Music Origins, History, Creation, Special Musicians…

[jakelafortParticipant]

Here is an easy to listen with a bit of zip and bellydance music.

[UnseenParticipant]

@popebeanie

Rick Beato is a musical polymath and a great explainer. He sees music as music and doesn’t specialize, particularly, in rock, pop, jazz, hip-hop, or classical. He’s aware of Western musical history and many of his very numerous videos are lessons in history as well as compositional and performing techniques. I strongly recommend anyone here to brows his collection of videos just following your nose, as they say.

[Reg the Fronkey FarmerModerator]

In S10 E8 of The Walking Dead (not Easter Sunday in Jerusalem) one of the survivors mentions that his fav piece of music is ‘Somewhere in Time’ by Rachmaninoff. Here is a variation of it.

[UnseenParticipant]

This is a classic recording of one of the great jazz (and pop) standards, Star Dust. While it’s full of interesting solos, of particular interest is Lionel Hampton’s jaw-dropping vibrsphone solo starting at around 9:50 in. It’s one of those “just when you thought it couldn’t get any better” solos. Enjoy:

[UnseenParticipant]

A lot of people will say “I don’t like jazz.” My daughter once said that to me and my reply was “You haven’t heard enough jazz to be able to say that.” I don’t think that inspired her to look further, however.

Here’s a piece you probably haven’t heard of by musicians who aren’t household names, yet it is one of my favorite pieces of music.  The late Chico Hamilton is the bandleader and he’s on drums. The sax is Sadao Watanabe and the guitar is Szabo Gabor whose unique style of playing died with him.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do everytime I play it…which is, I assure you, often.

This is one jazz tune, BTW, that one CAN dance to:

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by  Unseen.

[UnseenParticipant]

After this one, I’ll hang back for a while. Here a classical composer reacting to and analyzing one of Frank Zappa’s most famous works, Inca Roads. Watch his mind being blown over and over again. LOL

[Reg the Fronkey FarmerModerator]

In 1988, I went to see Zappa play in London. We took copious quantities of acid. It was an experience I will never forget but please don’t ask me to describe it.

[Reg the Fronkey FarmerModerator]

The 50 Greatest Concept Albums of All Time…………

[UnseenParticipant]

I don’t know if you ever thought about the relation between music and dance. Dance is music for the eyes. Music uses rhythm and notes to depict mood. In dance, the rhythm is obvious, the notes are replaced by the expression of the dancers, and the result is just the same: mood.

I marvel at how much talent there was back in the 1930s and 1950s. There’s been very little like it since, except perhaps in the Bollywood musicals still being produced today.

[jakelafortParticipant]

I think there is this contention among people from 30s that music in the 30s and 40s was better. Also that all popular singers were either good or great singers whereas now you can be pretty and all about theatrics and not have any talent as a singer.

I suspect it is a good generalization. As to dancing i think the dancing now overall is better.

[—Participant]

Music of the 30s and 40s has the benefit of nostalgia. The music that endured in cultural memory became the sound of the times and it seems we evaluate it with a sort of relativism. Likely, there are far more highly competent singers and musicians now than then if for no other reason than the sheer volume of resources available to such a broad population. Granted, that also means there is way more room in the music market for music that’s inexplicably successful, but I think the present state is one in which we are basically spoiled for choice.

But the issue here also comes down to what defines a great singer. The most talented and proficient singers aren’t always the greatest. Was Cab Calloway a great singer? In terms of his popular recordings—the music that stood the test of time—there are tons of people who can sing at least that well. But he had charisma and was a consummate performer. He became the enduring definition of a certain type of style that, looking in the rearview mirror, almost feels beyond reproach.

As time marches on, we have lots of examples of people with eccentricities or charismatic qualities that caused them to stand above others who may have been more musically gifted. We also have cases where simple and less technically proficient music struck a deeper chord than music requiring a greater deal of mastery to perform. Sometimes songs just become emblematic of a time or era—even if erroneously so—and that carries weight beyond the music.

[_Robert_Participant]

Well said Autumn. Music standing alone without the creator’s backstory is not nearly as compelling. Same for music heard without knowledge of its original context. I think the graphic arts fare a little better in isolation than music, which can seem more personal.

[Simon PayntonParticipant]

_Robert_ wrote:

Music standing alone without the creator’s backstory is not nearly as compelling. Same for music heard without knowledge of its original context.

Ah, I think that whatever music means to you, is what it means, like anything, or any art.

[jakelafortParticipant]

I agree there are a greater number of competent and good singers now.

However while i credit your points Autumn it is my guess that standards have deteriorated over the decades. One did not achieve notoriety without some talent. There were live performances. There was radio. Radio was the primary medium. With only a voice to evaluate only the voice counts. Additionally there was a more victorian culture that made Elvis or Little Richard radical outliers albeit influencers in the trajectory of music. So talent was paramount.

I think you can guess the rest of my train of thought about the present.

[jakelafortParticipant]

Here is a nostalgic song of yore.

[Author]

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