Billy Fury • The Sound of Fury

Ronald Wycherley (17 April 1940 – 28 January 1983), better known by his stage name Billy Fury, was an English singer from the late 1950s to the mid 1960s, and remained an active songwriter until the 1980s. Rheumatic fever, which he first contracted as a child, damaged his heart and ultimately contributed to his death. An early British rock and roll (and film) star, he equalled the Beatles' record of 24 hits in the 1960s, and spent 332 weeks on the UK chart, without a chart-topping single or album.

AllMusic journalist Bruce Eder stated, "His mix of rough-hewn good looks and unassuming masculinity, coupled with an underlying vulnerability, all presented with a good voice and some serious musical talent, helped turn Fury into a major rock and roll star in short order". Others have suggested that Fury's rapid rise to prominence was due to his "Elvis Presley-influenced hip swivelling and, at times, highly suggestive stage act."

Early years

Ronald Wycherley was born at Smithdown Hospital (later Sefton General Hospital, now demolished), Smithdown Road, Liverpool. He commenced music lessons on the piano before he was a teenager, and was bought his first guitar by the age of 14. Wycherley fronted his own group in 1955, but simultaneously worked full-time on a tugboat and later as a docker. He entered and won a talent competition, and by 1958 had started composing his own songs.

Wycherley went to meet pop manager and impresario Larry Parnes at the Essoldo Theatre in Birkenhead, hoping to interest one of Parnes' protégés, well-known singer Marty Wilde, in some of the songs he had written. Instead, in an episode that has become pop music legend, Parnes pushed young Wycherley up on stage right away. He was such an immediate success that Parnes signed him, added him to the tour, and renamed him 'Billy Fury'. However, his early sexual and provocative stage performances received censure, and he was forced to tone them down. In October 1959, the UK music magazine, NME, commented that Fury's stage antics had been drawing much press criticism.

He released his first hit single for Decca, "Maybe Tomorrow", in 1959. He also appeared in a televised play Strictly for Sparrows, and subsequently on Oh Boy! In March 1960, he reached No. 9 in the UK Singles Chart with his own composition "Colette", followed by "That's Love" and his first album The Sound of Fury (1960), which featured a young Joe Brown on lead guitar, with backup vocals by the Four Jays.

After securing more hits and jettisoning his band Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, Parnes held auditions in Liverpool for a new group. Among those who auditioned were the Beatles, who at this time were still calling themselves the Silver Beetles. They were offered the job for £20 a week on condition that they sacked their bassist Stuart Sutcliffe. John Lennon refused and the band left[citation needed] after Lennon had secured Fury's autograph.

The Tornados were recruited as Fury's backing band and toured and recorded with him from January 1962 to August 1963. The Puppets were another band that backed Fury at a couple of gigs for 12 months.

UK chart and film success

Fury concentrated less on rock and roll and more on mainstream ballads, such as "Halfway to Paradise" and "Jealousy" (which reached No. 3 and No. 2 respectively in the UK Singles Chart in 1961). Fury confessed to the NME that "I wanted people to think of me simply as a singer – and not, more specifically, as a rock singer. I'm growing up, and I want to broaden my scope. I shall continue to sing rock songs, but at the same time my stage act is not going to be as wild in the future". It was Decca's decision to mould Fury into a teen idol after his last self-penned song, "My Christmas Prayer", had failed to chart. The years 1961 through 1963 were Fury's best years chartwise. In 1962, he appeared in his first film, Play It Cool, modelled on the Elvis films. It featured Helen Shapiro, Danny Williams, Shane Fenton and Bobby Vee, who appeared with the Vernons Girls. The hit single from the film was "Once Upon a Dream". There were other notable performances by several British actors and performers such as Richard Wattis, Lionel Blair and Dennis Price.

Fury's We Want Billy! (1963) was one of the first live albums in UK rock history, and featured renditions of his hits and cover versions of several R&B songs such as "Unchain My Heart".

In 1965 he appeared in the film I've Gotta Horse, which also featured his backing group the Gamblers, the Bachelors, Amanda Barrie, Michael Medwin and Jon Pertwee. The album from the film was made available in stereo. Fury left Decca Records in 1966, after signing to a five-year recording contract with Parlophone.

Having had more UK hits, such as "It's Only Make Believe" and "I Will" (written by Dick Glasser, not to be confused with the Paul McCartney song), both in 1964, and "In Thoughts of You" (1965), Fury began a lengthy absence from the charts in 1967, and underwent surgery for heart problems in 1972 and 1976 which led to his abandoning touring. Despite spending many weeks in the charts, Fury never achieved a number one single, but he remained popular even after his hits stopped. "I Will" became a US hit for Dean Martin (1965) and for Ruby Winters (1977).

Later years

In 1973, Fury emerged from a period of semi-retirement to star as 'Stormy Tempest' in the film That'll Be the Day. Also starring David Essex and Ringo Starr, it was roughly based on the early days of the Beatles. Starr was from the Dingle area of Liverpool, as was Fury, and had originally played drums for Rory Storm & the Hurricanes, whom the Stormy Tempest group were said to be modelled on.

In the mid-1970s Fury went out on the road with Marty Wilde. Away from the spotlight, he focused on wildlife preservation. Fury's health deteriorated and he underwent two open heart surgeries - the first was in 1972, and the second in 1976. In 1978 he was declared bankrupt for unpaid taxes to the Inland Revenue. The taxes dated back to 1962, and amounted to £16,780. Fury was also forced to sign over his royalties and publishing income. A new release, "Be Mine Tonight" (1981), failed to make an appearance in the UK Singles Chart. Worse was to follow in March 1981 when Fury, working on his own farm, collapsed and almost died. He returned to touring later that year, and his next two singles, "Love or Money" and "Devil or Angel", just dented the UK chart.

In 1981 and 1982, Fury was signed to Polydor Records by A&R man Frank Neilson, and recorded a comeback album, The One and Only (released posthumously) with Shakin' Stevens' producer Stuart Colman. Owing to his health, Fury did little touring to promote the new album. His last public appearance was at the Sunnyside pub, Northampton, on 4 December 1982. A few days before he died, Fury recorded a live performance for the Channel 4 television show, Unforgettable, featuring six of his old hits, although, at the request of his mother, only four of them were broadcast.[citation needed]

Personal life

Fury lived with "Lady Lee" Middleton from 1959 to 1967. During this time, he had a short relationship with actress Amanda Barrie, his co-star in I've Gotta Horse.

He married Judith Hall in May 1969, but later left her for heiress Lisa Voice (née Rosen). They lived together in London, and sometimes on Fury's farm in Wales, from 1971 until his death, although they were leading separate lives for the last two years. Fury was a keen birdwatcher.

Death

After returning from a recording session in the early hours of 28 January 1983, Fury collapsed from a heart attack at his home in London. His manager Tony Read found him unconscious the next morning. He was taken to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, but died later in the afternoon, aged 42. A week later a funeral service was held at the St John's Wood church in London, for which his body was embalmed by Desmond Henley. Among the mourners were Larry Parnes, Marty Wilde, Jess Conrad, Eden Kane, Tony Read, Hal Carter and Mick Green, in addition to family members, friends and fans. The choir sang a special version of Billy's Decca hit "I'm Lost Without You". After the service Fury's body was buried at Mill Hill cemetery, in North London. A song issued posthumously entitled "Forget Him" became his final chart hit.

