The History Book Club discussion

This thread was the original music thread when we started the group and had a bunch of great posts, etc. as well as references to the the book 1001 Recordings to Hear Before You Die.



We will redirect all discussion on this thread to references in that book. Please cite page number, musician, genre, and/or musical selection when posting here. Otherwise, either post to the appropriate musical genre thread for your post or if you want an ad hoc discussion we have the Off Topic thread:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...

To sort of keep things moving...I would suggest you pick up the book 1001 Recordings to Hear Before You Die by Tom Moon. We can talk about some of these entries and discuss if we like them or not. And/or what we like better.

This thread is opened up for all of you to discuss any of Tom Moon's entries. When we get done with this we can try some other flavors of the same type of musical experience book.

Like the author said (Tom Moon)...."Celebrate the Joy, the revelation, the mystery, the fun, the sheer shivers-up-the-spine pleasure of great music."

Bentley

by Tom Moon

Note: Any posts not on topic will be moved to the appropriate musical genre thread. Thank you for your understanding.

The Blues

Johnny Adams, The Real Me: Johnny Adams Sings Doc Pomus (page 8)

The author also states that this is good cocktail hour music.

First listen - see what you think. Will listen and write up what Moon says.

Johnny Adams has a great voice for singing the blues. He was from New Orleans and sang with a swinging New Orleans band which featured Dr. John and guitarist Duke Robillard. The New York Times said of Adams: "Mr. Adams can invest life and death into every song he sings, moving from shouts to quivering phrases that seem to be dripping with tears."

Just finished listening to:

Blinded by Love (Pomus)

Imitation of Love (Pomus)

My Baby's Quit Me (Pomus)

Also listening to "Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You" - pretty catchy tune from the Best of New Orleans Rhythm and Blues (Volume 1).

Who was Johnny Adams?

http://www.satchmo.com/nolavl/johnny....

http://www.answers.com/topic/johnny-a...

They use to call him the Tan Canary

One Foot in the Blues:

http://www.jazzhouse.org/gone/lastpos...

Last/fm (Johnny Adams - Play Johnny Adams Radio Free)

http://www.last.fm/music/Johnny+Adams...

Here are the lyrics to There's Always One More Time which gives you a feel for Pomus and the style of music Johnny Adams used to sing:

"If your whole life somehow
Wasn't much 'til now
And you've almost lost
Your will to live
No matter what you've been through
Long as there's breath in you
There is always one more time

And if your dreams go bad
Every one that you've had
That don't mean that some dreams
Can't come true
'Cause it's funny about dreams
As strange as it seems
There is always one more time

Oh turnin' corners
Is only a state of mind
Keeping your eyes closed
Is worse than being blind

If there's a heart out there
Looking for someone to share
I don't care if it's been
Turned down time and time again
And if we meet one day
Please don't walk away
'Cause there is always one more time
There is always one more time"

Give a listen:

http://www.last.fm/music/Johnny+Adams...

THE BLUES

Some Books on the Blues and Blues musicians discussed by Tom Moon and referenced in the posts above:



1993 National Book Critics Circle Award for General Nonfiction


1988 National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist









BOOK ON DOC POMUS:



ON DUKE ROBILLARD:



ON DR JOHN (MAC REBENNACK):

Doc Pomus suffered from polio as a youngster. He was on crutches but his situation worsened as he got older and he ended up in a wheelchair. He performed and wrote songs for many; became a professional gambler and then went back to songwriting with his writing partner Mort Schuman.

Johnny Adams asked Pomos (a real legend in his time) to write some new songs for an album he was planning. Pomus obliged but then fell ill dying of lung cancer early the following year before the project was complete. Adams took the newly composed pieces and thus the album "Johnny Adams Sings Doc Pomus" was born.

Doc Pomus's real name was Jerome Solon Feder (born and bred originally in Brooklyn, NY). His brother is renowned divorce attorney Raoul Felder.

According to Wikipedia:

"Doc Pomus (June 27, 1925 - March 14, 1991) was a twentieth century American blues singer and songwriter.

He is best known as the lyricist of many rock and roll hits. Pomus was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the category of non-performer in 1992.[1:]

He was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992.[2:] and the Blues Hall of Fame.[3:]"

Complete Wikipedia Article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_Pomus

Other Articles:

http://www.felderpomus.com/docpomus1....

Doc Pomos and Mort Schuman:

http://www.history-of-rock.com/doc_po...

