First a warning, musical; then the hour, irrevocable. The leaden circles dissolved into the air.
Sorry for not posting recently, being waist deep in exams means I have little time to do anything else!
Today has been a lot of Mrs Dalloway and Edward Thomas Poems, and consequently background music has been played en masse. I usually root for instrumental jazz since it’s relaxing and has no lyrics that could distract. This track, A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (recorded in 1961) is just wonderful. Having sung it in choir several times, it was already one of my favourites but with the mellow and sultry interpretation of both Stan Getz and Bob Brookmeyer, it just got better.
Although the Stan Getz quartet version is also great, I feel the former tenor sax & trombone duo with the piano sounds significantly better than the latter solo saxophone and xylophone (I personally think the xylophone gives it a tinny and outdated sound); it feels less reined back and much more emotional… the solos are original, masterfully interweaved, and naturally complement each other unlike many jazz duos which come in big blocks. Also the double bass and percussion have a greater presence, giving it a more balanced sound although that may be the recording quality itself. After searching for other versions of this in instrumental jazz, I couldn’t find anything like it, since the others were sung, so if I had to choose an artist who sang it would be Nat King Cole by far. Any thoughts on these different versions?
And with that, happy listening!
Mathilde
corallens 