by Sandy | Nov 28, 2009 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, CDs, music
A Voice in Time: 1939-1952, issued in Sept. 2007, is a Frank Sinatra CD box set with music from the early years of his career (when I think his voice was at its best – creamy smooth, distinctive – he didn’t sound like anyone else).
The songs are mostly about love, romantic, sentimental, whether joyous in the experience or yearning for it, you can’t help but enjoy these old “standards”. Although not as jazzy and “Rat Pack” hip as the music from his 60’s and 70’s period, these songs from before and just after War II are clever and well written, they’re so simple and direct: All or Nothing at All, As Time Goes By, It Had to Be You, Body and Soul
I appreciate the fact that you can understand his every word. The listener can tell Mr. Sinatra has given thought to the meaning of the lyrics and his voice embraces them like old friends.
Regardless of what is said about him personally, Frank Sinatra is such an “American” treasure. He sang his way from Hoboken, NJ to the rest of the world with much acclaim– what a success story! And, the magic of his talent still endures.
BTW – His legendary moody, dark “bar stool” classic album, “Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely” released in 1958, is the best with songs like: “Willow Weep for Me’, One for My Baby and One More for the road”, “Angel Eyes”. Hardly up tempo, but, great nevertheless. All sung with feeling.
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by Sandy | Nov 23, 2009 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, CDs, music
Maxwell – the singer, who some call the heir apparent to Marvin Gaye and other R&B balladeers with beautifully, soaring voices – is back.
Released in July 2009, his first album after 8 years is called “BLACKsummers’night”. The Brooklyn born Maxwell may have cut his hair, but he hasn’t lost his vocal strength. He is still terrific, still soulful, still smooth, and still lovely. Great stuff!
BTW: If you can’t place his name, just listen to the local “Easy Listenin” or R&B “classic” radio station. Songs from his 1996 album “Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite” – “Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder)” and “Sumthin’ Sumthin'” – are still being played. (Great for old school dancers – that old rock from side to side move, with hunched shoulders and finger snaps…)
by Sandy | Nov 13, 2009 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, music
One of the great many things about the Holidays is the rush to “Box Set” any music that isn’t nailed down. This season is no exception – there is a plethora of new packages of Jazz greats in a box:
* “The Complete Miles Davis Columbia Album Collection” – 70 CD set (yes, 70) with DVD
* “Ella Fitzgerald: Twelve Nights in Hollywood” – 4 CD set from Ella’s 1961 engagement at the Crescendo Club in Los Angeles
* John Coltrane’s, 1960 studio recording “Giant Steps” (He wrote all the music)
*And there are also new compilations of early live recordings from Billie Holiday and Oscar Petersen.
Abundance! Cool.
by Sandy | Nov 7, 2009 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Museums, music
“Michael Jackson: A Musical Legacy” is a special exhibit on view at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.
Featured is the King of Pop’s famous fedora, sequined gloves, samples of his embellished military style jackets and even some Jackson Five stage costumes.
The GRAMMY Museum
800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
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by Sandy | Oct 3, 2009 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Creativity, Film, Movies, music, Theater
The filmed version of the play, “Passing Strange”, is clever, funny, with great music. Spike Lee documented the last 3 days of the musical’s Broadway run (it won the 2008 Tony for Best Book) and it has now come to a theater near you.
I saw the play last year and loved it. The terrific band, whose members, along with the few actors, tell the story of a black young man, “Stew”, trying to look for the “real” by moving from middle class L.A, where he feels he doesn’t fit in and everything is a fraud, to Amsterdam and Germany.
In Europe, he is more “American”, than he was in California. To gain friends and acceptance in the avant garde scene, his new girl friend is only impressed with the oppressed, he “passes” as the stereotype of a ghetto youth and writes songs about the “struggle”. After doing this for a few years, he wonders what if the only thing real is your “art” and “reality” is phoney?
He eventually returns to America to pursue his art and just be himself. He is amazed that the direction of his life was decided by the decisions he made as a teenager.
Serious questions, but told with humor and music. Hard to describe, a different type of musical, but, very entertaining.
“Passing Strange”
Book and lyrics by Stew
Music by Stew and Heidi Roderwald
Directed by Spike Lee
by Sandy | Oct 1, 2009 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, dvd, Film, Museums, music
“Jazz Icons” are 8 and 9 DVD box sets. They contain a fabulous group of Jazz artists that have been captured on film. Some pieces are from television shows done in the 50’s and 60’s. Others are film clips from old jazz festivals, etc.
I don’t know if Jazz is considered “in” or “out” today? Perhaps it depends on who is writing about this lasting art form, but, regardless – if you like this music or are just curious, seeing/hearing these musicians in their glory days is priceless and fun:
John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon, Dave Brubeck and more.
