Jazz and Blues, Vol. 6: Take Five

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Description

This nine-track collection sits at an interesting intersection of jazz and blues history, pulling from composers and performers whose styles don't always share the same corner of the genre — George Gershwin, Dave Brubeck, Teddy Wilson, Fats Waller, and Dr. John each representing a distinct strand of American piano music. Rhapsody in Blue is the longest and most structurally ambitious piece in the set, originally written for piano and jazz band, and here presented as a solo piano arrangement — one that strips away the orchestral texture while keeping the harmonic and melodic writing intact. Take Five, Brubeck's most well-known composition, was built on a distinctive 5/4 time signature that gives the piano arrangement more rhythmic interest than most of the other tracks in the collection.

Fats Waller contributes three pieces — Bond Street, Chelsea, and Soho — all three stride-influenced works that rely on a rolling left-hand pattern and a light, syncopated right-hand melody sitting above it. Dr. John appears twice with Pine Top Boogie and Dorothy, both rooted in the New Orleans blues and boogie-woogie tradition, and both carrying a heavier rhythmic feel than the Waller or Brubeck entries. When You and I Were Young, associated with Teddy Wilson, sits closer to the swing era ballad tradition, moving at a slower pace with more open harmonic movement.

Boogie Woogie Jive closes the album on its most rhythmically driven note, bringing the collection to an energetic finish that suits the blues side of the tracklist well. The nine songs here draw from several decades and styles of jazz and blues piano writing, giving the collection a range that makes it worth returning to well beyond a first listen.

Track List:

1. Rhapsody in Blue (George Gershwin) - 17:28
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2. Take Five (Dave Brubeck) - 2:45
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3. When You and I Were Young (Teddy Wilson) - 2:59
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4. Pine Top Boogie (Dr. John) - 2:01
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5. Bond Street (Fats Waller) - 2:46
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6. Chelsea (Fats Waller) - 3:29
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7. Dorothy (Dr. John) - 3:44
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8. Soho (Fats Waller) - 3:16
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9. Boogie Woogie Jive (Chas) - 3:40
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10. Total Runtime - 42:08