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Jazz ladies

Set 26 2009, 10h53 por MChery

Ladies of Jazz from 1930 to 1990

The 1930s
Ella Fitzgerald
Adelaide Hall
Annette Hanshaw
Belle Baker
Connee Boswell
Ethel Waters
Helen Humes
Helen Ward
Helen Morgan
Helen Kane
Hilde Hildebrand
Ivie Anderson
Josephine Baker
Lee Wiley
Lee Morse
Lil Armstrong
Mabel Mercer
Martha Tilton
Mae West
Mildred Bailey
Pola Negri
Peter Igelhoff
Ruth Etting
Valaida Snow

The 1940s
Alberta Hunter
Anita O'Day
Bea Wain
Billie Holiday
Dinah Shore
Doris Day
Helen Forrest
Helen Humes
Helen O'Connell
Ivie Anderson
Jeri Southern
Jo Stafford
Joya Sherrill
Kay Davis
Margaret Whiting
Marie Ellington
Mary Ann McAll
Maxine Sullivan
Margot Hielscher
Peggy Lee
Sylvia Syms
Teddy Grace

The 1950s
Anita O'Day
Betty Carter
Betty Roche
Carmen McRae
Chris Connor
Dinah Washington
Ella Fitzgerald
Ernestine Anderson
Ethel Ennis
Helen Humes
Jo Stafford
June Christy
Kay Starr
Lee Wiley
Lucy Reed
Morgana King
Patricia Bredin
Peggy King
Peggy Lee
Sarah Vaughan
Sheila Jordan

The 1960s
Anita Traversi
Aretha Franklin
Annie Ross
Annie-Marie Moss
Betty Carter
Carmen McRae
Chris Connor
Cleo Laine
Ella Fitzgerald
Ernestine Anderson
Etta Jones
Etta James
Helen Humes
Jo Stafford
Lena Horne
Lorez Alexandria
Maryilyn Moore
Morgana King
Nina Simone
Peggy Lee
Sarah Vaughan
Sheila Jordan
Shirley Horn
Teddi King

The 1970s
Ann Burton
Barbara Lea
Betty Carter
Carmen McRae
Carol Sloane
Cleo Laine
Diane Schuur
Ella Fitzgerald
Ernestine Anderson
Esther Phillips
Etta Jones
Etta James
Flora Purim
Gloria Lynne
Helen Merrill
Jeanne Lee
Lena Horne
Margaret Whiting
Marlene VerPlanck
Maxine Sullivan
Meridith d'Ambrosio
Millie Vernon
Minnie Riperton
Nancy Harrow
Nancy Wilson
Nina Simone
Patti Austin
Phoebe Snow
Sandra King
Sarah Vaughan
Sheila Jordan
Shirley Horn
Tania Maria
Roberta Flack

The 1980s
Ann Hampton Callaway
Annette Sanders
Betty Carter
Cheryl Bentyne
Chris Connor
Daryl Ryce
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Della Griffin
Diane Schuur
Dianne Reeves
Eartha Kitt
Eden Atwood
Ethel Ennis
Gloria Lynne
Helen Merrill
Janis Siegal
Karrin Allyson
Laura Fygi
Lena Horne
Marlena Shaw
Mary Stallings
Nancy Kelly
Nancy Wilson
Nina Simone
Nnenna Freelon
Sarah Vaughan
Shirley Horn
Sussanah Mccorkle

The 1990s
Ann Hampton Callaway
Annette Sanders
Carmen Bradford
Cassandra Wilson
Claire Martin
Cleo Laine
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Eden Atwood
Ernestine Anderson
Karrin Allyson
Laura Fygi
Nancy Wilson
Nancy Kelly
Nancy York
Nnenna Freelon
Susannah McCorkle

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The KGiRLs as of November 2009

Mar 4 2009, 23h54 por hdsander
I wanna have a list of...

KGRL's Artists Currently being Streamed:
...get that number? :)

Visit the group

KGRL
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new stuff, and APAP 2009

