The Big Picture

Friday Night Jazz Fourth of July Funk

Friday, July 04, 2008 | 08:23 PM

No time for a full Friday Night Jazz -- off to watch the fireworks if the rain holds off -- but here's a funk tune you should check out: James Brown (Part 1 & 2) Buckshot LeFonque : Music Evolution.

Buckshot LeFonque was a group Branford Marsalis formed in his post Sting days (1994 & 97). The goal was to meld classical jazz with rock, rap, R&B and hip-hop. Its really all over the place, with no defining sound.

Except this song. Its got a great groove, with a pure funk first half. Its hip-hop meets be-bop. It manages to meld in some rap in the second half, in a harmonic way that works, and pays an homage to JB at the same time.

You don't need to buy the whole album -- just find this song somewhere and buy it.

UPDATE: I found an embeddable version on imeem.com

~~~

Hey Branford, here's an idea -- do an entire funk album. You don't have to channel James Brown on every track (2 or 3 would be fine). But a song with this powerful of a groove is calling out for more . . .

Previously:
Soul Man
http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2007/01/soul_man.html

James Brown, Godfather of Soul: RIP
http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2006/12/james_brown_rip.html

Reflections on James Brown
http://bigpicture.typepad.com/writing/2006/12/reflections_on_.html

Friday Night Jazz: Steely Dan

Friday, June 20, 2008 | 07:00 PM

in Digital Media | Friday Night Jazz | Music

I'm a huge fan of what the BBC once called "one of the most important and intelligent bands the US has produced: Steely Dan.

Saw 'em live a few times, most recently on Wednesday night at the Beacon Theater. If you ever get a chance to see a concert in a small venue with large artists, its a very interesting experience (3rd row center doesn't hurt either).

Their music is characterized by "complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies, literate and sometimes obscure or ambiguous lyrics, filled with dark sarcasm." They are known for their "adroit musicianship and studio perfectionism." (Wiki)

I was trying to figure out the best way to recommend material from The Dan -- which albums you must own -- but I simply cannot offer up anything better than the 4 CD box set.

The 4 CD box set itself is the first ~~six~~ 7 of the Dan's studio releases on 4 discs for the bargain price of $36.

Steely Dan are justly famous for their use of "chord sequences and harmonies that explore the area of musical tension between traditional pop music sounds and jazz." These 4 CDs reveal a musical dynamism that is unmatched in modern music. The lyrics are sardonic, engaging and humorous. Indeed, it is one of the greatest catalogues in the annals of pop/jazz music history. That's one reason why Steely Dan makes my short list of greatest American Rock and Roll bands. (Note that on Rolling Stone's top 500 albums, Pretzel Logic is #385 and Can't Buy a Thrill is #238.

Also of note: Citizen Steely Dan: 1972-1980 contains what may very well be the best Amazon review I have ever come across.

Your other option is to grab a few single discs. If I had to cut it down to just 3 CDs, here's how I would roll: Surely, you can pick any of the five early Dan CDs -- all are great -- but my favorite is 1975's Katy Lied ($7.97). The album saw took otherwise classic rock style songs, and arranged and played them in a jazz idiom. With Michael McDonald's background vocals, the Dan infused a smoky Soul flavor. It was complex mashup of styles that worked wonderfully.

My second disc choice has to be the great Aja, a groundbreaking 1977 CD. It was a favorite of audiophiles, stunned recording engineers, oh, and dominated FM radio for a year. Aja was even more heavily jazz-influenced than Katy Lied, and was graced with top-notch jazz musicians: Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour, Wayne Shorter and Chuck Rainey.

Aja won numerous awards, shot into the Top Five in the U.S. charts within three weeks of release, and was one of the first American LPs to be certified 'platinum' for sales of over 1 million albums. It was that good. Aja is #145 on Rolling Stone's top 500 albums. If I have any complaint about this slick disc, it was that the radio play was so overwhelming it became a bit played out way back when.

Last year, I mentioned the making of Steely Dan' Peg (off of Aja) that I randomly discovered on YouTube. It was simply terrific. If you are any type of Dan fan, you must go order this right now.

The third selection is Donald Fagen's solo disc, The Nightfly (a previous Friday Night Jazz selection). Even if you get the Dan box set, you have to add this CD to the mix. The WSJ called The Nightfly "one of pop music's sneakiest masterpieces" and I think that moniker fits well. The key to this is the music's timeless quality. It was retro back in 1982, and over the years, has never grown to sound tired or even of a specific era. It remains fresh, even 25 years later.

Not only did the CD win critical acclaim amongst the jazz and pop reviewers, but the disc delighted audiophiles of all stripes. You see, The Nightfly was one of the first fully digital recordings of popular music. Add to that the usual crisp, sleek production The Dan were famous for, and you have a recipe for a phenomenal recording.

Any of the above provides a rewarding aural experience. These are amongst the best music from the 1970s/80s era, and indeed of all time.

