Jazzy Christmas
Holly Cole
Santa Baby
Christmas Blues
Harry Connick Jr.
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Please Come Home for Christmas
Happy Chanukah!
Until Christmas, I’ll post holiday videos to help you get into the holiday spirit.
Let’s begin with the Festival of Lights. Instead of one day of presents, we have 8 Crazeee nights…Happy Chanukah!
Here’s a great animated performance of Adam Sandler’s classic by Neil Diamond:
Kenny Ellis gives a jazzy spin to two Chanukah tunes.
Swingin’ Dreidel
Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah
My Menorah (to the tune of My Sharona)
Ether Park and Friends Visit the Island of Misfit Toys
Ether Park and Friends Visit the Island of Misfit Toys is a fun collection of cover songs from holiday TV specials such as “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.”
The EP includes the following tunes:
To Connie… Love, Jenna
To Connie…Love, Jenna was recorded live in New York City at the Metropolitan Room. Jenna Esposito’s homage to Connie Francis features new versions of Francis’ hits like “Who’s Sorry Now,” Stupid Cupid,” “Lipstick On Your Collar,” and “Where The Boys Are.” Jenna also included lesser-known songs like “My First Real Love,” inspired by Connie’s hidden romance with teen idol Bobby Darin, and the rockin’ “Are You Satisfied?” and “Send For My Baby.” Selections from Francis’ Italian albums include “Mama” and “Tango Della Gelosia.”
Esposito is joined by Fortune Esposito (her father) on guitar, David Crone on piano, Michael Blanco on bass, Brian DeWitt on drums, and Brian Broelmann on saxophone, flute, mandolin, and ukulele, along with backup vocalists Kelly Esposito-Broelmann and Rob Langeder.
Ms. Esposito is well versed in all things Connie. It’s nice to hear about how some hits came to be and some behind the scene gossip about those legendary songs. Esposito has soul and charm.
I was lucky enough to see Esposito perform on Valentine’s Day 2009 and was pleased with her playfulness and voice range. I wanted to attend one of the several Connie shows performed by Esposito but was unable to. I’m glad to have the CD to listen to this lovely tribute to one of our original teen idols.
Otis Redding & The Bar-Kays
On December 10, 1967, Otis Redding’s tour plane crashed into Wisconsin’s Lake Monona, killing him and four of five members of the R&B group the Bar-Kays, Redding’s backup band. Redding was only 26 years old. One last member of the Bar-Kays was on a commercial flight.
“(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay,” which Redding started recording only three days earlier, was released in January 1968, and went to No. 1. The whistling parts of that song were part of that first recording, with the intention of being replaced with new lyrics.
(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay
Respect (the original)
I’ve Been Loving You Too Long
Here is his last TV performance, less than a day before his death.
Try a Little Tenderness
The lost members of the Bar-Kays were eventually replaced and here is the new band with a new look playing “Son of Shaft” at Wattstax in 1972.
Imagine
Today marks the 29th anniversary of John Lennon’s death on December 8, 1980. Below, some of John’s songs to remember the peace-loving Beatle.
Norah Jones: The Fall
Norah Jones has created yet another thoughtful and solid album. The Fall, her fourth solo album, is her first effort toward creating a pop-rock collection and leading an electric band, while she alternates between playing guitar, piano, and the Wurlitzer electric piano. It is also her breakup album, with the majority of the 13 songs addressing the end of a romance and the start of a new chapter in her life. These reflections come from her real-life breakup with longtime bassist, collaborator, and romantic partner Lee Alexander.
Ms. Jones is also telling us there’s been some kind of shift with the title of the album. The title of the album could mean two things. Is Ms. Jones making reference to the season, when we often start over after a summer break or is she implying something heavier, a fall from grace? The word the might indicate the latter.
