The Big Picture

Friday Evening Jazz: Marvin Gaye

Friday, May 16, 2008 | 06:30 PM

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 Billie Holiday, but for some reason, I didn't think that quite qualified as new.

~~~

Anything circa late 2007/2008 that is really floating your musical boats?

What say ye?

Top 20 Biggest Music Industry Screw Ups

Thursday, March 13, 2008 | 06:30 PM

in Digital Media | Music | Web/Tech

Blender has released their Top 20 Biggest Music Industry Screw Ups, and we have a new chart topper!

Previously, the biggest music industry gaffe was Dick Rowe's billion-dollar screw up in passing on The Beatles. That has now been surpassed. The new winner in terms of biggest music industry snafus: The Industry turning its back on the internet has moved into the #1 spot with a bullet.

Here's the top 20:

20. As grunge dawns, one label bets on hair metal
19. The industry kills the single—and begins its own slow demise
18. BMG dumps Clive Davis, begs him to return
17. Thomas Edison disses jazz, industry standards
16. Warner pays for Wilco record twice
15. MCA’s teen-pop calamity
14. Stax Records unintentionally gives away the store
13. One label’s big spending single-handedly ends “alt-rock” boom
12. Geffen pumps millions into (the nonexistent) Chinese Democracy
11. Geffen sues Neil Young for making “unrepresentative” music
10. Columbia Records loses Alicia Keys, drops 50 Cent
9. “Digital-rights management” backfires even more badly than usual
8. Warner junks Interscope
7. Music publisher gives away Bob Dylan
6. Casablanca rides strong sales straight to the poorhouse
5. The RIAA sues a struggling single mom for digital piracy
4. Indie promoters take the major labels to the cleaners
3. Motown sells for a pittance
2. Decca Records A&R exec tells Fab Four, “No, thanks”
1. Major labels squash Napster

Notably missing: When John Fogerty left Creedence Clearwater Revival to begin his recording solo, his record company sued him, claiming the songwriter had plagiarized himself. The entire tale is sordid and ugly and makes the labels look even worse than they really are, which is kinda hard to do. (See this: Fogerty's Fabled Fantasy Fight).

Any other notable omissions?

Sources:
20 Biggest Record Company Screw-Ups of All Time
Jon Dolan, Josh Eells, Fred Goodman
Blender March 11 2008
http://www.blender.com/20BiggestRecordCompanyScrewUps/articles/18696.aspx

War against Web tops music biz "screw-ups" list
Reuters, Wed Mar 12, 2008 6:24pm EDT
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1151953920080312

Apple iTunes to Sell Beatles Songs?

Monday, March 10, 2008 | 05:30 PM

in Digital Media | Music

Marketwatch reported earlier today:

Apple Inc. (AAPL) may have finally reached a deal to sell the songs of the Beatles through the iTunes Music Store. The London Evening Standard newspaper reported on Saturday that Paul McCartney has agreed to make the Beatles catalog available on iTunes for an estimated $400 million. The deal would reportedly result in royalties from the sale of Beatles songs to be paid to McCartney, Ringo Starr and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison. Michael Jackson and record labels EMI and Sony Corp. (SNE) would also reportedly receive payments because of various ownership agreements involving Beatles songs. Apple spokespeople didn't immediately return calls for comment

Billboard noted:

Reports on Friday suggested that unnamed sources "close to Sir Paul McCartney" had confirmed that the Beatles catalog would be available online though iTunes and other legal services "within months." However, the claim has been met with a string of "no comments" from the Beatles' own label Apple Corps, and EMI...

Efforts to clear the Beatles' music for digital distribution were long delayed by a trademark dispute between Apple Inc. and Apple Corps., which was finally resolved in February 2007. Speculation about the catalog's arrival online increased following a Billboard interview with McCartney in May 2007, in which he said that the deal to release it was "virtually settled."

Here's my little Beatles secret: I have been posting a new Beatles video every Sunday for the past few years at the essays & effluvia blog ...

Sources:
Apple Inc. Downplays Beatles 'Speculation'
Tom Ferguson, London
Billboard, March 10, 2008, 10:15 AM ET
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003722487

Apple reportedly near deal to sell Beatles songs on iTunes
Rex Crum
MarketWatch, 1:14 p.m. EDT March 10, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/2w2uqr

Friday Night Jazz: Miles Davis

Friday, March 07, 2008 | 06:00 PM

in Digital Media | Music

Tonite's Jazz selection comes to us via Hale Stewart (aka Bonddad). Take it a way, Hale:

>
Until his death in 1991, Miles Davis was one of the longest and strongest personal currents running through jazz music. There were well over 100 albums issued over the course of his career. He played with -- and developed – some of the greatest talent jazz has seen. Band alumni include, Philly Joe Jones, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, Tony Williams, Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJonette, Branford Marsalis, John Scofield, Mike Stern, and well –- a ton of other great players. Basically, Miles was, is and will continue to be a personification of jazz.

Miles’ style embodied warmth, sophistication, romance and a deep sense of melody. Miles could strip a musical line down to its barest elements and phrase it in manner that was unforgettable. He also had an uncanny ability to use silence; Miles may be perhaps best remembered for what he didn’t play as what he did. His playing reminds me of a great piece of advice given to me: “never pass up an opportunity to shut the hell up.” In addition, Miles was always looking for something new. He tired of the old way of doing things quickly and wanted to hear new sounds. As a result, he was usually surrounded by young musicians who challenged him and forced him into new directions.

Before I look at some albums, there is a great book on Miles called, well, Miles. It’s a great read. Miles talked to the writer for a long time, and it shows. The author covers pretty much Miles’ whole life up until when the book was written. There’s some great information on the birth of jazz, and all of Miles’ great line-ups. I am a big fan of oral history, and this book is a great example of why. It is well worth the read. (If you like this, also check out Dizzy Gillespie’s To Be or Not to Bop).

As I mentioned above, Miles put out over 100 albums. I’m not going to look at them all. In fact, I’m going to talk about albums that aren’t the most popular Miles albums like Sketches of Spain, Birth of Cool and Kind of Blue. Don’t get me wrong – these are great albums. However, I usually make a little fun of these albums because yuppies have them as their “jazz section usully next to Kenny G. (which unfortunately gets more play). Instead, I’m going to focus on albums that are a bit less popular because there is a ton of great music on them.

