Supported by the great Ben Webster and the Vince Guaraldi Trio, Jimmy Witherspoon performs here on a great old show called Jazz Casual. He sings some songs, and is interviewed by the host and it is great. His voice is one of my favorites and Ben Webster is one of my favorite saxophonists.
Be sure to catch:
Spoon's voice - just such a perfectly suited voice to sing the blues. And he speaks a bit on how interprets a song.
Ben Webster performing his signature solo on "Cottontail", the same from the classic soundie "Hot Chocolate" with Whitey's Lindy Hoppers.
Vince Guaraldi's voicing on his intro to "Ain't Nobody's Business" - if it sounds familiar, it may be because he did the classic music for the Peanuts Christmas special and think his distinctive sound comes through.
The difference between fast & slow songs. The trio is great, but for me they don't have a lot of pocket on the fast tempos and Webster and Witherspoon have to work a bit to meld with them. On the slower songs though, they seem to find each other better and agree upon a vibe.
Jimmy Witherspoon has tons of great songs, and if you've ever been to one of my soul music DJ sets, you have likely heard this one from him & the Lamplighters, "Move Me, Baby". A different vibe, but still great. Hope you enjoy!
-P