Tag: Jazz

Let’s Explore The Blues – Georgia Cotton Pickers

In my last post we looked at Barbeque Bob (Robert Hicks).  In addition to his solo career, he was also a member of the world’s first supergroup.  He, along with Curley Weaver and Buddy Moss, formed this group in 1930 and recorded a few tunes.  Unfortunately, these were the last songs that Bob ever recorded.

This is their version of Blind Blake‘s “Diddie Wa Diddie”

“Diddle-Da-Diddle”

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Here is Ry Cooder‘s version.

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This is a take by Leon Redbone.

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The next song to listen is a standard called “She Looks So Good”.  You will recognize many songs woven into the fabric of this one.

She Looks So Good

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One final tune.

“She’s Coming Back Some Cold Rainy”

This is a version by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.  This version is, in a word, sweet.  I want to listen this song on repeat for about a week.

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Angela Shella – Twitter Thursday

I have recently followed Angela Shella, as she was kind enough to follow me here on WordPress. (I know, it is not Twitter, but I am on a mission to ruin El G’s internal clock). She is a jazz (contemporary?) singer, based in Durham, North Carolina .  The link to her blog is here.  Give her a listen, and check out her blog and her music.  Before you do that, check out the song blow.  Good style, great voice.  We should have a good time exploring her blog.

Update:

Angela is now following me on Twitter, the post is now legit.

Talent Tuesday – Canadian Releases – February 7, 2012

It’s Tuesday and time to run down the latest in Canadian music.  A very active week it is as well.  I have also added an International release of the week as, apparently, there is other music in the world besides Canadian music.

First up, we have Bahamas new release, titled Barchords.  Bahamas is actually Afie Jurvanen.  Born and raised in the Toronto, he has played with such people as Feist and Zeus.  This is his second release.  The song I have added here is titled Lost in the Light and is a live rendition.

Lost In The Light

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Rococode at Green Couch Sessions
Rococode at Green Couch Sessions (Photo credit: Raul P)

Next up is alternative band Rococode and their new album “Guns, Sex and Glory”.  That name should bring me a few hits off search terms.  They are a 4 piece band out of Vancouver.  This is their first full length album.  the song I chose to showcase is dynamite.  Enjoy “Empire”.

Empire

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English: Michael Kaeshammer performing at the ...

The next is a live album by one of my favourites, jazz pianist Michael Kaeshammer.  The album is simply titled Kaeshammer Live.  This guy is great.  I saw him live once so when you view the attached video, imagine yourself sitting in the front row, no stage and the drummer about 6 feet away from you.  The best seats we ever had for any concert.  the song is called Lovelight.

Lovelight

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Next we have The Experimental Tropic Blues Band and their new album, “Liquid Love”, which should also generate a few search hits.  A rocking blues band out of Quebec, their album promises to be a rollicking good time.  The song is a live version of Keep This Love.

Keep This Love

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My international pick for the week is the new release from The Fray.  Their new album is titled Scars and Stories.  The Fray is from Denver, Colorado who have enjoyed major success since the release of the “How To Save A Life” album in 2005.  Good band.  I have inserted “Heartbeat” from the album.  The song is true to their style.

 

Heartbeat

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Canada’s Best Music – 5 Songs At A Time – Part 6

Lets take a look at 5 more Canadian songs.  In this selection we have a crooner, a smooth as silk jazz artist, some classic rock, an alternative band and, for the first time in this series, a Quebec artist.

1. Jean Leloup“1990”Jean Leloup Commons: Jean Leloup par Victor Di...

Quebec has a thriving music scene, although it is in French, which makes the lyrics a bit hard to follow, the music itself is universal. 

 2. Michael Buble“Save the Last Dance”English: Michael Buble walks the Red Carpet at...

Michael Buble has been one of the biggest music stars in the world for the past 10 years or so.  Great voice. 

 3.  Jerry Doucette“Mama Let Him Play” Superb classic rock with an excellent guitar solo. 
 4. Diana Krall“Better Than Anything”Portrait of Diana Krall at Toronto Indigo Chap...

Great singer, married to Elvis Costello, who is now an honorary Canadian.  The video is a duet with Natalie Cole. 

 5. Three Days Grace“Animal I Have Become”Pain (Three Days Grace song)

Something for the metal fans.  Great song!  This band has been around for a while now and continue to deliver solid songs and great performances.  This is their second entry to the list. 

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Remembering Sam Rivers

English: Sam Rivers
Sam Rivers (1923 - 2011)

A true giant of jazz and be-bop passed away on December 26 at the age of 88.  Sam Rivers, played saxophone, clarinet, piano and flute, with some harmonica.  His career spanned 60 years and included both him as a bandleader and several stints as a side-man for such greats as Miles Davis, Cecil Taylor and Dave Holland.  He had recorded 24 albums in his time.  His songwriting included such standards as “Beatrice”, which is the first video I have chosen.  This is a live version, recorded in 1989 with the Sam Rivers Quartet.  The song is mellow, but showcases Sam’s saxophone playing.

 

My second choice is a video with James Blood Ulmer, again live, and 1993ish.

 

 

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My Top Tunes of 2011

Raphael Saadiq, American singer-songwriter.
Raphael Saadiq

This post includes songs that were new to me in 2011, meaning some of them may not be real 2011 releases.  Once again, my blog, my rules.  Now that I have set the ground rules, I will not mince words or platitudes on these bands or songs and will simply post the video with a link to their website.  Please visit them, and remember, support these artists and any others that strike you, be they authors, musicians, sculptors etc.  It is hard to be creative when you are starving.

