Louis Armstrong was one of the greatest musicians in the short history of human entertainment. What few people know, though, is Louis was also a great advertising pitchman. His favorite product to shill was Swiss Kriss — a laxative he used daily. He would give Swiss Kriss to friends and new acquaintances as hello gifts.
Continue reading → Louis Armstrong and the Great Swiss Kriss Evacuation
I am a big Dr. John fan. I love his piano. I’m crazy about his voice. In his latest album, Locked Down, that dropped on April 3, 2012, Dr. John strangely fades away a bit as Black Keys producer and performer Dan Auerbach places his hands on Dr. John’s keyboard. The result is a bit of a disappointing mishmash of a previously undeniable musical identity:
Storied musician and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Dr. John–Mac Rebennack–will release LOCKED DOWN, a startling album that marks a significant departure from his recent efforts, on April 3, 2012. The new album, produced by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, will be Dr. John’s first for Nonesuch Records.
It’s an entirely new approach for the iconic Dr. John, featuring as it does his collaboration with Auerbach and a band of young musicians Auerbach hand-picked to make LOCKED DOWN at his studio Easy Eye Sound in Nashville. “It was way cool cutting this record with Dan and the crew he put together for it,” says Rebennack. “It’s reel HIP.
Bill Evans was one of the most tragic, and gifted, Jazz musicians of our time. He was a drug addict for decades and he finally died of his disease in 1980. One of his friends said that Bill’s death was “the longest suicide in history.” Bill’s keen sense of melody and rhythm inspired generations of Jazz pianists — and Chick Corea knows he owes a lot of his sound and style to Bill Evans. Chick’s newest album dropped this week — Further Explorations — and it is a riff on Bill Evan’s trendsetting album, “Explorations.” Chick uses Bill’s sidemen Eddie Gomez on bass and Paul Motian on drums. Sadly, Paul died in November 2011. He was 80.
Continue reading → Further Explorations Review with Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez and Paul Motian
We learn through experience. Sometimes the experience is direct. Other times, we experience the experiences of others through immersive reading and learning. “The History of Jazz” is a terrific iPad app that, for under $10.00USD, will give you a wonderful new way to learn about the makings of Jazz.
In the bloody wake of Amy Winehouse‘s predictable death, we are salved and rejuvenated by Joss Stone’s newest album, LP1, that dropped yesterday. LP1 proves what a real musical Jazz and Blues and Soul talent sounds like.
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