Jan 29 2009, 1h00 por nventi

- picked up new Andrew Bird... I thought it was supposed to be instrumental? First impression: better than Armchair
- picked up a real copy of new The Bird and the Bee (even though I've had a leaked copy since xmas). I still love these guys. Especially enough to pay $$.
- Just downloaded David Binney's new album, gonna digest that tonight.. it features Craig Taborn, Scott Colley, and Brian Blade... killer.
- finally have some tracks from Christian McBride's new group Inside Straight.. looking forward to this group touring!!!
- replaced my Nick Drake burns with Fruit Tree box set
- Got final copies of Brian Patneaude's new release feat. Mike Moreno. The art is hip and it sounds great too! Nothing like that new album smell, fresh from the manufacturer!
- recorded a little sax for Ashley Pond's upcoming release
- Janelle Monae rips off Sesame Street (exhibit A: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZshZp-cxKg - exhibit B: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHgbzNHVg0c )
- Article comparing Barack Obama, Marvin Gaye, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane imagery from one of my favorite design blogs: http://blog.eyemagazine.com/?p=141
- Dana Leong is an interesting artist who walked up to me at APAP
- New Watts CD and Marco Benevento CD that I'm working are excellent. Both of their shows at APAP were pretty spectacular.
- Other shows at APAP included Sarah Morrow, Christian Scott, Eliane Elias, Tim Ries, Karrin Allyson, Erin Bode, Dave Holland Octet, Aaron Parks w/Mike Moreno, a number of globalfest shows.
- I tried to post a picture to facebook from each APAP show I was at. Success was limited by a number of factors that compounded each other. For starters, the iPhone camera's poor quality; the time it takes to upload on the "Edge" network; Apple prohibiting iPhone apps from running silently in the background - with the exception of email; facebook not accepting photo uploads by email anymore; facebook making you use their app for photo uploads. Basically it isn't practical - you can't close the application before the photo is done uploading or it will cancel the upload when you put your iPhone to "sleep." Sometimes the uploads would take longer than my power settings timed out the device and put it to sleep automatically, so I would have to tap the screen every 10 seconds or so until it was done uploading. It was a buzzkill - who wants to be at a concert staring at their phone waiting for a photo to upload so they can close the application and put the phone back in their pocket. Not only was it personally distracting, but i've found it distracting when I've been at shows and there's THAT GUY in front of me who won't get off his phone.

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Jazz ladies

Jan 8 2008, 13h26 por carmosin

Ladies of Jazz from 1930 to 1990

After listening to one of my father's cds, namely "Jazz ladies", I decided to compile a last.fm-list, and a tag, of jazz ladies. I shamelessly copied the information found here.

The 1930s

Adelaide Hall
Annette Hanshaw
Connee Boswell
Ella Fitzgerald
Ethel Waters
Helen Humes
Helen Ward
Ivie Anderson
Josephine Baker
Lee Wiley
Mabel Mercer
Martha Tilton
Mildred Bailey

The 1940s

Alberta Hunter
Anita O'Day
Bea Wain
Billie Holiday
Dinah Shore
Doris Day
Ella Fitzgerald
Helen Forrest
Helen Humes
Helen O'Connell
Ivie Anderson
Jeri Southern
Jo Stafford
Joya Sherrill
Kay Davis
Margaret Whiting
Marie Ellington
Mary Ann McAll
Maxine Sullivan
Peggy Lee
Sylvia Syms

The 1950s

Anita O'Day
Betty Carter
Betty Roche
Carmen McRae
Chris Connor
Dinah Washington
Ella Fitzgerald
Ernestine Anderson
Ethel Ennis
Helen Humes
Jo Stafford
June Christy
Kay Starr
Lee Wiley
Lucy Reed
Morgana King
Peggy King
Peggy Lee
Sarah Vaughan
Sheila Jordan

The 1960s

Annie Ross
Annie-Marie Moss
Betty Carter
Carmen McRae
Chris Connor
Cleo Laine
Ella Fitzgerald
Ernestine Anderson
Etta Jones
Helen Humes
Jo Stafford
Lena Horne
Lorez Alexandria
Maryilyn Moore
Morgana King
Peggy Lee
Sarah Vaughan
Sheila Jordan
Shirley Horn
Teddi King

The 1970s

Ann Burton
Barbara Lea
Betty Carter
Carmen McRae
Carol Sloane
Cleo Laine
Diane Schuur
Ella Fitzgerald
Ernestine Anderson
Esther Phillips
Etta Jones
Flora Purim
Gloria Lynne
Helen Merrill
Jeanne Lee
Lena Horne
Margaret Whiting
Marlene VerPlanck
Maxine Sullivan
Meridith d'Ambrosio
Millie Vernon
Nancy Harrow
Nancy Wilson
Patti Austin
Phoebe Snow
Sandra King
Sarah Vaughan
Sheila Jordan
Shirley Horn
Tania Maria

