Keep a Song in Your Soul

by Michael Hashim

Overview

Although altoist Michael Hashim performs eight Fats Waller songs on Keep a Song in Your Soul plus one song ("Two Sleepy People") that Fats helped make famous, the performances actually have nothing much to do with Waller other than the themes being stated. This is essentially a straight-ahead bop date that has Hashim sounding a bit like Phil Woods, with an occasional Eric Dolphy phrase tossed in. Trumpeter Claudio Roditi and pianist Richard Wyands also take several very good solos along the way. If one can forget the fact that these are Waller tunes, and not mind the fact that the renditions (particularly "Fats Waller's Original E Flat Blues," which has the group sounding like Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers) have no real connection to 1930s jazz, the date can be enjoyed. But it seems strange to revive these tunes and then do nothing with them except jam over the chord changes. ~ Scott Yanow

Product Details

Release Date:	11/19/1996
Label:	Hep
UPC:	0603366206828
Rank:	223515

Tracks

1. Get Some Cash for Your Trash
2. Keep a Song in Your Soul
3. Two Sleepy People
4. Jitterbug Waltz
5. What Did I Do to Be So Black and Blue?
6. Fats Waller's Original E Flat Blues
7. Blue Turning Grey over You
8. Prisoner of Love
9. Honeysuckle Rose

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Michael Hashim   Primary Artist,Trumpet,Sax (Alto),Sax (Soprano)
Claudio Roditi   Primary Artist,Trumpet
Kenny Washington   Primary Artist,Drums
Dennis Irwin   Primary Artist,Bass
Richard Wyands   Primary Artist,Piano

Technical Credits

Alexander Hill   Composer
Harry Brooks   Composer
Alastair Robertson   Executive Producer
Hoagy Carmichael   Composer
Ed Kirkeby   Composer
John R.T. Davies   Photography
Leo Robin   Composer
Alun Morgan   Liner Notes
Katherine Bourbeau   Photography
James Hutcheson   Design
Russ Columbo   Composer
Richard Maltby, Jr.   Composer
Rudy Van Gelder   Engineer
Michael Hashim   Arranger,Producer
Fats Waller   Composer
Clarence Gaskill   Composer
Frank Loesser   Composer
Andy Razaf   Composer