The great Leon Russell

Leon Russell helped shape the sound of rock and roll piano as we know it. As a LA session player in the early 60's, he played on many iconic songs for a boatload of artists such as The Beach Boys, Aretha Franklin, The Crystals, Darlene Love and Frank Sinatra. He was the guy you wanted on your session. By the late 60's, he was writing arrangements for likes of The Stones and Glenn Campbell. He appeared at George Harrison's "Concert for Bangladesh" and was the bandleader for Joe Cocker's "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" tour. Russell is also a great singer/songwriter releasing over 30 albums of his own. His credits are endless ... and look at this guy, what a BAD ASS !!! The Keith Richards of piano (minus the heroin addiction). Sadly once the 80's arrived, the sounds of popular music had drastically changed, and the demand for his talents had disappeared. Thankfully there would be an opportunity for us to be reminded of his genius.

In 2009 Elton John was at a point in his career where he didn't know what his next project should be. While listening to Leon's Greatest hits inspiration was born. Elton called Leon and asked if he wanted to make a record. Elton had known Leon back in the 70's and wanted the world to see what an influence Leon was to him and to all of rock and roll. Leon said sure and in 2010 they recorded the "The Union". It received critical acclaim upon release and for my money it's well deserved. Produced by the omnipresent T-Bone Burnett, it's a great blend of blues and rock. Some outstanding guest musicians on this too - Booker T, Marc Ribot, and Jim Keltner just to name a few. Most impressive though is how well Elton and Leon compliment each other while both playing on the same song. Pianos take up a lot of space sonically yet these two never seem to  step on each other's musical thoughts.

I love learning more about the process that goes into creating an album. Luckily Cameron Crowe made a documentary about "The Union" for HBO. It's very engaging, although there is a bit too much Elton and not enough Leon for my tastes. Elton has had more than enough time in the spotlight and it would have been nice to hear more from Leon about his life and work. Having said that, I do recommend checking it out. Sadly HBO seem to be holding this hostage. It's not on Netflix or iTunes so if you are an HBO subscriber you can see it via HBO GO, if not find a friend that is.

Here's a teaser for the film and few of my favorite Leon creations:

Amy Beach

If you have been a fan of Classical music for any length of time, it can be difficult to discover something new. For most people, even musicians, Amy Beach is not a recognizable name. Considering she was the first female American composer of any stature back in the late 1800's, one would think her name would have made the rounds by now. It's quite surprising since she was well respected in a male-dominated field during her life, yet history has somewhat forgotten her.

Beach was a child prodigy as a pianist, and later composed a piano concerto, a violin sonata, chamber music and many pieces for solo piano ... all with minimal formal education. I will admit I do not know her entire catalogue well, but for me the one that stands out is her "Symphony in E Minor", also known as "The Gaelic Symphony". It's a wonderful piece with a wide range of moods, from pastoral to very intense. Like Dvorak and Stravinsky, Beach draws on folk music for her themes, in this case music from Ireland. Although the themes are Irish, her music doesn't come across as a Lucky Charms commercial.  It has something of an American sound and feel to it. Beach not only excels as a composer, but also as an orchestrator.  The string and woodwind writing are of particular note. She creates beautiful color combinations both within those sections, and with some interplay between them.    

It is a bit of a time investment, about 40 minutes, but I hope you will take the time to explore this piece and perhaps some of her other works. This slice of American musical history would be a great accompaniment to your Sunday morning coffee.

I'm afraid Youtube did not have any good options for listening, but I have included a Spotify playlist for you. This recording is also available at Amazon but not itunes. For those of you looking for a study score, can find it here.

The Argument For Vinyl

I am not a hipster. I don't have facial hair from the 1890's, I won't tell you how I discovered "that" years before you did, and I don't insist on artisanal mayonnaise. I do however, listen to records .....

Like most of you I ditched the pops and crackles of vinyl for the siren song of digital convenience long ago. I embraced CD's, then MP3's, and then streaming channels. I was content with this choice for quite some time. I never really loved MP3's, but having every piece of music I owned at my fingertips was hard to say no to, and Spotify..... Christ !! There was always something missing though, and I realized that my musical soul may have been sold in a Faustian bargain. I had lost the connection to my music.

There was no grand design in finding my way back to this ancient technology. My turntable had always been around and I still had a few select LP's from my youth. They never garnered much attention but they were here waiting for me to see the light. For a few years now I had been picking up some Record Store Day releases but that was it, just a once a year event to support a small business and hang with music geeks. Then last year it kinda stuck, the light bulb went on, I really missed this ....

