The King of Power Trios

-

There are times when I listen to an album and all I can think is, 'see, this is what's wrong with America.' I should rename this blog 'National Treasures That Weren't,' if only because for every album I want to say this should be a friggin' national treasure. Is there anyone who doubts that it should be some kind of spiritual crime that more people have listened to Britney Spears than those who have even heard of this album. This made me reconsider Duke Ellington. This marked a period in which he returned to musical primacy, no longer just retreading past accomplishments, but moving forward to meet and challenge the young guard. There are not many in any field who have acheived his level of greatness, coasted on his laurels for so long, as to become almost irrelevant, an afterthought, only to decide to re-define himself and his work in the last 20 years of his life. This album made me reconsider Duke Ellington because I had been under the mistaken impression that he had been great for his time, but eventually surpassed. How do you surpass a genius able to re-invent himself?

Duke Ellington, Max Roach & Charles Mingus
Money Jungle
Side 1

Money Jungle
Fleurette Africaine
Very Special
Warm Valley


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Duke Swings East

-
Image
I am in the middle of an experience where I work 12+ hour days and have one day off each week. In random moments I remember my intention to post something weekly to this blog, usually late at night, looking at stars, far from a computer, and then occasionally while at a computer, just like now. It is unfortunate that I can say little more than 'why didn't I hear this sooner?' or 'why doesn't everyone know this?' I suppose it reflects on my inability to be creative while working 60 hour weeks, but mostly it's because it's a mystery how albums like Nina's 'Little Girl Blue', Roberta's 'First Take', or 'Mingus at Antibes', could be so unloved when we swim in a sea of musical crap, mostly recycled from crap that went before. This blew my mind when I first heard it. The almost out of control funkified drumming of Rufus Jones, seemed both incongruous and perfectly placed. A toast to the great collaborations of Duke Elli...
Read more

Betty & Ray

-
Image
I borrowed this CD from the Seattle Public Library and became obsessed.  I listened to it repeatedly until it was due, rechecked it and listened until I had no choice but to return it.  I then went in search of it on vinyl.  I searched for a year and a half, and finally found it for $75 through a mail order record shop.  Just as I had convinced myself it was worth it, I found it for $15.  I love this album.  It's soulful, jazzy, touching and sweet with just the right amount of schmaltz.  It's Betty Carter's recording debut, and her voice with Ray's is amazing. Ray Charles and Betty Carter side 1 1 Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye 2 You and I 3 Intro: Goodbye/ We'll Be Together Again 4 People Will Say We're in Love 5 Cocktails for Two 6 Side By Side
Read more

Little Girl Blue

-
Image
I was hanging out with my niece recently, talking about music. She has a thing for what she calls 'old music' which basically means soul music from the late 80's early 90's-- which makes me feel dated since that's music from my high school and college days. There had been a time when my niece and nephews were young and I tried to influence their tastes in music and literature--mostly the graphic literary form known as comics-- and then I gave up. It's difficult to fight against the sludge tide of popular, trite top 40 pop. Although comics finally took a hold of my youngest nephew's imagination, music was always a more difficult sell. In our conversation I realized that perhaps, as one does with a beloved but slightly addled older family member, they just simply ignored my suggestions as the crap old people sometimes say. It's possible that she could listen to some of my suggestions with something like an open mind now. I remember discovering m...
Read more