~~~

Before we jump to the videos, one little bit of trivia: Since both Becker & Fagen were avid readers of 1950's "Beat" literature, they decided to name the band "Steely Dan" after a dildo in William Burroughs' "Naked Lunch" . . .

videos after the jump.

Continue reading "Friday Night Jazz: Steely Dan"

Stairway to Heaven is Worth $572 million

Wednesday, June 18, 2008 | 07:30 PM

in Digital Media | Music

Portfolio does a fun analysis as to what the full value of Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven would be worth if the band went all out on the licensing side.

They call it a"back-of-the-napkin analysis of the lifetime worth of the most requested rock tune in history:"

"In the big, bad game of rock and roll, “Stairway to Heaven” is undeniably a winner. Released by Led Zeppelin in 1971, the eight-minute song is considered a musical masterpiece and is one of the most-played rock tunes of all time. Proving its longevity, “Stairway” hit the U.K. charts again last fall and was a top download in the U.S., after Zeppelin’s first downloadable album launched on iTunes. But because the band is notoriously protective of its work, “Stairway” hasn’t met its full moneymaking potential. While other artists have made big bucks by licensing songs to Hollywood and Madison Avenue—think of Bob Dylan’s “Love Sick” in that Victoria’s Secret commercial—Zeppelin has shunned most opportunities. We consulted executives in the music, advertising, and entertainment industries to come up with some numbers, real and potential, for the value of “Stairway."

That seems a little rich to me, but hey! It is Stairway. . .

Sources:
Stairway Surprise
Miriam Datskovsky
Portfolio July 2008 Issue http://www.portfolio.com/culture-lifestyle/culture-inc/arts/2008/06/16/Stairway-to-Heavens-Revenues

Led Zeppelin IV (aka ZOSO)
November 8, 1971

Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones on Stairway to Heaven
http://rhino.edgeboss.net/download/rhino/ledzeppelin/discography/lz4_stairway.mp3

Led Zeppelin to Make Its Songs Available Digitally
JEFF LEEDS
NYT, October 15, 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/15/arts/music/15musi.html

Videos after the jump . . .

Continue reading "Stairway to Heaven is Worth $572 million"

For Those About to Rock, We Have Always Low Prices*

Monday, June 09, 2008 | 08:30 PM

in Digital Media | Music | Retail

Last year, we noted that the Eagles had "Disintermediated the Major Labels" by selling the CD to consumer via Wal-Mart -- no label necessary.

How did that work out? Not too shabby: The Eagles’ double disc, “Long Road Out of Eden,” sold 711,000 copies in its first week and three million since, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Ironically, the disc is available used at Amazon ($7.98) or in MP3 format for $10.98 -- but if you want a new CD, its Wal-Mart or nothing.

Journey was another big 1970/80s band going the Wal-Mart route, with Fleetwood Mac's management now also in discussions with the big W.

Up next: Veteran rockers AC/DC. Via the WSJ, we learn:

"Wal-Mart is expected to pull out the stops to promote the AC/DC album, the band's 16th studio release, which is to come out in the fall and hasn't yet been titled. Such a push -- including prominent displays of CDs in stores and heavy advertising -- could yield blockbuster sales, in an environment in which blockbusters are increasingly rare. Columbia Chairman Steve Barnett, reached by telephone, declined to comment. Wal-Mart spokeswoman Melissa O'Brien didn't respond to requests for comment about AC/DC.