So, let’s start with a collection of three albums that contain a ton of standards: Steamin’, Workin’ With the Miles Davis Quintet and Relaxin’ With Miles. These albums stand out for several reasons. First, they offer a great overview of how Miles and his groups approached standards like If I Were A Bell, Woddy’N You, In Your Own Sweet Way, Salt Peanuts and Well, You Needn’t. These are all part of the jazz language and Mile’s take is very interesting.

Secondly – this is a classic rhythm section of Philly Joe Jones, Red Garland and Paul Chambers. But perhaps most importantly, John Coltrane is playing tenor sax and even on these early albums you can hear his style – bold and fluid -– emerging.

In the mid-1960s Miles put together one of the greatest jazz Quintets of all time. Wayne Shorter was on tenor sax, Herbie Hancock was on piano, Tony Williams was on drums Ron Carter was on bass and Miles was on trumpet. They played and wrote some of the most evocative acoustic jazz ever. Hancock and Shorter emerged as premiere composers whose work significantly stretched the language of jazz. And the interaction between the musicians was phenomenal.

There is a boxed set titled “Miles Davis Quintet” 1965-1968” which has six discs of incredible music. This is the outer limits of acoustic jazz and it is amazing listening.

Miles is credited with ushering in the electric age in jazz with the album Bitches’ Brew. However, my personal favorite electric album is Decoy, issued in 1984. It contains far more realized compositions and crisper production. Once again Miles surrounds himself with a group to then much younger musicians such as Al Foster, Darryl Jones, Branford Marsalis and John Scofied. This is considered Miles’ comeback album.

Finally, is my favorite live album: Miles Davis Paris France. This was issued on Moon Records – a European label. The concert occurred on October 1, 1964. The album starts with applause (because the French actually appreciate jazz in large numbers) followed by silence. Then Herbie starts with some wonderful chords that move up the register. This is followed by more silence. Then Miles hits one of his patented scaler runs and the band comes in. The song is Stella by Starlight and the band is in amazing form. They move through Stella with incredible skill. And that’s just the opener. It gets better from there.

That’s about it. I have really only scratched the surface of Miles’ recorded legacy. There are a ton of great albums I haven’t mentioned. But hopefully it will give you a place to start for looking a bit deeper into Miles’ discography.

>
Thanks, Hale, great job. videos after the jump . . .

Miles Davis Discography

Official Site
http://www.milesdavis.com/

Miles Davis Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_Davis

Miles Ahead: A Miles Davis Website
http://www.plosin.com/milesAhead/

Continue reading "Friday Night Jazz: Miles Davis"

Teenagers Shun CDs

Monday, March 03, 2008 | 06:01 PM

in Consumer Spending | Digital Media | Music

You knew music sales were bad, but I bet you didn't realize just how bad they are:

• 48% of teenagers bought no CDs at all in 2007, up from 38% in 2006.

• Apple iTunes (AAPL) has surpassed Best Buy to become the second-largest music retailer in the U.S. They now trail only Wal-Mart Stores (WMT)

• The number of CDs sold in the U.S. fell 19% in 2007 from the previous year while sales of digital songs jumped 45%, Nielsen SoundScan said.

• Legal online music sales jumped 21% to 29 million last year from 24 million in 2006. The increase in legal online sales was driven by people 36 to 50;

• In 2005, teenagers accounted for 15% of CD sales. In 2007, the figure was 10%.

The recording industry likes to blame downloading as the source of all their ills, but I am compelled to point out a few things to them:

a) the economy has been weakening for a year now;

b) teenagers today have a universe of entertainment options that didn't exist 20 years ago;

c) The RIAA litigation tactics has completely disenchanted what was once their biggest consumers.

Whoever thinks they can harass, menace, threaten and sue their biggest clients without repercussion obviously has never worked a retail business.

Teenagers have quite predictably responded with a giant "fuck-you-and-your-shiny-silver-discs, dude."

I am not surprised one bit . . .

Sources:
More teenagers ignoring CDs, report says
Michelle Quinn and Andrea Chang
Los Angeles Times, February 27, 2008
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-music27feb27,0,4432240.story

Apple's iTunes: We're No. 2!
Bit Player, February 26, 2008
http://opinion.latimes.com/bitplayer/2008/02/apples-itunes-w.html

Dollar Weakness

Wednesday, February 27, 2008 | 09:00 AM

in Currency | Financial Press | Music

Here's another fun quote, via the NY Sun:
>

"The last time the dollar was this low, Jimi Hendrix was on tour," the director of equity research at Fusion IQ, Barry Ritholtz, said.

>
Now, I find this quite intriguing.

Why? Well, any interview I do with print media runs pretty much the same way. I give a short answer to the immediate question, than some background for context (usually random and long-winded babbling). I always slip something in that amuses me, which almost never gets used.

Until lately. These quips -- note the musical theme -- seem to be increasingly finding their way into print. And I wonder why. I do the same interview pretty much each time; Missus BP will assure you that I am no wittier than before.

Has the media simply tired of boring dry discussions? Is it a bit of recessionary gallows humor? Or perhaps the economic beat reporters are younger, of the generation who grew up in an era of sarcasm and ironic detachment and The Daily Show?

Regardless, I find it an intriguing change . . .

Previously:
Quote of the day: Stagflation & the 1970s
http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2008/02/quote-of-the--6.html

Source:
Dollar Plunges as Bernanke Goes to Hill
JULIE SATOW
NY Sun, February 27, 20
http://www.nysun.com/article/71900

Jimi Hendrix Official Site
http://www.jimihendrix.com/index.php
Wikipedia entry

Friday Night Jazz: Open Thread

Friday, February 22, 2008 | 06:54 PM

in Digital Media | Friday Night Jazz | Music

When it comes to music, I normally try to do the heavy lifting around here -- writing about and recommending a new or beloved artist, or discussing whatever it is I happen to be listening to at the moment.

Tonite, something a little different.

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU GUYS -- What's new and interesting? What old favorites have been replaying? What are you listening to right now? What concerts are you going to -- or hoping to see?

What say ye?