Songwriter's Hall of Fame (honoring Jerome Doc Pomus):

Even listen to a clip of This Magic Moment which had been written by Pomus -

http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/...

Audio clips - Pomus - some great songs

http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/...

Recommended Pomus:

http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/...

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:

http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/doc-...

Heart of the Matter:

http://thephoenix.com/Boston/Arts/368...

This guy was an amazing talent...I never realized that he wrote so many songs that I like and are still sung today:

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=...

Listen to Doc Pomus on free radio:

http://www.last.fm/music/Doc%2520Pomu...

Johnny Adams genre was also referred to as retro soul as well as R&B.

Description of Retro Soul (Source: Rhapsody)


Soul's popularity faded with the 1960s as Funk and other black music styles came into vogue, but a few vocalists like Millie Jackson, Cissy Houston, Johnny Taylor kept its fire burning. Two decades on, Retro Soul carved out a sizeable following through the output of the late Johnny Adams, Robert "Duke" Tillman and Chuck Roberson. Retro Soul is fiercely loyal to the classic Soul groove, continuing its tradition of soul-baring lyrics and fiery performances

Brill Building Pop:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi...

Tom Moon also recommended the album titled:

Room With a View of the Blues (Johnny Adams)

Just finished listening to it on rhapsody.

Amazon: (you can listen to short clips)

http://www.amazon.com/Room-View-Blues...

My parents had Big Band music, and jazz and blues going at my house. I'm not familiar with Johnny Adams, but knew of Charlie Parker, etc. from that time.

You are not going to believe this Virginia but I had never heard of Johnny Adams and I have never heard of Charlie Parker I will have to try him out too.

Heard of some blues and jazz greats but not the two above. How are things going for you now?

Bentlehy

Classical Music

Page 6:

On page 6, Tom Moon recommends Harmonium (John Adams). This was released in 1984 by ECM New Series. He states the key tracks to make sure that you listen to are Part 1: "Negative Love"; Part 2; "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" and "Wild Nights"

Moon states: "When the noted minimalist John Adams began writing this piece for chorus and large orchestra using poems by Emily Dickinson and John Donee, he confronted a paradox of poetry."

You hear a cello playing in the distance and the music is quite ominous and powerful at the same time. "Harmonium" is really a study of magical chords and the many ways a resourceful composer might resolve them. I think out of the ones recommended I liked "White Nights" best. Some of the music seems very dark and sinister.

He was the composer of the opera "Dr. Atomic" and I can't say that I found that opera uplifting; yet it certainly succeeded in creating the right kind of mood for the sinister topic.

In Harmonium, it is hard to believe but some of the chords and chorus singing can even sound like a train in the distance. Very visual music.

"Harmonium for Large Orchestra and Chorus (1980–81): The piece starts with quietly insistent repetitions of one note – D – and one syllable – "no". Adams commented about the beginning in a 1984 essay: "(the piece) began with a simple, totally formed mental image: that of a single tone coming out of a vast, empty space and, by means of a gentle unfolding, evolving into a rich, pulsating fabric of sound."[cite this quote:] The successful Harmonium premiere was the first performance of his music by a major mainstream organization, and established Adams as a figure in America's musical landscape."

About John Adams:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ada...

About Harmonium:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmoniu...

John Adams web page:

http://www.earbox.com/W-harmonium.html

Interview with John Adams and Charles Amirkhanian with free streaming download of Adams music and broadcast concert of Harmonium:

"One of the big hits of the 1980-81 San Francisco Symphony season was the world premiere of a work by Bay Area composer John Adams, a Harvard graduate now teaching at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. His settings of texts by John Donne (“Negative Love”) and Emily Dickinson (“Because I Could Not Stop For Death” & “Wild Nights” ) for chorus and full orchestra has set a new direction for the course of repetitive (or minimal) music, a style initiated by Steve Reich, Terry Riley, Phil Glass, and LaMonte Young. The impulsive energy of the performances, led by Maestro Edo de Waart, are brilliantly captured in this recording made at Davies Symphony Hall on April 17, 1981 by KQED engineer Fred Krock. (from KPFA Folio) Adams joins Charles Amirkhanian to discuss the music as well as his work with the San Francisco Symphony’s New and Unusual Music series which he directs and which was about to launch its second season, the recordings of which are also available on radiom.org."

Internet Archive - free streaming audio: Morning Concert: John Adams: Harmonium (October 30, 1981)

http://www.archive.org/details/MC_198...

On radiom:

http://ia351435.us.archive.org/3/item...