The 1980s

Ann Hampton Callaway
Annette Sanders
Betty Carter
Cheryl Bentyne
Chris Connor
Daryl Ryce
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Della Griffin
Diane Schuur
Dianne Reeves
Eartha Kitt
Eden Atwood
Ethel Ennis
Gloria Lynne
Helen Merrill
Janis Siegal
Karrin Allyson
Laura Fygi
Lena Horne
Marlena Shaw
Mary Stallings
Nancy Kelly
Nancy Wilson
Nina Simone
Nnenna Freelon
Sarah Vaughan
Shirley Horn
Sussanah Mccorkle

The 1990s

Ann Hampton Callaway
Annette Sanders
Carmen Bradford
Cassandra Wilson
Claire Martin
Cleo Laine
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Eden Atwood
Ernestine Anderson
Karrin Allyson
Laura Fygi
Nancy Wilson
Nancy Kelly
Nancy York
Nnenna Freelon
Susannah McCorkle

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Samba tag

Out 29 2007, 3h13 por klimaz

Hi folks,
For those of you who enjoy listening to Samba, you're welcome to use my tag:

Samba

This tag gives you all these artists, most of whom are streamable:

Adoniran Barbosa
Adoniran Barbosa - Com Nosso Samba
Adoniran Barbosa/Part. ESpecial: Vania Carvalho
Adoniran Barbosa/Part. Especial: Carlinhos Vergueiro
Adoniran Barbosa/Part. Especial: Djavan
Adoniran Barbosa/Part. Especial: Gonzaguinha
Adoniran Barbosa/Part. Especial: Roberto Ribeiro
Adoniran Barbosa/Part. Especial: Talisma & Seu Conjunto
Adoniran Barbosa/Part.Especial:Conjunto Nosso Samba
Agepe
Agepê
Airto Moreira
Alcione
Alcione; Nelson Gonçalves E Alcione
Almir Guineto
Almirante; Carmen Miranda; Lamartine Babo; Mario Reis
Ana de Hollanda
Aracy de Almeida
Argemiro Patrocinio/Part.Especial:Teresa Cristina
Ary Barroso
Ataulfo Alves
Baden Powell
Bebeto
Beth Carvalho
Beth Carvalho/Com: Golden Boys
Bezerra Da Silva
Bezerra Da Silva; Genaro
CLARA NUNES FEATURING PAULINHO DA VIOLA
Candeia
Candeia e Yvone Lara
Canta: Carmen Miranda/Dorival Caymmi
Canta:Carmen Miranda/Dorival Caymmi
Carlinhos Brown
Carlos Galhardo; Carmen Miranda
Carmen & Aurora Miranda
Carmen Miranda
Carmen Miranda E Mario Reis; Orquestra Diabos Do Ceu
Carmen Miranda e Mario Reis
Carmen Miranda/Almirante
Carmen Miranda/Barbosa Junior
Carmen Miranda/Com-Almirante
Carmen Miranda/Com-Sylvio Caldas
Carmen Miranda/Com: Luiz Barbosa
Carmen Miranda/Dalva De Oliveira
Carmen Miranda/Nuno Roland
Carmen Miranda/Part. Especial: Barbosa Junior
Carmen Miranda/Part. Especial: Sylvio Caldas
Carmen Miranda; Francisco Alves
Carmen Miranda; Lamartine Babo
Carmen Miranda; Mario Reis
Carmen Miranda; Murilo Caldas
Carmen Miranda; Silvio Caldas
Cartola
Chico Buarque
Cibelle
Ciro Monteiro
Clara Nunes - Com Adoniran Barbosa
Clementina de Jesus
Cyro Monteiro
CéU
De Lata
Demonios Da Garoa
Demônios da Garoa
Dicró
Dolores Duran
Dona Ivone Lara
Donga
Dorival Caymmi
Dudu Nobre
Dudu Nobre; Grupo Fundo De Quintal
Elis Regina-Adoniran Barbosa
Ella Fitzgerald – One Note Samba
Elton Medeiros
Elton Medeiros; Paulinho Da Viola
Elton/Guilherme Brito/Cavaquinho/Candeia
Elza Soares
Emilinha Borba
Exaltasamba
Fagner; Nelson Gonçalves
Farofa Carioca
Fernanda Porto
Francisco Alves
Grupo Fundo de Quintal
Grupo Molejo
Grupo Rumo
Harmonia do Samba
Haryou Percussion Group
Helena de Lima
Isaura Garcia
Isaurinha Garcia; Nelson Gonçalves
Jackson do Pandeiro
Jadir de Castro & Dom Um
Jairzinho Oliveira
Jamelão
Joanna; Nelson Gonçalves E Joanna
Joao Nogueira
Jobim-Morelenbaum
Jorge Aragao
Jorge Ben Jor
Jorge Veiga
Jussara Silveira
Karrin Allyson
Kiloucura
Leci Brandao
Leci Brandão
Leny Eversong
Luciano Perrone
Mangueira
Marcio Faraco
Margareth Menezes
Marissa
Mart'nália
Martinho da Vila
Miltinho
Miucha & Tom Jobim
Monica Salmaso
Moreira da Silva
Moreno
Moreno +
Moreno Veloso +
Moreno+
Márcio Faraco
Negritude Junior
Negritude Junior/Ivone Lara
Negritude Júnior
Neguinho Da Beihja Flor
Nelson Cavaquinho
Nelson Gonçalves e Raphael Rabello
Nelson Sargento
Ney De Castro
Nicos Jaritz
Noel Rosa
Olodum
Padre Miguel
Par Ney de Castro
Paulinho Da Costa
Paulinho Da Viola & Ensemble
Paulinho Da Viola E Toquinho; Toquinho E Paulinho Da Viola
Paulinho da Viola
Paulinho da Viola; Toquinho
Paulo Vanzolini
Pedro Luis e A Parede
Pixinguinha
Portinho
Quarteto Jobim-Morelenbaum
Quarteto Novo
REGINA, ELIS/BARBOSA, ADONIRAN
Ritmo Candela
Roberto Silva
Rowland Sutherland's Mistura
Seu Jorge
Seu Jorge & Velha Guarda da Mangueira
Seu Jorge, Antonio Pinto, Fabio Goes & Edmilson Capelupi
Silvio Caldas
Simone/Part.Esp:.Ângela Maria
Sinho
Tania Maria
Teresa Cristina
Terri England
Timbalada
Toquinho E Paulinho Da Viola
Velha Guarda Da Mangueira
Velha Guarda da Portela
Verde Amarelo
Vinicius de Moraes
Vinícius de Moraes
Wilson Simonal
Zeca Pagodinho
Zé Keti

