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Post by slb2 on Dec 17, 2006 5:45:03 GMT -5
I know how to whistle. But when I pucker up, something else happens.
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Post by booklady on Dec 18, 2006 9:59:45 GMT -5
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Post by joew on Dec 18, 2006 10:13:03 GMT -5
bl — you mentioned that you were listening to the Pops concert yesterday afternoon and liked the rendering of "A Christmas Carol." Would you care to give your review of "the rest of the concert?"
I'll give a few more thoughts in the next post, then I've got to get a package off to Japan.
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Post by booklady on Dec 18, 2006 10:22:54 GMT -5
No, because I wasn't listening that closely. I was vacuuming the living room, moving furniture, getting the room ready for the tree, and going up and down basement stairs to the washer and dryer. It was background music. I did buy the James Taylor Christmas CD yesterday. I should put that on. And I have to get two packages into the mail today. The house is blissfully quiet right now, though.
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Post by joew on Dec 18, 2006 10:31:00 GMT -5
As I indicated over on the other thread, I liked what I heard of the "Christmas Carol." To me, it was downhill from there. I wasn't giving it my undivided attention, but after a while they gave a medley of cold weather songs —"Baby, It's Cold Outside" and a couple of others — with very dissonant harmonies, changing what are tolerable pieces into something unpleasant. Then they did an instrumental titled "Joy," which started off with the "Hallelujah" Chorus syncopated and played at about three times normal speed. After thirty seconds or so of that I turned the radio off.
I don't know why people think they have to deconstruct standards. Do they really think that they can make it more enjoyable than what people have been listening to for decades, if not centuries? Some rearrangements are tolerable, for example "A Fifth of Beethoven," which changed the instrumentation but retained the spirit and drive of the original. The "Ode to Joy" and "Finlandia," in simplified arrangements, make very fine hymn tunes. And there is a place for parody, like Peter Schickele's "PDQ Bach." But when you've got a perfectly good original which you are capable of performing, and you want to convey the meaning of the original, why twist it all out of shape?
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Post by booklady on Dec 18, 2006 10:35:58 GMT -5
My only association with being a performing artist is standing in front of a group of kids every day. I guess I'd have to say that artists like to try new methods, new arrangements, new interpretations. It's risky, but they have to do it.
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Post by slb2 on Dec 18, 2006 11:46:42 GMT -5
joew, when one looks at all the traditional music out there and yet it continues to be played, oftentimes, it's the new stuff that pulls a young person in and then they start to say, "hey, I guess this old stuff isn't so bad."
Maybe you are only talking about Christmas carols. But for all the other stuff, yeah, musicians need to stretch and grow. I love Cajun, you know, and the old Cajun that's been recorded of McGee and Amede Ardoin (accent those e's in the first name, svp) and Bois-sec is wonderful and rich, but when it's been re-arranged by newer bands, it takes on a new life that others can relate to.
Take Pat Donohue's rendition of John Henry. Man, he plays that and sing that song wonderfully. But it's an old song and Pat's version is different than the old one.
Oh, I don't know. I'm just taking up space here with blathering. I get what you are saying joew. Sometimes musicians do a take-off of a treasured tune and they aren't up to 'snuff. They haven't earned the right to change it because they aren't of the musical caliber. So, yeah, I can find it irksome when a two-bit musician takes an honored tune and jacks around with it thinking he/she is improving it. But....
...it's all about change. If we don't change, we whither. The Old Crow Medicine Show is a great, great example of taking the old and pulling it into a currently palatable space.
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Post by booklady on Dec 18, 2006 13:35:11 GMT -5
Here is my review of the James Taylor Christmas album:
Lovely, lyrical, and moving. Makes your heart swell with memories, thankfulness, love, and hope.
Some children see Him lily white, The baby Jesus born this night. Some children see Him lily white, With tresses soft and fair. Some children see Him bronzed and brown, The Lord of heav'n to earth come down. Some children see Him bronzed and brown, With dark and heavy hair.
Some children see Him almond-eyed, This Savior whom we kneel beside. Some children see Him almond-eyed, With skin of yellow hue. Some children see Him dark as they, Sweet Mary's Son to whom we pray. Some children see him dark as they, And, ah! they love Him, too!
The children in each different place Will see the baby Jesus' face Like theirs, but bright with heavenly grace, And filled with holy light. O lay aside each earthly thing And with thy heart as offering, Come worship now the infant King. 'Tis love that's born tonight!
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Post by joew on Dec 18, 2006 21:30:09 GMT -5
bl and slb2 — you make good points. Maybe all I was really saying is that I thought those particular reworkings were unsuccessful. Certainly, there have been successful rearrangements of all kinds of material, as I tried to suggest. It was these ones in particular that got to me, and there have been other times when I think the arranger should have left well enough alone — as well as the occasions when I liked the reworking.