Legacy

On 10 April 1983, a tribute concert for Billy was held at the Beck Theatre in Hayes, Middlesex. All the artists performed for free and the money raised was donated to the Billy Fury memorial fund for research into heart disease. On the bill were names including Marty Wilde with his daughter Kim Wilde, Joe Brown, Alvin Stardust, Dave Berry, Helen Shapiro and John Miles.[citation needed]

In 1999 a TV documentary about Billy called Halfway to Paradise was broadcast on the BBC channel. It was narrated by Ian Dury. Between 1999 and 2000 the song "Wondrous Place", a favourite of Fury's (he re-recorded it at least three times during his career), later received wide airplay on British television when it was used as the theme for a Toyota Yaris car advertisement. In 2005 Spencer Leigh from BBC Radio Merseyside published a biography book about Billy Fury called Wondrous Face – The Billy Fury Story. In 2008 a biographical documentary film Billy Fury: His Wondrous Story was released on DVD.

On 19 April 2003 a bronze statue of Fury was unveiled by Jack Good at the National Museum of Liverpool Life. The sculpture, by Tom Murphy, a Liverpool sculptor, was donated by 'The Sound of Fury' fan club after the money was raised by fans.

In 2010, Camden Council named a previously unnamed alleyway "Billy Fury Way" in his honour. It starts just off Finchley Road near Finchley Road & Frognal station and runs to West Hampstead Station. He had recorded at the nearby Decca Studios. The alleyway was decorated with a large mural of his face (at the West Hampstead end), which was unveiled and blessed on Friday 29 July 2011.

Eight of Fury's EMI recordings remained unreleased on mainstream CD until June 2010, when they appeared on a 29-track issue, The Complete Parlophone Singles, released by Peaksoft (PEA009). The singer's estate licensed the tracks to benefit his memorial fund, which finances equipment purchases for hospital heart units. In November 2011, further co-operation between the estate and Peaksoft resulted in the issuing of a second CD, The Lost Album (PEA014), which attempted to construct the format of an album recorded by Fury in 1967–71, but which was never released.

Fury's backing band from 1970 until 1976, when he stopped touring due to ill health, were Fury's Tornados, named by Fury and his then manager Hal Carter. They continue to tour in the theatre show "Halfway to Paradise: The Billy Fury Story". Fury is also remembered in the work of tribute bands such as another theatre show called "The Billy Fury Years". The film Play It Cool was first released on DVD on 10 February 2014.

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Billy Fury (nacido como Ronald William Wycherley, Liverpool, 17 de abril de 1940 – Londres, 28 de enero de 1983), fue un cantante de rock y pop británico. Fue una de las primeras estrellas británicas del Rock and roll y el cine , igualó el récord de 24 éxitos de los Beatles en la década de 1960, y pasó 332 semanas en la lista del Reino Unido , sin un sencillo o álbum que encabezara la lista . Originariamente integrante del ambiente Mersey-Beat de Liverpool. Fue también compositor de sus propias canciones. Su carrera se desarrolló desde fines de los años 50 hasta la década de los 80.

A los 11 años recibió su primera lección de piano y tres años más tarde su primera guitarra. Uno de sus primeros trabajos, luego de la escuela, fue en el barco "Formby", donde conoció marinos americanos, que le enseñaron los estilo country y western. Creó luego su conjunto, "Formby Sniffle Group", que actuaba en cafés. En 1957 Ronald escribió para Margo King la canción Margo (Don't Go). En 1958 grabó un demo que envió al empresario Larry Parnes, el que impresionado lo tomó bajo contrato y le sugirió cambiar su nombre por el de Billy Fury. Comenzó pronto a realizar giras, y grabó un primer éxito para la compañía discográfica Decca: "Maybe Tomorrow" en 1959, que llegó al número 20 en los charts. Para marzo de 1960, su éxito "Colette" llegó al puesto número 9 en el Reino Unido,1 al que seguirían luego "That's Love", y su primer álbum, "The Sound Of Fury" (1960). Este incluía también a un joven Joe Brown en la primera guitarra, y apoyo vocal de fondo de los "4 Jays". Ellos se convertirían en "The Fourmost" tres años más tarde.

Luego de otros éxitos, Billy se uniría a la banda The Blue Flames que incluía al teclista Georgie Fame. The Blue Fames audicionaron para Parnes en Liverpool. Entre los que no calificaron para integrar su banda de respaldo, estaba la primera formación de "The Beatles", debido en parte, a que el primer bajista que tuvieron, Stuart Sutcliffe, tocó de espaldas al empresario. Los Beatles se desquitaron de todos modos, saliendo en gira por Escocia con Johnny Gentle y Duffy Power, que eran otros de los patrocinados por Parnes. El mencionado Power, fue el responsable del segundo cover de los Beatles en forma de sencillo: "I Saw Her Standing There".

Fury se concentraría menos en Rock and Roll, y más en baladas pop, tales como "Halfway To Paradise" y "Jealousy" (ambas de 1961, la primera llegó al número 3 y la otra al número 2 en las listas de sencillos británicos). Fue una decisión de Decca, la de moldear a Fury como ídolo de adolescentes, luego de que su segunda canción, "My Christmas Prayer", fallara en alcanzar los charts.

Billy Fury apareció en numerosos shows de TV y en series y películas. En 1962 voló junto con Larry Parnes a Los Angeles para entregarle a Elvis Presley varios discos de Plata y Oro. En ese año, Fury se convirtió en el primer cantante que actuara con Elvis Presley, fue éste quien le recomendó que grabara un tema de su nueva película, "Because Of Love".

También descubrió allí un sencillo de "Gladys Knight and the Pips", llamado "Letter Full Of Tears". El mismo año realizó su primera película: "Play It Cool", en el modelo de las películas de Elvis Presley, protagonizada por Helen Shapiro, Kenny Lynch, Shane Fenton, y Bobby Vee. El éxito de ésta película fue la canción "Once Upon A Dream".

A fines de 1963, Decca dispuso que Fury realizara un cover para lo que parecía un naciente éxito americano, el mismo que London Records había realizado recientemente con Barbara Chandler. Pero "Do You Really Love Me Too", no sería luego especialmente recordado.

Luego de aparecer en la película "I've Gotta Horse" (1965), y alcanzar otros éxitos en el Reino Unido, en 1965 Fury tuvo con "Thoughts Of You" su último Top-10-Hit. Su salud comenzaba a deteriorarse. Por un tiempo sólo redujo sus presentaciones. Su problema se remontaba a cuando de niño había padecido una fiebre reumática, que afectó su corazón en forma permanente. Billy siempre fue consciente de que no alcanzaría una edad muy avanzada. De ahí su amor por autos rápidos y una vida muy intensa. Fury desapareció de los charts y las giras desde 1966. Billy Fury fue también un amante de la ornitología y observador de pájaros destacado, actividades a las que se dedicó especialmente en ésta época de su vida.

Durante éste período de retiro, Fury escribió y grabó numerosas canciones, que no fueron éxitos comerciales, ni lanzadas hasta luego de su muerte. Se casó con Judith Hall en 1969, pero la pareja no duró mucho tiempo unida. Luego vivió con Lisa Rose. Fury sufría depresiones y problemas alcohólicos, a ello se agregaron problemas financieros.