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questions...

Fev 8 2007, 0h40 por mlle_kitty

1. What are you listening to right now?
You Know I'm No Good

2. What song makes you sad?
anything can make you sad if you're in the right kind of mood. Although I really like the song, sometimes Haitian Divorce can bring me down. 'Cause, you know, it's about divorces. I can't completely tune out the lyrics.

3. What is the most annoying song in the world?
Tipsy.

4. Your all time favorite band(s)?
The Beatles

5. Your newly discovered band is?
of Montreal

6. Best female voice?
Karrin Allyson. She's so very casually seductively beautiful. I need to listen to more female voices, though.

7. Best male voice?
Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, Harry Nilsson, Andy Partridge...plenty more.

8. Music type you find yourself listening to more?
Rock? that's it exactly, rock with a question mark.

9. What do you listen to, to hype you up?
Heart of the Sunrise. Or It Won't Be Long.

10. What do you listen to when you want to calm down?
what?

12. Bands you find yourself listening to the most right now?
Yes, The Kinks, XTC, The Who. <3

13. Most hated band?
I don't know.

14. Song that makes you think?
Like a Virgin. Why would you want to be/feel LIKE a virgin? I hope Madonna isn't singing this song just to impress some shallow idiot-man.

15. Band that you think the world should hate as much as you do?
I don't know...

16 a). Coolest music video?
Blow Away.

16. b) Worst music video?
Disturbed's version of "Land of Confusion", only because it is so weak in comparison to the original video.

17. Can you play a musical instrument?
a bit.

18. Ever been in a mosh pit?
no.

19. Do you wish yourself that you were a musician?
I'll wish myself into that position someday.

21. Best chick band you know of?
The SheBeats. 8)

22. Last song that you heard on the radio/cd...etc...?
Wrapped In Grey. Beautiful song.

23. What do you think of Classical music?
I approve.

24. What do you think of Country music?
Johnny Cash and The Flying Burrito Brothers are cool...can't say much about the rest of the genre.

25. What do you think of Death metal?
Dude...I only listen to TECHNICAL death metal.

26. Are you a groupie?
yes? no? I don't care.

27. Do you listen to music in foreign languages?
yes...though English seems to be the most popular with me.

28. Best local act you can think of?
the best...local-ISH act is Leopard Caprii.

29. If you were a musical instrument what would you be?
a theremin. manufactured by rickenbacker, of course.

30. Do you listen to the radio?
not really.

31. Do you watch music TV?
I would if it was available.

32. Do you follow the music charts, like the top 40?
I don't think they're truly relevant.

33. Have you met any famous musicians?
yes!

34. Are any of your friends/family/etc. musicians?
yes!

35. Song that best describes your feelings right now?
Fat.

36. Song that describes your life?
America. It HAS to be the Yes version. No offense, S&G.

37. Do you know the names of all the band members that you listen to?
usually. Is that a nerdy trait or not?

38. Does a musicians physical attractiveness play a role in the music that you listen to?
no. It plays a role in other things, though...

