Summa, Summa, Summatime

Walter Bishop Jr.: Summertime
From Keeper of My Soul [Black Jazz, 1973]

The Free Design: Summertime
From Heaven/Earth [Project 3, 1969]

Ahhhh yes. Finally feeling like summer here in the Bay Area, and for those that aren't familiar with the extremely sporadic weather of the Bay, my only choice is to enjoy it while it lasts.

For me weather can really dictate the music I'm in the mood for, and I assume that's the same for a lot of people. For me, summer weather calls for great bouncy and airy tunes, and while early dancehall or some jazzy hip hop always seems to do the trick, today I'm going to throw out a couple covers of "Summertime" from two different ends of the spectrum. First we have a rendition by Walter Bishop Jr. who was a jazz pianist/keyboardist and son of swing drummer Walter Bishop Sr. "Summertime" was featured on his second of two albums for soul jazz imprint Black Jazz records, but unlike many of their releases which are hit or miss, Keeper of My Soul is a fairly consistent and funky record. His version of "Summertime" is uncharacteristically slow and chunky, which is probably the main reason why I'm drawn to it so much.

On the other hadn we have the Free Design which was sort of like a flower power rock band of the 60's and 70's, releasing a number of albums on the Project 3 label. Despite their radio friendly pop melodies and strong arrangements, none of their albums reached commercial success despite comparisons to the Beach Boys. Nevertheless, many people are seeking out their records and appreciating what was largely unappreciated in their heyday. Many form a love/hate relationship with this group, myself falling closer to the loev side simply because I find their music refreshingly fun, light, and at times funky. Here, their cover of "Summertime" does a nice job of encapsulating their sound, giving the track a nice airy tone and displaying a blissful use of jazz and funk influences. While I must admit that some of their music can come off cheesy, it's moments like these that I find the Free Design totally worthwhile.