Incredible. One master pianist giving a hat-tip to another, as Pharoah Sanders tips his cap to fellow jazz piano demigod McCoy Tyner.
Month: February 2015
I’m on Bandcamp!
For those of you who are on Bandcamp.com, I finally joined today. This move will probably break my bank account, but it will also be a great way to discuss new artists with friends.
[Video] George Avramidis – Shadow Man
I’m very hesitant to call the music of George Avramidis jazz. It’s ‘jazz’ in the way that The Durutti Column is. It is, yet, not quite. There’s a dark vibe hiding underneath, which belongs to a class of musicians who I feel would include The Necks, among others. Really worthwhile listening here.
You can purchase George’s new album here, courtesy of Amazon.com.
[Video] Marisa Monte – Verdade, Uma Ilusão
My heart is happily ensconced in Brazil these days. I’m kept company by a peach of a girl I can only refer to as my fofinha, and it happens that she has impeccable taste in music. As Valentine’s Day draws near, I get the privilege of sharing a terribly romantic song with the readership. The lyrics are here, and are worth using Google Translate if you can’t understand Portuguese.
For more on Marisa Monte, click here.
[Sample] Lubomyr Melnyk – The Six Day Moment
Today must be a great day for piano music, as it’s been on my mind. Lubomir Melnyk is a composer and pianist who hails from Ukraine (and now residing in Canada) who records for Erased Tapes. He’s a relatively new name to me, and certainly, after this sample, he’s worth exploring.
[Video] Aldo Ciccolini – Gymnopedie n.1 (Satie)
The world lost one of the greatest piano interpreters of the 20th Century yesterday. Aldo Ciccolini died on February 1 at the ripe old age of 89. He had moved away from Naples to Paris, winning the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition in 1949, and becoming a French citizen by 1969. He was the foremost interpreter of the works of Erik Satie, and did his fair part to expose Satie to a wider audience.
Addio, Maestro.
[Video] Mike Oldfield Story (BBC Documentary)
Such an incredible story. A 17-year-old creates the masterpiece of the 1970s in Tubular Bells, almost loses his mind doing it, and has to struggle to break free from that monster of a record.
More on Mike Oldfield here, courtesy of Wikipedia.
[Video] Anouar Brahem – January
While working as a buyer at Aron’s Records in Hollywood during my youth, I came across ECM Records. Up until then, the only thing I had ever heard off of the label was Keith Jarrett’s The Köln Concert. As I was able to listen to promo versions of new releases, I came across Anouar Brahem, but forgot about him for over a decade. My friend, Max Franosch, whose photographs grace a few classic ECM releases, reminded by of his work via a post several years ago, and I’ve been following his music intently ever since.
[Video] Blind Willie Johnson – Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed
Pure gravel, sounding more like a preacher from down South rather than a typical blues-man, here’s Blind Willie Johnson tearing things up with a type of blues sermon.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 