En 1971 se realizó su primera operación al corazón. Para 1973, salió de su retiro para interpretar al rock 'n' roller Stormy Tempest en la película "That'll Be The Day". El film lo protagonizaban David Essex y Ringo Starr. Se basaba en los primeros tiempos de los Beatles. Ringo Starr era de la misma zona de Liverpool que Fury, y había tocado originalmente la batería para "Rory Storm & The Hurricanes". Fury regrabó en ésta época nuevamente su éxito de 1961: "A Thousand Stars". En 1976 se le realizó una segunda operación de corazón. Fury grabó un 'álbum retorno' entre 1981y 1982 : "The One And Only" (editado póstumamente) con el productor Stuart Coleman, incluyendo varios sencillos. Grabó también una actuación en vivo para el show de tv "Inolvidable", promocionando el nuevo álbum, tocando también algunos antiguos éxitos.

En marzo de 1982 tuvo un grave infarto, con parálisis y aun ceguera temporal. Luego ya sólo se deterioraría progresivamente su salud. A pesar de estar al tanto del riesgo que correría, Billy se embarcó en una gira más, que habría de ser la final. Billy Fury murió el 28 de enero de 1983, luego de una actuación en el teatro Beck en Hayes, Hillingdon, donde hoy se exhibe una placa conmemorativa de su última presentación allí.

El bajista Roger Cover recordó que Billy sabía que iba a morir, pero no quería interrumpir la gira de ningún modo. Stuart Coleman dijo que él quiso marcharse así, en un último y glorioso final.

www.billyfury.com ...


Tracklist:
✧ 01 - That's Love (00:01:49)
✧ 02 - My Advice (00:02:05)
✧ 03 - Phone Call (00:02:43)
✧ 04 - You Don't Know (00:02:27)
✧ 05 - Turn My Back On You (00:02:24)
✧ 06 - Don't Say It's Over (00:01:54)
✧ 07 - Since You've Been Gone (00:02:26)
✧ 08 - It's You I Need (00:01:47)
✧ 09 - Alright, Goodbye! (00:02:07)
✧ 10 - Don't Leave Me This Way (00:02:42)
✧ 11 - Maybe Tomorrow (00:02:14)
✧ 12 - Gonna Type A Letter (00:02:35)
✧ 13 - Margo (00:02:36)
✧ 14 - Don't Knock Upon My Door (00:01:47)
✧ 15 - Time Has Come (00:02:45)
✧ 16 - Colette (00:01:52)
✧ 17 - Baby How I Cried (00:02:47)
✧ 18 - Angel Face (00:02:22)
✧ 19 - Last Kiss (00:02:28)
✧ 20 - Wondrous Place (00:02:26)
✧ 21 - Cross My Heart (00:02:05)
✧ 22 - Jealousy (00:02:48)
✧ 23 - I'd Never Find Another You (00:02:38)
✧ 24 - Sleepless Nights (00:02:46)
✧ 25 - Halfway To Paradise (00:02:28)
✧ 26 - My Advice (Alternate Take) (00:02:05)
✧ 27 - It's You I Need (Alternate Take) (00:01:47)
✧ 28 - My Christmas Prayer (00:03:02)
✧ 29 - A Thousand Stars (00:03:06)
✧ 30 - Push Push (00:02:09)


Credits:
    Bass – Alan Weighall, Bill Stark
    Drums – Andy White
    Guitar – Joe Brown
    Piano – Reg Guest
    Producer – Jack Good
    Written-By – Fury (tracks: A1, B1, B3, B5), Wilbur Wilberforce (tracks: A2-A5, B2, B4)

Label: Decca ‎– LF 1329
Country: UK
Released: 1960
Genre: Rock
Style: Rock & Roll, Rockabilly

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Black Popular Music in Britain Since 1945

 

Black Popular Music in Britain Since 1945 provides the first broad scholarly discussion of this music since 1990. The book critically examines key moments in the history of black British popular music from 1940s jazz to 1970s soul and reggae, 1990s Jungle and the sounds of Dubstep and Grime that have echoed through the 2000s. While the book offers a history it also discusses the ways black musics in Britain have intersected with the politics of race and class, multiculturalism, gender and sexuality, and debates about media and technology. Contributors examine the impact of the local, the ways that black music in Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester and London evolved differently and how black popular music in Britain has always developed in complex interaction with the dominant British popular music tradition. This tradition has its own histories located in folk music, music hall and a constant engagement, since the nineteenth century, with American popular music, itself a dynamic mixing of African-American, Latin American and other musics. The ideas that run through various chapters form connecting narratives that challenge dominant understandings of black popular music in Britain and will be essential reading for those interested in Popular Music Studies, Black British Studies and Cultural Studies. 

https://www.routledge.com/Black-Popular-Music-in-Britain-Since-1945/Stratton-Zuberi/p/book/9781138504875

 

 

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Jimmy Witherspoon • Goin' To Kansas City Blues

 

 

Artist Biography

One of the great post-war blues shouters, Jimmy Witherspoon, or 'Spoon, as he's known throughout the jazz and blues world, straddled the line between blues and jazz, becoming an integral participant in the history of both of these classic genres of American music.

Born August 8, 1923, in Gurdon, Arkansas, the young James Witherspoon sang in church choirs much like his railroad worker father. Confidence came early as he won first prize in a singing competition at the age of five. While in his teens, Witherspoon decided to try his luck pursuing a singing career and ran away to Los Angeles. It was there that he decided to become a blues singer after seeing a performance by Big Joe Turner.

Bouncing around from job to job and not having much success as a singer, Witherspoon joined the merchant marines in 1941. Moving to San Francisco in 1944, Witherspoon would sing on weekends at a club called The Waterfront in nearby Vallejo, California. Witherspoon got his big break when he was heard by bandleader Jay McShann, with whom he spent close to four years. Witherspoon eventually did go his own way with, leaving McShann's band to record as a soloist for the Supreme label. In 1949, after a few recordings that went nowhere, 'Spoon recorded a version of “Ain't Nobody's Business,” which would become his signature song and featured McShann and others from the old band, went to number one on the R&B charts and stayed on the charts for 34 months, longer than any previous R&B tune. Witherspoon's next release, “In the Evening When the Sun Goes Down,” reached the number five spot, following this, 'Spoon released a number of albums on a variety of labels including Modern, Federal, and the legendary Chess label.

Virtually ignored by jazz and rock audiences and with financial hardships stalling large, swinging blues bands like McShann's, the rest of the 1950s found Witherspoon playing the chitlin circuit, a network of small black-owned clubs that played to mostly black audiences. For a while he played bass and sang at a club in Newport, Kentucky in a small band that also featured famed blues pianist Charles Brown. In 1959, however, 'Spoon was invited to appear at the Monterey Jazz Festival with an all-star group that included tenor saxophonist Ben Webster, trumpeter Roy Eldridge, alto saxophonist Coleman Hawkins, clarinetist Woody Herman, trombonist Urbie Green, and pianist Earl “Fatha” Hines. The electrifying performance, recorded and released as “Jimmy Witherspoon at Monterey,” propelled Witherspoon into the limelight as one of the leading singers of blues-laced jazz and put his career back on track. 'Spoon landed a recording contract with Atlantic, began to sing for larger crowds, and was featured in Jon Hendricks's historic program, “Evolution of the Blues,” at the 1960 Monterey Jazz Festival. These live recordings are available as “The Spoon Concerts.”

Like most jazz and blues performers, Witherspoon was especially successful in Europe and toured and recorded there many times since the early 1960s. Although he continued to record and tour, success on the record charts proved elusive for Witherspoon. In the 1970s, while hosting a late night radio blues program in Los Angeles, Witherspoon had his first chart success since 1960 with the song, “Love is a Five Letter Word” on Capitol Records. He continued, however, to record and perform for enthusiastic, albeit smaller, audiences.

