[Monday’s Notes No. 87] Sometimes after a first romantic date it can happen that one of the two falls madly in love, totally unrequited. This is what fears the protagonist of Ligia, who fights a battle against love that he cannot win. The song is performed here by Joao Gilberto and Stan Getz.Continue readingStan Getz & Joao Gilberto, Ligia. Rendezvous in Ipanema
Tag: guitar
[Monday Note No. 86] Claus Ogerman was a great arranger who made wonderful orchestral albums with Bill Evans, Antonio Carlos Jobim and many others. His collaboration with Wes Montgomery produced the 1966 album Tequila, from which we now hear Little Child (Daddy Dear).Continue readingClaus Ogerman & Wes Montgomery, Little Child Daddy Dear
[Monday Notes no. 71] Much of Dorival Caymmi’s music is dedicated to his homeland, Bahia, and to the sea in particular. The singer-songwriter in 1959 recorded Caymmi e Seu Violão, a record made entirely by accompanying himself with only the guitar, from which we hear the song O Mar.Continue readingO Mar, Dorival Caymmi the poet who writes of the sea
[Monday Notes no. 62] Olê, Olá is part of Chico Buarque de Hollanda’s first album, released in 1966. The Brazilian musician was just 22 years old, yet in his first record are already present the typical elements of his music, rooted in Brazilian popular music but often very elaborate from a harmonic point of view.Continue readingChico Buarque de Hollanda, Olê Olá. A smile that hides sadness.
[Monday Notes no. 60] Among the many outstanding musicians Miles Davis chose for his bands, one of the lesser known is certainly Wynton Kelly. In Miles’ lineups, Wynton Kelly came after Bill Evans and immediately before Herbie Hancock. Let’s listen to his No Blues, taken from the album Smokin’ At The Half Note, which he…Continue readingWynton Kelly & Wes Montgomery, No Blues
[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 n.30] The album Jazz Samba released in 1962 by Charlie Byrd and Stan Getz introduced Brazilian music to the jazz repertoire. Dizzy Gillespie and others had already been mixing Jazz and Cuban music since the 40’s, while Brazilian music had remained on the sidelines. Let’s listen to and analyze Desafinado.Continue readingCharlie Byrd and Stan Getz, Desafinado. Bossa nova becomes jazz
[Monday Notes n.27] Django Reinhardt is one of the first great jazz musicians of European origin. Born in Belgium, French by adoption but of Sinti origin, Django Reinhardt mixed his own Gypsy musical culture with French melody and jazz. We analyse one of his compositions entitled Nuages.Continue readingNuages by Django Reinhardt, the first great European jazz musician
[Monday Notes n.10] One day clarinetist Benny Goodman was confronted with a joke: during one of his concerts, the young guitarist Charlie Christian was brought on stage. Distrustful of this uninvited guest, Benny Goodman started playing an old tune called Rose Room, convinced that he would catch the intruder off guard and force him to…Continue readingCharlie Christian and the electric guitar, Rose Room