10. Adele        Rolling In The Deep

Could have picked any of the songs on this album.

9. Matthew Barber    Keep It Alive

A beautiful ballad.

8. Foster The People   Pumped Up Kicks

The lyrics are what sets this song apart from the pack.  Easy to sing along, but what is it that you are singing.

7. Sara Bareilles    King of Anything

A light pop sound, but done, oh so well.

6. Amos Lee    Windows Are Rolled Down

This guy has been blowing me away for years.  Great, great song.

5. Cake    Sick Of You

My solar-powered entry.

4. Frank Turner   If Ever I Stray

British folk songs, sung by ex-punk stars with really cool videos seem to be very popular now.

3. Eliza Doolittle   Pack Up

Another cool retro style British pop song, and I have no idea why I liked it so much.

2.  Raphael Saadiq   Stone Rollin’

Saw him at the House of Blues in New Orleans.  PERFECT!!!  If R&B hadn’t been invented, he would be right now.

1. Trombone Shorty     Do To Me

I was stunned when I first heard this album.  Couldn’t download it fast enough.

Remembering Ralph MacDonald

Grammy award-winning percussionist and song-writer Ralph MacDonald passed away yesterday at the age of 67.  This man was impressive,  the list of people he recorded with is astounding.  Bill Withers, George Benson, David Bowie, Aretha Franklin and on and on.  His song-writing skills are just as notable.  His major contributions to music history are the Bill Withers hit “Just The Two Of Us” and  Roberta Flack’s (with Donny Hathaway)  “Where Is The Love“.  A terrible loss to music, he will be missed.

Just Two Of Us – Live with Toph-E and the Pussycats

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Remembering Bob Brookmeyer

English: Bob Brookmeyer (1978), an American ja...

 

Since discovering Trombone Shorty, I have keyed on trombone players.  I recently discovered Bob Brookmeyer and was saddened to find that he passed away on December 16 at the age of 81.  He was a pure jazz trombonist who has recorded since 1954.  There are 24 albums released with him as leader and he has played on multiple other albums as a sideman.  I have come to appreciate the versatility of the instrument as well as the difficulty in becoming this proficient at it.  The attached, in tribute, is a live recording from 1981 of a song called “Bernie’s Tune”.  Along with Bob, the featured musicians are Gerry Mulligan, Ray Brown and Art Brakey.

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Listening to Canadians – Michael Kaeshammer

Michael Kaeshammer performing at the 2009 Wate...
Michael Kaeshammer

Michael Kaeshammer, German born, he moved to Canada at age 19.  In Germany, he studied classical piano, and the discovered boogie woogie in his early teens.  He toured extensively on his arrival in Canada in 1996, playing jazz an blues festivals across the country.  My personal experiences with him consist of a discovery on CBC2 and a concert Lori and I went to a few years back.  The concert was in a 400 seat theatre in Calgary and was phenomenal.  Good story.  We heard he was coming and checked out ticket availability.  There were a handful of single seats still available, so we figured it was a lost cause.  Lori tried once more, 2 days before the concert and, unbelievably, the person on the other end of the phone says, yes, of course, we just had 2 seats open up in the FRONT row.  Lori scooped them right then and sure enough, we were in the front row, about 6 feet from the drummer, the same drummer as in the video.

Michael puts on a great concert, very personable guy with a great feel for the audience.  The back and forth with the other band members was excellent.  A thoroughly enjoyable experience.  If you have the chance to see him play, do it.

His current tour dates are:

UPCOMING SHOWS

Date City Venue Country
09/23/11 Cerritos, CA Cerritos Centre for the Performing Arts United States
09/24/11 Pleasanton, CA Firehouse Arts Centre United States
09/26/11 Bakersfield, CA Rabobank Theatre United States
09/28/11 San Diego, CA Anthology United States
09/30/11 Kirkland, WA Kirkland Performance Centre United States
10/01/11 Portland, OR Jimmy Mak’s United States
10/02/11 Redmond, OR Redmond High School Auditorium United States
10/06/11 Madisonville, KY Glema Mahr Centre for the Arts United States
10/07/11 Chattanooga, TN Hunter Museum United States
10/08/11 Franklin, TN Franklin Theatre United States
10/14/11 Sault Ste Marie Algoma Fest Canada
10/20/11 Montreal L’Astral Canada
10/22/11 Ottawa, ON National Arts Centre Canada
11/04/11 Boothbay Harbor, ME Opera House United States
11/05/11 Fryeburg, ME Leura Hill Eastman PAC United States
11/07/11 Minneapolis, MN Dakota Jazz Club United States
11/09/11 Evanston, IL SPACE United States
11/11/11 Ashland, OH Hugo Young Theatre United States
11/12/11 Greenville, OH Henry St Clair Memorial Hall United States

 

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Remembering – Eddie Marshall

Une Histoire des Geants du Jazz

Jazz drummer extraordinaire, Eddie Marshall passed away on September 7.  He was 73.  In his career he played with such notables as Stan Getz, The Pointer Sisters and Dionne Warwick.  He was also part of the fusion group The Fourth Way.  His other work included the project Bebop and Beyond, which compiled tributes to Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonius Monk.

The video is a clip of the Eddy Marshall Quartet, live at the Piedmont Piano Company and features his composition “Too Much Romance”.

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