Musings on: Music

P Elephant (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

However, there are many other equally valid levels of music appreciation.   Many students like to listen to music while doing assignments or cramming for exams, as it helps them focus their thoughts.  Music can establish an appropriate mood for social occasions.   It can be the means of assessing the merits of  the audio gear for which you just paid a bundle.  It can accompany your workout sessions, or, heaven forbid, lengthy oral surgery.  And it can lessen the sense of solitude.

Many, if not most, of my acquaintances profess to be music lovers, including some who by their own admission are tone deaf.  It is possible that some of these folks feel there is a stigma attached to indifference concerning music, which inhibits them from acknowledging this aspect of their emotional makeup. From the historical record, however, there seem to be many more Einsteins and Jeffersons* than Ulysses S. Grants** and Vladimir Nabokovs***.

 What I find striking is the variety of ways in which people are moved by music.   If we all experienced music the same, we would all be listening to the same music.   Yet, many people whose judgment I respect, care passionately for some music that leaves me completely unmoved.  And, of course, I have enough experience of recommending music to friends that elicits only tepid enthusiasm to confirm the idea that my tastes are not universally shared.  So, in a sense, the variety of ways in which music can appeal to the listener can be a mechanism to reinforce isolation.  If your tastes become too specialized and your appreciation comes to resemble The True Faith, you may cut yourself off from much of the experience of sharing your passion with others.  An antidote to this insularity is to try and develop what is known in jazz parlance as "big ears", by cultivating a taste for as many varieties of music as possible.  I am fortunate to work in a place which facilitates doing just that.

I have a theory that as the most abstract of the arts, at least in instrumental form, music speaks to people in the greatest variety of ways.  As an undergraduate, I had occasion to visit the Rochester School for the Deaf.   At the on campus beer cellar, I was surrounded by the deaf and hearing impaired, signing animatedly while rock n' roll played over the PA system.  I can't think of a better testimony to the universal appeal of music.

*Both Albert Einstein and Thomas Jefferson were accomplished violinists.

**I know only two tunes: one of them is "Yankee Doodle," and the other isn't. - Ulysses S. Grant

***According to Speak Memory, Vladimir Nabokov's autobiography, he found most music irritating.

In the past, I have frequently reviewed CDs from the Library's collection.   This time around, I would like to switch my focus to the remarkable Naxos Music Library, a streaming music service to which Greenwich Library subscribes.   NML will provide you with access to the vast majority of music in the Western Classical tradition as well as considerable numbers of recordings in the following categories: Contemporary Jazz, Jazz Legends, Folk Legends, Blues legends, Nostalgia, World, Contemporary Instrumental, Chinese Music, Pop and Rock (mostly European), Gospel Legends, Spoken Word and Relaxation Music.  All that is required is a Greenwich or Perrott library card and an internet connection.  You will be prompted for your card number ("pass code") in order to enter the site.  It is also possible to log on directly from any public computer at Greenwich, Perrott , Cos Cob and Byram libraries without providing your library card number.   NML service is also available for owners of iOS and Android devices.

As of this writing (April 15, 2013), NML comprises 84,262 discs for a total of 1,213,697 individual tracks and an additional 1000 CD-length recordings every month.   The source of these recordings is the Naxos family of labels (currently, the world's largest catalog of Classical recordings), as well as the catalogs of scores of other companies, including industry stalwarts such as Chandos, EMI Classics, Warner Classics, Nonesuch, Erato, Bis, Nimbus and Vox,

Naxos did not become the world's largest purveyor of classical music by marketing shoddy playing by amateurish artists and ensembles.   The caliber of musicianship on these recordings is as high as that of any other classical label you would care to name, as reflected in the reviews Naxos releases receive in established periodicals such as Gramophone, American Record Guide  and  Fanfare.   And  performances by many of the marqee names  of the classical world are available in NML  such as Yo-Yo Ma, Mstislav Rostropovich, Julian Bream, Martha Argerich, Michala Petri, Itzhak Perlman, Sviatoslav Richter and Herbert von Karajan.  Furthermore, Greenwich Library's institutional subscription provides card holders CD quality streaming (128 kbps), which should satisfy any but the most  picky of audiophiles.

