"Almost You, Almost Me, Almost Blue": Jazz for October

Friday Favourites | Week 19

I haven’t written for a while. I have been stuck in a ‘writer’s block’ - not sure what I want out of this Substack. I love the history and mechanics of music, but honing into every little aspect of an album/artist can get a too analytical for an every week task. So, here are some drabbles on jazz music. Hope you enjoy.

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1. Almost Blue - Chet Baker

When I wrote about this piece before around March time, I specifically wrote on the 1987 cover by Baker, recorded for the documentary Let’s Get Lost (1989). This time, I want to discuss the extended Tokyo concert version - lengthened to seven minutes and fifty-three seconds. Reading the comments section of the video attached below of the song, people have noted that Baker manages to create that harrowing feeling on the way to the ‘blues’ which leaves the narrator simply vacant. The piano compliments Baker’s quintessential trumpet playing almost like a comforting ‘friend’.

“Almost blue

Almost doing things we used to do

There’s a girl here and she’s almost you”

Baker’s low, languid vocals allow each line to drip into each other - creating a deep sea of devastation. Time and time again, I come back to Chet Baker when looking for some time to ruminate. His music is profoundly pensive.

2. I Can’t Get Started - Bunny Berigan and his orchestra

I came across this 1936 standard around two years ago after watching Chinatown (1974) for the first time. Why does it stand out? When I was around fifteen, I had a profound, consuming interest in old wartime music. There was something comforting in the sounds of Al Bowlly, Frank Sinatra, and Glenn Miller. The Shining (1980) is and was one of my favourite films - the haunting memories of The Overlook Hotel was soundtracked by a similar sound. The uncanny has a level of familiarity which can give a strange comfort. ‘I Can’t Get Started’ brings me to a place in my mind that I have a strange sense of nostalgia attached to - despite being born seventy years after the period this music was thriving. Give this one a listen if you’re looking for a jazz/swing piece that’s a little different to your usual Autumn rotation.

3. Peace Piece - Bill Evans

My favourite Jazz musician of all time - Bill Evans. ‘Peace Piece’ was formed from Evans playing a one-bar ostinato figure and, from there, improvised melodies over the top. It’s in the name - this standard is deeply tranquil. Yet simple, there is something about the way Evans plays which brings me into a mystical place.

Bill Evans

Jazz piano has always been favoured when I have been making active strives to enhance my jazz knowledge. I love and will always love the instrument. It is a beautifully ancient thing - something I cannot honestly express. ‘Peace Piece’ is a song to listen to in the depths of an evening.

4. The Great Pumpkin Waltz - Vince Guaraldi

My childhood. ‘The Great Pumpkin Waltz’. This is the Autumn piece. There is something about Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin which elicits a level of warmth only October and November can bring with their orange hues and smoky scents. I allow myself to listen to this piece from September, and then from December, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) steps in. Listen to ‘The Great Pumpkin Waltz’ over the next few weeks, non-stop - watch it make you revel in the Autumn period.

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