VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14 AT 14:00 AND 21:00
On February 14, Stingray DJAZZ pays special attention to perhaps the most romantic day of the year: Valentine’s Day. Share your fondness for jazz with your loved ones, and enjoy these carefully selected performances by the genre’s most enduring musicians that will leave you starry-eyed. This extraordinary day commences at 14:00 with a performance by one of the swing era’s most important bandleaders: Count Basie. His orchestra, which he led from the piano, was characterized by a light, swinging rhythm section, lively ensemble work, and generous soloing. Vocalist Joe Williams makes a special appearance on the love songs ‘Gee, Baby, Ain’t I Good to You’ and ‘Hallelujah, I Love Her So’ in this 1959 recording from the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Belgium’s Charleroi. Following this joyous performance, ‘the divine’ Sarah Vaughan wraps her sultry voice around jazz standards such as ‘Lover Man’, ‘Misty’, and ‘I Got Rhythm’ in concert recordings from 1958 and 1964. Stingray DJAZZ’s Valentine’s Special continues at 21:00 with a performance by Billie Holiday from the 1950s. The deeply emotive voice and uncanny ability of ‘Lady Day’ to convey profound emotion through subtle phrasing and timing cemented her place among the greatest jazz vocalists. Lastly, legendary jazz trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker joins guitarist Philip Catherine and bassist Jean-Louis Rassinfosse during an intimate 1985 performance at the Brussels Jazz Club. The trio plays gentle interpretations of Charlie Mariano’s ‘Crystal Bells’, the title track of their acclaimed 1983 album. They also perform romantic evergreens like ‘How Deep Is The Ocean’ and ‘My Funny Valentine’. Make this Valentine’s Day a special one with this great variety of romantic performances on February 14 from 14:00 – on Stingray DJAZZ!
Count Basie and his Orchestra live in Charleroi
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14 AT 14:00
Count Basie is one of the most important bandleaders of the swing era. With the exception of a brief period in the early '50s, he led a big band from 1935 until his death almost 50 years later. Basie's orchestra was characterized by a light, swinging rhythm section that he led from the piano, lively ensemble work, and generous soloing. Basie was not a composer like Duke Ellington or an important soloist like Benny Goodman. His instrument was his band, which was considered the epitome of swing and deeply influenced jazz. In this 1961 concert recording, Count Basie takes the stage in Charleroi.
Sarah Vaughan "The Divine One" in 1958
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14 AT 14:50
Sarah Vaughan: Live in '58 & 64 features the Divine One in her prime, wrapping her sultry voice around jazz standards such as “Lover Man”, “Misty”, and “I Got Rhythm” and popular showtunes such as “Over The Rainbow” and “Maria”. One of the greatest voices of the 20th Century, her renditions of songs by Harold Arlen, Leonard Bernstein, Johnny Burke, the Gershwins, and Stephen Sondheim are pure diva magic. These three performances demonstrate why Sarah Vaughan is invariably mentioned in the same breath as Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday.
Billie Holiday
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14 AT 21:00
“God Bless The Child”, “Foolin’ Myself”, and “I Loves You, Porgy”: timeless songs that were made classics by the inimitable Billie Holiday. ‘Lady Day’, as her loyal friend and musical partner Lester Young nicknamed her, was a highly original jazz and pop singer. In a career that spanned most of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, she displayed an uncanny ability to convey emotion through her voice. Her vocals, which were strongly inspired by instrumental jazz, are admired for their deeply personal and intimate sound. This compilation features recordings from the 1950s of Billie Holiday singing a string of her greatest successes. Enjoy this unique footage of one of jazz’s all-time greats!
Jazz a la Grand Place Chet Baker Trio
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14 AT 21:35
Two top-tier Belgian musicians – guitarist Philip Catherine and bassist Jean-Louis Rassinfosse – accompany American jazz trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker during this 1985 performance at the beautiful Brussels Jazz Club, located on the Grand-Place, the Belgian capital’s central square. The trio plays Charlie Mariano’s “Crystal Bells”, the title track of their acclaimed 1983 album. Other songs played during this legendary concert include “Down” and “How Deep is the Ocean”.
