Django Reinhardt - Father of Jazz Guitar

A bit of trivia for you: Who pioneered - composed and performed - jazz guitar (also known as hot jazz guitar) and whose history was as rich as his music?

Jean Django (pronounced Zhãgo) Reinhardt was born January 23, 1910 in Liberchies, Pont-à-Celles, Belgium, decended from a long line of Romani gypsy musicians. His childhood was spent making music around the campfire with the family caravan. The violin was Reinhardt's first instrument, but he quickly segued to the banjo-guitar, under the influence of Gusti Mahla and Jean "Poulette" Castro.

At 18, Reinhardt was seriously injured in a fire and doctors believed he would not walk again, much less play an instrument, but Reinhardt proved them wrong. He recovered and moved on from the banjo-guitar to the guitar proper and was greatly influenced by Louis Armstrong (they later performed together) and partnered with violinist Stéphane Grappelli. The two would jam informally and eventually brother Joseph and Louis Vola joined in and formed Quintette du Hot Club de France in 1934.

Once World War II broke out, Reinhardt (who had been touring in the UK) returned to France and had later made many attempts to leave occupied France. His presence in France was tenuous - the Nazis did not approve of jazz. Once the war ended, Reinhardt came to the US as a guest soloist for Duke Ellington. The tour was successful-so much so that Reinhardt performed two nights at Carnegie Hall (with six curtain calls).

Reportedly, Reinhardt had difficulty adjusting to "modern" life and ultimately returned to France and his Romani life.

It was tough in selecting just a couple of samples of Reinhardt's work. But the first selection - Minor Swing - seems to epitomize all that is Django Reinhardt. Enjoy!

Sammy Davis, Jr. - Something's Gotta Give!

I find that craving certain kinds of music is much like a food craving. But instead of mentally tasting and imagining the aroma, something triggers the brain and you have the "song-in-the-head" syndrome (or craving). In this case, watching the 1998 HBO movie, The Rat Pack, reminded me how much I've always adored Sammy Davis, Jr. And that of course, reminded me of one of my all time favorite songs - Something's Gotta Give. (Yes, I have a long list of favorite songs.)

I've listened to many covers of Something's Gotta Give and I've never found one as well done as the Davis version. Davis was the consummate singer, dancer and all-around entertainer and the way he interpreted Something's Gotta Give is right on the money. This song, written by,(who else?) Johnny Mercer (in 1955), reflects the sentiments of either a man or woman who has been around the block a time or two - been there, done that. It's going to take the right kind of person to spark love again. The lyrics are exquisite and as stated earlier, Davis, in my book, does it best.

I've also added another favorite Davis song - Too Close For Comfort - written by Jerry Bock, George David Weiss, and Larry Holofcener in 1956.

I've also added a link to Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgWxUipUYjA. Enjoy! And as always, I welcome your feedback. Until next time...

How Little We Know and Hoagy Carmichael

The song, How Little We Know, has been playing in my head for days. And I know the reason: Recently, for the umpteenth time (it's definitely in my top 10 favorite movies), we watched Ernest Hemingway's To Have and Have Not starring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and Hoagy Carmichael. Set in 1944 on the island of Martinique under occupation of the Vichy regime, the movie focuses on two Americans who for different reasons find themselves on Martinique and are looking for a way out. This was Bacall's first role and needless to say, the chemistry between Bogart and Bacall was electric. And we get a sense of Hoagy Carmichael's great musical talent.

Carmichael's character is the entertainer at a saloon/hotel in Fort de France where the story centers. We are treated to a couple of well-known songs including- How Little We Know with music by Hoagy Carmichael and lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Here is a good spot to interject the How Little We Know scene with Carmichael on the piano and Bacall singing - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFfuUu5xmMA.

For years, I have been searching for a cover of How Little We Know that seems worthy of the original (which does not seem to be available on CD in acceptable condition). The closest we find to the movie version is from the album Hoagy Carmichael - The First of the Singer Songwriters Key Cuts featuring Anita Boyer. Many singers have had a hand at this song - Sinatra's is so-so. Michael Feinstein, who I've always liked, sounds nearly comatose with his rendition. I recently found an uptempo version by Alan Paul. A tad on the lounge side, but it has a little more life than Feinstein's. I think the tempo is key here and in this case, I still contend the original is by far, the best. The best way I can define the tempo is that of a rhumba-type sway.

I've added both the Anita Boyer version and the more uptempo version as well as another song from the movie - Am I Blue? sung by Carmichael- as well as this clip from the movie -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C1vJ2Z8aI0. Enjoy!

Brahms and Akademische Festouvertüre

While I know at least one person far more qualified to write about Johannes Brahms and classical music in general, I am going to take a leap here and discuss my respect, admiration, and appreciation for his works. (For biographical information, click on Johannes Brahms.)

The first being Academic Festival Overture, op.80 or Akademische Festouvertüre which was composed by Brahms in 1880 as tribute to the University of Breslau after being awarded an honorary doctorate. This particular version is from the album Brahms: Hungarian Dances, Academic Festival Overture, and Symphony No.4 in E Minor By Berlin Symphony Orchestra. I should also mention that the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Sir Georg Solti is equally excellent.

I'm not certain I can give technical reasons why I love this particular piece, but I can say that Academic Festival Overture (at least for me) stirs the soul and wraps the listener in sheer joy. It's bright, crisp, and energized.

