Sorry folks about the lack of up-date during the previous week. I'm sad to say that I had no new discs to say positive things about and mom always said, "If you can't say anything nice, sit next to me" Anyway...
This week was much better. The following three recordings have received constant rotation on my playlist.
Joe Henry Civilians (11 Sept 07)
OK. So Joe’s made us wait four long years since Tiny Voices (2003) We should forgive him because he’s been very busy producing albums and helping other artists find their sound, everyone from Solomon Burke to Ani DiFranco, including a project he did with his buddy Loudon Wainwright III that became the soundtrack for Judd Apatow’s Knocked Up. Well folks Civilians is here and was worth the wait. Joe Henry is a great songwriter. He writes hummable melodies with poetic lyrics about real situations and the people in them. He doesn’t have the greatest voice (with a few cartons of Old Golds and several quarts of Chivas Regal Joe could sound a lot like Tom Waits) but it fits well with his casual approach to the instrumental parts. On the title track he incorporates a slight discordance with the guitar that compliments the vocal nicely. He adopts a similar approach for Time Is a Lion. The rest of the album is filled with ballads, blues, lullabies and songs about folks who can’t catch a break. And as busy as he is, the man’s been married for over 20 years to the same woman (Melanie Ciccone, whose has a sister named Madonna)
Teddy Thompson Up Front and Down Low (24 Jul 07)
Take the son of music legends Richard and Linda Thompson, give him a tight group of accomplished musicians (including his dad), and turn him loose on a dozen Country standards and you have all the ingredients for a classic Country & Western album. It’s surprising considering he was born in a Muslim community outside of London, about as far from Nashville as you could get. However, Teddy does his level best to take the songs of Ernest Tubbs, George Jones, The King and Dolly Parton among others and make them his own. His twangy, heartfelt delivery could easily have him in regular rotation on any country radio station in the nation, but it won’t. The Clear Channel stranglehold on the airwaves will continue unabated and deprive listeners of new talent that subsists outside of the “structure”
Miles Davis – Live at the 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival (31 Jul 07)
This recording is from 22 Sept 1963 when Miles was in a period of transition, between his first great quintet with Coltrane and his second great quintet with Wayne Shorter. The group features a young (23) Herbie Hancock on piano, the rest of the players; Miles – trumpet, George Coleman - tenor saxophone, Ron Carter – bass, and Tony Williams - drums. Not bad for a transitional group!
As Sam Cell stated on Allaboutjazz.com, “One doesn't know whether to express gratitude to the producers for releasing a recorded event of such historic significance and rare beauty, or annoyance at those responsible for keeping it on ice for all these years.” And that’s exactly right. The recording is crisp and clear and the musicianship is exceptional. It’s a glimpse of Jazz history. A must hear for any Miles fans.
Note: The Concord Music Group has created Monterey Jazz Festival Records to share some classic performances. I’m glad, but must confess that my musical palate wasn’t developed enough to appreciate Jazz until just a few years ago, although my mother says I loved Nat King Cole at a tender age. “Profits realized by the Monterey Jazz Festival from this series will be re-invested into its ongoing jazz education programs.” -From Concord’s website.
More to follow…
Showing posts with label Miles Davis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miles Davis. Show all posts
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
Miles, The Boss and Steve Earle
It's been a quiet week on the island, musically speaking any way. I did get quite a few newer releases yesterday but haven't had a chance to listen to all of them. I'm sure I'll get through them by next Friday. OK, on to "What's Esion listening to this week"
Miles Davis - Evolution of the Groove
Is it Jazz? Is it Hip/Hop? I'll tell you what it is. It's a 5 track* release featuring Nas on one cut and Carlos Santana on another. Miles may have liked this disc for it's original spin, but I feel slightly duped. It was nice hearing Miles speak on Freddie the Freeloader (croak actually, Miles didn't really speak) and I do like the remixes with the drums and base cranked up. However, four tracks? And only one track clocking over three minutes. Please!
Since I'm a Miles fan and have a lot of his stuff I was able to listen to the original songs. It's About That Time, the track featuring Santana, is great but less than half the length of the original. Once you change time keeping from the rider cymbal to the snare and turn up the bass line, the song is really funky, much more so than the original. Add Carlos trading licks with Miles and you've got a nice tune. I should clarify that the first version didn't need work.
I really like the slow build intro on the original recording of the bluesy Honky Tonk. Again by trading the rider cymbal for snare & kick-drum the whole feel of the song is different. It has more umph. I like it.
This disc will appease some Miles fans and offend others. I have to say it is an interesting exercise in what can be accomplished with technology. It's a shame that someone took the time to secure the rights, gather the musicians & techs and then said, "We're only doing four songs*" It's like dinner without dessert.