But even as it strikes novel deals with a handful of artists and labels, Wal-Mart is preparing changes in its approach to selling the vast majority of music. It is unclear what the upshot of those changes will be, but one likely scenario involves cuts in the number of music titles the chain carries.

Wal-Mart executives, frustrated by perennially declining CD sales, have been quietly exploring changes in their approach to selling music. The company has described different versions of its potential new strategy to different players in the music industry."

What's noteworthy about these deals is that they all involve dinosaurs who's best days are long behind them, going to Wal-Mart for their promotional muscle. Now if Wal-Mart cut a deal with any band that wasn't cranking out albums in the 1960s, '70s, or '80s, I might think there was something very interesting afoot. Say, a Radiohead or a Coldplay or Sarah McLachlan.

But no. The newer bands are going to the internet, rather than WAL-Mart. Their fans skew younger, and are more comfortable on line; Many of them are quite international, and domestic US sales matter less. Lastly, there is something decidely unhip about Wal-Mart that simply doesn't call out to Beck.

Sure, I love classic rock. But whgen it comes to music, I guess I am more of a long-tail, Amazon, iTunes Music Store kinda guy . . .

Previously
Eagles Disintermediate Major Labels, ITMS (November 2007)
http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2007/11/eagles-direct-d.html

Related:
AC/DC To Wal-Mart
http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/index.php/archives/2008/06/09/1250/

Source:
As CDs Decline, Wal-Mart Spins Its Strategy
Chain Signs Latest Exclusive Album -- And May Cut Titles
ETHAN SMITH
WSJ, June 9, 2008; Page B1
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121296803253355751.html

For Some Music, It Has to Be Wal-Mart and Nowhere Else
ROBERT LEVINE
NYT, June 9, 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/business/media/09walmart.html

* For you young 'uns, the title refers to a 1981 AC/DC album: For Those About to Rock We Salute You

Bronfman on Internet, Apple & Music

Saturday, June 07, 2008 | 03:30 AM

in Music | Video | Web/Tech

Interesting chat:

Friday Evening Jazz: Mocean Worker

Friday, June 06, 2008 | 07:08 PM

in Digital Media | Friday Night Jazz | Music

This morning on the train, a boatload of tourists, screaming kids in tow, filled the seats near me.

This always raises a challenging musical question as to how to proceed. It's early in the morning, and I'm reading the papers (NYT & WSJ). I sometimes find it distracting to play loud music that might overpower the rugrats if it also comes with lyrics --- especially those I tend to sing along with internally (Hey Hey Mama, say the way you move, gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove)

Jazz is much more appropriate for that hour of the day, but with the screaming munchkins in the background, the quiet musical moments and soft passages get punctuated by shrill shrieks. Not what you want here during mellow interludes at that hour of the morning.

Fortunately, I flipped on Mocean Worker (pronounced M'Ocean Worker) this morning.

It's kinda hard to describe exactly what genre this music is: It's definitely jazz-based, but layered and looped with various electronica and horn section instrumentation. There are elements of funk, big-band and swing. It's loud, foot-tappingly rhythmic, smooth jazz, and best of all, there are no soft passages on Cinco de Mowo. Genre wise, I would say it falls somewhere between Electronica and Jazz -- call it Nu-Jazz. The beats are inventive and the samples are creatively applied.

The album pictured above is Cinco de Mowo, and its particularly raucous. Its my favorite of his 5 discs; Enter the Mowo is mellower, with both Jazz and World music cuts, but also interesting.

NPR notes that Mocean Worker is Adam Dorn (and sometimes "Mowo"), who comes with a fabled jazz pedigree. He's the son of famed record producer Joel Dorn (Roberta Flack, John Coltrane, Leon Redbone), and he grew up around the jazz and R&B discs his father produced for Atlantic Records in the '60s and '70s.

One Amazon reviewer noted: "He's out to make good-time, danceable, jazz-influenced tunes. If they act as a jazz gateway drug, all the better."

The bottom line: Its fun stuff -- enjoy!