My opinion was that the music has a scary quality and was unsettling..yet Adams has accumulated many musical prizes.

John Adams on myspace with video clips:

http://www.myspace.com/johnadamsmusic

John Adams as conductor:

http://www.earbox.com/conductor.html

The John Adams Reader:

http://www.earbox.com/reader.html



Thomas May:

Thomas May

Interviews, Articles and Essays (John Adams):

http://www.earbox.com/interviews.html

Naxos.com: (regarding John Adams)

http://www.naxos.com/composerinfo/Joh...

Another award winning book on music: (National Book Critics Circle Award - 2007)






ADAMS' AUTOBIOGRAPHY: (probably worth a look)



SOME VIDEOS WITH JOHN ADAMS:

JOHN ADAMS DISCUSSES HIS MUSICAL OPERA NIXON IN CHINA: (by Adams)

http://www.goodreads.com/videos/show/...

Nixon In China (Opera): Act I Scene 1 - News (Youtube)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tv3hr...

Nixon In China (Opera): Act II Scene 2b - I'm the Wife of Mao Zedong

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpMQeJ...

Listen free to last fm - John Adams radio and videos:

http://www.last.fm/listen/artist/John...

http://www.last.fm/music/John+Adams

I think I like China Gates: give a listen:

http://www.last.fm/music/John+Adams/_...

China Gates - Take Two - later video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YAchh...

Adams' Short Ride in a Fast Machine:

http://www.last.fm/music/John+Adams/_...

John Adams:

Light over Water: Part I from Shaker Loops:

Adams likes big chords and big chord changes...very eerie...and from the very first chord.

http://www.last.fm/music/John+Adams/_...

Interesting fact: John Adams started composing at the age of ten.

JAZZ AND BEBOP:

Virginia's mention:

Guess what Virginia...Tom Moon put Charley Parker in the book twice: (page 577 - 579): He called these pages: First Flights of the Bird and a Renegade goes Uptown.

Charlie Parker (Jazz and Bebop)

Listen to Charlie Parker radio free on last fm:

http://www.last.fm/music/Charlie+Parker

Who was Charlie Parker?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_...

He was in Jazz - A Film by Ken Burns: (with audio selections)

http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/art...

He was called "The Yardbird": (his official site)

http://www.cmgww.com/music/parker/abo...

AMERICAN MASTERS: JAZZ
He began to play the saxophone at eleven.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmaste...

CHARLEY PARKER AND DIZZY GILLESPIE:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkvCDC...

MILES DAVIS AND CHARLIE PARKER - A NIGHT IN TUNISIA:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShLzrU...

He also used to play with pianist great Paul Bley.

WHAT IS BEBOP?

About.com definition:

http://jazz.about.com/od/introduction...

Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bebop



A History of Jazz Music 1900-2000

Piero
Scaruffi

Here is Dr. Billy Taylor on Jazz Styles with audio:

http://town.hall.org/radio/Kennedy/Ta...

More on bebop:

http://www.fyicomminc.com/jazzmen/nel...

Charlie Parker playing White Christmas (bebop style):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhl0jG...

Greatest Saxophonist of all time: Charlie Parker:

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=...

Charlie Yardbird Parker tribute site:

http://www.charlie-bird-parker.com/

Audios for Kim, Laura, Lester Leaps In and Lover Man.

Rendition of Charlie Parker's key selections - Donna Lee:

http://www.last.fm/music/Charlie+Park...

Rendition of Charlie Parker's key selections - Scrapple from the Apple

http://www.last.fm/music/Charlie%2520...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094747/

I found the movie I saw a long time ago that brought back his music.

If the link fails, the title is Bird.

Great...I will try it out. Thanks Virginia.

Here is Embraceable You: (Parker)

http://www.last.fm/music/Charlie+Park...

Last FM has quite a few complete tracks of Parker that you can play in their entirety..just look for the play icon:

http://www.last.fm/music/Charlie+Park...

Jazz and Bebop:

Charlie Parker and his friends:

This is great footage of Charlie Parker (saxophone) and Coleman Hawkins (tenor saxophone) at the beginning, then a rhythm number with Buddy Rich (probably one of the greatest drummers of that age), Hank Jones (on the piano) and Ray Brown (double bass), followed by a set including Bill Harris who was the trombonist and Lester Young (a tenor sax sitting with his sneakers on and a black hat at his side); then joined in a subsequent number with Harry Edison (trumpet) and Flip Philips (tenor saxophone); then singer Ella Fitzgerald joins them.

