1941

musicology #471

2LegendsClash II #7

(Billie Holiday – Am I Blue)

Not easy to follow Dinah. I’ll lay my cards on the table right now and confess that for me she hits the highest highs and reaches the lowest lows and when I hear her sing it stops me in my tracks but Billie does too. Both of them knew that without love, life was hollow. No matter the cost it was the one emotion that could move mountains. Love is out of fashion in the 21st Century and music reflects that…and I quote;

“There is a very thin line between artistry and trash: a Johnny Mercer or a Lorenz Hart can take the most banal of themes (and what is more banal than a love song?) and with one felicitous phrase or wry observation make your heart jump with joy – or break it. Others, on a good day, can more or less duplicate those emotions. The rest of the time they fall flat and the increasing sophistication of subsequent generations only exposes their deficiencies”.

I can’t agree with ‘love being the most banal of themes’ at all but it certainly reflects the ‘Age Of Reason’ that we find ourselves living in where financial success is the yardstick by which to measure  achievement. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy consuming and for that I need money but my experience is that it doesn’t truly deliver long term satisfaction, happiness or fulfillment.

Before I get too carried away I’ll put my soapbox away and just let Billie step up and speak

musicology #149

ladiesweek2 #3

(Billie Holiday – Georgia On My Mind)

no post yesterday so I’ll just have to try and make it up to you with this one.

along with Bessie Smith, (soon come), and Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday’s influence on the art of singing is second to none and was a major influence on all the singers that followed such as Dinah Washington and Aretha Franklin, (to name but 2)

this song written in 1930 by Stuart Gorrell for Hoagy Carmichael’s sister, (Georgia), was recorded at and for Columbia by Billie, (backed by the Eddie Heywood Orchestra), in 1941 and even though the ‘Brother Ray’ version is the one associated with the song for themusicologist it has always been the Billie that ‘takes the biscuit’.

musicology #139

theGood,Bad&theUgly #6

(Sidney Bechet & The New Orleans Feetwarmers – Egyptian Fantasy )

penultimate day of the alternative soundtrack and it’s almost over. all three have managed to arrive at the cemetery and it’s time for the showdown. A winner takes all gunfight to the death…no prisoners taken.

Angel Eyes thinks he’s holding all the cards but Blondie has double crossed them both and is still the only one who knows the real name on the grave that contains the Gold. I’ll say no more and leave it to the man himself to elucidate…

the music is courtesy of virtuoso musician Sidney Bechet, (ably backed by ‘The New Orleans Feetwarmers), whose professional career stretches right back to the birth of ‘Jazz’ in New Orleans during the early 1900’s.

Along with ‘Duke’ and ‘Pops’ Bechet is credited with being instrumental, (no pun intended), in the development of the music that we know and love today and a listen to this should give you an indication as to why.

recorded in 1941 he plays both the clarinet and the soprano sax on this one and is joined by ‘The New Orleans Feetwarmers’

Henry Allen, (Trumpet), J.C Higginbotham, (Trombone), James Tolliver, (Piano), Wellman Braud, (Bass) and J.C Heard on drums.