Currently Browsing: music

Herbie Hancock “Imagine Project”

Herbie Hancock “Imagine Project”
Lisa Hannigan Interpretation is also creativity. There was a time when everyone, singer and musician would perform or record music that had been introduced by another artist. There must be at least 20 versions of “Round Midnight” or “Lover Man” none of which are copies of the...

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson
“This Is It” is the DVD documentary that captured the final days of the “King of Pop” as he prepared for a concert tour in 2009. I’ll be honest, I began to watch with some hesitation – Is this going to be a sad, tragic documentary about a frail former super star? (I didn’t really want...

Dream Small Venue Concerts

Dream Small Venue Concerts
The Herbie Hancock and Christina Aguilera performance and recording of Donny Hathaway’s “A Song For You” is an example of the type of concert I would love to produce. Lose the sixty backup singers and dancers, along with the smoke and fireworks. May not be as exciting visually, but...

Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars-Good Stuff

Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars-Good Stuff
Raw and pure. Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars We sometimes forgot what its like to listen to live music or at least music recorded live, without the slick mixing machines. I remember when Barry White had his first concert in New York and I asked someone who attended, how was the concert? “He sounded...

Happy Birthday Aretha!

Happy Birthday Aretha!
Happy Birthday March 25, 2010 – you are a treasure! “Rare & Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul” This fabulous CD (October, 2007), covers the years 1966 to 1974. It has some unreleased songs, some outtakes and of course some of those familiar classics that...

Sam Cooke on American Masters

Sam Cooke on American Masters
Coming to a local Public Television Station near you this week is a new documentary about Sam Cooke (January 1931 – December 1964). The contribution of the legendary singer/song writer will be explored in the PBS “American Masters” series “Sam Cooke: Crossing Over”. It includes some performance...

Village Vanguard * 75 Years

Village Vanguard * 75 Years
Legendary Jazz club the Village Vanguard will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2010. Such jazz greats as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Charles Mingus, Thelonius Monk, and Cannonball Adderly, just to name a few, all played at the Vanguard and more than 100 Jazz albums were recorded here. Opened...

Dancing Monk

Dancing Monk
Listening today to Robin D.G. Kelly on Fresh Air speak about his new book Thelonious Monk “Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original” and about Monk’s dancing in a circle. Kelly says that Monk was actually leading the rhythm section of the band or quartet when he...

CD Corner: Sinatra

CD Corner: Sinatra
A Voice in Time: 1939-1952, issued in Sept. 2007, is a Frank Sinatra CD box set with music from the early years of his career (when I think his voice was at its best – creamy smooth, distinctive – he didn’t sound like anyone else). The songs are mostly about love, romantic, sentimental,...

CD Corner – Maxwell

CD Corner – Maxwell
Maxwell – the singer, who some call the heir apparent to Marvin Gaye and other R&B balladeers with beautifully, soaring voices – is back. Released in July 2009, his first album after 8 years is called “BLACKsummers’night”. The Brooklyn born Maxwell may have cut his hair, but he hasn’t...

« Previous Entries