The Libra Jazz Parlor

From ragtime to fusion and everything in between, legendary “jazz” artists born under the zodiac sign Libra cover it all on this introductory Listen Closely Lounge Jazz Parlor playlist, The Libra Jazz Parlor.

Bookended by two seminal jazz giants, John Coltrane, born the first day of Libra, September 23rd, and Dizzy Gillespie, born the last day of Libra, October 22nd, the list of talent that represents the sign of Libra in jazz music is, well, quite impressive if I must say so myself. The Libra Jazz Parlor blends all these artists and styles together for a nice jazz journey.

Starting in the ragtime era, we begin the Libra’s journey of pushing the music boundaries with Jelly Roll Morton’s (10/20) King Porter Stomp followed by Art Tatum (10/13) with Tea for Two. We then finish with Billie Holiday’s version of George Gershwin’s (9/26) Summertime.

Next is the incomparable Donnie Hathaway (10/1) with his masterpiece A Song for You, and then we usher in the sax with none other than John Coltrane with Blue World. Pharoah Sanders (10/13) and Ronnie Laws (10/3) provide the next two sax tunes, Astral Traveling and Tidal Wave, respectively. Yusef Lateef (10/9), another saxophonist as well as flutist, is next with Love Theme from Spartacus with the flute being the featured instrument.

The transition into more upbeat tunes is captained by the enigma Thelonious Monk (10/10) with Round Midnight followed by Art Blakey’s (10/11) tune written by pianist Bobby Timmons, Moanin’. The next song, the 11th, is a setup song for songs 12-15 and is by an artist who is just that, an artist. Hit the Road, by Ray Charles (9/23), sets the stage for the next four songs which are four different versions of the Duke Ellington credited song, Caravan. First is Dizzy Gillespie’s version then Art Tatum’s followed by Thelonious Monk’s and ending with Wynton Marsalis’ (10/18).

Next, we move into some fusion tunes starting with Nicholas Payton’s (9/26) Stinkie Twinkie from his Sonic Trance CD, the CD that introduced me to him. A Detroit local and multi-Grammy award winner, bassist Robert (Bob) Hurst (10/4) follows with Da, Da, Da, Dah from his Bob Ya Head album. I love the name of the song as well as the name of the project! Then we go back to Nicholas Payton with Junie Boogie from his Afro-Caribbean mixtape project to show his versatility as an artist that puts him in the “stretch music” conversation.

We then take it back to Detroit with Wendell Harrison’s (10/1) Farewell to Welfare Pt I and Yusef Lateef’s Back Home. On Farewell, you hear the soulful funk that was prevalent in 1975. And on Back Home, Lateef takes you back to Africa with call and response, chants and heavy drum rolls, or he takes you back home to Mississippi, Alabama or Georgia with some harmonica play by Buddy Lucas. Back Home is sonically a nice song to lead into the man credited with popularizing the Afro-beat, Fela Kuti (10/15), and his Water No Get Enemy.

We finish the playlist with two songs from artists we already heard from, but their songs finish off the playlist perfectly. Pharoah Sanders’ Love is Everywhere is a nice reminder that we have to look for love in every situation we face. Love is around us even when we are not thinking about it or looking for it. The last song is Yusef Lateef’s Like It Is, a song that makes you feel as if you have come to the ending of a long journey, which we have.

Uncle Phil (10/9/70)