*There are 5 tracks but Freddie the Freeloader is an incomplete outtake.
Steve Earle – Washington Square Serenade
I totally messed up by missing Steve Earle at Bumbershoot '07. I was tired of the crowds, I couldn't eat another bite of that wonderful African food from Horn of Africa and I had seen Steve with the Bluegrass Dukes at the Woodland Park Zoo a couple of years before so Iwent home. Admittedly they weren't good excuses, but they were the only ones I had.
After listening to Washington Square Serenade the first time through I understand my error. I should have sucked it up, gone to the special KEXP, invite-only performance and then stayed for the evening show. My buddy John said both shows were excellent. Oh well, I'll always have the KEXP archives.
Steve Earle is one talented SOB. He doesn't just write songs. He paints pictures with words and music, sometimes a portrait, sometimes a landscape, sometimes a portrait within a landscape, in the same tradition as Bob Dylan, Paul Simon or Tom Waits. I agree he can't sing for shit, but his gravely, twangy, sometimes whisper, sometimes growl, mainly average voice fits perfectly with the picture he's crafted.
Steve never strays far from his country roots, even when playing the bozouki on the bluesy Red is the Color. City of Immigrants, with its Calypso feel, is as far as he gets from Nashville, but it has a hint of down-homeyness. Maybe it's the southern drawl. Anyway, Washington Square Serenade won't top the many releases by Mr. Earle. That would be a monumental feat with a body of work featuring masterpieces like El Corazon, I Feel Alright and The Mountain. However, this disc is very good and one I'll add to my collection.
Bruce Springsteen – Magic
One of my girlfriends in high school was from New Jersey. She listened to The Boss before he'd made the covers of Time and Newsweek and shared his music with me. It seems like The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle received constant play for at least a decade.
I've listened to Magic several times now. It's comforting to see Bruce return to his roots, namely, making great music with a fantastic backing band. Bruce puts the familiar themes of lost love, lost youth and lost innocence to some wonderful melodies and comes up with tracks that sound like they came from the sessions for The River. It's very good, classic Bruce and the E Street Band is in fine form. I think it's the best disc he's done since The River. Radio Nowhere, the track he gave away as an MP3, is an up-tempo number that laments the sad state of music radio and makes the statement "I just want to hear some rhythm." Well folks, Magic definitely has rhythm and I recommend purchasing the CD.
More to follow...
Miles Davis - Evolution of the Groove
Is it Jazz? Is it Hip/Hop? I'll tell you what it is. It's a 5 track* release featuring Nas on one cut and Carlos Santana on another. Miles may have liked this disc for it's original spin, but I feel slightly duped. It was nice hearing Miles speak on Freddie the Freeloader (croak actually, Miles didn't really speak) and I do like the remixes with the drums and base cranked up. However, four tracks? And only one track clocking over three minutes. Please!
Since I'm a Miles fan and have a lot of his stuff I was able to listen to the original songs. It's About That Time, the track featuring Santana, is great but less than half the length of the original. Once you change time keeping from the rider cymbal to the snare and turn up the bass line, the song is really funky, much more so than the original. Add Carlos trading licks with Miles and you've got a nice tune. I should clarify that the first version didn't need work.
I really like the slow build intro on the original recording of the bluesy Honky Tonk. Again by trading the rider cymbal for snare & kick-drum the whole feel of the song is different. It has more umph. I like it.
This disc will appease some Miles fans and offend others. I have to say it is an interesting exercise in what can be accomplished with technology. It's a shame that someone took the time to secure the rights, gather the musicians & techs and then said, "We're only doing four songs*" It's like dinner without dessert.
*There are 5 tracks but Freddie the Freeloader is an incomplete outtake.
Steve Earle – Washington Square Serenade
I totally messed up by missing Steve Earle at Bumbershoot '07. I was tired of the crowds, I couldn't eat another bite of that wonderful African food from Horn of Africa and I had seen Steve with the Bluegrass Dukes at the Woodland Park Zoo a couple of years before so Iwent home. Admittedly they weren't good excuses, but they were the only ones I had.
After listening to Washington Square Serenade the first time through I understand my error. I should have sucked it up, gone to the special KEXP, invite-only performance and then stayed for the evening show. My buddy John said both shows were excellent. Oh well, I'll always have the KEXP archives.
Steve Earle is one talented SOB. He doesn't just write songs. He paints pictures with words and music, sometimes a portrait, sometimes a landscape, sometimes a portrait within a landscape, in the same tradition as Bob Dylan, Paul Simon or Tom Waits. I agree he can't sing for shit, but his gravely, twangy, sometimes whisper, sometimes growl, mainly average voice fits perfectly with the picture he's crafted.
