Baubles Bangles and Beads: Paul Sawtell.

Here's a groovy jazz arrangement of a timeless popular song by pianist Paul Sawtell

Baubles, Bangles, & Beads" is a popular song from the 1953 musical Kismet, credited to Robert Wright and George Forrest. The tune is based on an 1881 piece by Russian composer Alexander Borodin.

George Forrest and Robert White were American writers of music and lyrics for musical theatre best known for the show Kismet, adapted from the works of Alexander Borodin.

Paul Sawtell is a talented Pianist, vibraphone player, composer and arranger he is also an accomplished musical director.
As a Musical Director Paul's most notable achievement was a collaboration with jazz singer Salena Jones, recording over a dozen CDs for which he did all the arrangements, played piano and occasionally found a free hand to conduct the orchestra.
Back in the 1980's Paul had four of his own arrangements used on the BBC test card/ and the Ceefax Xmas tape (no. 8) which ran on the air from 1985 until at least the mid 1990s.

On this video something of a seasonal theme with emphasis on the baubles. Enjoy the decidedly festive theme to this fine jazz arrangement by Paul Sawtell.

Bill Coleman - Double Bass
Nick Millard - Drums
Paul Sawtell - Piano

Apologies for any copyright issues, this video is not made or uploaded for any profit or personal gain.

[paulsawtell]

This always was one of my favourite tunes with an amazing chord sequence so wonderfully creative for improvisation and it's unusual structure (the extra few bars at the end ). And with swinging Bill on bass and the truly great Neil Bullock on drums - we had a measure of success with this trio which we named Jazzfantastique; back in the 1990s. seems a lifetime away now. There was a music pub in Brum called the Fiddle and 'Bone owned and run by two players - violin and trombone, hence the name - from the CBSO; in its heyday they hand 9 live session there per week. Then a BBC weathergirl (oh Lordy) bought an apartment across the canal and complained about the music there. That was its death knell. We played there a lot and I was fortunate to be booked to play piano there with many other talented people including the late and truly greatest singer I ever worked with, Brenda Scott. Sadly, there's little or no representation of her amazing talent here on YT. She was a very musical singer - unusual in that respect alone. I would often throw musical sponges at her from the piano, which I would never dare to do with any other singers because it would throw them; not Brenda! She'd not only be right on it but turn it into something else for me to catch. And we'd exchange grins of delight. Although to the uninitiated there was not so much an understanding of what was going on between us - musically - the audience always got the message that something was definitely happening. She recorded an album at my studio many years back and although I have searched I cannot, sadly, trace it. Tony Richards was on drums and John McCulloch, who played bass guitar with the Midland Radio orchestra for many years, was on bass. Both no longer with us; great players. John was an interesting character; a Scot with a reputation for being a stickler - but he and I always got on very well.Tony was - well - simply delightful and a very caring man. And he loved the ladies!

[megasoid]

Today is my birthday and this music just tops it off. Thank you Jayne.