Once you enter the site, you will encounter a user friendly environment.   Searching is possible by keyword, composition title, composer, artist or genre and browsing is facilitated by lists of new releases, recent additions and record labels.  NML also offers a number of other useful features including a glossary of musical terms, a pronunciation guide, biographies of composers and performers, a section for juniors and the ability to create your own playlists which will be stored on the Naxos site for subsequent listening.

This all adds up to the ability to indulge your curiosity about classical music to an almost unlimited extent and explore other genres in some depth.   Just as recordings by luminaries like Placido Domingo, Jascha Heifetz or Vladimir Horowitz are available in NML, you can choose to listen to any of the acknowledged classical masterworks, or enduringly popular pieces.  However, Naxos Music Library also enables you to explore little known music from antiquity to the present and delight yourself with the discovery of treasures by musicians who have enjoyed moderate, minor and negligible levels of acclaim.

"Session" or "studio" musicians have held a fascination for me since the late 60's.  Prior to that time, I was only vaguely aware of their existence; which is understandable in view of the fact that they generally labored in anonymity, in service of the artists whose names actually appeared on the recordings.   Theirs was a secret fraternity*, to which I first attached a name when I encountered the rather snide song, "Session Man", on the Kinks album Face to Face (1967).  The song's titular subject**is "only paid to play, not think" and "always finishes on time", with "no overtime or favors done", according to songwriter Ray Davies.  

Towards the end of the decade, however, session musicians' names started to appear in small print on album covers and liner notes; a practice that is commonplace today.  This phenomenon coincided with a realization on my part that the players whose names I encountered repeatedly as my record collection grew were probably pretty gifted and merited my admiration, regardless of Ray Davies's dismissive attitude. 

A background in jazz is common among session musicians, as considerable instrumental facility and situational flexibility are prerequisites in the pressurized environment of the recording studio.  On many top sessions, a particular musician is employed because of what personal qualities he or she is able to bring to the project.  This approach is the polar opposite of the hack who is "only paid to play not think" and represents what might be called the "Steely Dan" school of sessioneering.  Steely Dan, essentially Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, had a string of commercially successful albums in the 70's, the first two of which were recorded mostly by a core band of five members.  The balance of their 70's albums dispensed with the band concept, while keeping Becker and Fagen at the helm and featured a cadre of top rank studio musicians including Larry Carlton, Jim Gordon, Jeff Porcaro, Victor Feldman, Michael Omartian, Bernard Purdie and Dean Parks.  These consummate pros made Steely Dan albums of the period something special while burnishing their own reputations among those who care about album credits.

It will come as no surprise that session musicians tend to be associated with major centers of the recording industry, or, in the case of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, creating their own hub of recording activity based not on their location but on the sheer excellence of their musicianship.  In the 60's and 70's, Los Angeles had their Wrecking Crew, and in the 70's, the members of Stuff carved out a big chunk of New York's studio action. At various other times, Nashville's  A-Team ruled the roost in Music City, Detroit had the Funk Brothers, and Memphis boasted Stax/Volt Records with its coterie of players centered around Booker T and the MG's.

As I have found from my archaeological pursuits over the years, there are always deeper levels to explore and new and significant members of the Guild of Studio Cats awaiting to be discovered.  A case in point is guitarist Bob Bain's amazing career, which came to my attention only this month while reading a copy of Vintage Guitar magazine.  Bain, the guitarist on the "Peter Gunn" theme, perennial Sinatra sideman, Mancini's go to guy, and member of the Tonight Show Band for 22 years, was a fixture in Los Angeles studios for over four decades.   I'm sure many of the cognoscenti know his name, particularly guitarists, but his low profile among the rank and file of music fans speaks to the inherent anonymity of the musicians who have created much, if not most, of the pop music we love.

I hope I haven't offended anyone by the relatively short shrift I have given to British session musicians such as "Big" Jim Sullivan, John Paul Jones and Bobby Graham.  This simply reflects my comparative ignorance of the session scene in the U.K.  I also realize there are many other worthy musicians who haven't figured in this post.  I apologize if I have left out one of your favorites.

 *It is possible that Jimmy Page, future Led Zeppelin guitar god , was a focus of Davies's disdain in this song, as he played on several early Kinks sessions and has been mistakenly credited with the epochal solo on "All Day and All of the Night", which was actually played by Kink, Dave Davies.

**At this period, legendary Los Angeles bassist/guitarist, Carol Kaye was one of the rare exceptions to the boys only world of pop recording sessions.  Orchestral players on pop sessions were another matter however and here, women were less underrepresented.

