Pianist and Jazz Club OverSeas owner Hisayuki Terai has honored his mentor, piano giant Tommy Flanagan (1930-2001), by performing special concerts exclusively featuring Flanagan’s iconic repertoire every year in the months of his birth and passing since his passing. The 46th tribute to Flanagan took place on March 15, 2025.
It has been 24 years since Tommy Flanagan passed. For this concert, Terai has selected tunes from the many pieces Flanagan cherished throughout his musical career, focusing on compositions by Thad Jones. Thad Jones was one of Flanagan’s greatest influences in his early days in Detroit, and in 1993, Flanagan recorded the album “Let’s (Play the Music of Thad Jones)” at his own expense.
This concert is performed by Terai and his long-time musical partner, bassist Zaiko Miyamoto.
Sharing Flanagan’s music with devoted fans from all over the country is always a joy for us.
1st Set
1. 50-21 (Thad Jones)
The concert opens with a piece that Thad Jones dedicated to the sacred ground of Detroit Hard Bop—the Blue Bird Inn. The title, “50-21,” refers to the address of this legendary jazz club (5021 Tireman Ave., Detroit). Between 1953 and 1954, Flanagan and Jones collaborated in the house band of the club. During that time, they pioneered the Detroit Hard Bop style, shaping it with Thad Jones’ compositions—many of which Flanagan would continue to play throughout his life—while showcasing advanced technique and distinctive elegance. Incidentally, a couple of long-time regulars at Jazz Club OverSeas have license plates bearing the number “5021.”
Flanagan recorded this piece on albums such as Confirmation (Enja, 1977) and Beyond the Blue Bird (Timeless, 1990).
2. Beyond the Blue Bird (Tommy Flanagan)
“Beyond the Blue Bird” was composed by Flanagan in 1990, reflecting his nostalgia for the Blue Bird Inn. The tune became the title track of his album, which featured fellow Blue Bird Inn alumnus and guitar virtuoso, Kenny Burrell as the guest.
Before the album’s release, Flanagan had Terai transcribe the piece in his Upper West Side apartment in New York City. With its subtle yet rapid key changes, the composition embodies Flanagan’s signature style, exuding both elegance and depth.
3. Medley: Embraceable You (George Gershwin) – Quasimodo (Charlie Parker)
Flanagan’s style can hardly be discussed without considering his medleys. Charlie Parker composed a bebop tune based on the chord changes of Gershwin’s famous ballad “Embraceable You” and named it “Quasimodo” after the disfigured protagonist of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.
This medley, which ingeniously connects the original ballad with Parker’s bebop variation through exquisite key changes, seems to convey his message that true beauty lies not in appearance but within one’s soul. Among Flanagan’s many medleys, this stands out as a legendary signature piece. However, unfortunately, no recordings exist of him performing it with his regular trio.
4. Minor Mishap (Tommy Flanagan)
One of Flanagan’s well-known original compositions, recorded on his first album as a leader, Cats (New Jazz, 1957), features John Coltrane and Kenny Burrell. This album remains popular to this day.
The tune’s name was inspired by circumstances during the recording session. Since then, Flanagan performed the tune most frequently throughout his career.
5. Sunset and the Mockingbird (Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn)
The inspiration for the piece came from a birdcall Duke Ellington heard while driving across Florida with Harry Carney. He composed the tune instantly, and it eventually became part of the “Queen’s Suite,” which Ellington recorded with his orchestra, intending to press only one copy to dedicate to Queen Elizabeth.
Flanagan enjoyed playing the tune since the 1970s, and it later became the title track of his 67th Birthday Concert album (Blue Note, 1997).
6. Beats Up (Tommy Flanagan)
A riff tune based on rhythm changes, Beats Up was originally recorded for Overseas (Metronome/Prestige, 1957) and nearly four decades later, it was re-recorded for Sea Changes (Alfa Jazz, 1996) as well as Dalarna. In this performance, Terai and Miyamoto take on the challenge of capturing the trio’s dynamism in a duo format.
7. Dalarna (Tommy Flanagan)
Flanagan’s early composition with a trace of influence of Impressionism from his youth, Dalarna, was initially recorded on “Overseas”, an album produced during an extensive tour in 1957 across Sweden with the J.J. Johnson quintet. Throughout the tour of Sweden, they performed concerts in various locations across the country. It’s easy to imagine Flanagan being inspired by the beauty of Dalarna County.
Although Flanagan didn’t revisit the tune for many years, he found renewed inspiration from Terai’s CD titled Dalarna (Flanagania Record, 1995), prompting him to re-record it for Sea Changes (1996, Alfa), using Terai’s arrangement. Immediately after the recording, Flanagan excitedly called Terai to announce, “I’ve recorded Dalarna! His lively voice still resonates in Terai’s heart to this day.
8. Tin Tin Deo (Chano Pozo, Gill Fuller, Dizzy Gillespie)
The first set closes with an Afro-Cuban jazz classic, pioneered by Dizzy Gillespie. Flanagan crafted an exquisite piano trio version, preserving the strength of the earthy Cuban rhythms while enhancing the wistful melody. A hallmark of Flanagan’s style, he masterfully condensed big band arrangements into a compact piano trio setting, creating an interpretation that was even more dynamic and compelling.
