What Would Woody Say to the AIG CEO???
posted by Tom Moon on November 20, 2008 at 11:00 am
in Woody Guthrie, economic crisis, dust bowl, AIG
I’ve been thinking about the “perfect storm” conditions that led to our present economic implosion(s). Wondering what a farmer fleeing the dust bowl would make of “credit default swaps” and the like. Wonder whether the people Woody Guthrie writes about in the songs of Dust Bowl Ballads would even consider our current circumstances to be adverse. Though it’s something of a cliché to look back at the hardships of the old days, in this instance perspective is helpful, particularly given the general twitchiness of the media. Guthrie’s chronicles from that long-gone era offer more than sketches of economic devestation – inside his songs are glimpses of the internal resolve, determination and faith that helped ordinary people survive extraordinary challenges. Perfect for your next rent party.
Recordings of Interest, from The List
Five Steps In an Exploration of Jazz
posted by Tom Moon on November 10, 2008 at 1:36 pm
in jazz, Miles Davis, Ahmad Jamal, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Count Basie, Bill Evans, Jim Hall, Booker Little
If You’re Just Beginning an Exploration of Jazz: Five Steps Beyond Kind of Blue.
Tell a jazz aesthete that you intend to begin exploring “America’s classical music,” and you can usually count on an automatic response: Start with Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, the most famous jazz album of all time. That’s perfectly reasonable advice, as Davis’ 1959 masterwork offers thrilling explorations of mood and color, and contributions from some of the form’s legendary soloists. If you’re enchanted by it, here are five suggestions for further exploration.
Count Basie and His Orchestra: Complete Decca Recordings (2000, Decca/MCA). This anthology offers the essential DNA of swing rhythm circa the 1930s, as played by a super-alert (and highly polished) band.
Ahmad Jamal: But Not For Me: Live at the Pershing (1958, MCA). Sometimes jazz can seem like the “look-at-me” grandstanding of attention-mongers. But it can also be a realm of poise and understatement, as this shimmering live date from 1962 demonstrates. Cue up the jukebox hit “Poinciana” to hear piano trio music at a sauntering, serene, easygoing peak.
Bill Evans and Jim Hall: Undercurrent (1962, Blue Note). At its best, jazz is a constantly evolving conversation between musicians. This recording presents two master improvisors, the coloristic pianist Bill Evans and guitar virtuoso Jim Hall, deeply immersed in a musical exchange. There are no distractions.
Booker Little: Out Front (1961, Candid). Recorded just as “free jazz” was hitting its stride, this fiery date led by trumpeter and composer Booker Little strives for – and achieves – a balance of old (hard bop) and new (free jazz) thinking that’s unlike anything else.
The Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane: At Carnegie Hall (2005, Blue Note). This recently unearthed live performance from 1957 showcases the herculean tenor saxophonist John Coltrane tackling some of Thelonious Monk’s most challenging compositions. It’s a crucial “lost chapter” of music history.
Recordings of Interest, from The List
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