Blog
Time, Music and Space (or How To Audition a Drummer) - Part 1
There are great places in a few recordings where the sound and pulse come to an end. Usually this is only for a second or a few seconds but the lack of drums / lack of drummer / lack of percussion can be suspenseful - why is there this unusual space in this musical context? In most popular music, this space - this quiet, empty space - is infrequent and often undesirable to many. I find it the opposite. I also find it a brilliant means to determine if a drummer (as well ash other musicians) can reenter at the same speed.
Names Of Songs Used As Names Of Bands - Can't Think Of A Name For Your Band, Copy One
Even though many do not believe this, and some even suffer fear and trepidation over the subject of copyright and copyright protection, it is LEGAL and COMMON to copy a name and use it as another name. In fact, copyright does NOT protect names, titles, or short phrases or expressions.
Christmas Music - Dave Brubeck, John Lennon, Cuba LA, The Monkees, Donny Hathaway & more
Here are twelve (12) of my favorite Christmas recordings, from Band Aid to Poncho Sanchez. (My list ends with the letter, "S?!?" No Tchaikovsky and nut cracking? And none of the letters post-S. That means no Van Halen, Vivaldi, Webern, Xenakis, Neil Young, Frank Zappa or Jan Dismas Zelenka.)As with most music, what attracts me to many of the recordings below is creative, surprising and atypical uses of chords, melody, rhythm, tone color, lyrics and/or structure. And in the case of Bob Dylan's "It Must Be Santa" recording and video, great humor.
Thanksgiving 2013 & Music Expressing Thanks
I thought to celebrate this wonderful day of Thanksgiving, I'd compile music with lyrics that express thanks in various ways. Music from these artists (arranged alphabetically):Louis Armstrong, J. S. Bach, Charles Ives, Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley, Pat Metheny, Charles Mingus, Me'Shell Ndegéocello, Sam & Dave, Hank Williams
My Favorite 9 Minutes of George Duke - Did A Vehicle Did A Vehicle Did A Vehicle
Yesterday, August 6, 2013, I learned that George Duke had died. George Duke, to me, was a mythical character. I loved so much of his playing and singing, and I couldn't figure him out because of his great diversity and depth. He was a great pianist, keyboardist, singer, band leader, sideman, creator, performer, improvisor, persona and, according to so many who knew him, wonderful and kind man. By "persona," I am referring to George Duke as an actor, and by "actor" I mean "live musician on stage with Frank Zappa." In addition to being a musician in any of Frank Zappa's bands over the decades, one had to be able to act. One had a persona and maybe a changing persona over time.
My friend Mulgrew Miller died today (May 29, 2013)
I always felt lucky to see and interact with him. As quickly as possible, I realized that this musical hero to me, who was now a colleague, was just such a great and modest guy. His charm was disarming as can be. I was comfortable with Mulgrew immediately.As I got to know Mulgrew better, I had to ask him - no, tell him - to stop calling me "Doctor" or "Professor." I told him that you are Mulgrew Miller and I call you Mulgrew. I should call you SIR. He laughed. He told me I deserved the titles and the respect.
Three Songs (5/4) & Some Thoughts (7/4) About Dave Brubeck (9/8)
One of the important features of a lot of Dave Brubeck's music is his use of rhythm and especially uncommon time signatures. Brubeck met with resistance from Columbia Records when he insisted on having songs with unusual meter/time signatures on his brilliant million-selling album, Time Out. Fortunately for music, the public and Columbia Records, they gave in.I have selected three (3) Dave Brubeck songs, each in a different and unusual meter. 5 beats per measure, 7 beats per measure and 9 beats per measure are far less common than the most common meter in Western music - 4 beats per measure. In keeping with the idea of three - 3 different time signatures/meters - I have also compiled three (3) sets of three (3) songs each. In each of these three 3-song sets, I have chosen a Brubeck composition and followed it with two (2) other compositions that share the same number of beats. In each example, the songs I have selected are not of the same style.
Did Big Happens Here Do Digable Planets?
I know that many traditional jazz players, especially in the early and mid-1980's, would not likely latch on to a short phrase, repeat it many times and make this small and almost "throw away" motif into something big. This tiny melodic gesture, in the hands of an outsider (with respect to a musical tradition), could become the most important part of the melody, or sometimes the only melody that matters to someone from outside of that tradition. This "how does a foreigner view our music" idea is one I will explore later. I'll include myself in this - how and why did I get into hip hop, or Senegalese, Malagasy, Brazilian or Cuban music.All of this to get back to that famous Digable Planets song that samples some jazz.