Category Archives: Music

Sonny Stitt, WordPress 3.3 and Getting out of the Way

Music, Technology

sonny stitt - what's new

Sonny Stitt - What's New [1966 Varitone Release

Jazz Wax just posted a timely piece on Sonny Stitt on his interesting use of the experimental Varitone or Electric Sax. The goal of this 1965 instrument was to integrate the organic reed vibration sound generation process and electric manipulation and amplification of the sound. The instrument would provide a suite of on-board tools and would “get out of its own way” during performance – no tripping over microphone stands, fiddling with outboard effect patching or trying to double lines with a synthesizer to make a custom “modern” sound. Instead, the musician would have these options built into the instrument itself and these processes would be integrated into act of playing. Sonny Stitt was a daring experimenter and a believer in this idea. He was able to make some interesting music with this instrument despite its many technical limitations.

The overarching goals of the WordPress admin has seemed to me to be similar – integrate the content creation process with the web publishing and layout process such that the tools “get out of the way” and creative workflow is not only not compromised but at times enhanced. These are lofty goals and they are never achieved in one iteration. Many of the problems that were so difficult to solve for the Varitone would be trivial to solve now but others are still persist. I own a digital piano that is in many ways a superior instrument to most analog pianos, yet at times it still is not a real piano and then it fails badly. Technology is not cool in and of itself but only if it improves something. Sometimes complex technology goes largely unnoticed because it is so well integrated into something that someone already does. WordPress 3.3 is an important release because it smooths out a lot of rough admin usability edges, gets out of the publisher’s way more than ever, and makes it more fun to publish stuff.  Sonny would enjoy playing with his release namesake I am sure.

A Labor Day Tribute to Records Made by Sidemen

Music

The “sideman” is not a member of the band. He is the faceless hired gun who willingly accepts the lesser piece of the action despite often making a vital contribution the sound. Some great musicians ultimately emerged from these behind-the-scene roles to become stars in their own right but many more did not. This is a labor day salute to some of my favorite obscure records that were fronted by great sidemen who did not quite make stardom.

James Burton: The Guitar Sounds of James Burton [1971]

Burton is the ultimate session guitar player. He is probably best known for his excellent guitar work with Elvis Presley in the 70s Vegas era but he also worked with Elvis Costello, Buffalo Springfield, Gram Parsons, Ricky Nelson and Joni Mitchell among others. His signature axe is a blonde Telecaster. This record was not a big commercial success has got some really nice playing on it. There is a great Burton video where he talks about his various picking styles and influences:

Melvin “Wah Wah Watson”: Elementary [1977]

I first became aware of Wah Wah Watson from his ultra funky guitar work on the 70s Herbie Hancock records but then his name started to pop up everywhere. The funky bluesy stuff on Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get it On? Wah Wah. The groovy licks on Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall? Wah Wah. He has also done work for Blondie, Stevie Wonder, you name it. This record is really fun to listen to when you are looking to hear something in that late 70s funky fusion pocket without heavy foreground.

Dennis Coffey : Hair and Thangs [1969]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ0yFAGEZFU

Coffey is a true Detroit Soul session guitar superstar. He laid down countless gritty Motown tracks including Diana Ross, The Temptations and Edwin Starr. His agility in many styles from Rock to Jazz to Funk and his innovative use of the wah-wah pedal enabled him to introduce many subtle genre cross pollinations in his session work. Coffey was the first white artist to be invited to perform on Soul Train. His first solo record is a classic.

Nicky Hopkins : The Tin Man Was a Dreamer [1973]

Nicky Hopkins performed session work for the Beatles, Kinks, Who, Jeff Beck Group, Steve Miller Band, Jefferson Airplane and all of the Rolling Stones records from 1967-76. It is almost impossible to listen to a “Classic Rock” playlist for even a few minutes without encountering his nimble playing. His first solo effort of three is an underrated gem.

Inspiration for this post:
[vinylsighting] Sideman Serenade – On The Download.

Alpha Music

Music

Impressionable ears - no need to blast

The music that you hear when you are growing up can form the foundation of your sonic aesthetic. I am often relieved that my parents had eclectic taste and exposed me to some of the music I still enjoy today. I came cross Funk For First-Time Fathers recently and thought that this kid was pretty lucky too.

RIP Fran Landesman

Music

Sisley - Small Meadows in Spring. c. 1881

Fran Landesman wrote the lyrics to one of my favorite “50s era” standards – Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most.  Her evocative lyrics were inspired by passages in The Waste Land by T.S Eliot.

APRIL is the cruelest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.

Old Records Young Kids Should Hear

Music

I was listening to Jonathan Schwartz while making lunch in the kitchen this afternoon as I often do on a Sunday and he suggested that in order to insure that the cannon of 20th century song is passed into the 20th century and beyond, it is best for children to be exposed to this great music at an early age so that means something to them.  It got me thinking about what I might consider to be a short list of records for such a mission. Here it is:

1. Ella & Louis

2. Sinatra/Basie

3. Blossom Dearie Jazz Masters 51

4. Nat King Cole : After Midnight

5. Fred Astaire/Oscar Peterson