Most beautiful jazz ballad ever played......

[assessor43]

great album.

 

[APP]

 

[Horsti62]

Hi everybody out there... and especially to the "sad ballad fans"...
I know only one ballad which makes without exeption everyone of my guests crying...
Coleman Hawkins - Apache Love Theme --> no more words, just pure emotion
by the way... may be my "natural sound" is not so bad...
cu LG Horsti

 

[Joe Whip]

Great album. Sounds mighty fine as well.

 

[APP]

Ben Webster thinking of his old gone friends and while playing tears are filling up his eyes.

 

[APP]

and as always very good and informative liner notes; Liner notes "Time for Ballads"

“It was a wonderful experience recording the Maene Straight Strung Grand Piano.
Each note has a wonderful clarity and timbre. This piano really sings.
My guess is that because the strings are not crossed as on a normal grand piano, the sound of each string is free to ring out as it does not have to pass other strings above or below.
The upper harmonic ringing from sympathetic strings, as one can faintly perceive on even the best of the traditional cross strung grands, is completely absent.
And last but not least; the perfect placement of the lowest note completely to the left and the highest completely to the right is a sound engineer's dream come true.
Another dream come true was recording the beautiful ‘wood’ reverb in the old church. The sound of this church is really special. A normal stone church has a never ending brittle sustain that can be difficult to handle when recording but the sound in this little church is warm and lush with a gorgeous natural decay.” Frans de Rond

 

[directdriver]

This is certainly the most aching and haunting interpretation of a standard tune for me.

The body and sould of jazz ballads were pioneered by this old master.

A passionate interpretation on an Ornette tune by the European master. Slow burn...

Dolphy on the b flat clarinet for the only time.

Autumnal recording by the masterful minimalist.

 

[directdriver]

For me great ballads are not for relaxation but having an intensity to burn through my heart.... slowly.

The bassist with the most beautiful tone.

Perhaps outside of the jazz genre but sublime nevertheless.

Mesmerizing

Brooding

The infamous track and the heartbreaker to end all heartbreakers.

 

[hopkins]

Is this the most beautiful jazz ballad playing ever or what is your favorite?

Don’t Explain is a very nice song, co-written by Billie Holiday. If you like a song, it is always interesting to compare different interpretations. Here is another nice version featuring Harold Land

Don't Explain (song) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[directdriver]

Speaking of Bird...

Jurassic classic meets modern.

 

[hopkins]

Stardust is another classic jazz ballad, done by countless artists. Here’s a nice version featuring Ben Webster in 1940 with Duke Ellington, at the famous Fargo concert.

Clifford Brown with strings

Don Byas with Helen Humes at Minton’s

....

 

[hopkins]

And speaking of Autumn Leaves (nice Ellington version posted above), here’s a favorite version’ starting slow and picking up at 1:50

 

[Gregadd]

Thanks for finding that for us. Do you have a favorites vocal version?

 

[Re-tread]

As a big Bill Evans fan, I can't top the beauty of the Bill Evans pieces cited above in this thread, but would rather like to mention 3 tangental pieces that I think are beautiful in there own way. Not sure any of them rank as "the most" beautiful, but they all have Bill Evans hand, and most of what he touches (or contributes to) is 'golden' (If you know what I mean... inner glow / finesse /inner life).

Lullaby for Helene - Take 4

Elsa

On Green Dolphin Street

 

[Re-tread]

And, as a bonus, here is a beautiful rendition of "On Green Dolphin Street" that Bill recorded with Miles just before "Kind of Blue" was recorded/released.

Bill's solemn piano on the intro, then combined with the descending bass-line to lead into Miles horn intro is beautiful. The rest of the talent here is also amazing.

Just for a quick timeline reference: This track was recorded in either May or September, 1958, when Bill just began working in the Miles Davis Quintet, and this song was eventually released in 1974 on Miles Davis's compilation album named,1958 Miles. Miles Davis's landmark album Kind of Blue was then recorded in March and April, 1959; and release in August, 1959.

 

[hopkins]

Thanks for finding that for us. Do you have a favorites vocal version?

If you are referring to "Autumn Leaves" then I like the Sarah Vaughan version from her album "Crazy and Mixed Up", but it's all scat at a fast tempo!

The whole album is great (with some slower songs with lyrics), for example, this other classic:

Speaking of which, here is a memorable version of that song by Lester Young/Teddy Wilson/Roy Eldridge/Vic Dickenson:

And while we are at it, another great late Lester Young with Teddy Wilson (make sure not to miss his own solo!):

This is what jazz critic Jan Evensmo has to say about this session: "On this session you hear a sick man approaching his final chorus with only a fraction of his genius left, and nevertheless there is so much behind his sore tone. Imagine this session taking place fifteen or twenty years earlier … Can you really imagine? Then you will understand what opportunities and music have been lost forever."

This can go on for ever!

 

[Gregadd]

 

[Gregadd]

Classic jazz also available on Tidal.

 

[daveoo]

 

[Chop]

Doesn't look like anyone has chosen this yet