{"id":4359,"date":"2025-12-01T21:31:38","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T12:31:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jazzclub-overseas.com\/oshirase\/?p=4359"},"modified":"2025-12-22T21:54:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T12:54:22","slug":"the-tunes-cherished-by-tommy-flanagan-the-47th-tribute-to-tommy-flanagan-program-notes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jazzclub-overseas.com\/oshirase\/blog\/2025\/12\/01\/the-tunes-cherished-by-tommy-flanagan-the-47th-tribute-to-tommy-flanagan-program-notes\/","title":{"rendered":"The Tunes Cherished by Tommy Flanagan: The 47th Tribute to Tommy Flanagan Program Notes"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Young Terai and Flanagan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

(\u65e5\u672c\u8a9e\u7248\u306f\u3053\u3061\u3089<\/a>\uff09
P<\/strong>ianist and Jazz Club OverSeas owner Hisayuki Terai has honored his mentor, piano master Tommy Flanagan (1930-2001), by performing special concerts featuring Flanagan\u2019s iconic repertoire every year in the months of his birth and passing. The 47th tribute to Flanagan took place on November 15, 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Performance by Hisayuki Terai on piano, Zaiko Miyamoto on bass<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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<1st Set><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

1. Epistrophy (Thelonious Monk)<\/strong>
The concert opens with the Monk classic\u2014often used as his closing theme. For Terai, however, the meaning of the piece is quite different. He vividly remembers Flanagan\u2019s mind-blowing performance of Epistrophy<\/em> here at Jazz Club OverSeas. What served as \u201can ending\u201d for Monk has become \u201ca beginning\u201d for Terai\u2014a piece that marks moving forward after Flanagan\u2019s passing.<\/p>\n\n\n

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2. Beyond the Blue Bird (Tommy Flanagan)<\/strong>
 \u201cBlue Bird\u201d refers to Detroit\u2019s legendary jazz club, the Blue Bird Inn, where young Flanagan played nightly as part of the house band with Thad Jones and Billy Mitchell. The tune carries a bluesy nostalgia\u2014a birthplace of Detroit Hard Bop, and Flanagan\u2019s one and only ideal jazz club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Medley\uff1a Embraceable You (George Gershwin)
\u3000\u3000\u3000\uff5eQuasimodo(Charlie Parker)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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Flanagan\u2019s live medleys had a reputation, though sadly most were never recorded due to licensing issues.
This unusual pairing links Gershwin\u2019s tender standard with Parker\u2019s bebop line \u201cQuasimodo,\u201d based on the same changes. As the keys shift, the emotional landscape changes\u2014blurring the line between \u201cbeauty\u201d and \u201cugliness.\u201d
Flanagan\u2019s interpretation illuminates Parker\u2019s message: true beauty comes from the soul, not from outward appearances.<\/p>\n\n\n

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4. Good Morning Heartache (Irene Higginbotham)<\/strong>
A 1946 hit for Billie Holiday. Holiday\u2014Flanagan\u2019s idol and a profound musical influence\u2014stood at the center of his concept of storytelling in jazz. He often encouraged Terai to study her closely, and over the decades Holiday\u2019s intimate, narrative spirit has deeply taken root in Terai\u2019s own playing.<\/p>\n\n\n

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5. Minor Mishap (Tommy Flanagan)<\/strong>
First recorded on The Cats<\/strong> (1959, New Jazz)<\/em>. The other musicians had to play it at sight in what was effectively a one-take session. Flanagan treasured the piece afterward, performing it often as a bold example of Detroit Hard Bop. It remains one of Terai\u2019s signature tunes.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Dalarna,<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