2nd Set
1.That Tired Routine Called Love (Matt Dennis)
A witty love song written by Matt Dennis, a singer-pianist, composer, and arranger, best known for penning numerous hit songs for Frank Sinatra. His compositions, while pleasant to the ear, are often tricky to play and have been cherished by jazz artists. This particular tune, filled with modulations, stimulates the challenging spirit of jazz musicians. Trombone master J.J. Johnson recorded this piece with Flanagan for the album First Place (Columbia, 1957). Over 30 years later, Flanagan included the song on his own album, Jazz Poet (Timeless, 1989), and the arrangement was updated with subsequent live performances. Terai performs the evolved version of the arrangement.
2. With Malice Towards None (Tom McIntosh)
A spiritual masterpiece cherished by Flanagan, With Malice Towards None—recorded with George Mraz on Ballads & Blues (Enja, 1975)—holds a special place at this club. Composer Tom McIntosh was not only a friend but also a neighbor of Flanagan, who closely observed the song’s creative process. As it turned out, Flanagan’s ideas were intricately woven into the composition. The title of this song is a message that resonates deeply with us in today’s world.
3. A Sleepin’ Bee (Harold Arlen)
A buoyant “spring song,” as Flanagan called it, Sleepin’ Bee was one of his favorites to perform at New York club gigs during the spring season. The tune originates from the Truman Capote-scripted, Harold Arlen-scored musical House of Flowers. Inspired by a Haitian legend, it tells of a girl who holds a sleeping bee in her hand—if the bee neither awakens nor stings her, she will find true love. Flanagan greatly appreciated Terai’s streamlined arrangement of this piece.
4. They Say It’s Spring (Bob Haymes)
Another spring song, They Say It’s Spring was originally a hit for singer/pianist Blossom Dearie. Dearie, who was married to Flanagan’s bandmate Bobby Jaspar, first introduced the tune to Tommy during one of her live performances. Flanagan later recorded it with George Mraz in 1975 for the album Ballads & Blues.
5. Passion Flower (Billy Strayhorn)
A signature piece for bassist George Mraz during the Tommy Flanagan Trio era, Passion Flower showcased his exceptional bowing at nearly every gig. In this concert, Zaiko Miyamoto’s beautiful bowing took the spotlight. Even after Mraz parted ways with Flanagan, he continued to perform this Strayhorn piece, eventually including it on his own album, My Foolish Heart (Milestone, 1995).
6. Eclypso (Tommy Flanagan)
One of Flanagan’s renowned, uplifting originals, Eclypso appears to be inspired by Bud Powell’s So Sorry Please.
Eclypso holds a special place in pianist Terai’s memories. During Terai’s first visit to New York at Flanagan’s invitation, Flanagan performed this piece on the final night of that unforgettable trip at the Village Vanguard, dedicating it to his protégé with a heartfelt announcement to the audience.
7. Easy Living (Ralph Ranger)
Since the 1937 recording by Billie Holiday with Teddy Wilson and his Orchestra turned it into a hit, many jazz musicians who admired Lady Day have covered the song, making it a jazz standard. On the night of Flanagan’s passing, Terai poignantly played the song through his tears. Now, 24 years later, the sound of Terai’s piano transcends grief and loss, even conveying the joy of music.
8. Our Delight (Tadd Dameron)
A well-known piece written by Tadd Dameron for the Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra during the height of the bebop era in the mid-1940s, Our Delight highlights Flanagan’s musical style, which seamlessly incorporates the dynamism of big band arrangements into a piano trio. Flanagan had a customary introduction for this piece: “Bebop is the music before the Beatles and after the Beatles!” The more enthusiastic the applause in agreement, the more magnificent the performance became.
Encore:
1. To You (Thad Jones)
A beautiful ballad featured on Flanagan’s Thad Jones songbook album, “Let’s.” The first recording of this piece was on “First Time!,” the only collaborative album between two legendary big bands—Count Basie and Duke Ellington—recorded in 1962. However, considering that all the other pieces on “Let’s” were selections Flanagan had played with Jones at the Blue Bird Inn (1953-54), it is most likely that “To You” also dates back to that period. The shifting phases of sound, reminiscent of the waxing and waning of the moon, along with its distinctive rhythm that makes use of silence, evoke the traditional aesthetics of Japanese ink painting, where every brushstroke is deliberate and essential. With a piano touch inherited from Flanagan, Terai has recently added this piece to his repertoire.
2. Like Old Times (Thad Jones)
Another piece from the Blue Bird Inn era, “Like Old Times” was recorded by Flanagan and Jones on Jones’ Motor City Scene (United Artists, 1959). Over the years, the tune became a staple encore in Flanagan’s performances. Occasionally, he would playfully pull out a small whistle from his pocket and blow it at just the right moment, sparking laughter from the audience. At this concert, Terai carried on the tradition, whistling in the same playful manner—just like old times.
Text by Tamae Terai
