“WHERE THE LIGHTS ARE BRIGHTER THAN DAY”: DAN BARRETT, HARRY ALLEN, DAN BLOCK, EHUD ASHERIE, FRANK TATE, RICKY MALICHI at the ALLEGHENY JAZZ PARTY (Sept. 10, 2015)

BROADWAY — first recorded in 1940 by the Count Basie band — was composed by Henri Woode (the real author of ROSETTA, I am told), Teddy McRae (tenor saxophonist) and the little-known Bill Bird.  An irresistible riff tune, it had lyrics put to it — probably by Dave Lambert and Jon Hendricks.

It’s a familiar jazz song, one that most people would identify as exemplifying a certain kind of cool swing — and it’s durable, as this 2015 performance shows — part of the common language for a core of sympathetic well-versed players.

Such a group concluded the Thursday-night informal session that began the 2015 Allegheny Jazz Party — a loose, expert group with a Woody Herman feel, perhaps because of the double saxophones of Harry Allen and Dan Block.  They were joined by Dan Barrett, trombone; Ehud Asherie, piano; Frank Tate, string bass; Ricky Malichi, drums. . . . for a nice leisurely exploration of BROADWAY:

I am told that Hot Lips Page would say — about jazz repertoire — “The material is immaterial.”  True enough, and he would have opened his case, taken out his horn, and joined this session.

May your happiness increase!

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