6. Dalarna (Tommy Flanagan)<\/strong>
\u3000An early Flanagan original from Overseas <\/strong>(1957, Metronome<\/em>), one of his early masterpieces recorded during J.J. Johnson\u2019s Swedish tour. The region of Dalarna is known for its beautiful forests, lakes, and its iconic wooden horses\u2014one of which sat on tonight\u2019s piano.
The piece blends Impressionist colors, the influence of Billy Strayhorn, and Flanagan\u2019s trademark elegance with subtle key shifts.
Flanagan rarely revisited the tune until Terai revived it on his own Dalarna<\/em> album, which inspired Flanagan to rerecord it on Sea Changes<\/em> (1996). Right after the session, he phoned Terai\u2014bursting with excitement\u2014to tell him the news.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"chano<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

7. Tin Tin Deo (Chano Pozo, Gill Fuller, Dizzy Gillespie)<\/strong>
An Afro-Cuban jazz classic born from Chano Pozo\u2019s chant-like melodies and rhythms.
Flanagan excelled at transforming big-band material into trio arrangements, and his version blends the soulful depth of Afro-Cuban music with bebop sophistication.<\/p>\n\n\n

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<2nd>
1. That Tired Routine Called Love (Matt Dennis)<\/h4>\n\n\n
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\"Jazz<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u3000A 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 tune, with its many modulations, is no exception. Trombone master J.J. Johnson recorded this piece with Flanagan for the album First Place<\/strong> (Columbia, 1957<\/em>). Over 30 years later, Flanagan included the song on his own album, Jazz Poet<\/strong><\/em> (Timeless, 1989), and the arrangement was updated with subsequent live performances. Terai performs the evolved version of the arrangement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Smooth As the Wind (Tadd Dameron)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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One of Flanagan\u2019s favorite Tadd Dameron compositions. With a perfect balance of strength and elegance\u2014the hallmark of Dameron\u2019s sound\u2014the harmony unfolds like flowers blooming one after another.
Dameron wrote this piece during his time in a federal prison hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, for trumpeter Blue Mitchell\u2019s eponymous album, Smooth as the Wind<\/em> (Riverside, 1960), in which Flanagan also participated. The song flows like a poetic narrative, and the artistry in its arrangement reflects the enduring legacy of Tommy Flanagan.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\u300eSuper<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

3. Rachel\u2019s Rondo (Tommy Flanagan)<\/strong>
The vibrant piece, dedicated to his elder daughter, Rachel, was recorded on the album Super Session<\/strong><\/em> (Enja, 1980), featuring great Red Mitchell (bass) and Elvin Jones (drums). Although Flanagan rarely performed the tune on live, the piece remains a favorite among our patrons at OverSeas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


4. If You Could See Me Now (Tadd Dameron)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Sara<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Dameron wrote this song in 1946 for the then up-and-coming vocalist Sarah Vaughan. Flanagan loved Dameron\u2019s writing because \u201chis music has a built-in orchestral sound,\u201d and he adapted Vaughan\u2019s phrasing from her 1981 remake with the Count Basie Orchestra to heighten that orchestral feel. Terai regrets that Flanagan never recorded the song\u2014perhaps because Terai had already done so on his album, Flanagania<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Eclypso (Tommy Flanagan)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Eclypso\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

A popular calypso-flavored original. Terai identifies Bud Powell\u2019s So Sorry Please<\/em> as its harmonic source. During Terai\u2019s first extended stay in New York at Flanagan\u2019s invitation, this was the piece Flanagan chose for the final night at the Village Vanguard\u2014dedicating it to him from the stage.<\/p>\n\n\n

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6. I\u2019ll Keep Loving You (Bud Powell)<\/strong>
A quietly intense ballad believed to have been written by the innovative bebop pianist Bud Powell for his singer friend Daly Fern. Flanagan\u2019s interpretations always preserved Powell\u2019s character while adding a layer of refined beauty. Terai performs it here with deep, enduring affection for his mentor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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7. Our Delight (Tadd Dameron)<\/strong>
Another Dameron masterpiece that Flanagan often used as a concert closer, though unfortunately few trio recordings of it exist.
Today, Terai is likely the only pianist who can recreate the thrilling, bop-driven arrangement Flanagan used onstage. His interplay with bassist Zaiko Miyamoto is always a highlight.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Encore: <\/h2>\n\n\n
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Tom McIntosh (1927-2017)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