At the very beginning you see Ray Brown's hands on the piano and then Coleman is on the left and Charlie comes in after Coleman on the right and takes over the solo.

A google video:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?doc...#

It is funny seeing the styles of dress, and Charlie smoking a cigarette between playing, and that thing they shuttered between sets is hilarious in this day and age. Love the old footage.

My dad was a great classical music buff and played it all the time (much to my polka loving mother's consternation). Now that he's gone, polka reigns in my mother's house. But due to my dad's influence on his eight children, four of his nine grandchildren are either classical musicians or music educators. My mom says she feels like the chicken who hatched out a nest of duck eggs! But she's proud of them anyway and they know the polka repetoire as well as the classical.

Your post made me smile and made me think how happy your Dad's influence and spirit still is within all of you (with what he has passed on). But on the safe side, it is good that they know their polkas too...it helps probably on holidays at the big family celebrations when Mom is doing the cooking. It really is a tribute to both of them.

While I have no musical talent (except listening) I do enjoy reading about music. Recently I read the late Frank Zappa's autobiography


and Bob Dylan's ruminations



Interesting how these two counter-culture heros turned out to be superb businessmen.

They were both more interesting than Beethoven's Hair
Russell Martin

Bentley you are amazing! How do you keep up on all of this?

John, thanks for your posts...Bob Dylan..goodness he is still selling out his performances and for those interested here is his web site:

http://www.bobdylan.com/#/news

He really keeps up with all of the details including his web site.

Gee..John sometimes I do not know (smile)...thank you for adding both the book cover and the author photo or link.

I think maybe Bentley is actually several people:). Just kidding. How about . It is actually funnier if one already knows something about music already, but I thought the style was entertaining and at least introduces some key names and styles.

I wish Bentley WAS more than one person : (

David W. Barber

Thank you for the add Andrea...don't forget the author. : )

Beethoven's Hair. That has got to be one of the weirdest book topics I have ever heard of. I read the summary to see if it is just a joke title, and it really is about Beethoven's hair! Weird. Can I be a fan without wanting to read about his hair?

CLASSICAL MUSIC:

Hear Vivaldi: (NPR)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...

Venice Baroque: Thriving On Vivaldi

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...

Vivaldi: A man for all seasons:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...

Love And Lunacy: Vivaldi's 'Orlando Furioso'

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...

Venice Baroque Orchestra In Concert

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...

Oboist Liang Wang: His Reeds Come First

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...

A Sampling of Stormy Classical Music

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...

Manuel Barrueco: Guitarist For All Centuries

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...

1,000 Essential Recordings You Must Hear

Tom Moon states:

When violinist Janine Jansen and a small chamber group play Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Moon says that each of the seasons is beautifully rendered — but especially summer.

"Summer is my favorite part of this piece," Moon says. "It does feel like August and it does feel very thick. It starts off in a slow mood and it becomes more playful as it goes along, but you sense that when these guys recorded this, they were thinking about humidity — that thing you can't even escape in air conditioning."

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...

Red Priest: Defying Baroque Boundaries

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...

A Classical Thanksgiving Harvest

Listen to Autumn from The Four Seasons -

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...

Classical Music Critic Lloyd Schwartz

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews recordings by two countertenors: a collection of religious music for solo voice by Vivaldi performed by German born Andreas Scholl (on Decca) and Serenade (Virgin Classics) by American David Daniels

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...

Classical Music for the Birds

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...

Last FM (play Vivaldi radio free) and listen to music by Vivaldi:

http://www.last.fm/music/Antonio+Vivaldi

http://www.last.fm/listen/artist/Anto...

http://www.last.fm/music/Antonio+Viva...

http://www.last.fm/music/Antonio+Viva...

Some books about Vivaldi's life:

H.C. Robbins Landon

Michael Talbot

Heller Karl

J. Booth

Janice Shefelman

Donna Getzinger

Wow, Bentley. Have you read any of these Vivaldi's? Is there one you would recommend above the others?

I have not. But the Landon one has excellent reviews. I would start from the top with Vivaldi: Voice of the Baroque. I love Vivaldi and I love Baroque music so how could I go wrong listening to his beautiful works.

Bentley wrote: "I have not. But the Landon one has excellent reviews. I would start from the top with Vivaldi: Voice of the Baroque. I love Vivaldi and I love Baroque music so how could I go wrong listening to ..."