In the late 1970s, Witherspoon was diagnosed with throat cancer and faced the possibility of never being able to sing again. For a while he couldn't even swallow. A throat operation and radiation treatment in England kept Witherspoon out of recording studios and clubs for a few years and took its toll on the veteran singer's dynamic style. After getting his singing back to where it was, Witherspoon noticed he could now reach a lower vocal register that before his operation was unattainable. Witherspoon forged ahead and went on to cut a remarkable 1986 album “Midnight Lady Called The Blues”, written and produced by Dr. John and Doc Pomus.

The1990s found Witherspoon at his most active, including touring with singer Van Morrison, in support of Morrison's “A Night in San Francisco,” album, on which Witherspoon appeared, as well as his own headlining gigs to promote reissues of earlier Witherspoon albums and recent releases. One such album, a live album with guitarist Robben Ford, entitled “Live at the Mint,” was the most welcome. A return to his roots but with a more upbeat feel, courtesy of Ford and his band, Witherspoon shouts through lively renditions of songs, some of which he'd been singing for more than 40 years. “`Spoon's swinging Jazz sensibilities are front and center on songs like Basie's `Goin' to Chicago” and his signature tune, `Ain't Nobody's Business,'” wrote DownBeat reviewer Michael Point, “but he's lost none of his ability to drop down into a convincing blues mood, as amply demonstrated by his powerful renditions of `Goin' Down Slow' and an assortment of Big Bill Broonzy classics.”

Live at the Mint went on to be nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues recording only to lose out to harmonica player Junior Wells. Still, the warm reception to the album and Grammy nomination did much to introduce- -or reintroduce-- Witherspoon to a group of fans.

. He re-teamed with guitarist Robben Ford for “Live At The Notodden Blues Festival”, and cut a 1992 album “The Blues, The Whole Blues and Nothin' But The Blues” for Indigo Records. Spoon's last recording “Spoon's Blues” for Stony Plain Records featured Duke Robillard and his band with special guest Long John Baldry.

Jimmy Witherspoon passed away in September of 1997 at the age of 74 an acknowledged giant in the fields of Rhythm & Blues and Jazz and a true American original. For more than a half century Jimmy Witherspoon graced the stages and recording studios of the country and showed the world that he was indeed a talent for the ages.

Source: James Nadal

https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/jimmywitherspoon

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Biografía del artista

Uno de los grandes gritones del blues de la posguerra, Jimmy Witherspoon, o'Spoon, como se le conoce en todo el mundo del jazz y el blues, se situó a caballo entre el blues y el jazz, convirtiéndose en un participante integral en la historia de estos dos géneros clásicos de la música estadounidense.

Nacido el 8 de agosto de 1923 en Gurdon, Arkansas, el joven James Witherspoon cantaba en los coros de la iglesia de manera muy parecida a su padre, un trabajador ferroviario. La confianza llegó pronto, ya que ganó el primer premio en un concurso de canto a la edad de cinco años. Durante su adolescencia, Witherspoon decidió probar suerte en su carrera de cantante y huyó a Los Ángeles. Fue allí donde decidió convertirse en cantante de blues después de ver una actuación de Big Joe Turner.

Saltando de un trabajo a otro y no teniendo mucho éxito como cantante, Witherspoon se unió a la marina mercante en 1941. Al mudarse a San Francisco en 1944, Witherspoon cantaba los fines de semana en un club llamado The Waterfront en el cercano Vallejo, California. Witherspoon tuvo su gran oportunidad cuando fue escuchado por el líder de la banda Jay McShann, con quien pasó cerca de cuatro años. Witherspoon finalmente siguió su propio camino, dejando que la banda de McShann grabara como solista para el sello Supreme. En 1949, después de unas cuantas grabaciones que no llegaron a ninguna parte, 'Spoon grabó una versión de "Ain't Nobody's Business", que se convertiría en su canción de autor e incluía a McShann y a otros de la vieja banda, llegó al número uno de las listas de éxitos de R&B y permaneció en las listas de éxitos durante 34 meses, más tiempo que cualquier canción de R&B anterior. El siguiente lanzamiento de Witherspoon, "In the Evening When the Sun Goes Down", alcanzó el quinto puesto, tras lo cual, `Spoon lanzó varios álbumes en una variedad de sellos, entre ellos Modern, Federal y el legendario sello Chess.

Virtualmente ignorados por las audiencias de jazz y rock y con dificultades financieras que paralizaban a las grandes bandas de blues como McShann's, el resto de la década de 1950 encontraron a Witherspoon tocando en el circuito de chitlin, una red de pequeños clubes de propiedad de negros que tocaban para audiencias mayoritariamente negras. Durante un tiempo tocó el bajo y cantó en un club de Newport, Kentucky, en una pequeña banda que también contaba con el famoso pianista de blues Charles Brown. En 1959, sin embargo, `Spoon fue invitado a aparecer en el Festival de Jazz de Monterey con un grupo de estrellas que incluía al saxofonista tenor Ben Webster, al trompetista Roy Eldridge, al saxofonista alto Coleman Hawkins, al clarinetista Woody Herman, al trombonista Urbie Green y al pianista Earl "Fatha" Hines. La electrizante actuación, grabada y editada como "Jimmy Witherspoon at Monterey", impulsó a Witherspoon a convertirse en uno de los principales cantantes de blues de jazz y a volver a encarrilar su carrera. Spoon consiguió un contrato discográfico con Atlantic, comenzó a cantar para grandes multitudes y fue presentado en el programa histórico de Jon Hendricks, "Evolution of the Blues", en el Festival de Jazz de Monterey de 1960. Estas grabaciones en vivo están disponibles como "The Spoon Concerts".

Como la mayoría de los intérpretes de jazz y blues, Witherspoon tuvo un éxito especial en Europa y realizó giras y grabaciones allí muchas veces desde principios de la década de 1960. Aunque continuó grabando y haciendo giras, el éxito en las listas de éxitos le resultó difícil a Witherspoon. En la década de 1970, mientras era anfitrión de un programa de radio blues nocturno en Los Ángeles, Witherspoon tuvo su primer éxito en las listas de éxitos desde 1960 con la canción, "Love is a Five Letter Word" (El amor es una palabra de cinco letras) en Capitol Records. Sin embargo, continuó grabando y actuando para un público entusiasta, aunque más pequeño.

A finales de la década de 1970, a Witherspoon le diagnosticaron cáncer de garganta y se enfrentó a la posibilidad de no poder volver a cantar nunca más. Por un tiempo ni siquiera pudo tragar. Una operación de garganta y un tratamiento de radiación en Inglaterra mantuvieron a Witherspoon fuera de los estudios de grabación y clubes durante unos años y le hicieron mella en el estilo dinámico de la veterana cantante. Después de devolverle el canto a donde estaba, Witherspoon se dio cuenta de que ahora podía alcanzar un registro vocal más bajo que antes de su operación era inalcanzable. Witherspoon siguió adelante y grabó un notable álbum de 1986 "Midnight Lady Called The Blues", escrito y producido por Dr. John y Doc Pomus.

La década de los 90 encontró a Witherspoon en su momento más activo, incluyendo giras con el cantante Van Morrison, en apoyo al álbum "A Night in San Francisco" de Morrison, en el que apareció Witherspoon, así como sus propios conciertos de cabeza para promover reediciones de álbumes anteriores de Witherspoon y lanzamientos recientes. Uno de ellos, un álbum en vivo con el guitarrista Robben Ford, titulado "Live at the Mint", fue el más bienvenido. Un regreso a sus raíces pero con un aire más alegre, cortesía de Ford y su banda, Witherspoon grita a través de animadas interpretaciones de canciones, algunas de las cuales ha estado cantando durante más de 40 años. "La sensibilidad swing de `Spoon por el jazz está al frente y en el centro de canciones como `Goin' Goin' to Chicago" de Basie y su canción'Ain's Nobody's Business'", escribió el crítico de DownBeat Michael Point, "pero no ha perdido nada de su habilidad para caer en un estado de ánimo blues convincente, como lo demuestran sus poderosas interpretaciones de `Goin' Down Slow' y un surtido de clásicos de Big Bill Broonzy".