39. What famous musician do you want to marry?
I don't want to marry anybody at the moment.

40. Favourite movie sound track?
Hair. or the Royal Tenenbaums. LISTEN TO THAT.

41. Any musician pet hates?
uhh...buzzing strings, uneven frets, UGLY pickups on basses (that really bothers me), when the strap buttons of the guitar are positioned on the BACK side of the guitar so you're constantly battling the guitar to get a good look at the fingerboard... is this the answer you meant?

42. What do your parents listen to?
My mother mostly listens to unintelligible world music and my dad listens to Neil Young...and some other stuff.

43. What are you listening to right NOW?
Vanishing Girl. Very cool bass bit in that.

44. Do you wear band T-shirts?
yes.

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Swiped Musical Survey

Out 19 2006, 20h49 por rtreynor

Okay..I promise that at a BARE MINIMUM, every other post will not be something c&p from some other blog with my answers in the right spots. With that said, let's get busy c&ping this silly musical survey

1. What are you listening to right now?
Life Is Beautiful

2. What song makes you sad?
I Will Follow You Into the Dark most recently, and Why Should I Cry for You?, especially

3. What is the most annoying song in the world?
Gosh. There are so many. But I'll go with Naughty Naughty

4. Your all time favorite band?
They Might Be Giants

5. Your newly discovered band is?
Um...Yesterday I learned about Sia, and Styrofoam. I expect to discover a few bands that begin with the letter "T" today.

6. Best female voice?
Kate Rusby, allison krauss, Imogen Heap

7. Best male voice?
I really like Ben Gibbard's voice.

8. Music type you find yourself listening to most?
vocal jazz up until I started scrobbling...now I'm kinda all over the place

9. What do you listen to, to hype you up?
I do not really understand what the phrase "hype you up" is supposed to mean. Gets me excited? Makes me seem more important than I really am? I have no idea how to answer.

10. What do you listen to, to calm down?
Suzanne Vega, Mike Oldfield, Karrin Allyson.

11. Last gig/concert you went to?
Thomas Dolby at Cleveland's House of Blues

12. Band you find yourself listening to the most?
Duh, just take a look at my charts

13. Most hated band?
I think I gotta go with The Doors.

14. Song that makes you think?
Anything by Thelonious Monk

15. Band that you think the world should love as much as you do?
Kate Rusby

16. Coolest music video?
Do they still make those things?

17. Music video with the most babe watch?
What?? Perhaps the question is meant to mean "Which music video do you like for the babes within" - but it could also mean "Of all the music videos that contain babe watches (tiny wrist watches for children, i assume), which is your favorite?"

18. What do you play/would you play in the bedroom to spice things up?
Nothing. The kids are sleeping in the next room.

19. Can you play a musical instrument?
Piano, keyboards, and a tiny bit of ukelele and accordion

20. Ever been in a mosh pit?
That's the surgery center that Alan Alda used to work in, right?

21. Are you in a band?
no

22. If yes, what kind of music does your band play?
I said no, for chrissake

23. Ever dated a musician?
Married a piano performance major..who became a lawyer

24. If yes, what kind of music did he/she/they play/instrument/band?
Piano. I just said that. sheesh. classical

27. If no, would you consider?
I don't think my wife would approve

28. Do you wish yourself that you were a musician?
I wish I could seriously kick ass on the accordion without having to actually practice. Either that, or I wish I had an accordion with a headphone jack

29. Best chick band you know of?
Hm. Cake Like?

30. Best guy band you know of?
Gosh. I cannot think of a single band that only has male members.

31. Last song that you heard on the radio, etc?
Waiting for the Great Leap Forward

32. What do you think of classical music?
I tend to like the early 20th century Russian guys the best.

33. What do you think of country music?
I like Lyle Lovett, if that counts.

34. What do you think of death metal?
I'm not sure I have heard any of it for more than 2 seconds.

35. Last BIG band that you saw live?
Paul McCartney in '02

36. Are you a groupie?
I ate some grouper last month. Does that count?

37. Do you listen to music in foreign languages?
Some...can't think of any off hand

38. What famous musician would you like to have sex with?
I don't think my wife would approve...even if it *was* Belinda Carlisle naked in our bedroomm

39. Worst concert moment?
Laughter & Lust tour....the venue just opened and the place was packed. The fire marshall closed the place down a week later. I had bruises from being crammed in there.