      Ernest Bloch

Visions and Prophecies   COMP DISC 786.2 BLOCH

 Margaret Fingerhut performs these selections from Bloch's solo piano oeuvre to perfection; an endeavor which is complemented by equally flawless recorded sound.   Circus Pieces, and Poems of the Sea, among other works, are not present, but this disc still represents a generous selection of the composer's output in this idiom.

Ernest Bloch's (1890 - 1959) accomplishments are many and varied.   His output as a composer incorporates several of the 20^th Century's hodgepodge of styles and influences, including Serialism, quarter tone and folk-derived techniques and he exhibited mastery in each.  Perhaps his best known works, such as Baal Shem and Shelomo reflect Jewish themes.  He was also an accomplished teacher whose students included George Antheil and Roger Sessions.

Born in Switzerland, Bloch established himself as an educator in America in 1916 after the touring dance company, for whom he was conductor, folded and stranded its members in Ohio.  He returned to Switzerland in 1930 but, found himself back in the U.S., like many of his contemporaries, following Hitler's rise to power.

Visions and Prophecies leads off the disc.  Tonal in composition and contemplative in nature, the piece incorporates some truly gorgeous dissonances and Fingerhut's signature refinement of touch.  The latter benefits from the recording's marvelous engineering, which captures all the nuances the pianist deploys.

Five Sketches in Sepia  follows and the emotional tone shifts to somber, with the exception of the third piece, "Fireflies", which is livelier, though by no means manic.

At almost 23 minutes, the next work Piano Sonata, in three movements, is the longest work on the CD Here, the harmonic palette is reminiscent of Debussy, punctuated by jagged dissonances.   This is music possessed of a strong narrative sense and if the composer had programmatic intentions for the sonata, they reflect anxious and agitated states of mind.  

As befits their collective title, the ten short pieces that comprise Enfantines, are gentle, inviting, often whimsical works, without a hint of emotional turmoil that informs Piano Sonata.

In the Night: A Love Poem for Piano is appropriately nocturnal (marked lento assai) and seemingly flirts with remorse for much of its length before its shift to a major key at about the 3:40 mark.  The remaining minute or so evokes a more equivocal mental state.  Curiously, the piece closes with about 30 seconds of silence before the disc's final selection

The disc concludes with Nirvana:  Poem for Piano , an extremely hushed composition with  only  a smattering  of dynamic variation.  Apparently, the composers conception of the titular spiritual state is one devoid of affect.  Music for meditation?

This recording represents a happy confluence of Bloch's uniformly intriguing piano pieces, formidable artistry on the part of Margaret Fingerhut and terrific sonics courtesy of Chandos' engineers.   If your attention is focused while you listen you will be thoroughly engaged.

I used to play drums for a living.  Accordingly, I pay special attention to what the drummer is doing on jazz and rock recordings.   What follows, is a list of some my favorite drumset performances -- in no particular order:

Ringo:  Can't Buy Me Love, on A Hard Day's Night, by The Beatles - What a ferocious groove Mr. Starkey sets up with sizzling hi-hats and slamming snare after his floor tom intro.  And hardly a fill in sight!  As usual on early Beatles recordings, the drums are mic'd to perfection.

Bill Stewart:  Hammock Soliloquy, on En Route: Live, by the John Scofield Trio - Most of this piece alternates between a greasy New Orleans 4/4 and a jazz waltz.  The drummer's playing is brilliantly imaginative throughout and the song closes with Stewart soloing over muted interjections by his bandmates in six.   

Bobby Graham:  All Day and All of the Night, on Kinks, by the Kinks on - Bet you thought this was perennial Kinks drummer, Mick Avory's work, but it is , in fact, British studio ace Bobby Graham, who passed away in 2009.  The story goes that chief Kink, Ray Davies, taunted Graham into tracking this feral performance with uncomplimentary remarks about his percussion abilities.

Ben Riley:  Well You Needn't, on Live at the It Club, by Thelonious Monk - This cut swings about as hard as any I know, thanks to the dialogue between Riley's lilting ride cymbal and his dancing fills on the snare and toms. 

Earl Palmer: I'm Walkin', on Antoine "Fats" Domino, by Fats Domino -

Earl Palmer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here's a propulsive groove created by Earl Palmer, reputedly the most oft-recorded drummer in history (I've heard the same accolade attributed to Los Angeles studio fixture, Hal Blaine.)  Heavily syncopated bass drum and train-rhythm snare account for the extreme funkiness here.

