Five more jazz standards today….with a few different versions of each and some interesting stories.

Hilights? I’d give the #1 highlight to Mitchell Ruff Trio’s version of Gypsy in My Soul. What an under-rated group! Vancouver’s Karin Plato sings a nice version too.

Then there’s that glorious contrast between that same time (which has the old ‘Heart and Soul’ chord sequence with Invitation—where each of the 12 tones of the scale is used at least once as the root of the chord. I play two great versions of the tune, one by Patricia Barber, the other by Lucky Thompson.

There are three versions of Tiger Rag, one being a ‘train wreck’, the other the opposite—one of the very first so-called jazz recordings ever made. The third version is a pleasant surprise thrown in at the end of the episode.

With How Insensitive you get a couple demonstrations of the influence of Chopin. In fact this whole episode starts with his Prelude in E Minor. Also versions by Stacey Kent, Joao Gilberto, and Gene Bertoncini.

I also play the classic Frank Sinatra recording of I Didn’t Know What Time It Was, as well as a recording by George Shearing with Toronto bassist, Don Thompson.

One request I have from any of you who enjoy these podcasts (no! It’s not money……I don’t want any financial compensation for the hard work I put into these programs). Could you just post a short review or give a rating on itunes/apple podcasts in whatever country from which you access them? It encourages me to keep these podcasts going. I have made the podcast charts at various periods in Denmark, Japan, Brazil, Hong Kong, Sweden, Korea, Canada, Spain, Turkey, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, and a few other places. So I know you’re out there! I’d love to hear from you. -Larry