Live at the Mint fue nominado para un premio Grammy por la mejor grabación de Blues Tradicional, sólo para perder contra el jugador de armónica Junior Wells. Aún así, la cálida recepción del álbum y la nominación a los Grammy hicieron mucho para presentar -o reintroducir- a Witherspoon a un grupo de fans.

. Volvió a trabajar con el guitarrista Robben Ford para "Live At The Notodden Blues Festival", y grabó un álbum en 1992 "The Blues, The Whole Blues and Nothin' But The Blues" para Indigo Records. La última grabación de Spoon "Spoon's Blues" para Stony Plain Records incluyó a Duke Robillard y su banda con el invitado especial Long John Baldry.

Jimmy Witherspoon falleció en septiembre de 1997 a la edad de 74 años, un reconocido gigante en los campos del Rhythm & Blues y el Jazz y un verdadero original americano. Durante más de medio siglo, Jimmy Witherspoon adornó los escenarios y los estudios de grabación del país y mostró al mundo que era un talento para todas las edades.

Fuente: James Nadal

https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/jimmywitherspoon

Traducción realizada con el traductor www.DeepL.com/Translator

 


Tracks:

1 - The Jumpin' Blues - 3:03
2 - Until The Real Thing Comes Along - 2:47
3 - Hootie Blues - 3:20
4 - Rain Is Such A Lonesome Sound - 3:16
5 - Confessin' The Blues - 4:15
6 - Piney Brown Blues - 5:29
7 - Froggy Bottom - 2:36
8 - Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You - 3:17
9 - Blue Monday - 3:40
10 - Ooh Wee, Then The Lights Go Out - 2:55
Bonus Tracks
11 - Cloudy - 3:15
12 - Fare Thee, Honey, Fare Thee Well - 3:33
13 - Ride On - 3:30


Credits:
Jimmy Witherspoon (vocals)
Jay McShann Band
- Jay McShann (piano)
- Ray Copeland (trumpet)
- J. C. Higginbotham (trombone)
- Hilton Jefferson (alto sax)
- Seldon Powell (tenor sax)
- Haywood Henry (baritone sax)
- Kenny Burrell (guitar)
- Gene Ramey (double bass)
- Mousey Alexander (drums)


Label: Mosaic Records ‎– MCD-1011
Series: Mosaic Singles
Released: 2007
Original Released: 1957
Genre: Jazz


Notes:
Tracks 1-10 originally released in 1957 on Goin' to Kansas City Blues (RCA Victor LPM-1639)

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Charms that soothe classical music and the narrative film

 

From Chaplin’s brilliant use of Wagner in The Gold Rush to the Bach chorale closing Scorsese’s Casino, classical music has played a fascinating role in movies.

Dean Duncan provides a fresh critical survey of the aesthetics of classical music in film. Exploring tensions between high art and commercial culture, Duncan examines how directors quote themes and classical passages in genres ranging from the Soviet avant garde to Hollywood romances. Drawing on film theory, musicology, and cultural criticism, he clarifies the connections between two very different art forms.

 

 

 

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Dexter Gordon • Plays the Blues

 

Ray Brown-Monty Alexander-Russell Malone • Ray Brown, Monty Alexander, Russell Malone

 

Review by Rick Anderson
It would be nice to say that Ray Brown's final recording session before his sudden and untimely death in the summer of 2002 resulted in a masterpiece, but although this trio session with guitarist Russell Malone and pianist Monty Alexander is perfectly serviceable, a masterpiece it is not. It's a very attractive album -- Brown was probably not capable of producing anything less as a leader -- but it suffers just a bit from Alexander's slightly sugary style and from the lack of a drummer. Recording without a drummer had been the latest thing in the jazz world for several years when this album was released, but it's not entirely clear what the benefit of such an arrangement was supposed to be. On this album, the swing standard "Fly Me to the Moon" and Dexter Gordon's boppish "Dexter's Dex" would have had much more oomph with a sympathetic drummer on board (though on the latter, Malone's Django Reinhardt-styled backup and Brown's inimitable freight train rhythmic drive do go some distance toward making up for that lack). And the mid-tempo numbers seem to plod just a bit as well. But as always, there's no questioning either the inventiveness of Brown's solos or the rich sumptuousness of his enormous tone.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/ray-brown-monty-alexander-russell-malone-mw0000227413

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Reseña de Rick Anderson
Estaría bien decir que la última sesión de grabación de Ray Brown antes de su repentina y prematura muerte en el verano de 2002 resultó en una obra maestra, pero aunque esta sesión de trío con el guitarrista Russell Malone y el pianista Monty Alexander es perfectamente útil, no es una obra maestra. Es un álbum muy atractivo - Brown probablemente no era capaz de producir menos como líder - pero sufre un poco del estilo ligeramente azucarado de Alexander y de la falta de un batería. Grabar sin batería era lo último en el mundo del jazz desde hacía varios años, cuando se publicó este álbum, pero no está del todo claro cuál se suponía que era el beneficio de tal arreglo. En este álbum, el estándar de swing "Fly Me to the Moon" y el boppish "Dexter's Dex" de Dexter Gordon habrían tenido mucho más ímpetu con un simpático batería a bordo (aunque en este último, los coros de Malone al estilo de Django Reinhardt y el inimitable impulso rítmico de tren de mercancías de Brown compensan en cierta medida esa carencia). Y los números a medio tiempo también parecen flojear un poco. Pero como siempre, no hay duda de la inventiva de los solos de Brown ni de la suntuosidad de su enorme tono.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/ray-brown-monty-alexander-russell-malone-mw0000227413

Colaborador / Contributor:  Ketmokin

Lightnin' Slim • Hoodoo Blues

Highly regarded as a Louisiana Swamp Blues legend, Otis Hicks aka Lightnin' Slim, was born March 13, 1913 on a farm outside St. Louis, Missouri. At an early age, Hicks left Missouri and moved to St. Francisville, Louisiana where he worked outside of music. Hicks learn to play the guitar from his brother Layfield Hicks during the 1930's.

In the late 1940's Hicks worked the bars of Baton Rouge, Louisiana with other local bluesmen like Arthur Kelly. During the 1950's Hicks often worked with his brother in law Slim Harpo, and they performed together occasionally in the 1960's.

He recorded for Excello from the mid-50's to mid-60's, and under the production of Jay Miller established his reputation in the Bayou State with the release of his classic “Rooster Blues.”

Slim’s recording fortunes waned in the mid-60s and he left Louisiana for Romeo, Michigan, where he worked as a laborer. Several years later while living in Pontiac he received an invitation to perform at the 1972 Ann Arbor Blues Festival. The concert and a subsequent date for Excello led to a minor resurgence in his popularity and a string of European tours. There isn’t a lot of material available from Slim’s second coming, but “Blue Lightning,” a live club date on the London-based Indigo imprint, gives a pretty accurate barometer of where he was at.

This jump started comeback and he began his European tour which took him to England in 1972 as part of the American Folk-Blues Festival. He performed at the 1972 Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreaux, Switzerland and toured with the American Blues Legend Tour in 1973.

