Essential Jazz Albums – Live Porgy And Bess & My Fair Lady
West Coast Jazz Hour Big Band
Saturday, January 18, 2025 at 8pm
This performance will include a 15-minute intermission.
Woodwinds: Sal Lozano, Brian Clancy, Tim McKay, Jay Mason
Trombones: Alan Kaplan, Ido Meshulam, Ivan Malespin, Juliane Gralle
Tuba: Blake Cooper
French Horns: Lisa McCromick, Aija Mattson – Jovel, Preston Sheppard
Trumpets: Dave Richards, Javier Gonzalez, Ron Stout, Kye Palmer
Piano: Josh Nelson
Double Bass: Emiliano Lasansky
Drums: Kevin van den Elzen
Score and Sheet Music Preparation: John Papenbrook and Kyle Myers
Porgy and Bess is a studio album by the jazz musician Miles Davis, released in March 1959 on Columbia Records. The album features arrangements by Davis and collaborator Gil Evans from George Gershwin's 1935 opera of the same name. The album was recorded in four sessions on July 22, July 29, August 4, and August 18, 1958, at Columbia's 30th Street Studio in New York City. It is the second collaboration between Davis and Evans and has garnered much critical acclaim since its release, being acknowledged by some music critics as the best of their collaborations. Jazz critics have regarded the album as historically important. Notable jazz musicians were a part of this recording: Cannonball Adderley, Jerome Richardson, Philly Joe Jones, Paul Chamber, and Gunter Schuler.
1. Buzzard Song
2. Bess, You Is My Woman
3. Gone
4. Gone, Gone, Gone
5. Summertime
6. Oh Bess, Where’s Is My Bess?
7. Prayer (Oh Doctor Jesus)
8. Fisherman, Strawberry and Devil Crab
9. My Man’s Gone Now
10. It Ain’t Necessarily So
11. Here Come de Honey Man
12. I Wants To Stay Here a.k.a I Loves You Porgy
13. There’s A Boat That’s Leaving Soon for New York
My Fair Lady with the Un-original Cast is a 1964 album by drummer Shelly Manne, featuring vocalists Jack Sheldon and Irene Kral, with musical direction by Johnny Williams. Released on the Capitol label, the album presents jazz interpretations of songs from the Broadway musical My Fair Lady, composed by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. This project aimed to build upon the success of Manne's earlier 1956 album, My Fair Lady, recorded with André Previn and Leroy Vinnegar, and to capitalize on the popularity of the film adaptation released around the same time.
This album showcases a very special collaboration between Shelly Manne and John (Johnny) Williams. The duo recorded two albums together: My Fair Lady in 1964 and Manne – That's Gershwin! in 1965. The album features Shelly's band, which includes Don Sleet on trumpet, Charlie Kennedy on alto saxophone, Russ Freeman on piano, and Monty Budwig on bass.
1. Overture
2. Why Can’t the English
3. Wouldn’t It Be Loverly
4. With a Little Bit of Luck
5. I’m an Ordinary Man
6. The Rain In Spain
7. I Could Have Danced All Night
8. Ascot Gavotte
9. On the Street Where You Live
10. You Did It
11. Show Me
12. Get Me to The Church
13. I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face
The West Coast Jazz Hour Big Band is founded by pianist Josh Nelson and drummer Kevin van den Elzen. Josh and Kevin have a profound passion and interest in the music of Los Angeles of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. They decided to perform the music of their favorite composers after hosting an online interview series during the pandemic of 2020. Some of the artists that were interviewed are Terry Gibbs, Bill Holman, Sue Raney, Laurie Pepper, Peter Erskine, Ernie Watts, John Clayton and more. The WCJH Big Band has a goal to play music that is timeless, but not often performed anymore
The West Coast Jazz Hour Big Band is comprised out of the best jazz musicians from Los Angeles such as Chuck Berghofer, Alan Kaplan, Sal Lozano, Larry Koonse and others. The band has performed all over Los Angeles and has performed programs with the music of the Terry Gibbs Dreamband, Shorty Rogers, Capp – Pierce Juggernaut Big Band, Bob Florence and a program with the Danish singer, Sinne Eeg.