Since Ms. Jones captured our hearts seven years ago and was handed armfuls of Grammy awards for her debut, Come Away With Me, she has kept a low non-celebrity profile and gathered up astonishing amounts of sales and fans with that album and the next two, Feels Like Home and Not Too Late. She’s rarely ventured out of this persona, except on side projects, including the country album with the Little Willies and playing live in small joints in New York City with her punk band El Madmo. The charming Ms. Jones is now the ripe old age of thirty, and it doesn’t take long to realize that The Fall is unveiling a more mature and independent woman.
The hypnotic first single Chasing Pirates kicks things off. Even Though follows, also a guitar-heavy tune. I Wouldn’t Need You, Waiting, Young Blood, and Tell Yer Mama are all about lost love. The last is delivered with a righteous southern “you done me wrong” attitude. The closing track Man of the Hour has our heroine choosing her dog over the other males in her life because of his not having any baggage, eating meat, and giving her lots of lovin’. Back to Manhattan, this listener’s favorite tune from the album, laments: “Brooklyn holds you, and it holds my heart too. What a fool I was to think I could live in both worlds.” and “I should go back to Manhattan. It’s just a train ride away. I know nothing ’bout leaving, but I know I should do it today.”
Jones’ first-person voice dominates on The Fall’s and her lyrics are full of questions about the next stage of her life. This album, much like her debut, shows Jones’ vocal strength and her ability to communicate her feelings intimately as if she were sitting and sharing drinks or coffee with you-her confidante-and you alone. Norah Jones has done it again; captured her listeners’ hearts.
Norah Jones and the team behind “The Fall” take us through some of the tracks on her new album.
Gonna Fly Now!
Rocky was released on this date in 1976. The Rocky movies have not only been a source for inspiration for athletes, but have had great music, including “Eye of the Tiger,” to accompany the victories and defeats of the “Italian Stallion.”
In honor of all the Rocky flicks, let’s watch videos of some of those inspiring tunes and movie moments.
The Rocky IV soundtrack is one of my favorite soundtrack, and it includes “Living in America,” “No Easy Way Out,” “Burning Heart,” and “Hearts on Fire”
And here’s the theme and the inspiring scene that started it all. Even after 33 years, Rocky’s triumph is still cool!
“Gonna Fly Now”
Three New Album Releases
Today, November 17th, albums were released by three excellent voices in music: Norah Jones (a full review will be posted soon), John Mayer, and Leona Lewis.
Here’s a taste of what you’ll hear on the albums The Fall and Echo.
Chasing Pirates by Norah Jones
Happy by Leona Lewis
Here’s an interview with John Mayer talking about his new album Battle Studies.
Harmonica Shah
Just came across the song “I Wonder Why?” by Harmonica Shah. (It’s currently the Free Discovery Download on iTunes.) This guy is smokin’!
Check him out:
Happy Birhtday, Bryan Adams!
Grammy winner Bryan Adams was born on November 5, 1959 in Ontario. Although “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You,” is a song I really hate, and I haven’t liked much of his stuff after that, Reckless was a good rockin’ album, and “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?” is a great song. The line When you can see your unborn children in her eyes is really something and Paco de Lucía’s Spanish guitar on the song is fabulous.
Here are some of Bryan’s great songs (in my book):
Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?
Santana
Carlos Santana was born in Mexico and came to San Francisco as a teenager. In San Francisco, he was introduced to jazz, world, and folk music. Santana decided to become a full-time musician in 1966 and formed the Santana Blues Band with fellow street musicians keyboardist Gregg Rolie and bassist David Brown.
With its original blend of Latin-infused rock, jazz, blues, and African rhythms, the band, (which became known simply as Santana) gained a following in the San Francisco club scene. The band’s memorable performance at Woodstock in 1969 led to a recording contract with Columbia Records. Watch that performance below.
