Sonny Rollins says: “All American music comes from jazz.”
Is that hyperbole?
Don’t be so fast to assume that.
Remember the dance music of the late 70s and 80s?
Some love it. some are snobs about it, but the reality is billions of people danced, and continue to dance, to it. It’s now recognized as classic.
Where did it come from?
It’s hard to come to any other conclusion: To a surprisingly large degree it came from the mind and ears of jazz guitarist/songwriter/arranger/producer Nile Rodger.
A VERY short list of Rodger’s hits (just the tip of the iceberg.)
1. Chic – ‘Good Times’ (1979)
2. Chic – ‘Le Freak’ (1978)
3. David Bowie – ‘Let’s Dance’ (1983)
4. Diana Ross – ‘I’m Coming Out’ (1980)
5. Sister Sledge – ‘Lost in Music’ (1979)
6. Daft Punk – ‘Get Lucky’ (2013)
7. Duran Duran – ‘The Reflex’ (1984)
8. Madonna – ‘Like a Virgin’ (1984)
9. Chic – ‘I Want Your Love’ (1979)
10. B-52’s – ‘Roam’ (1989)
11. Sister Sledge – ‘We Are Family’ (1979)
12. Daft Punk – ‘Lose Yourself to Dance’ (2013)
13. Diana Ross – ‘Upside Down’ (1980)
14. Sister Sledge – ‘He’s the Greatest Dancer’ (1979)
15. Duran Duran – ‘Notorious’ (1986)
16. INXS – ‘Original Sin’ (1983)
17. Madonna – ‘Material Girl’ (1985)
18. Duran Duran – ‘The Wild Boys’ (1984)
19. Chic – ‘Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)’ (1977)
20. Grace Jones – ‘I’m Not Perfect (But I’m Perfect For You)’ (1986)
21. Carly Simon – ‘Why?’ (1982)
22. Chic – ‘Everybody Dance’ (1977)
23. Disclosure – ‘Together’ (2013)
24. Laurie Anderson – ‘Language is a Virus’ (1986)
25. Fonzi Thornton – ‘I’ll Change My Game’ (1980)
– Ken McCarthy
Jazz on the Tube
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PAUL THOMPSON – Bassist, educator, and husband from Pittsburgh, PA. Professor of Jazz Bass at West Virginia University and Duquesne University. Adjunct instrumental music teacher at Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12 Performing Arts School (PPS). Performances include recording and touring stints with trumpeter Maynard Ferguson and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. Performance credits include Hubert Laws, Geri Allen, Michael Feinstein, Bob James, Phil Woods, Sean Jones, and Billy Porter, among others. Currently, he can be seen playing around the Pittsburgh area among the region’s rich and diverse musical community.
Note: Paul talks about Monk spending an hour learning a single tune. I heard a story that some friends left Bud Powell in the early evening when he was working on “Embraceable You.” When they came back many hours later in the early hours of the morning he was still working on it!
– Ken McCarthy
Jazz on the Tube
P.S. Our unique programming is made possible by help from people like you. Learn how you can contribute to our efforts here: Support Jazz on the Tube
Thanks.
GRAMMY-winning jazz musician Ron Carter — the most recorded jazz bassist of all-time with over 2,200 individual album credits. Named one of the “10 Greatest Bassists of All-Time” by Rolling Stone
Master of Ceremonies
Lester Holt
Honored Guest & Speaker
Mikio Mori – Ambassador,
Counsul-General of Japan in
New York
NEA Jazz Masters & Speakers
Stanley Clarke
Buster Williams
Appearances by:
Golden Striker Trio
Ron Carter Foursight Quartet
Ron Carter Octet
Special Ticket Promo Code Discount Dress Circle -10% – RLC38821 Parquet – 25% – RLC38822
P.S. Our unique programming is made possible by help from people like you. Learn how you can contribute to our efforts here: Support Jazz on the Tube
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1. Little River Band – Reminiscing
Soloist: Bob Venier
2. Phoebe Snow – Harpo’s Blues
Soloist: (Zoot Sims backgrounds) Teddy Wilson
3. Rolling Stones – Waiting on a friend
Soloist: Sonny Rollins
4. Grover Washington Jr – Just the two of us
Soloist: Grover Washington Jr
5. Huey Lewis and the news – Small World part 2
Soloist: Stan Getz
6. Sting – Englishman in New York
Soloist: Branford Marsalis
7. Cameo – Candy
Soloist: Michael Brecker
8. Stevie Wonder – As
Soloist: Herbie Hancock
9. Billy Joel – Just the way you are
Soloist: Phil Woods
10. Steely Dan – Aja
Soloists: Wayne Shorter, Steve Gadd
These picks came from the excellent PDBass YouTube channel by bassist and educator Paul Thompson
Here is his original video
– Ken McCarthy
Jazz on the Tube
P.S. Our unique programming is made possible by help from people like you. Learn how you can contribute to our efforts here: Support Jazz on the Tube
Thanks.
P.S. Our unique programming is made possible by help from people like you. Learn how you can contribute to our efforts here: Support Jazz on the Tube
Thanks.
The little-known story of the jazz musicians who provided the backbone for the Motown sound.
– Ken McCarthy
Jazz on the Tube
P.S. Our unique programming is made possible by help from people like you. Learn how you can contribute to our efforts here: Support Jazz on the Tube
Thanks.