~~~

UPDATE: Februrary 22, 2008 9:42am

Wow, thats quite a list!

TBP readers are quite an eclectic bunch;
All of the various FNJ recs readers made can be found here;

Most of the discs mentioned are linked to via Amazon or MySpace or some other site (after the jump):

Continue reading "Friday Night Jazz: Open Thread "

Friday Night Jazz: Billie Holiday

Friday, February 15, 2008 | 07:00 PM

in Digital Media | Friday Night Jazz | Music

By now, you should have some feel for my taste in music, and the wide ranging and eclectic flavors that live on my iPod. But unless you are a fool or a wizened old pro, any attempt at doing a Friday Night Jazz on Billie Holiday is likely to fall flat on its face.

Lucky for us, Nat Hentoff -- formerly the Music critic of the Village Voice, and now the Jazz columnist of the WSJ is just such an old pro. In this week's WSJ, he looked at a few new reissues of Lady Day's music:

"Billie must have come from another world," said Roy Eldridge, often heard accompanying her on trumpet, "because nobody had the effect on people she had. I've seen her make them cry and make them happy." Lady Day, as tenor saxophonist Lester Young named Billie Holiday, still has that effect through the many reissues of her recordings, including the recently released "Lady Day: The Master Takes and Singles" of the 1933-44 sessions (Columbia/Legacy, available on Amazon) that established her in the jazz pantheon.

