🎺Jazz Song Selection 1: Comparing Masterpieces: 'A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square' / Anita O'Day to Stan Getz [Jazz Introduction] [My Playlist]
You want to try listening to "jazz," but when it comes down to it, you don't know where to start and it's a bit of a dilemma, isn't it?🧐For those people, here is one song to start with. Please give this a listen🎧
Anita O'Day "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square " (1956)
Celesta (a cross between a piano and a glockenspiel), Anita's slightly husky voice sings over the lyrical tone.
Strings are added, and the city night deepens.
"The night we met,
wrapped in a magical atmosphere,
angels joined us for dinner.
The streets of London were paved with stars,
like a romantic dream.
When you turned and smiled,
a nightingale's song echoed in Berkeley Square🎵"
A one-night adventure for mature adults.
Such a wonderful night. You yearn for it, don't you?💕
Pianist Eddie Higgins sings this masterpiece in such a stylish way🎧
Eddie Higgins "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" (2014)
See! Even with the same song, when played by a piano, bass, and drum trio, the atmosphere is completely different, isn't it?
This is the charm of jazz.
Higgins' flowing piano tone is like a wine glass on a dinner table illuminated by a chandelier.
The scent of clear rosé is swaying🍷
Now, let's change the mood completely. How about a gorgeous night like this?🎧
The Manhattan Transfer "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" (1981)
A flawless, impeccable chorus work by four men and women.
BGM for a gorgeous night for celebrities, fitting for tuxedos and jewelry shining on a bright red dress.
This is also jazz.
Jazz has so many varieties, doesn't it?
Next is a nightingale with the sweet tone of a saxophone🎧
Stan Getz & Bob Brookmeyer "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" (1961)
What do you think?
This one is at a stylish bar counter, while sipping a cocktail shaken by a bartender🍸
In the dim lighting, the sweet scent of perfume drifts by.
It's a slightly dangerous, urban city night💋
Getz's meltingly sweet tenor saxophone and Brookmeyer's simple, slightly clumsy trombone.
Which one do you choose?
Jazz accompaniment isn't always just piano, is it?
Guitar accompaniment like this is also stylish🎧
Sam Dunn & Nina Clark "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" (2023)
How is it? A perfectly synchronized duet, isn't it?
Sam fills the gaps between Nina's singing with his guitar.
Sometimes they harmonize together, sometimes they stop together to take a breath.
Are these two dating?
It makes you a little curious, doesn't it?
We have been presenting a comparison of "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square."
Finally, it's closing time with a solo guitar🎧
Jason Workema "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" (2017)
If I could play the guitar like this, how much more fun would life be🎸
One light goes out, then another, and the city of London goes to sleep.
How was it?
The masterpiece "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square."
It was a very lovely and wonderful song, wasn't it?
Each performer takes a single song, adds their own flavor in various ways, and breathes new life into it.
That is the real thrill of jazz, and the joy of jazz, isn't it🎶
🎙️Postscript:
At a later date, I received this message from a reader.
"My favorite performance of 'A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square' is the one featuring a collaboration between classical violinist Yehudi Menuhin and jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli, which sounds like a hybrid of classical and jazz 🎵"
It is a wonderful performance that feels like a sophisticated man and woman dressed in a gown and tuxedo, dancing a light waltz 🎧
Yehudi Menuhin & Stéphane Grappelli 'A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square' (1999)
✍ I look forward to your opinions, impressions, and requests. (Furakoko)