tunequest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQY3CrBN1Bo A pensive, meandering avant-garde jazz interpretation of the Tears for Fears classic. It diverges and explores noodling tangents before reassembling into a recognizable structure. This trio, The Bad Plus, doesn't specialize in covers, but does include them on their albums. And they're fantastic.

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Originally called just "Isotope," the band changed its moniker to Isotope 217 to avoid confusion with the 70s experimental rock/jazz outfit of the same name. But whether by direct inspiration or after-the-fact realization, I-217's modus operandi is remarkably similar to its nomenclatural predecessor, specializing in a kind of improvisational, "experimental" jazz, similar to the jazz+rock fusions of the 60s/70s, but updated for the late 90s. Released on ...

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Interpretations of John Williams' Star Wars music is a veritable cottage industry. A portion of it is sure to turn up at any concert performance featuring "movie music" as well as concert recordings featuring the same. Then, there's Meco's disco versions, The Evil Genius Orchestra's excellent cocktail versions as well as countless techno/dance/club versions. So it should come as no surprise that there is at least one ...

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Widely cited as the most influential post-1950s jazz pianist, here's Bill Evans (with Eddie Gomez on bass and Marty Morell on drums pay attention to those) from The Tokyo Concert, recorded at "Yubin Chokin Hall," Tokyo, Japan, January 20, 1973. The song is Up with the Lark. [audio:061104UpWithTheLark.mp3]

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This song never fails to put a smile on my face. Coming at you from 1945, here's June Christy singing with Stan Kenton and his orchestra on the song Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy. It's full of jazzy soul. Enjoy. [audio:061023ShooFlyPie.mp3]

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