Steve never strays far from his country roots, even when playing the bozouki on the bluesy Red is the Color. City of Immigrants, with its Calypso feel, is as far as he gets from Nashville, but it has a hint of down-homeyness. Maybe it's the southern drawl. Anyway, Washington Square Serenade won't top the many releases by Mr. Earle. That would be a monumental feat with a body of work featuring masterpieces like El Corazon, I Feel Alright and The Mountain. However, this disc is very good and one I'll add to my collection.
Bruce Springsteen – Magic
One of my girlfriends in high school was from New Jersey. She listened to The Boss before he'd made the covers of Time and Newsweek and shared his music with me. It seems like The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle received constant play for at least a decade.
I've listened to Magic several times now. It's comforting to see Bruce return to his roots, namely, making great music with a fantastic backing band. Bruce puts the familiar themes of lost love, lost youth and lost innocence to some wonderful melodies and comes up with tracks that sound like they came from the sessions for The River. It's very good, classic Bruce and the E Street Band is in fine form. I think it's the best disc he's done since The River. Radio Nowhere, the track he gave away as an MP3, is an up-tempo number that laments the sad state of music radio and makes the statement "I just want to hear some rhythm." Well folks, Magic definitely has rhythm and I recommend purchasing the CD.
More to follow...
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Desert Island Discs
The “Best of…” list is a highly subjective exercise by some expert attempting to convince us that their list of favorite artists, songs or albums has merit beyond being a list of personal favorites. I say this because selection criteria is rarely included with the list. If I don't know what it takes to "make" the list then why should the list have more significance than being an amalgam of favorite songs/artists? If you said “Top 50 Albums Recorded in Non-Smoking Studios” or “The Best 25 Singles With Left Handed Drummers” at least I’d know what you were thinking about when you decided to put the list together.
Two lists that support my perspective of “Best of…” lists are from Rolling Stone magazine.
They asked a group of musicians, critics and writers to pick their favorite artists and guitarists respectively, but then they promote the list as the ultimate authority on great artists & guitarists. Dress it up however you'd like Rolling Stone, it's still a list of favorites! Any way, here are the lists
Two lists that support my perspective of “Best of…” lists are from Rolling Stone magazine.
They asked a group of musicians, critics and writers to pick their favorite artists and guitarists respectively, but then they promote the list as the ultimate authority on great artists & guitarists. Dress it up however you'd like Rolling Stone, it's still a list of favorites! Any way, here are the lists
1. "The Immortals: The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time" Note: Prince and Nirvana above Eric Clapton and The Allman Brothers Band.
2. “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” Note: Jack White is way above Mark Knopfler, Dickie Betts and Steve Howe.
2. “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” Note: Jack White is way above Mark Knopfler, Dickie Betts and Steve Howe.
When it comes to “Best of… lists, most of us take exception with the list’s order of priority, what they omit and what they include. Maybe that’s what makes them entertaining, we all think we can do better. And since most of these lists are a group of someone’s favorites, why not make your own list?
There used to be a weekly music magazine, The Rocket, which was available at any Puget Sound record store. Every issue of The Rocket included reader submitted Desert Island Disc lists. The idea is you are stuck on a desert island and have to choose 10 discs to listen to. Please don't ask how you'd play the discs on a desert island. Maybe I'll be address that in a future column. Here’s my DID list alphabetical by artist.
The Allman Brothers – Fillmore Concerts. Eat A Peach used to hold this spot, but then they released the concerts as a set.
The Band – The Band. Most fans would pick Music From Big Pink, but then they'd be without the songs Rockin’ Chair and Unfaithful Servant.
The Beatles – Abbey Road. Trying to pick a favorite Beatles disc is like trying to pick a favorite appendage. How does one choose between such greats as The White Album, Revolver, Rubber Soul & Sgt. Pepper? For my money Abbey Road, the group’s final recording together, is their best work.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Four Way Street Four Way Street. A fantastic live recording by America’s first “super-group” (even though one was British and one was Canadian), has something for everyone. Acoustic love songs, electric jams and harmonies that will make you weep!
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue. I can listen to this disc non-stop for days, weeks at a time. Miles was a god.
Bob Dylan – Blood On the Tracks. While Dylan single-handedly changed popular music in less than five years, his greatest recording didn’t happen until his second decade as an artist, after he’d gone electric and returned to his roots.
The Grateful Dead – Europe '72. If I was limited to one band to listen to for the rest of my days it would be The Grateful Dead. Granted their live shows could be a gamble and they didn’t always have the greatest vocals (Brent Mydland?) but Europe ’72, even without Dark Star, is stellar.
Jimi Hendrix – Electriclady Land. My friend Merritt and I used to listen to this on his older sister’s quadraphonic 8-track.”I’m standing next to a mountain, chop it down with the edge of my hand,” need I say more?
