Jazzy Christmas: Not “Last Christmas” Again!

Ella Fitzgerald: Sleigh Ride

Charles Brown: Merry Christmas Baby

Django Reinhardt: Christmas Swing

Sauter-Finegan Orchestra: Midnight Sleigh Ride

Reba McEntire: Hairy Changes Through The Years

See the ever-changing hairstyles of Singer Reba McEntire in this Photo Gallery by The Tennessean. By the way: How come she looks younger today than she looked when she was young?

Ingfried Hoffmann: Ein Jazz-Musiker bringt die Sesamstrasse zum Grooven

Die US-amerikanische Kindersendung Sesame Street feiert ihren 40. Geburtstag. Drei  Jahre jünger ist die deutsche Version Sesamstrasse, die eine unglaublich groovende Titelmusik hat. Komponist des mitreissenden Ohrwurms ist Ingfried Hoffmann, ein deutscher Jazz-Organist, Komponist und Arrangeur, der unter anderem mit Klaus Doldinger gespielt hat. Was wäre ein Geburtstag ohne Musik? Also, anklicken und geniessen!

Mehr Info:
Video über den 40. Geburtstag von Sesame Street auf Welt.de

Ingfried Hoffmann auf last.fm (mit Musikbeispielen)

Plenty of Joe Zawinul’s «Mercy Mercy Mercy»

I can’t get enough of the great Joe Zawinul tune «Mercy Mercy Mercy». So I collected many diverse covers on YouTube.

A big band version by The Birdland Big Band with drummer Tommy Igoe:

A very unusual version by a Polish guitar quintet:

Buddy Rich, live, with funny introduction:

Version by Nils Landgren’s, Swedish trombone player:

Why not listen to the famous version by Cannonball Adderley with Joe Zawinul on keybaords?

Keyboard And Electric Bass Player Larry Knechtel Dies

According to the Yakima Herald keyboarder/electric bass player Larry Knechtel dies at age 69.

Larry Knechtel was a busy musician, working live and in the studios. He recently collaborated with The Dixie Chicks. Besides that he played with musicians and bands such as Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, The Doors, The Byrds, Neil Diamond, The Beach Boys, Steppenwolf, Randy Newman, Harry Nilsson and Elvis Presley.

Larry Knechtel received a Grammy award for arranging Simon and Garfunkel’s super hit Bridge Over Troubled Water, on which he also played keyboard. He was also a member of Bread.

As studio musician Larry Knechtel was an important part of the Los Angeles music studio scene of the nineteen-sixties.

• Biography of Larry Knechtel
• Larry Knechtel discography
• YouTube: Bread live – Bridge Over Troubled Water (with Larry Knechtel on piano)