On July 27, 1974,Louisiana Swamp Blues legend Otis V. “Lightnin' Slim” Hicks died of cancer.

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 Altamente considerado como una leyenda de Louisiana Swamp Blues, Otis Hicks alias Lightnin' Slim, nació el 13 de marzo de 1913 en una granja en las afueras de St. A una edad temprana, Hicks dejó Missouri y se mudó a St. Francisville, Louisiana donde trabajó fuera de la música. Hicks aprendió a tocar la guitarra de su hermano Layfield Hicks durante los años 30.

A finales de los 40, Hicks trabajó en los bares de Baton Rouge, Louisiana con otros bluesmen locales como Arthur Kelly. Durante los años 50 Hicks trabajó a menudo con su cuñado Slim Harpo, y actuaron juntos ocasionalmente en los años 60.

Grabó para Excello desde mediados de los 50 a mediados de los 60, y bajo la producción de Jay Miller estableció su reputación en el estado de Bayou con el lanzamiento de su clásico "Rooster Blues".

La fortuna discográfica de Slim disminuyó a mediados de los años 60 y dejó Luisiana para ir a Romeo, Michigan, donde trabajó como obrero. Varios años después, mientras vivía en Pontiac, recibió una invitación para actuar en el Festival de Blues de Ann Arbor en 1972. El concierto y una fecha posterior para Excello provocaron un pequeño resurgimiento de su popularidad y una serie de giras europeas. No hay mucho material disponible de la segunda venida de Slim, pero "Blue Lightning", una fecha de club en vivo en el sello Indigo con sede en Londres, da un barómetro bastante preciso de dónde estaba.

Este salto comenzó su regreso y comenzó su gira europea que lo llevó a Inglaterra en 1972 como parte del American Folk-Blues Festival. Actuó en el Festival de Jazz de Montreux de 1972 en Montreaux, Suiza, y realizó una gira con el American Blues Legend Tour en 1973.

El 27 de julio de 1974, la leyenda del Louisiana Swamp Blues Otis V. "Lightnin' Slim" Hicks murió de cáncer.

B-Sides, Undercurrents and Overtones Peripheries to Popular in Music, 1960 to the Present

 

There are undercurrents and peripheral taste preferences that are a defining part of our individual and collective cultural experience. Music is no exception. George Plasketes adapts the iconic "A-side/B-side" dichotomy from the 45 r.p.m. for use as a unique conceptual, critical, historical, and cultural framework for exploring and threading together a variety of popular music and media texts. The profiles and perspectives focus on the peripheries; on texts which might be considered "B-sides"”overlooked, underappreciated, and unsung cases, creators, patterns and productions that have unassumingly, but significantly, marked popular culture, music and media during the past 40 years. The underappreciated yet enduring contributions of a variety of creative individuals in music, television and film are a centerpiece of this volume: actress Doris Day's son, Terry Melcher, a 1960s music producer whose imprint is on the surf, country blues, garage pop and most importantly the folk rock genre; Hans Fenger's kid chorus cover project, a musical variation of "outsider art" that became representative of the tribute wave that began in the 1990s and continues today; versatile guitarist virtuoso Ry Cooder's extensive film soundtrack work; World Music "missionary efforts" of American artists beyond Paul Simon's Graceland, including Neil Diamond's precursor with Tap Root Manuscript in the 1970s and the exotic adventures of Henry Kaiser and David Lindley in Madagascar and Norway”to name just a few examples. These B-sides represent undercurrents, but they resonate as overtones in the mainstream of music and culture, many as historical hinges. Collectively, these B-sides are an A-side antidote of outskirt observations, individual snapshots of artists, artifacts and rituals, genres and generations, producers and musical productions in television, film and video. They constitute an important connect-the-dots cultural chronicle with a multi-layered context”social, legal, historic, economic, technological, generational, aesthetic”for interpreting the interrelations between creators and institutions, the music market place, the production of culture and important connections between the peripheral and the popular.

 

George Plasketes (Author)  

 

Una retrospectiva del futuro, vida y obra de Astor Piazzolla

 

El libro aborda la vida, la obra y la música de Ástor Piazzolla de una manera diferente. ¿Quién fue realmente? ¿Qué quiso ser? Los interrogantes y dudas abundan; la vastedad y variedad de su producción es única. ¿Siguen vigentes ya, en pleno siglo XXI, ciertos cánones, sentencias y prejuicios que se esgrimen desde hace más de seis décadas? Piazzolla fue, desde la cuna, un cúmulo de contradicciones, rarezas y hechos excepcionales.

 

Marcelo Gobello (Autor)  

 

Lee Konitz-Paul Bley-Bill Connors • Pyramid

Review
by Scott Yanow
Reissued on CD by the Black Saint/Soul Note labels, this entry from Paul Bley's IAI label features fairly free playing from an unusual trio comprised of Lee Konitz (on alto and soprano), keyboardist Bley and Bill Connors on electric and acoustic guitars. Actually, due to the free nature of the pieces, the music is less exciting than one might hope. Everyone takes chances in their solos but several of the pieces wander on much too long. Overall this session does not reach the heights one might expect from these great players.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/pyramid-mw0000625874

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Reseña
por Scott Yanow
Reeditado en CD por los sellos Black Saint/Soul Note, esta entrada del sello IAI de Paul Bley presenta una interpretación bastante libre de un inusual trío compuesto por Lee Konitz (en el alto y la soprano), el teclista Bley y Bill Connors en las guitarras eléctrica y acústica. En realidad, debido a la naturaleza libre de las piezas, la música es menos emocionante de lo que cabría esperar. Todos se arriesgan en sus solos, pero varias de las piezas se alargan demasiado. En general, esta sesión no alcanza las cotas que cabría esperar de estos grandes músicos.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/pyramid-mw0000625874

Art Farmer • Crawl Space

 

Review by Scott Yanow
Some of the finer CTI recordings of the late '70s were those led by flugelhornist Art Farmer. Although the emphasis was generally on obscure material (in this case Farmer plays one original, two songs by Dave Grusin and one piece by pianist Fritz Pauer) and often featured musicians who did not normally play together, the results were generally quite rewarding. For this CTI LP (long out-of-print), the focus is almost entirely on Farmer who is joined by keyboardist Grusin, guitarist Eric Gale, flutist Jeremy Steig, either Will Lee or George Mraz on bass and drummer Steve Gadd. The moody music holds one's interest throughout.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/crawl-space-mw0000913615

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Reseña de Scott Yanow
Algunas de las mejores grabaciones de CTI de finales de los 70 fueron las dirigidas por el flugelhornista Art Farmer. Aunque el énfasis se ponía generalmente en material oscuro (en este caso Farmer toca un original, dos canciones de Dave Grusin y una pieza del pianista Fritz Pauer) y a menudo presentaba a músicos que normalmente no tocaban juntos, los resultados eran generalmente bastante gratificantes. En este LP de CTI (agotado desde hace tiempo), la atención se centra casi por completo en Farmer, al que acompañan el teclista Grusin, el guitarrista Eric Gale, el flautista Jeremy Steig, Will Lee o George Mraz al bajo y el batería Steve Gadd. La música, de carácter melancólico, mantiene el interés en todo momento.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/crawl-space-mw000091

 

