[jacobeid]

Bird with strings was the album that actually made me WANT to play saxophone. I just recently picked up Cannonball and Strings. What other albums did players record with strings?

 

[LiAm84]

Ben Webster with strings. Scott Hamilton with strings.
Also a must have is an album by Stan Getz called Focus. Its nothing like Parker or any of the above with strings, its alot more adventurous. Arrangments by Eddie Sauter. There probably loads of more conventional albums... I think Clifford Brown did one aswell.

 

[crazydaisydoo]

Winter Moon by Art Pepper. The master of the ballad IMHO

 

[eddierich]

Jim Snidero did an album with strings a couple years ago.
+1 for Focus, great album!

 

[jmm1713]

Phil Woods ... One of my favorite videos .

 

[LazySaxman]

Dexter Gordon's "Sophisticated Giant" Has strings in the background.

 

[renaissance_man]

I have an album that Dizzy Gillespie recorded with orchestra. It shows a more lyrical and introspective side of Diz, featuring tunes like Night and Day, The Man I Love, and The Very Thought of You. Really nice.

 

[Art Hazard]

I have on vinyl Paul Desmond with strings.

 

[altoist]

I have on vinyl Paul Desmond with strings.

"Desmond Blue". the CD version contains quite a bit more than the LP, including 3 takes of Autumn Leaves, each one quite different from the other.
One of my favorite versions of "I've Got You Under My Skin" is on this one.

Ben Webster "Music For Loving" is a double CD that also has the only album
recorded under Harry Carney's name, also with strings. This one is a MUST
for fans of the Ellington reedmen.

Johnny Hodges did one with the Lawrence Welk band (I have it, and while it's
short, it's Hodges, hence, beautiful) and another with the a string section
called "Plays the Prettiest Gershwin" which I've been unable to obtain.

Benny Carter did "Alone Together". I've heard clips from it, it sounds great
(Benny Carter, so what do you expect?) but I can't find a copy.

Getz did a few, Focus, Cool Velvet/Voices, and more I think. Not my favorite
Getz. Focus adventurous? Maybe, but I don't find it an enjoyable listen.

Art Pepper, Winter Moon. I thought I'd like it more than I did. I have over 25
Art Pepper albums, and that one just isn't one of my favorites. It's not a
late vs early Pepper thing either, I love his live stuff in Japan, and the duets
with George Cable. Not unpleasant, like Focus, just not up to the high
standards I expected from a Pepper ballads album.

Bird with Strings is incredible. I wish Bird had lived longer and done a few
more standards sets with different backings. A lot of people have put down
this set, but I find it thrilling. On the CD version I have, the first tune is
"Just Friends", and Bird's intro to that tune makes my hair stand on end. Wow!

Cannonball did two strings albums, now released as one. Anything from Cannonball is good.

Italian prodigy Francesco Cafiso did a tribute to the "Bird With Strings" album that mostly redoes it. I really like Cafiso, totally dig his New York Quartet album, but I don't know I'd say this project was a good idea. Hard to
compare with the original!

Marty Nau did a strings album. It's good.

Lee Konitz did a tribute to Billy Holiday "Strings For Holiday". I'm not much of
a Konitz fan, and this one didn't do much to change that.

Phil Woods has a few string albums, including "The Thrill is Gone". Woods is always quite good.

Greg Osby did one too, called "Balance Of Light". If you like Osby, check it out.

Michael Hashim has an album of Kurt Weill with a string quartet backing.
It's probably good, I like his other albums.

I think it's time for Frank Morgan to put out a strings album.

 

[TMadness1013]

Clifford Brown - one of my fave recordings of him.

 

[crazydaisydoo]

Art Pepper, Winter Moon. I thought I'd like it more than I did. I have over 25
Art Pepper albums, and that one just isn't one of my favorites. It's not a
late vs early Pepper thing either, I love his live stuff in Japan, and the duets
with George Cable. Not unpleasant, like Focus, just not up to the high
standards I expected from a Pepper ballads album.

Thanks for your reviews, very useful and I am going to check out a few

Winter moon can get a little over sentimental in places, interesting though that Art himself raves about this recording. He obviously liked the orchestral side. It is a shame he didn't live on to experience the production values and lower costs of recording of today, he would have had many more opportunities.

At least he didn't go all Creed Taylor on us sorry, but what CT did to George Benson and Wes Montgomery was verging on the criminal IMHO. I think he did some Paul Desmond stuff, so I will reserve judgment until I hear it. Maybe its OK, or maybe he turned him into Herb Alpert as well.

 

[heath]

Dexter Gordon's "Sophisticated Giant" Has strings in the background.

Actually that's a big band on Sophisticated Giant, the only strings player is Rufus Reid on bass, and I don't think he spends too much time with bow.

You're thinking of "More Than You Know" Dexter and Orchestra conducted by Palle Mikkelborg, it's on the Steeple Chase label.

I don't think anyone as mentioned Harold Lands "Lazy Afternoon"....more or less a ballad album.

Jane Bunnett: Red Dragon Fly(aka tombo). Penderecki String Quartet.

 

[Minatar12]

Check out Symbols of Light by Greg Osby (the best main-streamer on the new york scene today, imo.) He performs his own compositions for not only his regular working band (which back then included the likes of Jason Moran,) but also with a string quartet. Really interesting stuff, definitely his most unusual work so far.

 

[silvin]

Steffano Di Battista - Round About Roma

 

[silvin]

In another way: Jan Garbarek on Keith Jarrett's album Arbour Zena

 

[danerida]

Nobody's mentioned Sanborn yet!

David Sanborn has done a few recordings with strings and/or orchestra.

The Suite - Which is the last three tracks off his debut album "Taking Off" is great. Written and arranged by Dave Matthews.

Pearls - His version of a bunch of standards. Not everyone's cup of tea, but worth checking out if you dig his sound.

Concerto for Saxophone - by Michael Kamen with the National Philharmonic.

Dan

 

[hgiles]

Funny thing. I know getting to do a recording with strings has always been the rite of passage to 'having arrived'. When I was new into jazz I enjoyed the 'strings', now I almost laugh about it when I listen to a strings album.

Maybe I'll come around again...

 

[sambeaux]

Michael Brecker did an album with Claus Ogerman called Cityscapes

 

[whaler]

Charles MacPherson did a great Billie Holiday tribute album (Siku Ya Bibi?) on Mainstream. It is out-of-print, but a great recording of his sound.

 

[Rick Adams]

One of my favourite recordings is a version of Lotus Blossom by Paul Gonsalves with a violin accompaniment. The tempo was very laid back, he was blowing the best subtones I've ever heard and the whole piece was very mellow and had a bitter/sweet melancholy feel to it.