The band’s unique sound features Carlos’ melodic, blues-based guitar set against Latin percussion, such as timbales and congas. In 2003, Rolling Stone named Carlos Santana number 15 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
Black Magic Woman
Oye Como Va
Evil Ways
Samba Pa Ti
Celia Cruz: The Queen Salsa
Celia Cruz, The Queen of Salsa, was born on this day, October 21st, in 1925. and was one of the most successful Salsa performers of the 20th century, with 23 gold albums. She’s also know as “La Guarachera de Cuba.”
“Cruz is indisputably the best known and most influential female figure in the history of Cuban music.” Celia Cobo, Billboard Magazine
Watch some of Celia’s performances below:
Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz (Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III) was a Cuban-American musician, actor, and TV producer (Our Miss Brooks, The Andy Griffith Show, The Untouchables, and Star Trek).
He arrived in the U.S. in the 30’s, starred on Broadway and in movies, and played guitar in Xavier Cugat’s band. In the 40s, he formed his own Latin orchestra and launched the conga craze in America.
And in 1951, with his wife Lucille Ball and their show I Love Lucy, he played a fictional version of himself, Ricky Ricardo. On the show, he sang, dance, and played the conga drums and the guitar.
Some of his hits include “Babalu,” “Rumba Matumba,” ” and “El Cumbanchero.”
Babalu
In Santiago, Chile (‘Tain’t Chilly at All)
Cuban Pete (with Lucy)
Chico and Arturo O’Farrill
Chico (Artuto) O’Farrill, a composer, arranger, bandleader, and trumpeter, was one of the leaders in the emergence of Afro-Cuban Jazz in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He arrived in New York City from Cuba when Machito and Dizzy Gillespie were blending bebop and Cuban music. O’Farrill quickly became a key figure in the movement. He preferred jazz over the Cuban music he had experienced before arriving in the U.S. and exposure to the new sounds helped him shape his musical ideas.
He worked as an arranger with Benny Goodman, and also wrote the popular “Undercurrent Blues” for the band. He also worked with other arrangers including Quincy Jones.
His first major contribution to Afro-Cuban Jazz was a recording session for Machito in 1950. O’Farrill’s The Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite is regarded as an important transition in adapting Cuban music to a modern jazz big band. It featured Charlie Parker, Flip Phillips, and Buddy Rich. He described Afro-Cuban Jazz as “a very delicate marriage,” in which each aspect of the music had to be held in proper balance.
Chico’s Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite
As well as leading his own band, he composed The Manteca Suite for Dizzy Gillespie in 1955, expanding the trumpeter’s famous 1947 hit “Manteca.” O’Farrill also arranged for Stan Kenton and Stan Getz.
He left the USA in 1955. He returned to Cuba, then moved to Mexico in 1957, where he remained until 1965, recording and working with local bands. His compositions from this period include The Aztec Suite for trumpeter Art Farmer.
He reunited with Machito and Gillespie in 1975 for an album, Afro- Cuban Jazz Moods. In 1995, he wrote a commissioned piece for Lincoln Center, featuring Wynton Marsalis, and led his own big band in a weekly residence at NYC’s Birdland, with his son, pianist Arturo O’Farrill, who has taken over conducting the band.
Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
In 2002, Arturo created The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra for Jazz at Lincoln Center. I went to see Arturo and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra last year at Birdland and I was very impressed. The band was comprised of both young and seasoned musicians. Arturo’s teenage sons are also quite talented and performed on one song a piece. Arturo has continued where his father left off. As an educator, he has certainly inspired many young musicians and turned them on to the music that perhaps their grandparents grew up with. His latest release Song For Chico won a Gammy for Best Latin Jazz Album in 2008.
Interview with Arturo O’Farrill
Mario Bauzá & Machito
The Cuban musicians Mario Bauzá and Machito played a huge role in the history of Latin jazz. Machito’s bands of the 1940s, especially the Afro-Cubans, were among the first to fuse Afro-Cuban rhythms with jazz improvisation. Machito was the singer, conductor, and maraca player of the Afro-Cubans. Machito’s brother-in-law Mario Bauza was the musical director of the band.
