Thursday, October 4, 2012

JAZZ Sex: "How High The Moon" - Les Paul and Mary Ford > Sarah Vaughan > Charlie Parker > Miles Davis > John Coltrane



ROCK, er, um, JAZZ Sex takes you to the moon, Alice.

Today, we measure "How High The Moon".

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"How High The Moon" came from a Broadway revue called "Two For the Show" (1940) and quickly became a standard.


One of the greatest versions was by Les Paul and Mary Ford. The sonic wizards multi-tracked her angel chorals and his electronic guitar tones in a way that sounded as otherworldy to 1950s radio audiences as they do today.

Paul's quicksilver and fierce leads influenced all the Jazz and Rock'n'Roll that would follow.

LES PAUL and MARY FORD -"How High the Moon" (1951)



Ella Fitzgerald did the song many times, and here Sarah Vaughan does a fun homage to Ella's adventurous scatting.

SARAH VAUGHAN -"How High the Moon" (live, 1957)



Bebop pioneers often played the standards straight at dancehalls, and free-associated radically off of their chord structures in Bebop nightclubs.

New songs rose out of "How High the Moon" like these varied classics.


CHARLIE PARKER -"Ornithology" (1946)



MILES DAVIS -"Solar" (1954)



JOHN COLTRANE -"Satellite" (1960)



Outta sight!


© Tym Stevens



See Also:

Herbie Hancock > Mongo Santamaria > Herbie Hancock

"Rikki Don't Lose That Number" - Horace Silver > Earth Wind & Fire > Steely Dan > Stevie Wonder > Madlib

"PHYSICAL GRAFFITI" - Led Zeppelin > Branford Marsalis > Rolling Stones


Revolution 1950s: The Big Damn Bang of Rock'n'Roll!


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist


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