Official Website
http://www.moceanworker.com/

Mocean Worker: Old Jazz Meets New Producer http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11791823

My Space Page

Videos:

The first video is a fabulous bit if animation, to the tune of Shake Your Boogie; The second clip shows Adam doing his things on a Powerbook using Recycle.

Shake Your Boogie

Mocean Worker - Remixing the King of Rock n' Roll

Weezer's Ode to You Tube

Saturday, May 31, 2008 | 09:00 PM

in Digital Media | Music | Video | Web/Tech

The official video for "Pork and Beans" from Weezer stars quite a few familiar YouTube faces.

New Weezer disc Red Album" out Monday, June 3rd, 2008

Friday Night Jazz: Chet Baker II

Friday, May 30, 2008 | 06:15 PM

in Friday Night Jazz | Music

I was searching out some of my favorite Jazz artists on YouTube, when I randomly stumbled across this video of Chet Baker. For those of you unfamiliar with Baker, he was a terrific Trumpet player who was later "discovered" as a wistful blues singer, specializing in ballads and love songs.

Chet Baker's vocal style is unmistakably unique -- my favorite description of his his voice is "at times, it seems like he's hanging onto the melody by his fingernails." He seems at times half a tone off where you might expect him to be.

There is a lovely melancholy, a gentle beauty, to the way he wraps his voice around a song. The soft, simple sentiment embodied in his lyrical approach to ballads can turn any song into a brooding lament.