Mario Bauzá
(Francisco Raúl Gutiérrez Grillo) “Machito” and His Afro-Cubans
Hispanic Heritage Month
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, I will feature artists who pioneered Latin music and helped it flourish in the United States. Musicians from the Afro-Jazz, Salsa, and other forms of Latin-influenced music will be featured.
PBS is airing a four-part documentary entitled “Latin Music USA.” Watch parts of it here.
Michael Bublé: Crazy Love
Michael Bublé, the Canadian crooner, returns with a new set of standards and modern songs, proving that he can handle both quite easily. Crazy Love also contains two new songs co-written by Bublé.
Crazy Love was co-produced by David Foster, the pop-producing master. While jazz enthusiasts might think working with a jazz producer who would opt for minimal arrangements to showcase Bublé’s voice might have been better, here, Foster was the right choice. After all, the 34-year-old Bublé wants to entice the adult contemporary audience as well as the pop one. Some of the jazz covers have a big band arrangement, which is actually a good thing, as popsters don’t have the patience for the quietness of jazz. A prime example is the first song “Cry Me A River,” with a dramatic opening and heavy musical arrangement. “Cry Me a River” needed a fresh rendition and this one is quite good.
The second and third tracks are standards that Billie Holiday and Ray Charles mastered, “All of Me” and “Georgia on My Mind” respectively. Here, “All of Me” is done quite well. While it’s hard to duplicate the song that Ray Charles made all his own, Bublé does pretty well. Perhaps a more elaborate arrangement would’ve made it stand out a bit more, or maybe not. The other standards, “You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You” and “ Stardust,” receive traditional treatments on Crazy Love.
Bublé’s contemporary covers include songs from the rock, pop, and R&B genres. His rendition of Van Morrison’s 1970 “Crazy Love” is a good one since his voice is more soothing than Morrison’s. The R&B group Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings appear on “Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes).” Bublé and Jones play off each other quite nicely. Ron Sexsmith and Bublé’s voices blend nicely on the cover of Sexsmith’s “Whatever It Takes.” Billy Vera and the Beaters’ melancholy “At This Moment” gets a strong rendition from Bublé. It’s still sad and still gets you right in the heart. Finally, “Heartbreak Tonight” from The Eagles gets so jazzed up, that it took this listener a little while to figure it out. And in the end, didn’t find it as enjoyable as Bublé’s version of Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” on his debut.
The two original songs on Crazy Love are “Haven’t Met You Yet,” the first single, and “Hold On.” The first is too poppy and out of place in this album. The second is a sweet song and should probably have been the first single. It’s almost as nice as Buble’s “Home” from his second album It’s Time.
Crazy Love is another winning album for the smooth-singing and swinging Bublé. It’s another testimony to Michael Bublé’s ability to tackle different genres with ease. Fans will definitely fall in love with Crazy Love.
Crazy Love
Sway
Tam Lin
I recently met Paul Weinfield through a friend. Musically, he is Tam Lin, a New York City-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist who blends folk, rock, and soul music. His lyrics are philosophical, literary, and poetic, a nice escape from cheesy and pedestrian lyrics that pass for music these days. He is also a great live performer. I recently saw him play at The Bitter End in New York City and really enjoyed the show.
Our encounters were brief, but as a I am a music fanatic, I was excited about meeting someone whose music I enjoyed. I love to find out about new talents (at least new to me) and I wish I had more pull to help promote all the talented musicians I have met here in NYC. So, I write about them in my blog and hope my readers (ahem, that would be you) will check out their music and support them as I do.
Tam Lin’s most recent EP Begin Again is available now, and includes: The Age of Ignorance, In The Twilight, Anne Lee, and the powerful title track.
Ship of Light is his newest composition. Check it out below:
Here are a few more Tam Lin tunes:
Adam’s Garden
The Queen of Sheba
Soldier Called Uriah
Siddhartha
Visit Tam Lin’s Web site for more on this artist: TamLinMusic
leave a comment