With Malice Toward None (Tom McIntosh)<\/strong>
A spiritual signature for both Flanagan and Terai\u2014and one of the most requested pieces at OverSeas.
The title echoes Abraham Lincoln\u2019s famous quote, while the melody draws on the hymn Jesus Loves Me<\/em>. Its message feels especially timely today.
During the piece\u2019s creation, McIntosh incorporated many ideas from his neighbor and friend, Flanagan\u2014which may be why Flanagan\u2019s interpretation remains unmatched among all existing recordings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ellingtonia<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n
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\"\u30c7\u30e5\u30fc\u30af\u30fb\u30a8\u30ea\u30f3\u30c8\u30f3\u3068\u30b9\u30c8\u30ec\u30a4\u30db\u30fc\u30f3\"
Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Chelsea Bridge (Billy Strayhorn)<\/strong>
A dreamy masterpiece by Duke Ellington\u2019s musical partner, Billy Strayhorn, whom Tommy Flanagan deeply admired. Though he recorded it only twice as a leader\u2014on Overseas<\/strong><\/em> (1957) and Tokyo Recital<\/strong><\/em> (1975)\u2014he revisited the piece several other times in various settings.
Late in life, he planned a full Strayhorn songbook album, a project sadly left unfinished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n

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Zaiko Miyamoto-bass<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Passion Flower (Billy Strayhorn)
<\/strong>A signature piece for bassist George Mraz during the Flanagan Trio era. In this tribute concert, Zaiko Miyamoto beautifully carried on the tradition with his own remarkable bow work. Even after Mraz left Flanagan\u2019s trio, he continued performing the piece, eventually including it on his album My Foolish Heart<\/em> <\/strong>(Milestone, 1995).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Black & Tan Fantasy (Duke Ellington)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Black<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In his later years, Flanagan increasingly explored pre-bebop repertoire connected to his childhood. This iconic 1927 Ellington piece\u2014famous from the Cotton Club era and emblematic of the Harlem Renaissance sound\u2014reflects the deep roots of Black music that Flanagan cherished and championed.
When Terai performed it for him during Flanagan\u2019s final visit to OverSeas, Flanagan praised the rendition warmly\u2014a memory Terai treasures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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\u3000The 47th Tommy Flanagan Tribute welcomed many guests from various places, allowing us once again to remember and celebrate the remarkable presence of great master Tommy Flanagan in his prime. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next tribute to Tommy Flanagan concert is scheduled for March 2026. We sincerely look forward to welcoming you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Text by Tamae Terai
\u3000<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(\u65e5\u672c\u8a9e\u7248\u306f\u3053\u3061\u3089\uff09Pianist and Jazz Club OverSeas owner Hisayuki Terai has honored his mentor, piano master Tommy Flana … “The Tunes Cherished by Tommy Flanagan: The 47th Tribute to Tommy Flanagan Program Notes” \u306e<\/span>\u7d9a\u304d\u3092\u8aad\u3080<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48,28,36],"tags":[32,49,33],"class_list":["post-4359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-english-edition","category-tommy-flanagan-tribute","category-36","tag-hisayukiterai","tag-tommy-flanagan","tag-zaikomiyamoto"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jazzclub-overseas.com\/oshirase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4359","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jazzclub-overseas.com\/oshirase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jazzclub-overseas.com\/oshirase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jazzclub-overseas.com\/oshirase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jazzclub-overseas.com\/oshirase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4359"}],"version-history":[{"count":39,"href":"https:\/\/jazzclub-overseas.com\/oshirase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4359\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4451,"href":"https:\/\/jazzclub-overseas.com\/oshirase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4359\/revisions\/4451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jazzclub-overseas.com\/oshirase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jazzclub-overseas.com\/oshirase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jazzclub-overseas.com\/oshirase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}