Balasoglou

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Member Since: 2/3/2002
Total Mixes: 11
Total Feedback: 10

Other Mixes By Balasoglou

CD | Mixed Genre
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Just A Night In Tunisia

Artist Song
Dizzy Gillespie  A Night In Tunisia 
Bud Powell  A Night In Tunisia 
Miles Davis  A Night In Tunisia 
Dexter Gordon  A Night In Tunisia 
Lee Morgan  A Night In Tunisia 
Art Blackey  A Night In Tunisia  
Lambert, Hendricks & Ross  A Night In Tunisia (Vocal) 
Eddie Jefferson  A Night In Tunisia (Vocal) 
McCoy Tyner  A Night In Tunisia 
Phineas Newborn Jnr  A Night In Tunisia 
Archie Shepp  A Night In Tunisia 
Yusef Lateef  A Night In Tunisia 
Anthony Braxton  A Night In Tunisia 

Comment:

A Night In Tunisia, is one of the key compositions of the Be-bop era. Covered God only knows how many times by God knows how many musicians. Allmusic.com indicated 585 but I'm sure there is a lot more.

This Mix:

Well the main idea behind this is to illustrate how even the same song in Jazz can be interpretated in such a different manner by two different jazz musicians that you could listen to them all in a row and you'd never get bored.

I started with the original, then I gradually progress into more abstract versions of the composition, ending with Anthony Braxton's most amazing version which is features on his 'Charlie Parker Project'. Yusef Lateef's version is punctuated with some unique arghul playing, certainly one of the most challanging starts of the song A Night In Tunisia, once the arghul introduction is finished it regresses back to some might hard-bop playing similar to the Lee Morgan version.

Archie Shepp's version is interesting, and features a guitarist blending into his unique saxophone tune, it isn't exactly Shepp's most challanging cover but still a good jazz blowout.

Phineas Newborn Jnr. was a rather under-rated pianist. He plays A Night In Tunisia with tremendous speed, it seems like he plays the tune about 20 times faster than anyone on this mix.

McCoy Tyner, John Coltrane's 'Classic' Quartet pianist does a nice trio version of this tune on his album 'Today And Tomorrow'. The only problem I have with this version is that it just seems too polished.

Eddie Jefferson is the father of vocalese. There isn't anything special about Eddie's voice in a way it's rather poor but he heard jazz, and he sang jazz and made the very most of it.

Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. Another classic vocalese band, this version features Annie Ross as the soloist. Who needs instruments when you have vocals. My favourite vocal version of the tune.

Art Blakey, is recognised as one of the father figures of Hard Bop. He used to play A Night In Tunisia all the time. My favourite version is from 'the Paris Session', with Wayne Shorter and Lee Morgan.

Lee Morgan's version is one of my favourite, an amazing drum introduction, you can just tell that it is Philly Joe Jones. This version of from Morgan's The Cooker, recorded when he was only 19. The album features the dry and rough (in a good way) Baritone Saxophone playing of Pepper Adams.

Dexter Gordon's version is from 'Our Man In Paris', it's another cracking live version of the composition.

The rest are the old goodies, when the song was in it's infancy, they are all amazing.

Now download them all!
image for mix

Feedback:

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The Misfit
Date: 11/3/2002
Fascinating!
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7 on 71
Date: 11/3/2002
The Manhattan Transfer does a great rendition of "Another Night in Tunisia" on their 'Vocalese' album. On it they team up with vocalist Jon Hendricks (of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross). Just their voices & a bass guitar. Nice mix!
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Muzag
Date: 11/3/2002
Looks excellent, Geoffrey.Have a look at my "Too Much Monky Business: Exploring 'Round Midnight" for a similar idea.
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Balasoglou
Date: 11/3/2002
Thanks Muzag.

Just visited your Round Midnight mix, I actually did one before I saw yours it might be interesting to compare each others.
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goovie
Date: 11/3/2002
cool! "a night in tunisia" was one of my favorite pieces in jazz band.
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Curtis_Burns
Date: 11/3/2002
Wonderful.
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valis
Date: 11/4/2002
Pretty cool...!