And All That Shakespeare.

Over the years, albeit not so often lately, the Immortal Bard has provided inspiration for jazz musicians and composers of popular music. Classical theatre meets classical jazz (and of course classical music but that's for another day in another place).

In 1938 a Rodgers and Hart musical, The Boys From Syracuse, made its debut on Broadway. Based on The Comedy of Errors, it included such future jazz standards as Falling in Love With Love, This Can't be Love, You Took Advantage of me and Sing For Your Supper. A couple of years later (1940 it reached Hollywood starring Allan Jones (Jack Jones' father) and Martha Raye (an early inspiration for Ella Fitzgerald).

1939 saw Swingin' the Dream open on Broadway. It closed 13 performances later. Based on A Midsummer Night's Dream it featured Louis Armstrong as Bottom, Maxine Sullivan as Titania and 'Moms' Mabley as Quince. Despite this somewhat ignominious start it did have more successful revivals and, if nothing else it gave the world that much-loved standard Darn That Dream.

That same year British dance band pianist/composer Arthur Young put music to four of Shakespeare's songs: It Was a Lover and his Lass; Oh Mistress Mine; Sigh no More Ladies and Blow, Blow Thou Winter Wind that were beautifully sung by Marian Mann with Bob Crosby's Bobcats. Cleo Laine recorded the same four titles in 1959 and again on her classic 1964 album Shakespeare and All That Jazz. 

Fast forward to Canada where, in 1956 at the Stratford, Ontario, Shakespeare Festival, the Oscar Peterson Trio (Herb Ellis guitar, Ray Brown bass) recorded a magnificent album opening up with Falling in Love With Love.

1957 produced what can only be described as a master's masterpiece or, to be more  precise, two masters - Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn and Such Sweet Thunder. The best ever Ellington band playing twelve compositions inspired by various Shakespearean plays and characters thus  we have Sonnet for Hank Cinq (Henry V), The Star-Crossed Lovers (Romeo & Juliet), Lady Mac (Lady Macbeth) etc. 

1962 and the movie All Night Long. Based on Othello, although panned by jazz and film critics alike there were on-screen appearances by Charles Mingus, Dave Brubeck, Johnny Dankworth, Tubby Hayes, Allan Ganley and others which made it well worth a seat in the stalls.

The Seven Ages of Man, a suite by Ken Rattenbury based on Jacques' soliloquy in As You Like It, was broadcast on the BBC Midland Home Service in 1963. I don't think it was ever issued commercially but I was fortunate enough to obtain a cassette from the composer himself. 

The aforementioned Cleo Laine album, Shakespeare and All That Jazz has the soon to be Lady Dankworth in top form on what is perhaps the greatest British jazz vocal album of all-time. Truly an absolute classic. Recorded in 1964, as well as the four pieces by Arthur Young  there are two from Such Sweet Thunder and eight originals by husband John. A further attraction are the trumpet solos by Kenny Wheeler.

West Side Story by Bernstein and Sondheim was, arguably, the last  great musical on both stage and screen. Based on Romeo and Juliet, it's packed full of great songs and dance routines but only of peripheral interest from a jazz point of view until ... enter Buddy Rich! On his album 1996 Swingin' New Big Band arranger Bill Reddie orchestrated a medley of tunes from West Side Story that culminated in an extended drum solo by Buddy. It may not be a direct link to Shakey but it's close enough for jazz as the saying goes.

A cheeky one to finish off with. J.S. Bach was noted for his improvising as was the late French pianist Jacques Loussier whose version of Bach's Air on a G String was, for many years, used on a television commercial for Hamlet Cigars! It was initially recorded in 1963. I'm sure there are many summit meetings 'twixt Bard and Bird. Lance