After reading the above exchange I felt I had to get a copy of "Vivaldi: Voice of the Baroque", so who do I blame for that, you Bentley? :)

Oh dear....I hope you enjoy it..but also get some of his music especially Four Seasons.

Bentley wrote: "Oh dear....I hope you enjoy it..but also get some of his music especially Four Seasons. "

Love his 'Four Seasons', will have to put it on later whilst enjoying a nice glass of red in the library.

Good for you and have a nice Eve.

All best,

Bentley

Bentley wrote: "Good for you and have a nice Eve.

All best,

Bentley"


Enjoying Christmas already, have all the pressies unwrapped and in at work wondering which books I should read first when I get home!

That is right...you are ahead...well I will let you get to it. Joy!

Best wishes to all you folks on the other side of the globe, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas with lots of good books to keep you company in 2010.

I'm just finishing a fascinating book titled 'Music, the Brain, and Ecstasy'
Music, the Brain, and Ecstasy How Music Captures Our Imagination


and think anyone who has a strong interest in music (or in the human brain) will enjoy it - Robert Jourdain does a masterful job of exploring first the structure of music, then the workings of the brain in listening to, and creating, music.

Robert Jourdain

Thank you James.

Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic

See selections from Adams' new work, "City Noir," and Mahler's "Symphony No. 1 in D major"

http://video.iptv.org/video/1304120932

Interview with John Adams

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/episode...

SYMPHONY CAST (great listening music and complete programs - classical)

Here is the most recent:

Week of January 4, 2010

Minnesota Orchestra

Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Robert Cohen, cello

Listen (hour 1)
Listen (hour 2)

Listen live from your local public radio station

Program:
SIBELIUS: Pelleas and Melisande
BEAMISH: Cello Concerto No. 2, The Song Gatherer
MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 5, Reformation
STRAVINSKY: Firebird Suite -Minnesota Orchestra, Stanislaw Skrowvaczewski, conductor (Vox 3016)

Description:
Robert Cohen's grandfather fled Poland ahead of the Nazis, settling first in South Africa, then in England. Britain's Sally Beamish has created a beautiful new cello concerto for Cohen based on the folksongs and birdsongs that his grandfather heard throughout his tumultuous life. The world premiere comes to Minnesota.


http://symphonycast.publicradio.org/?...

HERE ARE SOME WONDERFUL ARCHIVES:

http://symphonycast.publicradio.org/a...

AMERICAN ROUTES

What is American Routes?

American Routes is a weekly two-hour public radio program produced in New Orleans, presenting a broad range of American music — blues and jazz, gospel and soul, old-time country and rockabilly, Cajun and zydeco, Tejano and Latin, roots rock and pop, avant-garde and classical. Now in our 11th year on the air, American Routes explores the shared musical and cultural threads in these American styles and genres of music — and how they are distinguished.

The program also presents documentary features and artist interviews. Our conversations include Willie Nelson, Tom Waits, B.B. King, Dr. John, Dave Brubeck, Abbey Lincoln, Elvis Costello, Ray Charles, Randy Newman, McCoy Tyner, Lucinda Williams, Rufus Thomas, Jerry Lee Lewis and many others. Join us as we ride legendary trains, or visit street parades, instrument-makers, roadside attractions and juke joints, and meet tap dancers, fishermen, fortunetellers and more.

The songs and stories on American Routes describe both the community origins of our music, musicians and cultures — the “roots”— and the many directions they take over time — the “routes.”

Here is this week's link: (HANK WILLIAMS)

http://americanroutes.publicradio.org/

Here are the full musical archives:

http://americanroutes.publicradio.org...

COMPOSERS DATEBOOK:

http://composersdatebook.publicradio....

FULL ARCHIVE OF LISTENING PROGRAMS:

http://composersdatebook.publicradio....

For anyone interested in using a computer and sequencing software to compose and/or edit music, here are three handy items:

[image error]
Music Theory for Computer Musicians Bk/Cd



Composition for Computer Musicians


The Chord Wheel: The Ultimate Tool for All Musicians

Strictly speaking (or typing), the last one isn't a book per se, but it's a reference to use like a book when doing chord progressions and/or transposing from one key to another.

PERFORMANCE TODAY:

http://performancetoday.publicradio.o...

http://performancetoday.publicradio.o...

http://performancetoday.publicradio.o...

http://performancetoday.publicradio.o...

NOTE: THESE PERFORMANCES ARE ONLY AVAILABLE SEVEN DAYS AFTER BROADCAST.