40. Funny Concert moment?
Todd Rundgren forgetting the lyrics to one of his biggest hits.

41. Sad Concert moment?
Discovering that They Might Be Giants was sold out

42. Best local act you can think of?
Tim Easton

43. If you were a musical instrument what would you be?
A Fairlight.

44. Do you listen to the radio?
NPR and ESPN only

45. Do you watch music TV?
Does "Pimp My Ride" count?

46. Do you follow the music charts, like the top 40?
gosh no

47. Have you met any famous musicians?
Trent Reznor helped me set up my first Macintosh.

48. Are any of your friends/family etc musicians?
yes

49. Song that best describes your feelings right now?
My Brain Is Like a Sieve

50. Song that describes your life?
Hovering Sombrero

51. Do you know the names of all the band members that you listen to?
no. My 16-year-old self would be so disappointed in what he'd become in 20 years.

52. Does a musician’s physical attractiveness play a role in the music that you listen to?
Yep. I listen to TMBG because John Flansburg is so freakin' sexy I've thought about turning gay....or no. You decide.

53. What famous musician do you want to marry?
I don't think my wife would want to move to Utah...nor would Susanna Hoffs.

54. Favorite movie sound track?
Until The End Of The World

55. Any musician pet hates?
Yes. Composer Phillip Glass has a pet parrot that bites. I hate that.

56. What do your parents listen to?
My dad likes Meatloaf.

57. What are you listening to right NOW?
Different Drum by Susanna Hoffs & Matthew Sweet

58. Do you wear band etc T-shirts?
I'm not sure what a band etc t-shirt is.

59. What do you think of people who do?
If I ever meet one, I'll say "So that's what a band etc t-shirt is."

60. What music sub-culture do you feel like you belong to?
The 30-something white suburban dad sub-culture.

61. What song is stuck in your head right now?
Different Drum by Susanna Hoffs & Matthew Sweet, because I am listening to it.

62. Do you sing in the shower?
no

63. If so, what? If not, why not?
I like the sound of the water falling? I dunno.

64. Would you rather marry a musician or be one yourself?
both

65. What is in your walkman/discman right now?
Well, probably my Level 42 cassette. I wonder what happened to that walkman.

66. How important is your partner's taste in music to you?
My wife hates half of the music I like, but I'll keep her.

67. Hanson moves in next door to you, do you go introduce yourself, or do you arrange to beat them up?
Introduce myself and ask them about being on "The Weird Al Show"

68. Sex, Drugs and Rock n Roll, you dig?
perhaps not in that order.

69. Do you cook to music?
sometimes.

70. Do you sing in the toilet?
I don't recall ever being *in* a toilet.

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Karrin Allyson's "Wild For You": …easy, breezy, beautiful cover girl

Set 4 2006, 11h18 por bob_tomato

- this review was originally published January 20, 2005 at Epinions.com

________________________________________

About a week ago, I panned The Nylons for their less-than-stellar cover album, Fabric of Life. This week, I've discovered a cover album that proves everything old can be new again, with a brand new shine that will last and last…

________________________________________
Introducing the new Cover Girl

Karrin Allyson is a Grammy-nominated (2002) jazz vocalist/pianist who consistently stretches the boundaries of the genre, wowing jazz fans and critics with her innovative takes on jazz and blues standards, Gershwin and Thelonius Monk, the ballads of John Coltrane, and even diverse sources like French and Brazilian music. Karrin is making a name for herself as a risk-taker, a musician who is not afraid to experiment with the music in order to fulfill her own vision for the sound of a particular project.

Jazz encompasses so much of what attracts me to music. It's got intellect. It's got humor, soul, swingability. It's a vehicle for doing whatever song that we like and trying to make it our own.
Karrin Allyson - Downbeat, September 2004*

For Wild for You, Karrin chose to cover songs written or performed by her favorite singer/songwriters during her teenage years. She wanted to re-color these songs as her own for this recording, but she didn't wish to merely play them as she and her band had often done in the past - she wanted to make them into something new. She worked with arranger Gil Goldstein to craft new sounds for old songs that would make them her own, yet would still echo the original song.