Melvin Jackson • Funky Skull

Review by Thom Jurek

Bassist Melvin Jackson has exactly one album in his catalog as a leader (he spent most of his time playing with Eddie Harris). But man, that's all he needed. Pumping his upright through a Maestro G-2 filter box, a Boomerang, an Echoplex, and an Am peg amp, he made that thing sound like something from outer space while keeping it firmly in the groove of the corner bar on Front Street. Gimmicky? That's what they once said about Roland Kirk playing multiple horns at once, too. As for the naysayers who think of this as a novelty, consider the heavies in his band: Roscoe Mitchell, Leo Smith, Lester Bowie, Phil Upchurch, Pete Cosey, Morris Jennings, Jodie Christian, Billy Hart, Byron Bowie, Steve Galloway, and a whole lot of others. All of these cats were heavyweights in their own right. What does Funky Skull sound like? Psychedelic, funky soul-jazz and a whole lot more. Jackson bowed his bass a well as plucked it depending on what the tune needed. Produced in Chicago by Robin McBride and originally released on the Limelight label, it marked an era of exploration and Jackson was on the ground floor of the space station. There was only one requirement: the groove had to be in the pocket and the beat had to be on the one. There are nine tunes here; Jackson wrote or co-wrote four, including the two-part title cut. He took pages from both Harris' serious soul-jazz book and James Brown's funky one. There are vocals on these tracks, but they amount to little more than accents on the repetitive rhythmic lines being laid down. It's all backbone-slipping, hard, electric jazz funk from the pre-fusion era. "Funky Skull, Pts 1 & 2" and Eddie Harris' "Cold Duck Time, Pts. 1 & 2" were actually spun on jukeboxes throughout the Midwest and in New York in beer gardens, at lunch counters, in bowling alleys, etc. In other words, these jams got heard and grooved to by ordinary folks, not just jazz heads. The nickels got pumped for a reason. Some cuts here, such as "Dance of the Dervish," have pretty sophisticated arrangements and fell more firmly in the jazz camp, but were outside it, too -- especially the Echoplexed bass solo. Elsewhere, "Everybody Loves My Baby," which is a workout for hand percussion, hi hat, and bowed electronically affected bass, was out there on the launching pad in terms of classification. It gets brought back in from the cold by Jackson's "Say What," with the horns playing as a section with striated harmony and a subtle B-3 played by some uncredited genius who kept the funk lines clipped and tight; it was Jackson's cue for wrapping himself all over the groove while never leaving the pocket entirely. The bleating saxophone solo tells you that something else is being aspired to and delivered: it pushes the melody line way out the window, but the rhythm section never loses it for a second. "Funky Doo," written by Jackson and producer Robin McBride, rocks it up while being a dance tune for a sweaty after-hours party. The set ends with "Silver Cycles," written by Jackson and Harris. Clocking in at over nine minutes, it begins with a small piano vamp and Jackson playing glissando bowed bass before flutes, a trap kit, and other horns wind their way in. Jackson's bass gets double-tracked, finding the expansive groove being laid down and extrapolated into harmonic wonderland. Textures by the horn section, and the lower edges of the bass and piano registers are expounded upon, with the horn playing in high, tinny fashion, creating a huge space in the middle for anything to happen. But it stays on the subtle side with all sorts of interaction going on between the instruments crisscrossing channels and parts before fading into the night. Funky Skull is a one of a kind listening experience. It's fun, wildly inventive, freewheeling and complex all at the same time. This is one of those records that one has to hear to believe, and once heard, has to have as a permanent part in your collection.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/funky-skull-mw0000576299

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Reseña de Thom Jurek

El bajista Melvin Jackson tiene exactamente un álbum en su catálogo como líder (pasó la mayor parte de su tiempo tocando con Eddie Harris). Pero tío, eso es todo lo que necesitaba. Bombeando su vertical a través de una caja de filtros Maestro G-2, un Boomerang, un Echoplex, y un amplificador Am peg, hizo que esa cosa sonara como algo del espacio exterior mientras lo mantenía firmemente en la ranura del bar de la esquina en Front Street. ¿Gimmicky? Eso es lo que dijeron una vez sobre Roland Kirk tocando múltiples trompetas a la vez, también. En cuanto a los detractores que piensan que esto es una novedad, consideren a los pesados de su banda: Roscoe Mitchell, Leo Smith, Lester Bowie, Phil Upchurch, Pete Cosey, Morris Jennings, Jodie Christian, Billy Hart, Byron Bowie, Steve Galloway, y muchos otros. Todos estos gatos eran pesos pesados por derecho propio. ¿Cómo suena Funky Skull? Psicodélico, funky soul-jazz y mucho más. Jackson inclinaba su bajo y lo tocaba dependiendo de lo que la melodía necesitaba. Producida en Chicago por Robin McBride y editada originalmente por el sello Limelight, marcó una era de exploración y Jackson estaba en la planta baja de la estación espacial. Sólo había un requisito: el surco tenía que estar en el bolsillo y el ritmo tenía que estar en el uno. Hay nueve melodías aquí; Jackson escribió o co-escribió cuatro, incluyendo el corte del título en dos partes. Tomó páginas del libro de soul-jazz de Harris y del funky de James Brown. Hay voces en estos temas, pero son poco más que acentos en las líneas rítmicas repetitivas que se establecen. Es todo un funk de jazz duro y eléctrico de la época anterior a la fusión. "Funky Skull, Pts 1 & 2" y "Cold Duck Time, Pts." de Eddie Harris. 1 & 2" de Eddie Harris fueron grabadas en rocolas en todo el Medio Oeste y en Nueva York en cervecerías, en los mostradores de almuerzo, en los bolos, etc. En otras palabras, estas canciones fueron escuchadas y tocadas por la gente común, no sólo por los fanáticos del jazz. Las monedas de cinco centavos se inflaron por una razón. Algunos cortes aquí, como "Dance of the Dervish", tienen arreglos bastante sofisticados y cayeron más firmemente en el campo del jazz, pero también estuvieron fuera de él - especialmente el solo de bajo de Echoplexed. En otro lugar, "Everybody Loves My Baby", que es un ejercicio de percusión de mano, hi hat, y el bajo afectado electrónicamente, estaba ahí en la plataforma de lanzamiento en términos de clasificación. Se recupera del frío gracias a "Say What" de Jackson, con las trompetas tocando como una sección con armonía estriada y un sutil B-3 interpretado por algún genio sin acreditar que mantuvo las líneas de funk cortadas y ajustadas; fue la señal de Jackson para envolverse por todo el surco sin salir nunca del bolsillo por completo. El solo de saxofón balante te dice que se está aspirando a algo más y que se está entregando: empuja la línea de la melodía muy lejos de la ventana, pero la sección rítmica nunca la pierde ni un segundo. "Funky Doo", escrita por Jackson y el productor Robin McBride, la sacude mientras es una melodía de baile para una sudorosa fiesta después de hora. El set termina con "Silver Cycles", escrita por Jackson y Harris. Con más de nueve minutos de duración, comienza con un pequeño piano vampiro y Jackson tocando el bajo con glissando antes de que las flautas, un kit de trampa y otros cuernos se abran camino. El bajo de Jackson se duplica, encontrando el ritmo expansivo que se establece y se extrapola al país de las maravillas armónico. Se exponen las texturas de la sección de trompas y los bordes inferiores de los registros de bajo y piano, con la trompa tocando en alto, creando un gran espacio en el medio para que pase algo. Pero se mantiene en el lado sutil con todo tipo de interacción entre los instrumentos que cruzan canales y partes antes de desvanecerse en la noche. Funky Skull es una experiencia auditiva única. Es divertida, salvajemente inventiva, libre y compleja, todo al mismo tiempo. Este es uno de esos discos que uno tiene que escuchar para creer, y una vez escuchado, tiene que tener como una parte permanente en su colección.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/funky-skull-mw0000576299

