Jazz – Feeding my Ignorance

Is That House

George McConnell — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 23:38:28 +0000

I like to switch things around. so here is something very different from yesterday’s share. Different setting, different musical style, different mood – and a soloist that some might find surprising.

Cab Calloway : St. James Infirmary

Time for Some More Comedy

George McConnell — Sat, 06 Mar 2021 21:18:12 +0000

Quite often have something ‘lighter’ for the weekend – here it is.

Many of you will be very familiar with the Carnival of Venice – you may not have heard this version – and even if you have it is worth another listen!

How often has your bandmaster told you that you have got to be able to sing your part in order to play it well? Here is a bit of proof what you can do!!

The link is to the middle of a concert – the full concert is fun!

Danny Kaye : Carnival of Venice

A Jazz Great

George McConnell — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 16:17:43 +0000

I’ve mentioned before about the fact that my time in Vienna included many (and varied) musical experiences. With many concert halls, opera venues, theatres which often had musicals and – during the summer – many outdoor venues it was rare to have a day with no choice as to what to attend.

There were plenty of different genres to choose from as well. (my office buddy was, unexpectedly, a fan of Dire Straits and got to hear them live – I had so many other things to choose from that I didn’t go with him on that occasion)

One of my choices was the opportunity to hear Oscar Peterson perform – There are many great artists that I have only ever heard on recordings – its great that we have that available, and recordings are so accurate these days – but nothing quite matches the experience of hearing them live, just a few yards away from you.

This recording of him with his trio is actually a good 20 years earlier than when I heard him perform and, despite its age, it is I think really worth the listen. This is his own composition, written not long before the recording was made.

These words were added soon after :

When every heart joins every heart and together yearns for liberty,
That’s when we’ll be free.
When every hand joins every hand and together molds our destiny,
That’s when we’ll be free.
Any hour any day, the time soon will come when men will live in dignity,
That’s when we’ll be free, we will be
When every man joins in our song and together singing harmony,
That’s when we’ll be free.

Oscar Peterson : Hymn To Freedom

A Legend

George McConnell — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 15:35:59 +0000

We continue the percussion season – after yesterday’s “precision” today we have something VERY different – but equally impressive in its own way.

Its strange how sometimes something, seemingly insignificant, can get stuck in your brain. This clip is one of those for me. It contains one of the best percussion quotes that I know – “when I play a theatre, I PLAY the theatre” – you will get the context when you watch the clip. I have said this to many people over the years – don’t think any of them ever got it they just looked at me a bit blankly!! Now they can see what I was talking about. Not sure when this was first broadcast – but I have never forgotten it.

As someone says in a comment (to paraphrase) “you can tell this guy is good by the fact that even Animal stops to watch with his jaw hitting the floor”

Buddy Rich : Drum Battle

Simple Penguins

George McConnell — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 16:29:47 +0000

Something a wee bit different for this week’s “mood” music…. This is a complete BBC TV show from 1989. Almost all of the music falls into the “relaxing” and “soothing” categories – and perhaps the final piece will put a little smile on your face and get your foot tapping…. There is some talking during the programme – but rest assured that those moments are brief.

I think it is safe to say that this is not “challenging” music – indeed during the video the founder of the group does describe it as “not complicated” – it is not music that you need to pay much attention to – it can just wash over you. Probably what most of us need at the end of a week.

Penguin Café Orchestra : Live at the BBC 1989

Comments :

Steve Thomas

George, another little bit of magic, “music for a found Harmonium” had me leg slapping with a smile on my face, keep ‘em coming

Father and Daughter

George McConnell — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 19:28:26 +0000

Wynton Marsalis has featured a few times in my choices and here he is again with a winter ‘classic’ – performed by his quintet and featuring his daughter on vocals.

Wynton Marsalis with Oni Marsalis : Winter Wonderland

A Trumpeter Using His Voice

George McConnell — Sun, 15 Nov 2020 13:18:27 +0000

Just one instrument in today’s performance – well, I guess two since Wynton Marsalis also uses his voice to speak before playing his trumpet. Recorded just about a month ago I thought this was well worth sharing.

Wynton Marsalis : Amazing Grace

Serenade for Lockdown

George McConnell — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 21:50:39 +0000

For the first night of lockdown part 2 I think something gentle is appropriate

Glenn Miller : Moonlight Serenade

Comments :

Dave Astbury

I may be a punk/metal/hip-hop head, George, but I love Glenn Miller. Ever since I were a young lad watching James Stewart in “The Glenn Miller Story”. That eerie ending where he boards the plane on a foggy airfield will stay with me forever. “In The Mood” is my favourite. It was the tune played at Peter Sellers’ funeral as his coffin headed for the furnace.

Some Soft Jazz

George McConnell — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 23:48:59 +0000

Still no winner formally declared in the US presidential election, so perhaps we need some more chillin’ music

This is actually from an album (LP) that made my list of 20 way back when this musical journey started earlier in the year. Its also a very suitable style of music to get through the next four weeks of lockdown when perhaps we all need more chillin’ – a hard album to choose just one track from – maybe I’ll share some more.

Erik Satie : Drifting, Dreaming (Gymnopédie No.1)

Comments :

Brian Deans

One of my favourite albums!

A Strangely Compelling Crossover

George McConnell — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 17:13:11 +0000

There is a wealth of Medieval and Renaissance music within the sacred music archives and today I link to an example of that from Spain.

Some years ago the Hilliard Ensemble and Norwegian jazz saxophonist Jan Garbarek collaborated on a number of CDs pairing the sound of early vocal music with the contemporary sound of the saxophone. I guess that this was an example of a marmite version – some loved it – some very much did not.

I heard a track on the radio and bought the CD and found the sound to be great – it could easily have been yesterday’s “quiet time” music, but I reckoned that for some this just won’t be the sound they would like to hear!!

Unfortunately there seems to be very few examples of recordings of those performances online (and some of them are rather poor sound quality) however I did find this recording by a different set of performers – done as a “tribute” to the Hilliard/Garbarek version – and I have to say that this is excellent!