2003 Spring Season Member Listening Party • March 20, 2003
On March 20, 2003, NY Times jazz and pop critic and author of "The New York Times
Essential Library: Jazz, a Critic's Guide to the 100 Most Important Recordings, Ben Ratliff,
guided SFJAZZ Members and friends of members through musical selections, providing a fresh
perspective on jazz as performed by greats Billie Holiday, Thelonius Monk, Sarah Vaughan
and more.
Ratliff emphasized the relevance of jazz as a mirror of the present culture, pointing out
that "Despite the lack of media attention, jazz still reflects the shifts in society."
Ratliff also emphasized the influence of Latin music and musicians in the evolution of jazz.
Ben Ratliff's tracklist:
1. "The Man I Love" from the CD Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday (1933-1945)
on Sony Legacy Records featuring vocalist Billie Holiday.
2. "The Man I Love" from the CD Coleman Hawkins 1943-1944 on Classics Records.
3. "You Just Take Her" from the CD The Tiffany Transcriptions, Vol. 3 Basin Street
Blues (1946-1947) on Rhino Records featuring country-swing fiddler and vocalist Bob Wills.
4. "Thelonius" from Thelonius Monk's CD Genius of Modern Music, vol. 1 (1947)
on Blue Note Records.
5. "Tanga" from the CD Kenya (1957) featuring Afro-Cuban vocalist and shaker player
Frank "Machito" Grillo.
6. "Lullaby of Birdland" from the CD Sarah Vaughan (1954) on Verve Records.
7. "Coisas" from a rare out-of-print recording from 1965 featuring Brazilian arranger/composer
Moacir Santos.
8. "Kinda Dukish" from Jason Moran's CD Black Stars (2000) on Blue Note Records.
For a complete listing of Ben Ratliff's top 100 "must-haves" for your jazz library,
be sure to check out his newly published book "The New York Times Essential Library:
Jazz, A Critic's Guide to the 100 Most Important Recordings."