No you can't drag your records to the gym or spin 'em in the car, but you can sit your ass down, pour your favorite adult beverage, and listen to some music. I mean REALLY listen. Now I'm not suggesting you torch that hard drive like Hendrix at Monterey. You wanna download that infectious Ke$ha tune or Spotify some one hit wonder, go right ahead. What I do suggest, is for those albums that you have a real connection to, the ones that helped you though that break-up, or demand your best "air guitar", or the ones you just plain love, deserve more. They deserve a place on the shelf and your undivided attention. Control your ADD tendencies, hide the smartphone, and experience a collective musical work in it's intended order instead of the random shuffle we have become all too comfortable with. Ogle that artwork, read those liner notes, let yourself drift into the bliss of a great album. Sure those records will require some care and upkeep, but you will have something you can hold, collect, and admire.

Article after article will tell you vinyl sounds better, the bass is tighter, it's analog man ..... I'm not going there. What I will tell you, is when the stylus rides that groove, it feels like I'm in the same room with the music .... It's alive, as if Jack and Meg White set up in my living room to entertain me and I'm a part of it. So if you have a turntable and can remember where you stashed it, dust it off and give it a spin. You may well be surprised by what you hear and feel.

Once you drag out those old records you may realize your collection isn't in the best shape and you want to pick some stuff up. As far as recommendations go, all that classic rock, funk, and jazz will be a great listening experience. In the event you would like some more recent titles that really sound great on vinyl, here are a few of my favorites from the last few years.

1. Blunderbuss ~ Jack White 
2. Brothers ~ The Black Keys
3. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga ~ Spoon 
4. Bad as Me ~ Tom Waits 
5. Lungs ~ Florence and the Machine
6. ... Like Clockwork ~ Queens of the Stone Age 
7. Trouble Will Find Me ~ The National

The Kids Are Alright !!!

What were you up to when you were in your teens ???  Whatever it was it's not as impressive as what you are about to hear. The Skins are a Brooklyn band on actor Adrian Grenier's label Wreckroom Records, (he's gotta do something with that Entourage money). The members range in age from 13 to 19 years old and sound as if they were the love child of your favorite classic rock station and a singer from Stax records circa 1963. It's a great combination of gritty Rock and Roll with an injection of soulful vocals. The whole group is quite impressive but singer Bayli Mckeithan really sings her ass off.

They released this single and a 3 song EP early 2012, but I'm pretty sure it slipped under your radar. If you like what you hear, pony up some dollars and get an MP3 copy for yourself. You can also check them out this Wednesday June 12th at Webster Hall opening up for The Heavy.

THE COVER SONG

It takes a great deal of vision to re-imagine a song in a completely new way. Often it ends up feeling more like a joke than an truthful interpretation of the song's meaning. I've been guilty of this many times. The graveyard of my college creations include Hip Hop versions of Bon Jovi tunes and a mashup of sorts between the theme from Rawhide and Stravinsky's Petrushka. I kid you not.

In contrast, here is a serious rendition of Portishead's Sour Times by The Civil Wars. This is a complete and honest take on a haunting song. One could argue it's merely an "unplugged" rendition of a Trip Hop tune, but they have done so much more with it. Unlike the cimbalom laced, Bond-esque original, they do not emulate the wonderfully disinterested vocal performance. This is a deliberate and impassioned plea by Joy Williams and John Paul White, whose voices intertwine into a single entity with some beautiful phrasing. It transports you to a very different place. If you are unfamiliar with them, I would suggest taking the time to get to know their work. They have a knack for taking the essential elements from a song and running with them to a very impactful place. Their cover of Michael Jackson's Billie Jean is life changing.

This certainly doesn't replace the original in the way that Aretha Franklin replaces Otis Redding's Respect but they have created something that truly is their own. The Civil Wars have a new album on the horizon which I am very much looking forward to.

      

Get More:
The Civil Wars, VH1 Unplugged, The Civil Wars, The Civil Wars Sour Times, The Civil Wars Live Performance

WELCOME

Welcome and thank you for visiting my little corner of the internet. If you're hoping for a place to find out where I went on vacation or how much I dislike Taylor Swift, you're going to be very disappointed. This blog is a vehicle to explore all that is great about making and listening to music. You won't see any scathing reviews or bitter ramblings ... (well, you probably won't). What you will see are the tricks and techniques I've learned over my career, plus a myriad of music that I find inspiring. I extend an invite to professionals, the aspiring and the folks that just love music.