Harold Ousley • Double Hipness

Biography:

Although Harold Ousley is not a big name in the jazz world and has only recorded sporadically as a leader, the hard bop/soul-jazz musician has backed some major jazz artists over the years. Ousley (who is primarily a tenor saxophonist but has played the flute as a second instrument) was born in Chicago on January 23, 1929, and grew up in the Windy City, where he began playing professionally in the late '40s. Backing vocalists is one of his strengths -- he was playing with Billie Holiday at one point, and the late '50s found him backing fellow Chicago native Dinah Washington. Ousley also played with Gene Ammons (another Chicagoan) in the '50s, and in the '60s he was employed as a sideman on albums by Jack McDuff and George Benson. It was also during the '60s that Ousley started recording as a leader; Tenor Sax came out on Bethlehem in 1961, and he recorded some albums for Muse in the '70s (a decade that found him playing in the bands of Lionel Hampton and Count Basie). But when the CD era arrived in the late '80s, none of Ousley's albums were still in print. Ousley had just turned 71 when, in January 2000, he finally returned to the studio as a leader and recorded Grit-Gittin' Feelin' for Delmark.

by Alex Henderson

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/harold-ousley-mn0000561712/biography

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Biografía:

Aunque Harold Ousley no es un gran nombre en el mundo del jazz y sólo ha grabado esporádicamente como líder, el músico de hard bop/soul-jazz ha respaldado a algunos de los principales artistas de jazz a lo largo de los años. Ousley (que es principalmente un saxofonista tenor pero ha tocado la flauta como segundo instrumento) nació en Chicago el 23 de enero de 1929 y creció en Windy City, donde comenzó a tocar profesionalmente a finales de los años 40. Los coros son uno de sus puntos fuertes. En un momento dado tocó con Billie Holiday, y a finales de los años 50 apoyó a su compañera Dinah Washington, nativa de Chicago. Ousley también tocó con Gene Ammons (otro chicagüense) en los 50, y en los 60 fue contratado como sideman en álbumes de Jack McDuff y George Benson. También fue durante los años 60 que Ousley comenzó a grabar como líder; el Saxo Tenor salió en Bethlehem en 1961, y grabó algunos álbumes para Muse en los 70 (una década que lo encontró tocando en las bandas de Lionel Hampton y Count Basie). Pero cuando la era del CD llegó a finales de los 80, ninguno de los álbumes de Ousley estaba todavía en circulación. Ousley acababa de cumplir 71 años cuando, en enero de 2000, finalmente volvió al estudio como líder y grabó Grit-Gittin' Feelin' para Delmark.

por Alex Henderson

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/harold-ousley-mn0000561712/biography

Colaborador / Contribuitor:  BOBpinBOB

Alexander Stein • Mint Tonic (Organ Piano Lounge)

Easy Riders, Rolling Stones On the Road in America, from Delta Blues to 70s Rock

 

Easy Riders, Rolling Stones delves into the history of twentieth century American popular music to explore the emergence of 60s “road music.” This music—which includes styles like blues and R&B——­­took shape at pivotal moments in history and was made by artists and performers who were, in various ways, seekers after freedom. Whether journeying across the country, breaking free from real or imaginary confines, or in the throes of self-invention, these artists incorporated their experiences into scores of songs about travel and movement, as well as creating a new kind of road culture. 

Starting in the Mississippi Delta and tracking the emblematic routes and highways of road music, John Scanlan explores the music and the life of movement it so often represented, identifying  “the road” as the key to an existence that was uncompromising. He shows how the road became an inspiration for musicians like Jim Morrison and Bob Dylan and how these musicians also drew stimulus from a Beat movement that was equally enthralled with the possibilities of travel. He also shows how the quintessential American concepts of freedom and travel influenced English bands such as the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. These bands may have been foreigners in the US, but they also found their spiritual home there—of blues and rock ‘n’ roll––and glimpsed the possibility of a new kind of existence, on the road.
 
Easy Riders, Rolling Stones is an entertaining, rich account of a key strand of American music history, and will appeal to both road music fans and music scholars who want to “head out on the highway.”

 

The Garland handbook of African music

 

The Garland Handbook of African Music is comprised of essays from The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: Volume 1, Africa, (1997). Revised and updated, the essays offer detailed, regional studies of the different musical cultures of Africa and examine the ways in which music helps to define the identity of this particular area. Part One provides an in-depth introduction to Africa. Part Two focuses on issues and processes, such as notation and oral tradition, dance in communal life, and intellectual property. Part Three focuses on the different regions, countries, and cultures of Africa with selected regional case studies. The second edition has been expanded to include exciting new scholarship that has been conducted since the first edition was published. Questions for Critical Thinking at the end of each major section guide and focus attention on what musical and cultural issues arise when one studies the music of Africa -- issues that might not occur in the study of other musics of the world. 

Joni the anthology

 

"Nearly 50 years’ worth of critical efforts to solve Mitchell’s mysteries have now been rounded up in Barney Hoskyns’s Joni: The Anthology....what comes through most consistently is a possessive impulse, a desire to really know an artist whose fierce privacy has often seemed at odds with the impression of intimacy conveyed by her music." --The Atlantic

Nine Grammys. More than ten million albums sold. Named one of the greatest singers and songwriters of all time by Rolling Stone. Joni: The Anthology is an essential collection of writings on Joni Mitchell that charts every major moment of the famed troubadour's extraordinary career, as it happened.

From album reviews, incisive commentary, and candid conversations, Joni: The Anthology includes, among other things, a review of Mitchell's first-ever show at LA's Troubadour in June of 1968, a 1978 interview by musician Ben Sidran on jazz great Charles Mingus, a personal reminiscence by Ellen Sander, a confidant of the Los Angeles singer-songwriter community, and a long "director's cut" version of editor Barney Hoskyns' 1994 MOJO interview. A time capsule of an icon, the anthology spans the entirety of Joni's career between 1967-2007, as well as thoughtful commentary on her early years.

In collecting materials long unavailable, rare, or otherwise difficult to find, Joni: The Anthology illuminates the evolution of modern rock journalism while providing an invaluable and accessible guide to appreciating the highs―and the lows―of a twentieth century legend.

“Once I crossed the border, I began to write and my voice changed. I no longer was imitative of the folk style. My voice was then my real voice and with a slight folk influence, but from the first album it was no longer folk music. It was just a girl with a guitar that made it look that way.”―Joni Mitchell, 1994

 

La verdadera historia de Frank Zappa - Memorias

 

Este libro es un apasionante viaje a la segunda mitad del siglo XX norteamericano. Zappa nos cuenta el arranque, el nudo y el desenlace de su accidentada experiencia musical, narra a cuchillada limpia sus debates con el puritanismo censor y denuncia las patrañas que mandarines y mandamases arrojan sin descanso a la credulidad pública.

 

Greek Art of the Aegean Islands • MET

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents us with a rich sampling of the splendid cultural heritage of Greece. Not only does it emphasize the diverse geographic centers of artistic production but it also covers a broad chronological span, extending from the Early Bronze Age to the Classic Period of the fifth century B.C. Many of the objects are of particular interest in that they are recent finds, which, outside of archaeological circles, are known only to those who have actually visited the National Museum in Athens, and the many different local museums throughout the Greek islands. The loan demonstrates the significant cultural interconnections among the islands as well as the wealth and variety of materials used and the lively forms that characterize so much of Greek art.