[Monday Notes no. 120] The flat of lawyer Jairo Leao was to bossa nova what Minton’s was to jazz: a place for gatherings, experimentations, creations. His 15-year-old daughter Nara Leao had a group of musician friends, including Carlos Lyra, her guitar teacher and author of the music for Lobo Bobo, one of the first bossanova…Continue readingCarlos Lyra, Lobo Bobo. The house of bossa nova
[Monday Notes no. 119] James P. Johnson was one of the greatest pianists of the 1920s, also famous for his composition The Charleston, which contributed to the spread of the dance of the same name. James P. Johnson’s music marks the transition between ragtime and stride piano, the earliest form of jazz piano. Let us…Continue readingJames P. Johnson, The Carolina Shout. From ragtime to stride piano
[Monday Notes no. 118] Ethel Waters is a first-generation jazz singer, her style is conversational and discreet, enhanced by an alto voice and a pleasant blues vein. We listen to her performance of Don’t Blame Me, a ballad composed by one of the great couples of American song: Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields.Continue readingEthel Waters, Don’t Blame Me. An elegant voice with a blues vein
[Monday Notes no. 117] Impressioni di settembre is an amazing song by Premiata Forneria Marconi PFM, a well-known Italian rock band from the 1970s. The song has all the typical characteristics of progressive rock. Indeed, the lyrics, melody, harmony and arrangement have nothing to envy the more famous English bands.Continue readingImpressioni di settembre, Premiata Forneria Marconi PFM. Italian progressive rock
[Monday Notes no. 113] Blue Bossa is one of the simplest pieces in the jazz repertoire and one of the most popular among beginners. Yet the author Kenny Dorham himself did not take it too seriously, to the point that he only recorded it once. Joe Henderson, on the other hand, liked the piece and…Continue readingKenny Dorham, Blue Bossa. Bossa nova from a Jazzman’s perspective
[Monday’s Notes No. 112] Mille lire al mese is an Italian song from 1939 that imitates the American repertoire not only in music but also in the subject matter. As in many American songs during the years of the Great Depression, the central theme is in fact money. Let us listen to the performance by…Continue readingNatalino Otto, Mille lire al mese. Jazz Italian style
[Monday Notes no. 111] That same year that he participated in Miles Davis’ masterpiece In a Silent Way, guitarist John McLaughlin recorded a beautiful lead album entitled Extrapolation, accompanied by other English musicians like himself. Let’s listen and analyse Arjen’s Bag.Continue readingArjen’s Bag, John McLaughlin and English jazz
[Monday Notes no. 110] In its original version Footprints is an avant-garde piece, at the same time the simplicity of the harmonic progression has turned it into a jam session piece that anyone can play. It is difficult to think of another piece in which these opposite qualities coexist. Let us listen to and analyse…Continue readingFootprints, a jazz classic between avant-garde and jam session
[Monday Notes no. 109] In the 1950s, Brazilian music experienced a moment of creativity and ferment that led to the birth of bossanova, a delightful mix of Brazilian popular music and jazz. Maysa was one of the most important singers of that period, we listen to her interpretation of Segredo, a typical samba canção.Continue readingMaysa, Segredo. Samba canção, bolero and bossa nova
[Monday’s Notes No. 108] Oscar Peterson was one of the greatest jazz piano virtuosos. His long solos are legendary, as are his fast and perfect lines. Under his skilled hands, the piano keyboard often becomes hot, but not in the interpretation of this splendid ballad, In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning.Continue readingOscar Peterson, In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning