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Here in the deep interior of Washington State, we are in our third day of heat above 100° F (43.3° C). Today’s predicted high is 110°. Public health officials are urging people to seek air conditioning, walk slowly, drink lots of water, be cautious when cooling off in the rapidly flowing rivers and think twice before accepting outdoor gigs. We are assured that blessed relief is on the way. The forecasters predict that by Wednesday, we’ll be down to 104°.
To celebrate, we listen to two pieces from the 1954 Shorty Rogers-André Previn album Collaboration. In the project, the pattern was for one of the leaders to arrange a standard song and the other to write an original piece on the harmonic framework of the standard. Here’s Rogers’ version of Irving Berlin’s “Heat Wave†followed by Previn’s composition sardonically titled “Forty Degrees Below.†The ensemble was made up of leading players of the 1950s Los Angeles jazz scene— Previn, piano; Rogers, trumpet; Bud Shank, alto saxophone; Bob Cooper, tenor saxophone; Jimmy Giuffre, baritone saxophone; Milt Bernhart, trombone; Curtis Counce, bass; Al Hendrickson, guitar; Shelly Manne, drums..
The Collaboration illustration was one of the late Jim Flora’s memorable LP covers.
Hope you’re having a cool weekend.