There's quite a few other videos at ChetBaker.net . . .

~~~

Either of these two CDs are good places to start exploring Baker's works:

My Funny Valentine
Funny_valentine_

"His vocals were absolutely distinctive, sung in a high-pitched, even fragile voice seemingly drained of emotion and yet possessing an inherent charm, a detachment that might be both the antithesis of style and its definition, whether it's heard as sensitivity or indifference. The singing is a double of his trumpet playing here, spare and barely present but achieving much through nuance and suggestion. Pianist Russ Freeman is an almost constant partner, supplying deft chords and harmonic daring, amplifying Baker's ideas. Their empathy is especially evident in the beautiful instrumental "Moon Love," but it's just as significant on signature Baker songs such as "My Funny Valentine," "Let's Get Lost," and "Like Someone in Love." --Stuart Broomer

The Best of Chet Baker Sings
Best_of_chet_baker_sings

New videos after the jump

Continue reading "Friday Night Jazz: Chet Baker II"

Maybe the CD Is Not Dead Yet

Tuesday, May 27, 2008 | 06:00 PM

in Consumer Spending | Digital Media | Music

Interesting discussion, via Hits Magazine on the Compact Disc -- still a multi=-billion dollar business:

CD OR NOT CD: Here’s a shocker: A just-completed survey of American music consumers conducted by Pew Internet & American Life Project survey found that 82% of respondents, or 69% of those under 35, still buy all (62%) or most (20%) of their music on CD, while 15%, or 27% of those under 35, said that half of their purchases now downloads of individual tracks. Some 86% of music buyers said they rely on radio, TV or movies to find out about music (apparently print media wasn’t listed as a choice in the survey), 64% consult family, friends and co-workers, and 51% said online information had no impact whatsoever on their music purchases. Just 22% of those surveyed said their most recent music purchase was done online (including physical CDs as well as downloads), while 74% said the purchase was made at a retail location. Thanks to Digital Media Wire for crunching the numbers. (5/23a)

-Hits Magazine, quoting DMW who summarize the Pew report (below).

Consider the following music/cd factoids --

Music purchasing still generally means buying a CD and buying in a store:

• 82% of music buyers say that all (62%) or most (20%) of the music they buy is CDs.

• 15% say at least half their purchases were individual digital files.

Even for young adult music buyers (defined as those under age 36), music purchasing still is dominated by CDs:

• 69% buy most or all of their music on CDs

• 27% purchasing digital music files at least half the time.

• 74% of music buyers say their most recent purchase was at a store, while 22% said it
was done online (either ordering a CD or a paid download).

Once people buy music, they are most likely to cite an offline means as a way that they
share the experience:

• 77% of music buyers say they talk about a music purchase with family or friends.

Various media resources also play key roles in how people engage with music after they buy it:

• 56% of music buyers say they watch a music video of the song or artist, some of which may be online videos.

• 44% of music buyers transfer the music to a CD, computer, or MP3 player.

• 44% of music buyers have done at least one online activity relating to their music purchase, such as going to an artist’s or band’s website or reading blogs about the artist or band.

Internet-using music buyers use the internet post-purchase to connect directly with artists.

• 39% go to the artist’s or band’s website.

• 28% look online for live performances by the artist.

• 13% either post their music to a social networking site such as Facebook or post their
own reviews of the music they purchase.

Thanks, Gene.

Source:
The Internet and Consumer Choice
PEW INTERNET & AMERICAN LIFE PROJECT
18 May 2008
http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Consumer.Decisions.pdf

♪ Tighten Up ♪

Saturday, May 24, 2008 | 10:30 PM

in Digital Media | Music | Video

James Brown's version of Tighten Up (1968)

And the original Archie Bell and the Drells version

Archie Bell and the Drells

Friday Night Jazz: Gerry Mulligan II

Friday, May 23, 2008 | 07:00 PM

in Digital Media | Friday Night Jazz | Music

About 10 years ago, while window shopping in Sag Harbor (the least offensive of the Hamptons), I hear this fabulous music wafting out the door of a small shop.

Turns out it was Gerry Mulligan's CD, Paraiso-Jazz Brazil.

It was a real eye opener: This clean, cool recording of lovely Latin melodies, overlaid with a delightfully dry, reedy saxophone that infused everything with a sophisticated flavor. That was Gerry Mulligan's sound.

NPR radio described Mulligan as "the most influential baritone saxophonist in jazz."

But Mulligan was more than that -- he was a commanding composer, an innovative musician, someone who pushed boundaries, yet remained accessible and enjoyable to listen to.

His history of playing with other key Jazz greats is rather astounding: He worked with Miles Davis' on the historic Birth of the Cool. He created a piano-less ensemble, with trumpeter Chet Baker.

He cut albums with Thelonius Monk, Paul Desmond, Dave Brubeck, Stan Getz, Lionel Hampton, Ben Webster, Johnny Hodges, Judy Holliday -- the list of sidemen goes on and on.

Mulligan's light and airy baritone saxophone was the epitome of the the "cool" jazz sound. Yet its amazing how easily he could interact with many other musical styles: Ben Webster's blustery tenor (the epitome of a "warm" sound); Monk's percussive, fractured piano rhythms and dissonant tunes; the sweet, subtle tension between Mulligan and Chet Baker.

You can pretty much grab any random Mulligan album (I put up a decent selection here) and not be disappointed. You will see scattered around a broad selection of different styles, eras, and musical cohorts.

Are you a Brubeck fan? Monk? Chet Baker? Webster? Desmond? Grab anything, sit back -- and enjoy.

~~~

Mulligan became known for his writing and arranging skills in his teens. He wrote for Johnny Warrington's radio band in 1944, and for Gene Krupa's band two years later.

Mulligan hit the big time when he became known for his work (writing, arranging, and soloing) on Miles Davis' defining album, "Birth of the Cool." Gerry's compositions for this album included "Jeru," "Godchild," and "Venus de Milo," all songs that would remain in his repertoire long after the initial success of the album had died down. (This album launched and aided several careers of important jazz figures).

Mulligan's last record came out as one of his most beautiful. Lovely tunes, clever arrangements, and understated fabulous players mark his last recording (John Scofield and Grover Washington, Jr. play on this).

Simply timeless music -- and perfect for the holiday weekend with friends and family . . .