I grew up listening to those sides, which infectiously demonstrated -- as pianist Bobby Tucker, her longtime pianist, noted -- that "she could swing the hardest in any tempo, even if it was like a dirge . . . wherever it was, she could float on top of it." But none of the previous reissues, as imperishable as they are, have as intense a presence of Lady as in the truly historic new five-disc set "Billie Holiday: Rare Live Recordings, 1934-1959" on Bernard Stollman's ESP-Disk label.

This is a model for future retrospectives of classic jazz artists of any era because researcher and compiler Michael Anderson, in his extensive liner notes, provides a timeline of her jazz life -- describing the circumstances of each performance in the context of her evolving career. One example: a live radio remote from Harlem's Savoy Ballroom in 1937 when the 22-year-old singer "began a special association with her comrade, 'The Prez,' Lester Young" -- grooving with the Count Basie band in "Swing Brother Swing."

How could I possibly hope to improve on that?

~~~

For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Lady Day, a great place is NPR Billie Holiday: 'Lady Sings the Blues' special. There's a 54 minute radio broadcast discussing her history and music.

As far as albums go, there are lots of choices, but they pretty much come down to a) Boxed Sets; 2) Early work; 3) Later years.

If you want to start with something basic, go for A Musical Romance - agreat duet with Holiday and her long time friend and msucial collaborator, Lester Young. You can also go to the 2 disc All or Nothing at All. The 2 CD Complete Decca Recordings is also quite good.

For the more ambitious, the boxed sets are the way to go:

• Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia (1933-1944)

• The Complete Billie Holiday On Verve, 1945-1959

The set Hentoff refers to above is the 5 disc set Rare Live Recordings, 1934-1959

Students of her latter work will be interested in:

• Lady in Satin

• Lady in Autumn

~~~

Videos after the jump . . .

Continue reading "Friday Night Jazz: Billie Holiday"

Jack Johnson: Sleep Through The Static

Tuesday, February 12, 2008 | 07:00 PM

in Digital Media | Music | Video

We've mentioned Jack Johnson many times over the years.

I was surprised this week, when not one, but 4 copies of Sleep Through The Static arrived in the mail from Amazon.com (AMZN).

I thought it was an ordering glitch, but actually, its a bit of a flaw in their wish lift system. I ordered a copy for myself, and several of you sent it as a holiday present. But because the CD wasn't released until last week, I never removed it from the wish list.

You would figure that Amazon would/should pull a wish list item once its been ordered and sent to the wish list holder's address.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to listening to this -- thank you for the gift(s)!

click for Video

Taylor (from On And On)
amusing video with Ben Stiller

U.S. To Amy Winehouse: No, No, No!

Thursday, February 07, 2008 | 11:07 PM

in Digital Media | Music | Politics

Amy Winehouse will not be on hand for the Grammy Awards on Sunday (Feb. 10) in Los Angeles, after her visa application to enter the United States was rejected by the American Embassy in London.

This will surely be derided as puritanical and premature in Europe and the UK. From the NYT blog The Lede:

Her application seemed in doubt on Tuesday, when she exited a rehabilitation clinic in London after 11 days to meet with embassy officials. A day later, she was questioned by police regarding a video that appeared to show her smoking crack cocaine.

“Amy has been progressing well since entering a rehabilitation clinic two weeks ago and although disappointed with the decision has accepted the ruling and will be concentrating on her recovery,” a statement distributed on her behalf said.

Ms. Winehouse’s absence will raise questions for the event’s organizers, who must prepare for her to win at least one of the six awards she’s up for. The nominations include all four of the most prestigious categories: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Best New Artist.

Organizers also have a severe shortage of drama as well, according to a critic for the Chicago Tribune who penned an essay, “Why the Grammys really need Amy Winehouse.”

“Would the British singer get out of a rehab clinic in time to perform her hit ‘Rehab’ on the nationally televised awards show?,” Greg Kot asked. By now he must know the answer, which like all bad news, came in threes: “No, no, no.”

Ms. Winehouse was by no means the first musician to face restrictions on her global travels. Snoop Dogg was barred from Britain in 2006 and Australia in April, when he was set to co-host the MTV Australia Awards.

Previously

Amy Winehouse
http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2007/04/amy_winehouse.html

Friday Night Jazz: Amy Winehouse http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2007/12/friday-night-ja.html

Sources:
February 7, 2008, 4:44 pm
Amy Winehouse Denied Entry to U.S.
MIKE NIZZA
http://tinyurl.com/2uvqsm

Why the Grammys really need Amy Winehouse
Greg Kot
Chicago Tribune, February 3, 2008
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-0203_music_coverfeb03,1,7704835.story

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