Even back in the 1950’s, musical trends were moving almost as fast as they do today and the spotlight shined on talented musicians for a brief time.
Yusef Lateef
The games of who was the greatest or the best served to confuse the listening public into thinking that the greatest were those who died early in life.
Yusef Lateef, who has just turned ninety and who is an authentic and early contributor to our understanding musical culture or “World Music”, will be at San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral this Friday, Oct 22, as a part of this year’s SFJazz Festival.
Lateef refutes the myth that “only the good day young”. Sometimes they live for what seems like forever. Happy life day.
I recall a time when my friends and I went to Hunts Point Palace in the Bronx on a Saturday Night and danced to the Cal Tjader’s Modern Mambo Quintet, at the time featuring Mongo Santamaría and Willie Bobo, and then Sunday venturing downtown to Birdland and seeing the band again in this wonderful small setting. It was like they were playing just for us. Small venues have many advantages. You can hear the music. In larger venue, especially with performers whose recordings you know, you remember the music.
“I know that big venues are where the big money is, but a few more of these intimate cabaret-style appearances wouldn’t break the bank.” Liz Smith
The Gramacy Park Hotel-New York
Liz Smith writes in WOWOWOW about a recent set that Liza Minnelli did at the NYC’s Gramercy Hotel where intimacy ruled. No one pandering for their favorite song or to wave their hands in the air, which might be fun at a big event, but not when you can hear the music and see a great performer doing what she was born to do.
Unfortunately only the fortunate are able to attend these smaller, intimate and rewarding performances. The Gramercy Hotel is not Madison Square Garden and you may have to be invited to spend your money on a ticket.
Music in the United States is a complex code of secrets that tells a different story then the one found in history books or reported in the media of the time. Our time, the news media looks for the easiest way to excite and agitate people. Have them take sides, report and follow the protest of fringe groups with backward thinking ideas. Ignorance on display for what purpose I wonder.
You can get a better handle on the truth through the arts I believe. Music brings people together. Not just because we can all sing, dance have a good time etc. There is a message in music for us, it contains the best history lesson you can find.
Something to do if it has not been your thing to do, go to “Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival” Oct 1-3rd in San Francisco and learn more about this country.
Sonny Rollins A Remarkable Jazz Musician, whose music sounds as fresh to me as it did in 1955 celebrates his 80th birthday at the Beacon Theater in New York. Some things are the way they are supposed to be-Sonny Rollins still going strong at 80. Blessed.
“This Is It” is the DVD documentary that captured the final days of the “King of Pop” as he prepared for a concert tour in 2009. I’ll be honest, I began to watch with some hesitation – Is this going to be a sad, tragic documentary about a frail former super star? (I didn’t really want to see that.) But happily, no worries.
“This Is It” is a joyous celebration of the pop entertainer’s talent and hard work. This compilation of rehearsal footage includes a lot of the songs and dance moves we all know and love and as the show is rehearsed and shaped, we also get to see the attention to detail, the professionalism that was Michael Jackson. He was totally present and engaged. Nothing was too small to go over until it was right. He loved it all.
It becomes obvious why MJ was not “famous” just for wearing gem encrusted gloves – his fans loved him because he so obviously cared about them. He wanted his audience to be entertained. He wanted them to say “Wow” and they did.
Michael Jackson * star ( Don’t believe it has been a year – R.I.P.)