I didn't want them so out there that they would be unrecognizable…I wanted them to be accessible enough that I'd be comfortable singing them, the band could be comfortable playing them and, therefore, they'd be better to listen to. I think you have to respect the original; we're always going for that. But you also have to make the songs your own.
Karrin Allyson – Kansas City Star, May 3 2004**
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Wild For You

Most of the songs chosen for Wild For You should be familiar to the older VH1 generation. Karrin selected thirteen songs by artists like James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Carole King and Carly Simon, and though their songs have been subjected to major makeovers, you can still get a sense of the original at the core of each track. An example:

Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word is a touching, emotional ballad in its original form, surely one of Sir Elton's most beautiful melodies. The band – guitars, piano, acoustic bass, drums – holds back, way back. The arrangement is sparse, creating the sound most often associated in films with a singer and her band playing sad songs in an empty cafe long after everyone has gone home. Given the space to sing such a wonderful melody in front of this classically Parisian backdrop, Karrin fills the void with a voice that is full of regret, yet at the same time is emotionally drained, holding out for the slimmest chance of forgiveness. Elton's pop ballad is transformed from a sad song saying so much into a gut wrenching, mournful and very real heartache – Karrin's interpretation breathes new life into the song, making it so much more real, so much more familiar.

This heightened sense of emotional reality is apparent in every song, and is the key to this album. Karrin chose the songs she was wild for as a teenager, and it is obvious that each song resonates deeply within her. I think the best way a musician can pay tribute to favorite songs by other artists is to perform those that she truly cares about, those songs that are special to her. When an artist has this deep connection to a song, the original version echoes within the new performance, creating something unique that can be appreciated on entirely different levels, opening the song to rediscovery for the listener as well.
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The Right Thing to Do

And what songs to rediscover! They are all classics of the seventies and it's nice to hear them revisited with such care and skill. Other than the Elton John track which is my favorite so far, the best tracks are Joni Mitchell's All I Want and Help Me. The original flowing melodic lines work marvelously in a free jazz interpretation, and Karrin lets them wander into new territory vocally before adding her own piano interpretation. It's probably not surprising that the songs by female singer/songwriters seem to work better for Karrin than those written by men.

At the end of the album, Karrin makes an interesting programming choice by featuring songs made famous by the same artists back to back. Carly Simon's Mind on My Man is followed by The Right Thing to Do, two songs from early on in Simon's marriage to James Taylor. Closing out the album are two Roberta Flack cuts, Feel Like Makin' Love and The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. I don't know if Karrin made the deliberate attempt to make some sort of lyrical statement about relationships in choosing to put these four songs in this particular order, but the first time I listened through the songs, I was struck by the progression of the lyrics, as if this love was growing over time.

There's a certain dreamlike quality about the musical arrangement of Mind on My Man which fits well with the inner musings of the young woman in love with a man who hasn't yet returned her love fully. The sounds of The Right Thing to Do are a little more strident, more sure as the relationship has moved into a more committed phase. Appropriately enough, some of the strongest percussion on this recording occurs in Feel Like Makin' Love; Karrin delivers a marvelously sensual vocal showing that the relationship has moved on to real passion. Finally, Karrin and her band deliver a wonderful interpretation of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. The song is so light and airy, a morning after reflection that evokes feeling of that curiously unique joyful fulfillment that only the culmination of real love can bring.
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All I Want

Needless to say, I'm very impressed with the overall production of Wild For You - from the choice and programming of the songs to the arrangements in which they are presented, from the multiple layers of vocal expression that Karrin brings to each song to the small jazzy nuances that drift throughout – this is a well-designed, well-crafted album that I highly recommend. These are matured expressions of familiar songs; Karrin's teenaged crush on these artists and their music has grown into a deep passion for the material. Her varied tastes in sonic styles and the band's ability to be flexible and play innovative arrangements remakes these songs into new entities that can be enjoyed all over again by older pop fans and jazz aficionados alike. Wild for You is an album that recolors familiar tunes in completely new hues that will delight the discerning ear.

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Karrin Allyson - Footprints: Is this album destined to walk in bigger shoes?

Set 1 2006, 18h15 por bob_tomato

Jazz vocalist/pianist Karrin Allyson returns to dazzle music lovers with her new album Footprints, released by Concord Records in the spring of 2006. Fresh off the bubbly effervescence of Wild for You, an inventive tribute to her favorite singer/songwriters of her younger years, Karrin stretches her already impressive repertoire by adding lyrics to jazz instrumental standards, giving them completely new settings that sparkle and shine.

