[Monday’s Note No. 49] Take Five is one of the few pieces in the jazz repertoire to have the unusual time of 5/4, hence the double meaning of the title, which in English means “taking five minutes off” but also hints at the rhythmic tempo of the piece.Continue readingDave Brubeck and Paul Desmond, Take Five. An unexpected success
Category: Monday Notes
A music analysis column dedicated to the great classics of jazz and rock music: every Monday a song with technical notes and curiosities. To start the week on a good note… and learn more about music.
[Monday Notes No.48] Georgia on My Mind was composed by the great songwriter Hoagy Carmichael in 1930, but Ray Charles’ interpretation in 1960 surpassed the original in popularity, the pianist-singer turning it into one of his biggest hits.Continue readingGeorgia On My Mind, Ray Charles and soul music
[Monday Notes no. 47] Eighteen months after taking part in the recording of the famous album Kind Of Blue, John Coltrane recorded My Favorite Things and continued in the direction of that first journey led by Miles Davis: modal jazz. Unlike Davis, John Coltrane does not compose original pieces but interprets and transforms the beloved…Continue readingMy Favorite Things, John Coltrane and the good old jazz standards
[Monday Notes no.46] The most famous work of Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo, the Concierto de Aranjuez has also been much appreciated by jazz musicians. I have analysed Jim Hall’s beautiful interpretation.Continue readingJim Hall, Concierto de Aranjuez. Jazz meets Spanish music
[Monday Notes no. 45] Noel Rosa is one of the most important authors of Brazilian Popular Music. Noel Rosa sings about the lives of the miserable, describing small details in an ironic and poetic way, always with a benevolent and optimistic outlook.Continue readingNoel Rosa, Conversa de Botequim. A conversation in the bar
[Monday Notes no. 44] John Lennon was an imaginative musician who constantly broke the mould. Some of his songs have become an anti-militarist and libertarian symbol and make us miss a time when music had the ambition to change the world.Continue readingJohn Lennon, Imagine. A white piano for an everlasting song
[Monday Notes no. 42] Roberto Murolo was a great interpreter of Neapolitan popular song, to which he devoted years of study and research. Few cities have given Italian popular music a contribution comparable to that of Naples. Let us listen to and analyse a lovely song entitled ‘O Ciucciariello.Continue readingRoberto Murolo and the Neapolitan song, ‘O Ciucciariello
[Monday Notes No 41] Many Blue Note records of the 1960s opened with a catchy tune: funky, soul or Latin sounding. The intention of the label was to contrast the spread of Rock, showing that Jazz could also be fun and easy listening music. Lee Morgan’s The Sidewinder follows this trend.Continue readingLee Morgan, The Sidewinder. How to build a jazz solo
[Monday Notes No 38] Carlo Alberto Rossi wrote over six hundred songs during his long and successful career. His name is associated with that of Mina, who made some of his songs famous, such as E se domani, Amore baciami, Le mille bolle blu.Continue readingThe music of Carlo Alberto Rossi, A chi darai i tuoi baci
[Monday Notes No 37] Autumn Leaves entered the jazz repertoire rather late, the original French version dates from 1946, while the English version became established in the mid-1950s. In this respect, Autumn Leaves is a young standard, in fact most of the jazz repertoire dates back to at least the 1940s, if not earlier.Continue readingCannonball Adderley, Autumn Leaves. A jazz standard from France