Jazz for a Rainy Afternoon [32 Jazz]

Read About This Recording

Jazz can fit all moods, from happiness to wistful sadness, from pure excitement to serving as romantic background music. This fact was noted in the late 1950s when Prestige formed its Moodsville subsidiary, which exclusively recorded collections of ballads.

In the late 1990s, the 32 Jazz label, under the direction of producer Joel Dorn, started a similar and very popular series. Since 32 owned music originally recorded for the Muse and Landmark labels in the 1970s, '80s and '90s, they issued various artist collections that fit a certain mood. The concept caught on and their releases sold very well.

Jazz for a Rainy Afternoon puts the emphasis on ballads and the type of performances that work particularly well when played quietly in the background. Charles Brown starts it off with an instrumental solo piano version of "'Round Midnight" and other selections include performances by the duet of tenor Houston Person and bassist Ron Carter ("Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most"), David "Fathead" Newman (an emotional version of "Everything Must Change"), guitarist Jimmy Ponder, trumpeters Wallace Roney and Woody Shaw ("Imagination"), cornetist Warren Vaché, Hank Jones, Sonny Criss and vibraphonist Johnny Lytle ("St. Louis Blues").

—Scott Yanow

Contents

Charles Brown: 'Round Midnight; Houston Person/Ron Carter: Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most; David "Fathead" Newman: Everything Must Change; Jimmy Ponder: A Tribute to a Rose; Wallace Roney: Blue in Green; Houston Person: Talk of the Town; Hank Jones: Ruby My Dear; Warren Vaché: I Can't Get Started; Sonny Criss: My Ideal; Johnny Lytle: St. Louis Blues; Woody Shaw: Imagination.