Led Zeppelin – II & IV (tie). I feel a need to clarify the tie for Led Zeppelin II & IV. I couldn't choose between the two because "Stairway to Heaven" is Led Zeppelin's greatest composition as well as one of the greatest Rock songs of all time. I must admit, when I heard the opening arpeggios drifting up from my family room two years ago, as my son was learning the song on his Stratocaster, it brought a tear to my eye. However, Led Zeppelin II is full of great songs with thick rhythm guitar & juicy licks that most aspiring guitarists attempt to duplicate at one time or another. Didn't every 14 year-old boy from my generation want to be Jimmy Page?
Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon. DSotM, one of the biggest selling albums of all time and a great soundtrack for Wizard of Oz.By the way, this title has been on my DID list since 7th grade.
Bruce Springsteen – The Wild, the Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle. The best thing The Boss ever did!!!
Rolling Stones – Exile On Main Street. Jagger wants to remix it, Keith finally likes it and Allen Klein wishes he had a piece of it. Captured during their most creative period, it’s the finest example of the Rolling Stones sound.
Doc Watson – Memories. If Bill Monroe is the king of bluegrass then Doc is his ambassador. He’s responsible for bringing that sound to the masses.
You've probably noticed that I have more than 10 titles. In fact I have 14 titles. Hey it’s my list. You can choose 25 titles if you’d like. The point: When it comes to deciding your favorites, you are the expert. So go out and build your own DIDs and support your local music scene.
More to follow…
There used to be a weekly music magazine, The Rocket, which was available at any Puget Sound record store. Every issue of The Rocket included reader submitted Desert Island Disc lists. The idea is you are stuck on a desert island and have to choose 10 discs to listen to. Please don't ask how you'd play the discs on a desert island. Maybe I'll be address that in a future column. Here’s my DID list alphabetical by artist.
The Allman Brothers – Fillmore Concerts. Eat A Peach used to hold this spot, but then they released the concerts as a set.
The Band – The Band. Most fans would pick Music From Big Pink, but then they'd be without the songs Rockin’ Chair and Unfaithful Servant.
The Beatles – Abbey Road. Trying to pick a favorite Beatles disc is like trying to pick a favorite appendage. How does one choose between such greats as The White Album, Revolver, Rubber Soul & Sgt. Pepper? For my money Abbey Road, the group’s final recording together, is their best work.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Four Way Street Four Way Street. A fantastic live recording by America’s first “super-group” (even though one was British and one was Canadian), has something for everyone. Acoustic love songs, electric jams and harmonies that will make you weep!
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue. I can listen to this disc non-stop for days, weeks at a time. Miles was a god.
Bob Dylan – Blood On the Tracks. While Dylan single-handedly changed popular music in less than five years, his greatest recording didn’t happen until his second decade as an artist, after he’d gone electric and returned to his roots.
The Grateful Dead – Europe '72. If I was limited to one band to listen to for the rest of my days it would be The Grateful Dead. Granted their live shows could be a gamble and they didn’t always have the greatest vocals (Brent Mydland?) but Europe ’72, even without Dark Star, is stellar.
Jimi Hendrix – Electriclady Land. My friend Merritt and I used to listen to this on his older sister’s quadraphonic 8-track.”I’m standing next to a mountain, chop it down with the edge of my hand,” need I say more?
Led Zeppelin – II & IV (tie). I feel a need to clarify the tie for Led Zeppelin II & IV. I couldn't choose between the two because "Stairway to Heaven" is Led Zeppelin's greatest composition as well as one of the greatest Rock songs of all time. I must admit, when I heard the opening arpeggios drifting up from my family room two years ago, as my son was learning the song on his Stratocaster, it brought a tear to my eye. However, Led Zeppelin II is full of great songs with thick rhythm guitar & juicy licks that most aspiring guitarists attempt to duplicate at one time or another. Didn't every 14 year-old boy from my generation want to be Jimmy Page?
Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon. DSotM, one of the biggest selling albums of all time and a great soundtrack for Wizard of Oz.By the way, this title has been on my DID list since 7th grade.
Bruce Springsteen – The Wild, the Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle. The best thing The Boss ever did!!!
Rolling Stones – Exile On Main Street. Jagger wants to remix it, Keith finally likes it and Allen Klein wishes he had a piece of it. Captured during their most creative period, it’s the finest example of the Rolling Stones sound.
Doc Watson – Memories. If Bill Monroe is the king of bluegrass then Doc is his ambassador. He’s responsible for bringing that sound to the masses.
You've probably noticed that I have more than 10 titles. In fact I have 14 titles. Hey it’s my list. You can choose 25 titles if you’d like. The point: When it comes to deciding your favorites, you are the expert. So go out and build your own DIDs and support your local music scene.
More to follow…
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