Why this tune? This week’s tune is another jazz classic, the beautiful ballad “Peace” written by Horace Silver in 1959. Silver would have celebrated his 95th birthday this week (Sept. 2). He was a pioneer of “hard bop” in the 1950s and 60s and wrote many tunes that have become jazz standards, like “Song ForContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Peace”
Tag Archives: jazz piano
Tunes on Tuesday: Wave
Why this tune? This week’s tune, “Wave”, is one of the most popular bossa nova tunes written by theBrazilian bossa master Antônio Carlos Jobim. Stan Getz is credited with kicking off abossa nova craze in 1963 with his Grammy-winning album Getz/Gilberto. Getz, singer Astrud GIlberto, and Jobim created the bossa nova sound that has influencedContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Wave”
Tunes on Tuesday: Haunted (not Haunted)
Why this tune? This week’s tune is another one I wrote during this year’s FAWM 50/90, kicked off by aprompt: “haunted.” I want to dive into some of the process I followed to turn that prompt into this song. I started as I usually do by just writing, anything, in a stream of consciousness toContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Haunted (not Haunted)”
Tunes on Tuesday: All The Things You Are
Why this tune? I’m returning to the standards this week with another tune I’ve been working to add to my repertoire of songs I can play in any key. I shared my version of the most popular jazz standard “Body and Soul” a few weeks ago. This week it’s the runner-up, “All The Things YouContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: All The Things You Are”
Tunes on Tuesday: But Beautiful
Why this tune? “But Beautiful” is another musical masterpiece by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke,featured in the 1947 film “Road to Rio.” That duo was also responsible for many other classic songs including “It Could Happen To You” and “Like Someone In Love.” “But Beautiful” was a hit for at least four singers inContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: But Beautiful”
Tunes on Tuesday: America Drinks and Goes Home
Why this tune? Today (May 16) is the birthday of the late Woody Herman, one of the major bandleaders of the swing era and one of a small number to keep his band going into the 1970s and 1980s. In his honor, I played a Tune by Frank Zappa, “America Drinks and Goes Home.” What’sContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: America Drinks and Goes Home”
Tunes on Tuesday: Twenty Years in Freedom City
Why this tune? I wrote this song for a performance at the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts(CMCArts) on St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands. They asked me to perform in April 2023 at a fundraising festival celebrating the 20th anniversary of the museum’s home in Frederiksted (also known as Freedom City). I playedContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Twenty Years in Freedom City”
Tunes on Tuesday: Cheek To Cheek
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”
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)”
Oren Levine, jazz pianist and songwriter 