Musical Interlude: Billy Boys

May 08, 2012 at 11:32 am

I’ve been terribly remiss regarding the posting of musical interludes.  This is not good…not good at all.  Great music is certainly much more important than all these silly twists and turns in the daily debate.  I’ll try to be more mindful of my priorities.

OTE’ers know that when it comes to jazz piano—of which, if you’ll allow, I’m a true and deep aficionado—I’ve had many affairs but the love of my life will always be Red Garland.  He’s the Mozart of bebop…crisp and clean, effortlessly swinging and swingingly efficient.  Like Mozart, take one note out, and the prefect structure is compromised.  And Red is improvising–he’s making this stuff up as he goes!

His recordings of Billy Boy are both classics—I guess if forced to choose I’d have to say I’m partial to this one—I like the more relaxed groove.  But ain’t nothin’ wrong this more uptempo version.

Print this post