Why this tune? This week’s tune was inspired by the life and music of Ahmad Jamal, the brilliant pianistand composer who passed on April 16, 2023. He recorded “Cheek To Cheek” several timesin 1958 with bassist Israel Crosby and drummer Vernel Fournier. This is the trio that recorded “Ahmad Jamal at the Pershing: But NotContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Cheek To Cheek”
Author Archives: Oren Levine
Tunes on Tuesday: Afternoon In Paris
Why this tune? I was re-introduced to “Afternoon In Paris” at a recent jam session in Washington, DC, when a guest sax player called the tune. This composition by pianist John Lewis isn’t a particularly popular tune in the jazz “canon.” Second Hand Songs lists 75 recordings of the tune, many fewer than “hits” likeContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Afternoon In Paris”
Tunes on Tuesday: On All Other Nights (Passover 2023)
Why this tune? Passover starts this week on Wednesday night (April 5, 2023), this year mostly free from the shadow of the pandemic. I wrote “On All Other Nights” before the holiday in 2020, when those of us celebrating had to change our in-person plans. I was delighted that Julie Mack agreed to record theContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: On All Other Nights (Passover 2023)”
Tunes on Tuesday: Kids Are Pretty People
Why this tune? Tunes On Tuesday marks Thad Jones’ birthday with his beautiful ballad “Kids Are Pretty People.” He built a reputation as a brilliant trumpet player and soloist with the Count Basie band, then established himself as one of the most important composer and arranger in jazz. “Kids” was one of Jones’ tunes performedContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Kids Are Pretty People”
Tunes on Tuesday: I Hear A Rhapsody
Why this tune? I’m always trying to learn more tunes from the jazz repertoire by heart, so I can play themreliably without having to look at the music. The latest addition to this set is “I Hear ARhapsody,” a 1941 pop song by George Fragos, Jack Baker and Dick Gasparre. “Rhapsody” was a hit forContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: I Hear A Rhapsody”
Tunes on Tuesday: Pi Day 2023
Why this tune? It’s Pi Day, when the date (for us Americans at least) March 14 matches the first three digits (3.14) of our favorite mathematical constant, Pi (π). Tunes On Tuesday marks the day with a new version of my Pi Day song, which I wrote in 2015, a very special Pi day, whenContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Pi Day 2023”
Tunes on Tuesday: One By One
Why this tune? Tunes On Tuesday celebrates the great Wayne Shorter, who passed on March 2, 2023. He was one of the giants of contemporary jazz and other American music, an essential player, composer and leader from the 1950s to the current decade. Many of his compositions are jazz standards, played regularly on recordings, gigsContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: One By One”
Tunes on Tuesday: Old Men
Why this tune? This week’s tune started as a project from a songwriting program I attended in 2016. We were tasked to write music to a poem. I found a short poem by Ogden Nash, “Old Men,” a short and powerful meditation on aging and how we view the elderly. I tried a few optionsContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Old Men”
Tunes on Tuesday: Early Start
Why this tune? This week I’m sharing a new song in progress. The FAWM (February Album Writing Month) community is inspiring me to write new songs at an accelerated pace this month. This song started as an idea about the pleasures of an early morning walk. I wrote a chorus pretty quickly, but then struggledContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Early Start”
Tunes on Tuesday: This House Is Empty Now
Why this tune? This week we celebrate the life and work of the great American composer Burt Bacharach, who passed on Feb. 8, 2023. He’s best known for the many songs he wrote with lyricist Hal David in the 1960s, many performed first (and written for) Dionne Warwick. You’re sure to have heard “Walk OnContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: This House Is Empty Now”
Oren Levine, jazz pianist and songwriter 