Mulligan Discography (massive PDF)

NYT Mulligan Obit

Mulligan Videos after the jump

~~~~

Continue reading "Friday Night Jazz: Gerry Mulligan II"

Friday Evening Jazz: Marvin Gaye

Friday, May 16, 2008 | 06:30 PM

in Friday Night Jazz | Music | Video

Last week, while randomly channel surfing, I stumbled across a fantastic PBS documentary in the American Masters series, titled Marvin Gaye: What's Going On.

It was a terrific review of the wonderful music and troubled life of Marvin Gaye.

Those of you who are less familiar with early Soul and R&B owe it to yourself to learn a bit about Gaye, best known as an artist on the Motown record label in the 1960s and 1970s.

Gaye had a classic R&B voice -- described as "edged with grit yet tempered with sweetness." But he was much more than that: He was Motown’s renaissance man: A songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer as well.

AllMusic: "Moving from lean, powerful R&B to stylish, sophisticated soul to finally arrive at an intensely political and personal form of artistic self-expression, his work not only redefined soul music as a creative force but also expanded its impact as an agent for social change."

You can explore Gaye's work a couple of ways: The one click method is either a box set or a Best Of. For the big 4 CD box, go with The Master 1961-1984. A less exhaustive approach is Every Great Motown Hit of Marvin Gaye.

I much prefer the albums over the greatest hits, The self-produced What's Going On was a landmark effort, described as "a dramatic shift in both content and style that forever altered the face of black music." A mix of percussion, soul and jazz, it has a remarkably sophisticated and fluid sound. Reviewers have called What's Going On a conceptual masterpiece.

The long-simmering eroticism implicit in much of Gaye's work reached its boiling point with 1973's Let's Get It On, one of the most sexually charged albums ever recorded; a work of intense lust and longing, it became the most commercially successful effort of his career

Top Ten Albums
1971: What's Going On (#6 U.S.)
1973: Let's Get It On (#2 U.S.)
1973: Diana & Marvin (#5 UK)
1974: Marvin Gaye Live! (#8 U.S.)
1976: I Want You (#4 U.S.)
1977: Live at the London Palladium (#3 U.S.)
1982: Midnight Love (#7 U.S.; #10 UK)
1994: The Very Best of Marvin Gaye (#3 UK)
2000: Marvin Gaye Love Songs (#8 UK)

Recommended Albums

• What's Going On
• Let's Get It On
• The Master 1961-1984 (Box Set)

• NPR: A Tribute to Marvin Gaye

videos after the jump

Continue reading "Friday Evening Jazz: Marvin Gaye"

Feist

Saturday, May 03, 2008 | 11:30 PM

in Digital Media | Music

Nice acoustic version on Colbert:

My friend Gene represents her, REM, Joe Cocker, a bunch of other artists. Hey, Gene, I ordered the new R.E.M. today . . .

Friday Night Jazz: Thelonious Monk

Friday, May 02, 2008 | 07:30 PM

in Digital Media | Friday Night Jazz | Music

One of my all time favorites Jazz musicians is Thelonius Monk.

I stumbled across this video via a random click, and it reminded me just how much I have always loved Monk's work, hence, another Friday Night Jazz featuring Monk.

Our man Monk was a three way genius: As a composer, as a jazz pianist, and as an improvisationist, he was without peer, and shaped the future of Jazz. Some notable discs:

• Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane -- what more can you add to these two geniuses riffing off of each other? Simply a monst rous most own.

• Monk's Dream is a great example of Thelonious Monk in a Quartet format, with Monk at the peak of his career peak.

• Monk's Music a classsic compositions & recordings; Bold and inspired, with Coltrane, Blakey and Hawkins. Just fabulous.

• Solo Monk a man, a piano, a studio tape recorder. Brilliant.

and

• Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall accidentally discovered in an unmarked box by a Library of Congress engineer early 2005 (previously mentioned in our year end review).

Videos after the jump . . .

Continue reading "Friday Night Jazz: Thelonious Monk"

Friday Evening Jazz: Dexter Gordon

Friday, April 25, 2008 | 07:00 PM

in Digital Media | Friday Night Jazz | Music

FNJ has a guest DJ tonite: BondDaddy is in the house!

Dexter Gordon is one of the greatest tenor sax players. He had a strong tone and incredible sense of melody. Some players like Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson had a slippery sense of time; their phrases speed up and slow down, moving within the rythm section's accompaniment. Not Dexter. Dex's time was rock solid, never wavering. The rythm section had to accompany his time.

His playing is incredibly melodic, easily followed by the listener. Ideas naturally morphed from one to the other, always following a logical pattern. However, he was also able to surprise listeners with a run into upper chordal extensions.

His playing provides a logical link between Parker and Coltrane. Dex used many ideas from Parker, but played them with a tone that was deep, bold and soulful. His tone provides the link to Coltrane, who also favored a deep and rich tenor tone.

Gordon swung -- and swung hard. If your feet are not tapping within 8 bars of his starting to play, you're just not listening.

Our Man in Paris: This be-bop session is a meeting between three of the most influential musicians of the forties. The rhythms crackle, the solos fly; Our Man In Paris is essential Dexter. A nice compilation of standards.

Homecoming: Live at the Village Vanguard. Dex lived in Amsterdam for about 10 years, and this was the album be made when he came back. Very cool set. Woody Shaw is on Trumpet, and the two work really well together. THis is Dexter at the very top of his game (and probably one of the top 25 live jazz albums of all time).

He also starred in the Round Midnight, probably the best jazz movie ever made

Go: Its been widely reported Gordon himself considered this his greatest achievement. Brimming with conviction and poise, Gordon's gentle-giant sax carries itself with a sort of graceful edge that is difficult to emulate. Never has anyone made the diminished scale sound so musical.

Ballads: This is a compilation of his ballads (duh), and he could play just beautifully on these. Gordon delivers his almost sleepy and smoke-filled solos with real grace. Some of the most romantic playing you will every hear.