By it's very nature, jazz needs constant re-invention, a spirit of spontaneous and free exploration that pushes into new territory while re-discovering, re-defining the old. Allyson recruited the help of lyricist Chris Caswell, who penned some very intriguing interpretations of songs long beloved by jazz listeners. Fans should thrill to hear Karrin take on songs like Dizzy Gillespie's Con Alma, John Coltrane's Lazy Bird and Equinox, and Duke Jordan's Jordu - these songs are re-invented as (respectively) Something Worth Waiting For, Lightning, A Long Way to Go and Life is a Groove.

I told you once before my friend, Jordu
This is the kind of thing I love to do
So if you say you really want me to
I'll play it for you

Accompanying Karrin for Footprints are her band members Bruce Barth on piano, Todd Strait on drums, and Peter Washington on bass. Additional contributions to the project include Frank Wess on flute and tenor sax as well as Nick Phillips on trumpet. The instrumental performances are all top-notch jazz, flowing and fun, haunting and heavenly. Had the album simply been new instrumental versions of the selected standards, it would have been a fabulous recording, but the real treat is in listening to Karrin's lead vocal taking these songs into truly new places with Caswell's terrific lyrics. Finally, add some marvelous backing vocals and scat improvisations by guest singers Jon Hendricks and Nancy King and you have a recording that may be destined to become a true classic of the genre.

Sometimes the old routine can shadow a world unseen til love calls
Dreams shared, souls bared, wishing on stars above
Words left unsaid, tears shed, could I be lost in love?

From the very start, Footprints is entrancing – everything you hear, from these gorgeous introductory phrases laid over Barth's beautiful piano interpretation of Gillespie's Con Alma all the way to the vivace scat singing of John Hendrick's Everybody's Boppin, is a sheer delight for the ears. Karrin's voice roams through understated and impassioned whispers to bold, bright splashes of colorful melody. She is a real master of jazz vocalization and her control of her instrument fascinates and impresses me with every listen of every song found in this recording.

The best portions of Footprints are the sections where she is joined by veteran singers King and Hendricks – both voices are scratched and weathered but so very nimble. Nancy is a glorious talent that Karrin celebrates in this recording, content to take her ease in the shadow of King's obvious gift, and she steps up with confidence to sing alongside King as well. Hendricks is a joy to listen to, whether offering a jaw dropping scat, backing vocals or the most incredible whistling you may have heard in your life.

Though I have always loved jazz, I am by no means an afficionado – truth be told, this album does not require a deep knowledge of jazz nor does it stray into the esoteric. Listening to the album is not a chore, and I believe that many music fans can greatly enjoy this album. Jazz is a form of music that may stretch your ears and your music appreciation in ways you never thought possible – Footprints is a marvelously accessible album that will enthrall both jazz lovers and fans of music in general alike. There are some big shoes to fill in the jazz genre, and Karrin Allyson is up to the task – Footprints may someday be considered a true classic.

-- I originally published this review at Epinions.com

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But If You Leave, I'd Understand

Jun 11 2006, 3h35 por ivybag

I was browsing my humble music collection when I noticed that I had four different versions of the same song, "Ne Me Quitte Pas" originally performed by Jacques Brel in 1959. It is certainly a French language classic song, one that everyone knows, and has all the makings of a sad love tune that all can relate to blah blah blah. I was surprised, however, to find four different versions by artists from different countries no less. I decided to research, and about an hour later had versions of "Ne Me Quitte Pas" by the following artists in no particular order:

Emma Daumas
Gilbert Becaud
Nicole Simone
Maysa Matar
Enrico Macias
Sandie Shaw
Salvatore Adamo
Frida Boccara
Violet Indiana - half in English
Natacha Atlas - arabesque remake, definitely my favorite
Yuri Buenaventura - a nice latin rendition/butchering depending on your mood
Karrin Allyson
Ludvig von 88 - I like Ween, but this is one of the worst songs I've ever heard
Eartha Kitt
Faudel - oh Faudel you adoarable little sellout
Nana Mouskouri
Mario Pelchat
Dalida

Almost 20 versions of the same song, most of them unremarkable, and the orgiinal is probably still the best. On the other hand, there is surely another dozen out there that I dont know of. Not to mention certain forthcoming covers by countless international musicians like Michael Buble, Kelly Clarkson and maybe R. Kelly featuring the Young Dynamos who knows. I have never heard of this many covers being done of any song before; I probably couldn't name a song that has had ten. However, I'm sure they are out there. If you know one, in any language, let me know, because a song become that overdone is truly a rare, fascinating and hilarious phenomenon.

Oh and if I could pick any French song to be remade a million times it would Oui Parait-Il by Nicole Martin.

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