Fred Hersch - Breath by Breath; Dave Stryker - As We Are and Corey Weeds - What is there to Say? Which does indeed poses the question - what is there to say?
Jazz and strings, and I'm referring to strings en masse from quartets upwards and not individuals such as Venuti, Grappelli, South, Fisk etc. but those decisions made by either artist or agent to present a recognised jazzman with strings.
The most memorable sessions are probably those by Charlie Parker - Just Friends would be a masterpiece with or without the strings. Clifford Brown's Laura doesn't quite reach the same level. Beautifully played as it is, there is none of the magic that Bird produces.
Of course jazz and strings have been around since time immemorial - Bix with Whiteman being one of the first and, during the swing era, big bands such as Tommy Dorsey, Harry James and Artie Shaw all had string sections although, when the purse strings had to be tightened the violins, violas and cellos were the first to be shown the door.
Interestingly, Artie Shaw was possibly the first to feature strings with just himself and a rhythm section back in 1936 - Sweet Lorraine.
Do you have a favourite Jazz With Strings album? Lance
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One favourite album of mine used to be Ben Webster with strings, and 'Music For Loving'. Harry Carney is on this too! A dreamy selection of tracks, ballads of course - hence the title. Beautiful, sexy tenor and baritone from the two stars - Billy Strayhorn did the arrangements - aside from the sweeping sounds of the strings, you have great jazz musicians like Teddy Wilson and Hank Jones on piano, Ray Brown on bass, Jo Jones on drums. The album was reissued later on Verve, and retitled 'Sophisticated Lady'. Do people still have cocktail parties? Probably not, but if you do then this is the album to play!
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