Philly Joe Jones, “Blues for Dracula,” from Blues for Dracula (Riverside, 1958)
Happy Halloween, jazz fans. To celebrate, here’s a real treat from the jazz vault: Philly Joe Jones’ “Blues for Dracula,” the title track from the drummer’s 1958 leader debut. The song packs plenty of hard-charging swing and blues-drenched improvisation from cornetist Nat Adderley, trombonist Julian Priester, saxophonist Johnny Griffin, pianist Tommy Flanagan and bassist Jimmy Garrison. But it’s also a cheeky take on the horror-film craze of the 1950s, complete with a Bela Lugosi impersonator who intones with a thick Transylvanian accent, “I’m the Bebop Vampire. I like the song the song to shine!”