My second favorite Brahms composition is Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major op. 77 and specifically - Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace - Poco piu presto under the direction of Herbert Von Karajan with Anne-Sophie Mutter on the violin. If ever a classical work brought about an adrenalin rush, it would be this violin concerto. It builds and grows to an explosive finish and Ms. Mutter's technique is nothing short of amazing! Allegro giocoso is heady, provocative, and all consuming.

As always, I love to hear from the readers - listen to these pieces and let me know what you think.

There's Always Something To Get Excited About!

I am always on the lookout for new artists and music. Particularly groups who add an edginess to their music. Last year, I discovered the Portuguese group Zodiac (they've been out there for a while, but just became available to us) and one thing led to another - now I own all their CDs. The music has a full sound - containing keyboardist and lead vocalist, bassist, lead guitarist, drummer, percussionist, and 3 piece horn section. Their songs - all sung in Portuguese, are edgy with samba rhythms, and linger in your head long after the song is over. We've featured a song called Beira-Mar which will give a sense of their tight orchestration.

The second newest discovery is a young woman named Zoe Tiganouria. What she does with an accordion is nothing short of genius. Generally, tangos encompass the bandaneon - which is similar to a concertina. However, Zoe plays the accordion for Libertango and it's one of the best renditions I've heard in a long while. Zoe is backed by full and concise orchestration and the presentation is flawless. Unfortunately, her music is only available in the mp3 format for the moment. And while we are waiting for a CD, check out Libertango and other tangos on Amazon including Por una Cabeza, Tanguera, and Verano Porteno.

Also, we've added a link from Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9k_8GPkeq4

Ring in 2009 with Great Music!

We've been away for a while, but now we're back to review even more music! And before we get started, we wish to thank our readers for their feedback! We love that you follow this blog and hope you'll continue your quest for new music!

As promised last year, our next selection - Bond! (Not to be confused with James).

I discovered Bond back a few years ago while watching a television show they guested. And I was blown away! Bond has something for everybody -classical, techno-electro beats, latin, hip hop and jazz.

The Bond ensemble is actually an all female classical quartet performing on electric violins, viola, and cello. The Bond women have literally toured the planet performing original works and covers - that are extraordinary. Libertango is an example - I imagine Piazzolla would be pleased. This rendition of Libertango is powerful, full-bodied, and soul-stirring.

We've also added Fuego as a listening sample. And a few links to youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UItlz8ipSVc (performing Victory) and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnzHWIokBgk (performing Speed)

Which Bond album to buy? You really can't go wrong with any or all - Born, Shine, Explosive, Classified, or the Definitive Collection. The Bond albums make a great addition to any music library!

Emilio Pericoli and Al Di La - Beyond the Beyond

Just a few weeks ago, I received a comment to my blog discussing Luis Miguel and his version of Cuando Calienta El Sol. Essentially, this reader said she preferred the slower, heartfelt ballad version - at least in the case of Cuando Calienta El Sol. And I indicated that I understand - music is in the ear of the beholder - as it were. And I welcome any and all opinions!

I am always open to new and often times, upbeat spins on old standards. And there are times when the old adage applies - if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Sometimes, the original, at least for me, is the best.

And that's where we come to Emilio Pericoli and the Italian love song - Al Di La. Though Emilio was not the first to perform this exquisite song, you could say he put it on the map when he performed it in the 1962 romance movie - Rome Adventure, starring Troy Donahue, Suzanne Pleshette, and Rossano Brazzi.

Sure, the movie is fun, sappy, and very typical of that era. (And admittedly, Rossano Brazzi is always a plus in any movie! ) But the standout for me is Emilio and his heartfelt rendition of Al Di La (which means Beyond). The song becomes the theme throughout the movie. Al Hirt even performed an upbeat rendition during a bar fight scene in the film- and it didn't cut it for me. And later, many others covered the song - including Connie Francis (a lovely version) and Jerry Vale.

But to this day, Emilio's Al Di La leaves my knees knocking.

For more on Emilio Pericoli, click here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emilio_Pericoli as well as it his website - http://www.spettacolo.it/h_pericoli.htm.

Here are the lyrics for Al Di La:

Al di lá del bene più prezioso, ci sei tu.
Al di lá del sogno più ambizioso, ci sei tu.

Al di lá delle cose più belle.
Al di lá delle stelle, ci sei tu.
Al di lá, ci sei tu per me, per me, soltanto per me.

Al di lá del mare più profondo, ci sei tu.
Al di lá de i limiti del mondo, ci sei tu.
Al di lá della volta infinita, al di la della vita.
Ci sei tu, al di la, ci sei tu per me.
La la la la la... La la la...

And the English translation - more or less:

Al di la means you are far above me, very far
Al di la, as distant as the lovely evening star
Where you walk flowers bloom
When you smile all the gloom turns to sunshine
And my heart opens wide
When you're gone it fades inside and seems to have died

Al di la, I wondered as I drifted where you were
Al di la, the fog around me lifted, there you were
In the kiss that I gave was the love I had saved for a lifetime
Then I knew all of you was completely mine.

There is a reason that Emilio Pericoli is still regarded as the most romantic voice of Italy.

I've also included a clip from YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGMC9A_k6zQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmP_-laNBl8&feature=related

Next time: Bond!