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Post by Tillie on Dec 26, 2006 12:38:02 GMT -5
"Everybody's got soul," he once said. "Everbody doesn't have the same culture to draw from, but everybody's got soul."
May 3rd, 1933 - December 25th, 2006
__Mr. James Brown__ The Godfather of Soul
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Post by slb2 on Dec 26, 2006 17:00:03 GMT -5
Tillie, thanks for noting the passing of the unsurpassable James Brown.
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Post by joew on Jan 16, 2007 14:23:21 GMT -5
This is a thread where we can discuss music CDs, performers, songs, etc... So, what have you been listening to lately? What performer have you discovered or rediscovered. Share the music with everyone. I think I mentioned in the "Challenge, Anyone?" poll that one of the members of the Handel and Haydn Society orchestra was looking forward to having Roger Norrington conduct the group. Well, he did so this past weekend, and my brother and I attended the Sunday afternoon performance — two Haydn symphonies and a Mozart concerto for two pianos. The playing was good. It is always enjoyable to have two people as much in sync as the pianists were. The pianos were early versions, with a sharper sound than more modern pianos, something between a harpsichord and a modern piano, with no pedals. But the conductor! Sir Roger is one of the leaders of the "historically informed performance" movement. His recordings of the Beethoven symphonies on instruments of Beethoven's time, using performance techniques of that time, and following Beethoven's metronome markings for the tempos (rather than the slower tempos sometimes used in the 20th century — think Furtwängler, if you're familiar with him) are prime examples of the "historically informed" approach. But he was not properly dressed — black slacks and shirt, with the shirtsleeves rolled up and collar open. And much of his motion seemed to be putting on a show for the audience, rather than cueing and leading the musicians. For example, at the opening of Haydn's "Drumroll" symphony, instead of giving a downbeat motion for the tympanist to come in on, he spun to his right to face the player and made a "zap" motion at him with the baton. At times he turned his back on the second violins to conduct the first violins, despite the fact that the second violins were also playing and presumably had equal need of a conductor. There were other attention-grabbing gestures throughout the performances; and at the end of each of the symphonies he pivoted to face the audience, making a sort of curtsey while spreading his arms, sort of like a tap dancer at the end of his routine, grinning as if saying "Yeah!" I asked my brother, who plays horn in various amateur groups, how much of Norrington's shtick was actually leading the musicians. At first he said maybe 10%, but he revised it upwards to 30 or 40%. Anyway it was a tasteless display of self-indulgent and self-promoting showmanship which definitely marred an afternoon of fine music very well played. Maybe the flamboyance moved the musicians to play with greater verve. If so, perhaps it was worth it, but I would hope they could do as well with considerably less theatrics. My advice: if you can listen to a Norrington concert live on a good radio, it's better than having to watch his antics. Too bad, because seeing the musicians play usually adds to the enjoyment of a concert.
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Post by booklady on Jan 16, 2007 18:20:19 GMT -5
Very nice write-up, Joe. Your prose is always a pleasure to read (don't take that as being patronizing -- I'm sincere).
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Post by joew on Jan 16, 2007 22:02:14 GMT -5
Thanks for the compliment, bl.
I decided to send a revised version of my comments to the H&H. One point that could stand a bit more development is the matter of his outfit. To me it seems that when everyone else on stage is in formal attire, to dress casually is to disrespect them, as well as the event and the audience. In effect he is saying, "I'm so special that I don't have to follow the dress code which applies to you merely ordinary people."
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Post by hartlikeawheel on Jan 18, 2007 23:44:04 GMT -5
The kids must have gotten tired of making fun of me listening to the BeeGees and this weekend I was gifted with "The Best of Queen."
I'm off and running.
"I want to ride my bicycle. . ."
Now they can laugh at that for a while. They don't know that I caught that sly little look that passed between them when they gave it to me. Heh.
I love those guys. My kids, I mean.
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Post by hartlikeawheel on Jan 18, 2007 23:46:54 GMT -5
Incidently I gave The Packrat "The Best of the BeeGees" just to have a backup in case.
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Post by hartlikeawheel on Jan 20, 2007 3:27:40 GMT -5
"Fat-bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go 'round."
"Anyway the wind blows doesn't really matter to me."
"Drop of the hat, she's as willing and as faithful as a pussycat"
Sheesh. Those kids are truly going to corrupt their mom. What a pair!
At least I've managed to break free of the BG spell. Hee.
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Post by hartlikeawheel on Jan 20, 2007 14:47:47 GMT -5
Laffin'.