Tony Williams:  Water Babies, by Miles Davis - From a drummer's perspective, TW's more fire-breathing workouts are awe inspiring.  Here, we have an entire album of Tony Williams, the subtle colorist, which may be equally cool.  Messrs. Davis, Corea/Holland/Hancock, Carter, Shorter and Williams elevate communal introspection to new levels.

Mitch Mitchell: Fire on Are You Experienced?, by the Jimi Hendrix Experience - With regard to the drumming, the title of this cut says it all.  Whew!

Ella Fitzgerald, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1940 Jan. 19 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is no surprise that the quality of Ella's singing is uniformly of the highest quality.  She unerringly penetrates to the emotional pith of the songs and exhibits her customary effortless technical mastery throughout.  Technical brilliance is not limited to Ella's vocals, however.  The engineering on all eight albums is such that I honestly don't believe I have heard any recordings, of any vintage, that sound better on my home system.   These recordings are graced by suave arrangements by Nelson Riddle, Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn, Billy May, Paul Weston and Billy Bregman, as well as classy performances by studio pros like drummer Irv Cottler, guitarist Barney Kessel and saxophonist Plas Johnson. Lovers of the canon of music that has become known as the Great American Songbook will be forever grateful for the creative genius that brought these remarkable albums to life.

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook (1956) (Buddy Bregman)

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers & Hart Songbook (1956) (Buddy Bregman)

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook (1957) (Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn)

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook (1958) (Paul Weston)

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook (1959) (Nelson Riddle)

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Songbook (1961) (Billy May)

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook (1963) (Nelson Riddle)

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Johnny Mercer Songbook (1964) (Nelson Riddle)

Compact Disc recordings of all of these albums are available,

So what do you know when you're 13?  1964 was the year I reached that age and "Hello Dolly", Satchmo's only No. 1 hit, was omnipresent on AM radio.   I regarded (still do) the song as a bore and if I gave any thought to its singer's place in the historical scheme of things, it was to dismiss him as irrelevant, as the music of the British Invasion became ascendant.  Accordingly, I decided to play drums, not trumpet or some other relic of pop music's quaint past.

Fortunately, this delusional state of mind did not persist and, like members of earlier generations, I came to love the man's music and later, to venerate "Pops" for the colossal impact he has had on American culture.

During the month of October at Greenwich Library, you will have the opportunity to explore, in depth, Louis's legacy.   World class musicians will play music associated with "Satch", eminent scholars and critics will discuss the various facets of his genius and rare historical footage will enable you see him in action.  For details of the specific events please visit Louis Armstrong Month, or call 203 622 7930.

It's a familiar image: A guy looks into a mirror and is confronted by his father staring back at him. It seems I, too, am turning into my father. For the purposes of this discussion I will limit my observations to my tastes in music, but the phenomenon holds true for other aspects of my identity, such as turns of phrase Dad employed throughout his life, which I have now adopted.

The evolution of my listening preferences is not, of course, something I regard with dismay. How could I, when the change affords me much broader horizons of discovery for such an important part of my life as music? However, I do feel regret that this development occurred too late for me to be able to share more in the way of musical insights with my father. For the record, Dad's musical tastes ran to French Impressionism and Russian composers of the 20th Century, though hardly exclusively. Mine currently encompass these styles and just about any other orchestral or chamber music composed since 1900. That is to say, a plurality of new (to me) music I listen to fits this description. Contemporary jazz runs a close second. So this is the music I currently find most rewarding. Accordingly, of the music I will be discussing in this space, most will be either relatively recently composed music in the western classical tradition, or jazz. I should point out that my affection for the rock, r&b and pop of the 60's, 70's and 80's is undiminished. So if hitherto unheard studio recordings by, say, Traffic, Laura Nyro, Steely Dan or Prince are unearthed, I may feel compelled to weigh in with my $.02. Also, you can expect a fair number of blogs relating to specific musical events at the Library.

 I am fortunate in being able able to indulge my musical curiosity to pretty much its full extent because of my daily proximity to Greenwich Library's collection of recorded music, including our CD collection and Naxos Music Library streaming audio website.  NML is available via the Library's Digital Music web page. More to follow.