There's no St. Louis connection in this week's videos, just a couple of clips showcasing seldom-seen performances by some true jazz icons. The first video documents a meeting between saxophone legends Coleman Hawkins on tenor and Charlie Parker on alto, performing a tune called "Ballade" backed by a rhythm section of Hank Jones on piano, Ray Brown on bass and Buddy Rich on drums. It was filmed in 1950, presumably during a "Jazz at the Philharmonic" tour, although there's no location given in the notes. Still, whatever the provenance, given that there's so little film of Parker performing, even a few more minutes of footage is a treat.
The second video features one of my personal favorites, pianist and composer Thelonious Monk, performing one of his most famous compositions, "Round Midnight." It's an excerpt from a Polish television broadcast, shot while Monk was touring Europe in 1966 and the group includes Monk's longtime saxophonist Charlie Rouse, bassist Larry Gales and drummer Ben Riley. This footage supposedly has just resurfaced recently, and though there's a good deal of Monk video material already in circulation, this certainly seems like a worthy addition.
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