~~~

Videos after the jump

Continue reading "Friday Evening Jazz: Dexter Gordon"

The Last Remaining NYC Record Stores

Saturday, April 19, 2008 | 07:30 PM

in Digital Media | Music

Does anyone go to record stores anymore?

Click for ginormous map:

Courtesy of NYT

Source:
Record Stores Fight to Be Long-Playing
BEN SISARIO
NYT, April 18, 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/arts/music/18reco.html

New Gadget: iPod to iPod

Monday, April 14, 2008 | 05:00 PM

in Digital Media | Music | Technology

Hey RIAA, suck on this one:

miShare is a sweet little gadget that facilitates song sharing via two iPods, no web connection required, no computer or cable is needed. With the gadget, you can share files, photos, videos and playlists between iPods. Just attach the source and target iPods and press miShare's button to start the transfer.

Sweet!

http://www.mishare.com/

Friday Evening Jazz: Kind of Blue

Friday, April 11, 2008 | 06:29 PM

in Digital Media | Friday Night Jazz | Music

A few months ago, Hale took an eclectic look at some of the lesser known works of Miles Davis. Tonite, I want to go in the opposite direction, and simply focus on one disc: Kind of Blue.

Why? Not only is Kind of Blue Davis' best-selling album, it may very well be the best-selling jazz record of any artist, of all time. Even though it was released almost 50 years ago, it still sells over 5,000 copies per week today. In addition to its commercial success, it has come to be described by many Jazz critics as the greatest jazz album of all time.

Writing in AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted: "Kind of Blue isn't merely an artistic highlight for Miles Davis, it's an album that towers above its peers, a record generally considered as the definitive jazz album, a universally acknowledged standard of excellence. Why does Kind of Blue posses such a mystique? Perhaps because this music never flaunts its genius. It lures listeners in with the slow, luxurious bassline and gentle piano chords of "So What." From that moment on, the record never really changes pace -- each tune has a similar relaxed feel, as the music flows easily. Yet Kind of Blue is more than easy listening. It's the pinnacle of modal jazz -- tonality and solos build from the overall key, not chord changes, giving the music a subtly shifting quality."

The one jazz record to own even if you don't listen to jazz -- the band is extraordinary: John Coltrane, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley on saxophones, Wynton Kelly and Bill Evans on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums. I recently received a remastered CD of kind the album, thus retiring my scratchy hiss and pop laden vinyl version. (And another intelligent CD pricing: $7.47 at Amazon)

For those of you looking for some , check out NPR: Kind of Blue (54 minutes)

videos after the jump . . .

Continue reading "Friday Evening Jazz: Kind of Blue"

Friday Night Jazz Alt-Rock: R.E.M.

