[Monday Notes no. 107] Great musicians have the ability to be inspired and stimulated by their peers. This is certainly the case with Miles Davis, who chose Joe Zawinul’s song In A Silent Way as the title for his eponymous album, a masterpiece recorded in 1969.Continue readingIn A Silent Way, a Joe Zawinul piece that Miles Davis made his own
[Monday Notes no. 106] Estate is the only Italian piece to have permanently entered the repertoire of jazz standards, to the point of being included in one of the famous Real Books, the sheet music collections dedicated to jazz music. The piece was written by Bruno Martino, the most famous international performers were Joao Gilberto,…Continue readingMichel Petrucciani, Estate. A piece by Bruno Martino in the jazz repertoire
[Monday Notes no. 105] There is a genre of compositions that in jazz are called contrafacts. Nothing illegal about it: these are pieces created using the harmonic progressions of already existing pieces. Wendy by Paul Desmond belongs to this category, in fact the chords are taken from For All We Know, a song from 1934.Continue readingPaul Desmond, Wendy. The Art of jazz contrafact
[Monday’s Notes No. 104] Dollar Brand’s music is rich in spirituality and brings us the sounds of his native South Africa. Together with double bassist Johnny Dyani, Dollar Brand performs a duet dedicated to the prophet Ntsikana, who was among the first to translate and explain Christian ideas to the Xhosa people (South Africa).Continue readingDollar Brand and Johnny Dyani, Ntsikana’s Bell. Two voices from Africa
[Monday Notes no.103] Green Green Grass of Home is a country music classic. The melody is beautiful and easy to remember, the lyrics are moving. A great American song, also for the theme it touches on. Let’s listen to Kenny Rodgers’ interpretation.Continue readingKenny Rodgers, Green Green Grass of Home. A classic of Country Music
[Monday’s Notes No. 102] Michel Legrand was one of the greatest composers of French song. A composer, arranger, conductor, and jazz pianist, thanks to his fantastic melodies and never trivial harmony his songs have also entered the jazz repertoire. Let’s listen to and analyze I Will Wait For You.Continue readingMichel Legrand, I Will Wait For You. A touch of France and a touch of jazz
[Monday Notes no. 101] Perigeo is an Italian band that was active for a short time in the mid-1970s. Azimut is the title of a song and also of the band’s first record, the piece is blended between progressive rock, psychedelic music and free jazz. Franco d’Andrea’s solo on piano makes the track even more…Continue readingPerigee, Azimuth. Between progressive rock and free jazz
[Monday’s Notes No. 100] Santa Claus Is Coming To Town is a Christmas piece from the 1930s. Its harmonic structure is typically jazzy in that it combines the beginning of the Rhythm Changes, a musical form widely used by jazz musicians, with a second part that is common to many songs of the time. To…Continue readingSanta Claus Is Coming To Town, a Christmas jazz piece
[Monday Notes no. 99] Sweet Georgia Brown is a song that dates back to 1925, when jazz was taking its first steps. The piece became a very popular jazz standard and Miles Davis used its harmonic progression in his song Dig. We hear a version by Sidney Bechet, a true master of 1920s jazz.Continue readingSidney Bechet, Sweet Georgia Brown. A jazz piece with very few chords
[Monday’s Note 98] I Remember Clifford was composed by Benny Golson as a tribute to Clifford Brown who died tragically in a car accident. However, the piece does not express despair, it is music inspired more by the memory of the friend than by the sorrow for his death.Continue readingI Remember Clifford, a theme by Benny Golson for his friend Clifford Brown