I remember one summer when Daughter walked around endlessly puckered trying to whistle until she finally got it.
I wish I could do one of those monstrous whistles that you sometimes hear at sports events.
My dad used to close his lips tightly and squeak through them. Drives katz crazy.
I suspect that a woman whistling was not only considered in poor form but also seemed lewd considering the shape of her lips in order to do it.
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Post by hartlikeawheel on Jan 20, 2007 15:09:23 GMT -5
I have really learned to enjoy those old films.
Lauren Bacall. Can't you just die? What a classy woman! Whistle, Girl.
The H&H? I thought he was the H&M.
Too bad. I have loved him once. But it's hard to be affectionate when one has been kicked to the curb and I'm not there yet. Especially without an explanation nor apology. I get a little bit prickly about being treated that way.
I hope we are talking about the same person.
We had a brief conversation at the airport while Wife seemed to be cowering in the corner and Daughter was doing her public relations thing. Ah.
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Post by doctork on Jan 25, 2007 22:33:31 GMT -5
I found a fun new (to me anyway) internet diversion - make your own radio station. It's www.pandora.com, and it's based on the "Music Genome project." You pick a song or recording artist that you like, and then various similar tunes are offered up. You give a thumbs up or down, and based on your choices, more tunes are chosen. Pretty soon, you have your own personal radio station. You can create up to 100 different stations. I started with some Brill Building faves, moved on to Richie Valens, and Leonard Cohen. I'm having fun, it sounds great. And Booklady, I noticed that if you choose from their top ten stations already created - Bob Dylan is right up near the top!
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rmn
Sleepy Member
Posts: 75
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Post by rmn on Jan 25, 2007 23:05:02 GMT -5
Good call, Doc K. The site is absolutely great.
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Post by brutus on Jan 25, 2007 23:39:03 GMT -5
Listenin' to Merle Haggard, Bobby Bare, Waylong Jennings right now!!! ;D ~B~
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Post by slb2 on Jan 26, 2007 1:26:51 GMT -5
So far I'm having no luck with that site, pandora. It's been a really terrible evening around my house and I'm already feeling like shit, so having a music site with apparently fabulous music keep playing stuff that I don't want to hear makes me feel even lousier.
I asked for BeauSoleil and they gave me acoustic rock guitar. I added Boozoo Chavis and they gave me one song by Boozoo--which was great--but then went back to mainstream rock. Not great. So I added The Iguana, a band from N.O., but didn't get anything like it.
I had no idea that I was so hard to please. A little Cape Verdean or some Senegalese? A little more Cajun and Zydeco and blues? I mean, what am I asking for? Beau Jacque himself?
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Post by doctork on Jan 26, 2007 17:25:17 GMT -5
Well, gosh, slb, I'm a newbie at the site. I can only surmise that maybe they don't have the Cajun or zydeco genome analyzed yet?
Maybe try Dr. John, Prervation Hall Jazz Band, Chenier or Marsalis of choice, the Meters, to see if you can get them into the New Orleans groove.
Did you see that the Jazz Fest schedule is out this week? All of the above, plus hundreds more. Wow, looks great!
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Post by booklady on Jan 26, 2007 18:09:43 GMT -5
Playing The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll right now....
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Post by doctork on Jan 26, 2007 18:18:25 GMT -5
I tried The Meters' "They All Aks For You" and they didn't have it, but played something else I didn't care for, that featured "heavy vamping" (what ever that is), like The Meters. Nixed it, then they started coming up with good stuff I do like.
Takes a little playing with it, if you're a tad out of the mainstream.
I'll check The Iguanas next...
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Post by booklady on Jan 26, 2007 18:41:06 GMT -5
I can't figure out how to get them to play more Dylan. They've played two -- very old songs -- and keep giving me other artists. And you can only skip a limited number of songs each hour.
Dr.K, where did you find their top ten stations?
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Post by slb2 on Jan 26, 2007 19:17:39 GMT -5
I just ran over there, Dr. K, and wow! I nearly hit the Big O just reading it! The second weekend would be the one I'd like to see if I could only go!!!! www.nojazzfest.com/sigh....
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Post by scotbrit on Jan 26, 2007 19:19:16 GMT -5
What fun!
Katherine Jenkins, Katherine Jenkins, Katherine Jenkins, Katherine Jenkins, Katherine Jenkins, Katherine Jenkins, Katherine Jenkins, Katherine Jenkins, Katherine Jenkins,
and more
Katherine Jenkins! ;D
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Post by slb2 on Jan 26, 2007 19:20:27 GMT -5
I just checked out the line-up more thoroughly only to see you-know-who playing on the second weekend, no less! I wonder if I could manage it....
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