• Home
  • About
    • Doug Ramsey
    • Rifftides
    • Contact
  • Purchase Doug’s Books
    • Poodie James
    • Take Five: The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond
    • Jazz Matters
    • Other Works
  • AJBlogs
  • ArtsJournal
  • rss

Rifftides

Doug Ramsey on Jazz and other matters...

The Odd Couples, Part 4

Entries continue to arrive in the unlikely-pairings sweepstakes. As we head into the weekend, here’s the latest batch.

Doug,

Here are a few “Odd Couplings”:

Gary Burton & Stephane Grappelli – Paris Encounter – Atlantic

Barry Harris with Don Cherry, Steve Lacy, Charlie Rouse, & Roswell Rudd – Interpretations Of Monk – DIW

Peter Friedman

Mixings of generations and styles don’t always work. Those collaborations did, because the participants had open ears and open minds. Interpretations of Monk has dicey moments, particularly in volume two. Over all, however, fun and musical values outweigh confusion.

Doug,

The one Johnny Hodges album I was always afraid to buy was the collaboration with Lawrence Welk.

Michael Moore

On the other hand, From a Rifftides reader who identifies himself as “Ellingtonrecords” (I wonder if that’s the first name or the last).

You did not mention one of the oddest pairings in the history of recorded jazz, the album Johnny Hodges and Lawrence Welk. I have it and while not a great album, it is not bad either. Welk had the good sense to let Johnny Hodges be Johnny Hodges. He hired big name arrangers for each of the songs on the album. It is far better than many of Johnny’s Verve label albums from the 1960’s.

Agreed. It’s a lovely album.

Doug,

The obvious one that comes to mind is one I haven’t heard, mostly out of fear. It’s Mary Lou Williams and Cecil Taylor’ Embraced, which is by all accounts a bit of a train wreck.

John Shade

Couplings don’t come much odder, or much less successful. The minds did not embrace.

Doug,

How about the odd couple that turned up on Joe Pass’ final studio date? Roy Clark & Joe Pass Play Hank Williams.

I don’t even know whether the Buster Ann label is still around, but it is an entertaining set.

Ken Dryden

How much is odd-couple entertainment worth? Amazon lists the Pass-Clark CD at $39.95.
Have a good weekend.

Related

Doug Ramsey

Doug is a recipient of the lifetime achievement award of the Jazz Journalists Association. He lives in the Pacific Northwest, where he settled following a career in print and broadcast journalism in cities including New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, San Antonio, … [MORE]

Subscribe to RiffTides by Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Archives

Recent Comments

  • Rob D on We’re Back: Pianist Denny Zeitlin’s New Trio Album for Sunnyside
  • W. Royal Stokes on We’re Back: Pianist Denny Zeitlin’s New Trio Album for Sunnyside
  • Larry on We’re Back: Pianist Denny Zeitlin’s New Trio Album for Sunnyside
  • Lucille Dolab on We’re Back: Pianist Denny Zeitlin’s New Trio Album for Sunnyside
  • Donna Birchard on We’re Back: Pianist Denny Zeitlin’s New Trio Album for Sunnyside