Music
I just bought two real cheap CDs at Walmart: Greatest Hits of Lead Belly, and 20 Magical Memories of Nat King Cole. No liner notes, but lots of good tunes: 10 in the case of Lead Belly (whereas this more respectable disc has 20); 20 in the case of Cole.
I knew the Lomaxes had worked on recording and cataloguing "authentic" or "roots" music in the U.S., and tried to find tunes and performers that were as free as possible from commercial influence. The web now tells me Lead Belly was one of their major finds. They had taken to searching in prisons, figuring that musicians serving a long sentence had been free from outside, including commercial, influences. He was serving a long sentence, and they helped get him freed. (He had been pardoned in another state earlier after composing a song to the governor).
The Lomaxes get partial credit on some of the songs. I love "Goodnight Irene," and this is a beautiful version. It is news to me that the 60s tune "House of the Rising Sun" is derived from Lead Belly's "New Orleans (The Rising Sun Blues)." (Which was already partly traditional). (See Almanac Singers (Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, et al), 1941; Bob Dylan, 1962; The Animals, 1964).
I have to explore some more: "Where Did You Sleep Last Night"; "How Long"; "John Hardy"; "When I Was a Cowboy"; "Pretty Flower in Your Back Yard (#1); "Roberta"; "Pretty Flower in Your Back Yard (#2); "Yellow Gal."
I'm listening to the Cole now; lots of lovely stuff, but with no indication of who wrote the songs, much less recording sessions, etc. No doubt I can do some research on the web. I'm thrilled the CD doesn't include "Ramblin' Rose," just as I'm on the lookout for Louis Armstrong compilations that don't include "What a Wonderful World."
I'm looking forward to opening the last Johnny Cash CD on my birthday (we paid full price). He famously covered tunes from surprising places, and gave the whole album a real atmosphere.
Partly I want stuff like this around so that my son can learn "the classics." I often have music on, and recently I've been acquiring "greatest hits" packages that I've lacked. He has taken the Who downstairs, along with James Brown, AC/DC "Back in Black," and U2, "All that you can't leave behind." I've fairly recently acquired Hank Williams, Miles Davis, and I pestered the family for some Dusty Springfield a few Christmases ago.
One of my musical heros is Quincy Jones. I have owned "Back on the Block" for years. I owned several LPs of his in the old days, and I haven't replaced them. My favourite was "You've Got it Bad Girl," with a romantic side and a brassy, big-band side. I've seen a compilation with only romantic pieces, but that doesn't interest me as much. I've acquired some oldies of his. "The Genius of Quincy Jones" (8 tunes), and "Pure Delight: The Essence of Quincy Jones and his Orchestra (1953-1964). Also "Miles and Quincy Live at Montreux."
I'm not sure what these amount to musically. When Q guest-hosted on Saturday Night Live, he took part in a joke at his own expense. A K-Tel type album, "The Best of Quincy Jones," consisted of background music from movies and TV. This is indeed how Q made a good living for a long time--along with arranging and conducting for Sinatra and others. (See the great Sinatra album, Live at the Sands; 1964?). He recently published his memoirs, and reviewers said his greatest achievements are those of a schmoozer, who could apparently line up any musicians he wanted at any time.
He seems to have given his heart to his orchestra (big band) in the 50s and 60s, but it never made enough money. The group always focussed on Europe as well as New York. Long-time players included Clark Terry on trumpet, Phil Woods on alto sax. "Jones kept digging into his own pockets to keep the band afloat, to the tune of $50,000, and he was not the only one....Quincy wound up owing the record company so much money they made an A&R man out of him."
If Q were to die tomorrow, the obits would say "producer of Michael Jackson albums, including Thriller (still among the best sellers?), with maybe a mention of "We are the World." (Q didn't compose, but he's producer/arranger/conductor on the famous video).
I would listen to more "hard core" jazz and classical--of the kind that is dying out, at least in the recording industry--except that my family doesn't like it. My taste is eclectic, but not straying too far from commercial. I miss other music I used to have on LP: Aretha Franklin, "Hey Now Hey"; Blood Sweat and Tears; Don Ellis, "Connection." (I often have the title tune in my head; like some of Q's music, it would strike many as dentist-office music). I used to own Yes, "Fragile," so I recently acquired the Greatest Hits CD.
We have a friend who is into bluegrass. We bought the album from "O Brother Where Are Thou?" There is lots of good stuff here, but I question the idea, which I think goes back to the Lomaxes and others, that anything that makes money is dirty. In fact I like a certain amount of really plastic stuff--not necessarily top-30, but crisp, well-produced, professional. I liked Bacharach and David before I liked the Stones.
The other weird thing about some of the bluegrass movement, like the history of Nashville, is the artificial separation of music that whites like from anything that sounds black. Real roots music in the U.S., as I understand it, has always drawn inspiration from both, with constant cross-over. Some day I want to learn more about Bing Crosby's brother, Bob, who apparently played just about everything extremely competently. Hank Williams borrows from the black blues, as well as cajun music and other things, and anticipates rock 'n roll. Ray Charles has had a uniquely American career.
My Dusty Springfield albums have helped me keep track of song writers: not only B & D, but Carole King and Laura Nyro. King wrote "Hi di Ho," and it was offered to Aretha. She turned it down--probably because it isn't actually an authentic gospel or soul piece--it's written by a reasonably nice Jewish girl from New York. Dusty recorded it on "Dusty in Memphis," and it became a modest hit. Then Aretha recorded it--a bigger hit. I love the BS&T version, with horns.
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