Tag Archives: Jazz

Jazz, Music Calendar

Today: The late Lee Morgan was born in 1938 – 74 years ago

From Wikipedia:

Edward Lee Morgan (July 10, 1938, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – February 19, 1972, New York City) was an American hard bop trumpeter.

From Allmusic (Steve Huey):

A cornerstone of the Blue Note label roster prior to his tragic demise, Lee Morgan was one of hard bop’s greatest trumpeters, and indeed one of the finest of the ’60s. An all-around master of his instrument modeled after Clifford Brown, Morgan boasted an effortless, virtuosic technique and a full, supple, muscular tone that was just as powerful in the high register. His playing was always emotionally charged, regardless of the specific mood: cocky and exuberant on up-tempo groovers, blistering on bop-oriented technical showcases, sweet and sensitive on ballads. In his early days as a teen prodigy, Morgan was a busy soloist with a taste for long, graceful lines, and honed his personal style while serving an apprenticeship in Art Blakey‘s Jazz Messengers.

As his original compositions began to take in elements of blues and R&B, he made greater use of space and developed an infectiously funky rhythmic sense. He also found ways to mimic human vocal inflections by stuttering, slurring his articulations, and employing half-valved sound effects. Toward the end of his career, Morgan was increasingly moving into modal music and free bop, hinting at the avant-garde but remaining grounded in tradition. He had already overcome a severe drug addiction, but sadly, he would not live to continue his musical growth; he was shot to death by his common-law wife in 1972.

Bassist Bob Cranshaw played on Lee Morgan’s immortal “The Sidewinder.” Here, he remembers the session, and offers his thoughts on the great trumpeter, who died tragically at the age of 33:

Album of the day:

The Penguin Guide to Jazz selected this album as part of its suggested “Core Collection” (with a crown) calling the title track “a glorious 24-bar theme as sinuous and stinging as the beast of the title. It was both the best and worst thing that was ever to happen to Morgan before the awful events of 19 February 1972.” The album was identified by Scott Yanow in his Allmusic essay “Hard Bop” as one of the 17 Essential Hard Bop Recordings.

Other July-10:

Continue reading Today: The late Lee Morgan was born in 1938 – 74 years ago →

Music Calendar

Today: Brian Wilson is 70

From Wikipedia:

Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. On stage, Wilson provided many of the lead vocals, and often harmonized with the group in falsetto. Early during his on-stage career, Wilson primarily played bass on stage, but gradually transitioned to primarily playing piano/keyboards. Besides being the primary composer in The Beach Boys, he also functioned as the band’s main producer and arranger.

Some Awards and recognitions

  • Wilson and the Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame in January 1988.
  • In 2000, Wilson was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Paul McCartney introduced Brian, referring to him as “one of the great American geniuses.”
  • Pet Sounds has been ranked as one of the most influential records in popular music, and has been ranked #1 on several music magazines’ lists of the greatest albums of all time. It is ranked #2 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
  • On May 10, 2004, Wilson was honored as a BMI Icon at the 52nd annual BMI Pop Awards. He was saluted for his “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.”
  • In 2005, Wilson won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow.
  • In November 2006, Wilson was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame by Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. Wilson performed “God Only Knows” and “Good Vibrations” at the ceremony.
  • On December 2, 2007, the Kennedy Center Honors committee recognized Wilson for a lifetime of contributions to American culture through the performing arts in music.
  • In 2008, Rolling Stone magazine published a list of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time”, and ranked Wilson number 52.

Smile – Live:

Some Beach Boys as well.. – Good Vibrations:

Album of the day @ JV:

Other June-20:

Continue reading Today: Brian Wilson is 70 →

Music Calendar, Soul

Today: Spooner Oldham was born in 1943


(photo: Andrew Quist)

Spooner Oldham
Dewey Lindon “Spooner” Oldham (born June 14, 1943) is an American songwriter and session musician. An organist, he recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and at FAME Studios on such hit R&B songs as “When a Man Loves a Woman” by Percy Sledge, “Mustang Sally” by Wilson Pickett and “I Never Loved a Man” by Aretha Franklin.
As a songwriter, Spooner Oldham teamed with Dan Penn to write such hits as “Cry Like a Baby” (The Box Tops), “I’m Your Puppet” (James and Bobby Purify), “A Woman Left Lonely” and “It Tears Me Up” (Percy Sledge).

I’m your Puppet (here with Dan Penn):

Oldham was inducted into the Rock’n Roll Hall of Fame in 2009, here’s his acceptance speech:

Other june-15:

Continue reading Today: Spooner Oldham was born in 1943 →

Blues, Music Calendar

Today: The late Big Joe Turner was born in 1911 – 101 years ago

From Wikipedia:

Big Joe Turner (born Joseph Vernon Turner Jr., May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985) was an American blues shouter from Kansas City, Missouri. According to the songwriter Doc Pomus, “Rock and roll would have never happened without him.” Although he came to his greatest fame in the 1950s with his pioneering rock and roll recordings, particularly “Shake, Rattle and Roll“, Turner’s career as a performer stretched from the 1920s into the 1980s. Turner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Tributes:

The late The New York Times music critic Robert Palmer, said: “…his voice, pushing like a Count Basie solo, rich and grainy as a section of saxophones, which dominated the room with the sheer sumptuousness of its sound.”

In announcing Turner’s death in their December 1985 edition, the British music magazine, NME, described Turner as “the grandfather of rock and roll.”

Songwriter Dave Alvin wrote a song about an evening that he spent with Turner titled “Boss Of The Blues”. It was on his 2009 release, Dave Alvin & The Guilty Women.

Other May-18:

Continue reading Today: The late Big Joe Turner was born in 1911 – 101 years ago →

Funk, Music Calendar, Video

Today: Stevie Wonder is 62

Stevland Hardaway Morris (born May 13, 1950 as Stevland Hardaway Judkins), known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist. Blind since shortly after birth, Wonder signed with Motown’s Tamla label at the age of eleven, and continues to perform and record for Motown to this day.

Superstition:

Among Wonder’s best known works are singles such as “Superstition”, “Sir Duke”, “I Wish” and “I Just Called to Say I Love You”. Well known albums also include Talking Book, Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life. He has recorded more than thirty U.S. top ten hits and received twenty-two Grammy Awards, the most ever awarded to a male solo artist.  In 2008, Billboard magazine released a list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists to celebrate the US singles chart’s fiftieth anniversary, with Wonder at number five. (from Wikipedia)

Living for the city:

Other 13 May:
Continue reading Today: Stevie Wonder is 62 →