Friday, April 04, 2008 | 07:01 PM

in Digital Media | Music

R.E.M. is the original alternative rock band. Their first album, 1983's Murmur, transformed the post-punk, underground college-rock era into brand new genre: What you take for granted as alternative rock was essentially created out of whole cloth by R.E.M.

I was a huge R.E.M. fan in grad school, and their first few albums were enormously powerful and influential.

They came up in conversation with an old friend recently, who noted that the band just released its 14th album, "Accelerate."

Most of you young'uns probably are familiar with the band's later bigger commercial hits -- "Losing My Religion, Shiny Happy People, Everybody Hurts, Stand, etc." That stuff is all good for what it is -- better than most of the pop on the radio at the same time, anyway.

But if you really want to delve into this seminal and influential band's best work, you need to go back to 4 of their first 5 albums.

Genius lay that way.

A little context: In 1983, the US Stock market had just awoken from a 16 year slumber. Reagan was President, polyester had not yet gone away. The movie Saturday Night Fever was still relatively fresh in people's minds, and there was plenty of Disco on the air, along with Journey, Boston, and Foreigner. It was an ugly, if simpler, time.

Along comes R.E.M., from of all places Athens, GA. Murmur broke boundaries, and literally created a new genre. The music lay somewhere between the jangling guitar work of the 1960s bands (Beatles, Byrds), with a drive that was not unlike later bands (Clash, Patti Smith).

I was surprised to see that the CDs of both Murmur and Reckoning are $7.97 at Amazon. It is long overdue for the music industry to use dynamic pricing on the back catalogues of artists. I suspect, however, they are a decade too late, and have already lost a generation of CD buyers.

R.E.M. was overtly political. Their songs were barbed attacks on the status quo, hidden beneath hauntingly beautiful melodies, arcane lyrical language, driving drumbeats, jangly guitars, and mumbled vocals. It was a completely idiosyncratic approach, but it worked well.

What stood out most of all were their collections of songs, alternatively beautiful and compelling. Dramatic structures, majestic melodies, lush vocal harmonies and somewhat archaic language combined for a unique sound.

The band became a critical darling, and sold increasingly well. Each subsequent album sharpened the band's focus, and saw their writing become increasingly layered and complex, culminating in the tight, driving rock of Document. This was the album that catapulted R.E.M. from college radio favorites to mainstream stardom -- and with good cause, too. It also marked their critical (but not their commercial) peak.

A recent WSJ piece noted the commercial decline:

"It has been a long, slow fade for a band that came to be known both as one of the founders of alternative rock and one of the genre's most bankable names. Its 1996 contract turned out to be the high-water mark of a five-year frenzy of wildly expensive superstar contracts across the music industry, whipped up by interlabel bidding wars and CD sales' seemingly boundless potential for growth. Most of these deals, such as Sony Music's $60 million contract with Michael Jackson in 1991, and Virgin's $70 million 1996 pact with his sister Janet, proved overly optimistic about the commercial prospects of artists who were past their prime."

That sound about right. None of these artists have since achieved any level of their former commercial -- or critical -- success.

I hope REM breaks the streak. I have yet to hear the entire new album, Accelerate, but the first single, "Supernatural Superserious" is encouraging. Reviews have generally been positive, calling the album R.E.M.'s "most relevant in years."

Must Own Albums:

• Murmur (1983)

• Reckoning (1984)

• Lifes Rich Pageant (1986)

• Document (1987)

New Album

• Accelerate (2008)

Videos after the jump . . .

Continue reading "Friday Night ~~Jazz~~ Alt-Rock: R.E.M. "

Friday Night Jazz: What New Music Are You listening to?

Friday, March 28, 2008 | 07:52 PM

in Digital Media | Music

With the first quarter coming to an end in a few days, I made an interesting discovery: I have purchased nothing new that really blew me away.

By now, I usually have 5 or 6 candidates for our year end list, but so far, just 2 strong contenders: River: The Joni Letters, and Shelby Lynne' Just A Little Lovin', a Dusty Springfield cover album.

I previously mentioned the latest