Rat Salad, Iron Man, Black Sabbath, N.I.B., Behind The Wall of Sleep, War Pigs, and Fairies Wear Boots.   

  From a concert in Japan in 1983, we revisit (continuing from my first music blog), blues guitarist, and singer, Pee Wee Crayton, and the song "The Things That I Used to Do".  Joe Bonamassa calls Pee Wee Crayton one of the most underrated bluesmen of the 20th century.  Here is the band lineup on this number and for this concert. Rhythm section: Pee Wee Crayton: guitar, vocals Terry "Big T" DeRouen: guitar Dan Fredman: bass Soko Richardson: drums      Horn section: Marshall Crayton: tenor saxophone Bill Clark: tenor saxophone Freddy Clark: alto saxophone Claude Williams: trumpet Marshall Crayton, on lead tenor saxophone, is Pee Wee Crayton's son.  

  From Bret "Jazz Video Guy" Primack. Any musicians out there.  Take a look. What if the secrets of the universe could be understood through sound? This immersive book trailer introduces Su Terry's Music and the 7 Hermetic Principles — a powerful exploration of how ancient wisdom and the vibrational nature of music intertwine to unlock higher consciousness. Based on the timeless teachings of Hermetic philosophy — including the Law of Mentalism, the Principle of Vibration, and the mysteries of polarity and rhythm — this trailer is more than a preview. It’s a sonic initiation. Experience the sound. Feel the truth. Awaken the cosmos within. Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/Music-7-Hermet...

  From Bret "Jazz Video Guy" Primack. Experience an electrifying 1981 live performance from Montreux featuring jazz legend Chick Corea with an all-star quartet: • Joe Henderson – tenor sax • Roy Haynes – drums • Gary Peacock – bass This rare and essential recording captures the only known live appearance of these four jazz giants together. Subscribe for more classic live jazz gems. 📀 This concert is a must-hear for fans of straight-ahead and exploratory jazz from four of the genre’s most innovative voices.

  50 years ago, this album was recorded in 1975 at Concord Boulevard Park.  There is more to it.  But this is a standout track.  It's the boogie woogie swing of Herb Ellis and Ray Brown.  The sixth track on the "After You've Gone" record, called "Fatty McSlatty".  The band lineup is: Bass – Ray Brown Drums – Jake Hanna Guitar – Herb Ellis Piano – George Duke Saxophone – Plas Johnson Trumpet – Harry Edison

  This week's Sunday Special. Check out this fantastic live performance featuring legendary musicians Rick Danko and Levon Helm (both of The Band) alongside the incredible Jim Weider! Watch them tear through a spirited rendition of the rock and roll classic "Train Kept-A-Rollin'," often associated with artists like Tiny Bradshaw, The Yardbirds, Aerosmith, and Paul Burlison with the Johnny Burnette Trio. This isn't a lesson, just pure musical energy captured live. Enjoy the interplay between these master musicians.

  From Blues in Colour, on YouTube. The amazing Eddie Taylor backed by Roosevelt Sykes & the Aces playing at Monestier-Lemay Studio in Bordeaux, France for the Chicago Blues Festival back on the 4th December 1970. I don't make anything colourising and putting these videos together so please support the channel with the link here if you can its greatly appreciated! https://tr.ee/vDvH8nOpUB Taylor never achieved the stardom of some of his contemporaries in the Chicago blues scene, he was nevertheless an integral part of that era. He is especially noted as a main accompanist for Jimmy Reed; he also worked for John Lee Hooker, Big Walter Horton, Sam Lay, and others. Earwig Music Company recorded him with Kansas City Red and Big John Wrencher for the album Original Chicago Blues. He later teamed up with Earring George Mayweather, and they jointly recorded several tracks, including "You'll Always Have a Home" and "Don't Knock at My Door". Several of th...

  A Full Concert Friday this week. From Bret "Jazz Video Guy" Primack. Experience a landmark moment in jazz history. This rare, one-hour video captures highlights from the 1989 edition of the legendary Live Under the Sky festival in Tokyo, Japan—featuring a powerhouse performance from the Michael Brecker Band and a moving tribute to Duke Ellington. 🎷 Michael Brecker – Tenor Saxophone 🎸 Mike Stern – Guitar 🎹 Joey Calderazzo – Piano 🎻 Jeff Andrews – Bass 🥁 Adam Nussbaum – Drums Filmed at Yomiuriland’s Theater East, this concert showcases the fire and finesse of late-80s post-bop innovation alongside reverent nods to jazz tradition. Brecker’s band is at full throttle here—electrifying solos, deep grooves, and telepathic interplay. Whether you’re a jazz scholar, a Brecker devotee, or just discovering this historic Tokyo festival, this video is a must-watch. ⏱️ Chapters: 0:00 – Introduction 2:15 – “Slings and Arrows” 12:40 – “Nothing Personal” 23:55 – Ballad (Duke Ell...