Leave you in peace & ignorance? Never. RRers are a cross between Jehovah's Witnesses and a Rottweiler when it comes to this sort of thing. It's probably why Dorian is leaving- to get away from bloggers badgering him to listen to Peter Hammill or Steely Dan. I don't like jazz and, like you, have roomed with a chin-stroking fan. At least he liked Astral Weeks too.Many of these songs were a result of that period, and I had to listen to mountains of atonal drivel so that you don't have to (Eric Dolphy's 'Out To Lunch' anyone?) to emerge reeking and battered clutching these in my memory. They all have vocals you could sing along to, do not noodle endlessly in 11/4 tempo but whether or not you can dance to them is such a subjective issue I won't go into it. I haven't given links because the Ministry of Joy have blocked my YouTube. I'm sure you can listen for free somewhere.
1. New Ghosts - Albert Ayler
2. St James Infirmary Blues - Louis Armstrong
3. A Feeling of Harmony - Terje Rypdal
4. Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday
5. The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines - Joni Mitchell
6. Salt Peanuts, live at the Massey Hall, Toronto, 1953,- Dizzy Gillespie et al.
7. Don't You Make Me High - Merline Johnson
8. I Get a Kick Out of You - Ella Fitzgerald
9. That's My Desire - Louis Armstrong & Velma Middleton
10. Take 5. Look I heard someone do a version with words. It sucked.
There you are. I would seriously avoid gyrating to Strange Fruit but there's nowt so queer as folk.
7 comments:
Thank you, a nice list and nice comments, I've got 8 of 'em, I look forward to #1 & #3.
I've been thinking of something similar, not for Tracy, but just one version of my top 10, it'll all probably require vinyl transfer. I'll wait a week or so to let this lot sink in and then have a go.
Thank you for sparing us the drivel.
Now I think of it I've got the Albert Ayler also but I don't listen to it much, not in the last 20 years anyhow.
The Rypdal, as you probably know, is on an LP called Bleak House. About 1968 I think. The track before it is called Sonority and it's very good. You can play the entire versre of 'Harmony' without using your left hand. Feel no fret!
If I may add my tuppence-worth here...
Dear TracyK,
I think you should grab yourself a copy of Sebastian Faulk's "On Green Street" and listen to the appropriate Miles Davis ('58 Miles featuring Stella by Starlight) while you're reading the book (not necessarily simultaneously) - it will enhance the mood of the story no end, and you might even find that you like (bits of) it.
I actually work in a shop selling CDs, and have won a lot of "converts" with Paul Desmond (Desmond Blue or Easy Living), Blossom Dearie (especially with Les Blue Stars) or Johnny Hartman. Jazz is such a wide-ranging genre, it seems a shame to miss out on a lot of good music just because certain elements of it don't appeal.
I must confess to hating opera with a vengeance, but was recently confonted with some Puccini and found myself NOT running away screaming (much to my surprise) - there's hope for us all yet!
"RRers are a cross between Jehovah's Witnesses and a Rottweiler when it comes to this sort of thing"
Musicals are my favourite thing in the world ever! I will always remember seeing Chicago with that girl from Hollyoakes (or was it Eastenders), Aria, and another one I can't remember. Musicals as movies, I can honestly say that I didn't object to watching Singing In The Rain.
Why do you perceive that I wish to be converted to jazz? As Mrs Doyle put it when given a Teasmade, so she didn't have "the misery of making all that tea", "Maybe I LIKE the misery!"
It was a fair assumption that the stuff I might like (comparatively) would be more from the soul side of things. I use Strange Fruit as a teaching tool, my whiteboard hooks up to t'internet and there are some very moving videos on Youtube, using it to back images of the American South. I'll give your suggestions a go, but it will take a while, our 'easter' hols aren't for another week yet.
I think it's great that people love jazz and want to share that with TracyK, but I have to say I admire her for saying she just doesn't like it. Jazz is one of those things that people claim to like even when they don't. So, you go, girl.
TracyK I honestly don't think you need converting, I'm just doing it to annoy you! Plus, if you're a teacher then liking jazz is a bad combination. The next thing you know you'd have a tweed jacket with leather elbow patches sewn on.
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