Category Archives: vocal

Goodbye 2024

avant-garde, classical, electroacoustic, electronic music, experimental music, folk / folk-rock, improvisation, jazz, Krautrock, music, obituary, progessive rock, psychedelic music, vocal, ,
Damo Suzuki

Once again the music world has lost another long list of people. From Damo Suzuki to Françoise Hardy to Dickie Betts to Quincy Jones. Luckily, many led very long and productive lives and gave us a large legacy to look back upon.

Steve Albini (American musician for Big Black, and recording engineer for In Utero)
Dave Allison (Canadian guitarist and singer for Anvil)
Ian Amey (English musician and singer for Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich)
Alfa Anderson (American singer for Chic)
John Barbata (American rock drummer for The Turtles, Jefferson Airplane)
Aston “Family Man” Barrett (Jamaican musician for Bob Marley and the Wailers)
Jim Beard (American keyboardist for Steely Dan)
Ernest Berger (Czechoslovak-born British drummer for Heatwave)
Dickey Betts (American musician for The Allman Brothers Band)
Frankie Beverly (American singer for Maze
John Blunt (British drummer for The Searchers)
Angela Bofill (American singer-songwriter)
Vincent Bonham (American singer for Raydio)
Mike Brewer (American musician for Brewer & Shipley)
Dean Brown (American jazz guitarist)
Jon Card (German-born Canadian drummer for SNFU)
Eric Carmen (American singer, songwriter, and musician for Raspberries)
Buzz Cason (American singer and songwriter)
Joe Chambers (American singer for The Chambers Brothers)
James Chance (American musician for James Chance and the Contortions)
Tony Clarkin (English guitarist and songwriter for Magnum)
Charlie Colin (American bassist and guitarist for Train)
Pat Collier (English musician for The Vibrators)
Eleanor Collins (Canadian jazz singer, television host and civic leader)
Gerry Conway (English drummer and percussionist)
Michael Cuscuna (American jazz record producer and music journalist for DownBeat, co-founder of Mosaic Records)
Daddae (English musician for Soul II Soul)
Palle Danielsson (Swedish jazz double bassist)
James Darren (American singer)
Sir Andrew Davis (English conductor for BBC Symphony Orchestra)
Rohan de Saram (British-born Sri Lankan cellist for Arditti Quartet)
Paul Di’Anno (English heavy metal singer for Iron Maiden)
Lou Donaldson (American jazz saxophonist)
Slim Dunlap (American guitarist for The Replacements)
Duane Eddy (American guitarist)
Joe Egan (Scottish songwriter singer for Stealers Wheel)
Ben Eldridge (American five-string banjo player for The Seldom Scene)
Péter Eötvös (Hungarian composer, conductor and teacher)
Duke Fakir (American singer for Four Tops)
Henry Fambrough (American singer for The Spinners)
Frank Farian (German singer, songwriter and record producer for Milli Vanilli)
Herbie Flowers (English musician for Blue Mink)
Tom Fowler (American bass guitarist and musician for Frank Zappa)
Artt Frank (American jazz drummer and biographer for Chet Baker)
Kinky Friedman (American musician, writer, and politician)
Agnes Buen Garnås (Norwegian singer)
Cynthia Garrison (American singer for The Three Degrees)
Paul Gilmartin (British drummer for The Danse Society)
Benny Golson (American jazz saxophonist and composer)
Gabriel Gonzalez (American musician for No Doubt)
Nick Gravenites (American blues musician for The Electric Flag)
Robin Guy (British drummer for Sham 69)
Guylaine Guy (Canadian singer and painter)
Françoise Hardy (French singer-songwriter and actress)
Steve Harley (English songwriter, producer, and musician for Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel)
Alex Hassilev (American musician for The Limeliters)
Jimmy Hastings (British musician for Caravan)
Michel Hausser (French jazz vibraphonist)
John Hawken (English keyboard player for The Nashville Teens, Strawbs)
Roy Haynes (American jazz drummer)
Gaps Hendrickson (British musician and vocalist for The Selecter)
Fritz Hinz (Canadian drummer for Helix)
Malcolm Holcombe (American singer-songwriter)
Bill Holman (American jazz composer and saxophonist)
Cissy Houston (American singer for The Sweet Inspirations)
Frank Ifield (Australian singer)
Doug Ingle (American musician for Iron Butterfly)
Reuben Jackson (American poet and jazz historian)
Tito Jackson (American musician for The Jackson 5)
Jimmy James (Jamaican-British singer)
Laurie Johnson (English composer and bandleader)
Jack Jones (American singer)
Quincy Jones (American record producer and composer)
Chris Karrer (German guitarist and composer for Amon Düül II)
Toby Keith (American country singer)
Conrad Kelly (Jamaican-born British drummer for Steel Pulse)
Rashid Khan (Indian Hindustani classical musician)
Greg Kihn (American musician for The Greg Kihn Band)
Steve Kille (American musician for Dead Meadow)
John Koerner (American songwriter and guitarist for Koerner, Ray & Glover)
James Kottak (American drummer for Scorpions)
Wayne Kramer (American songwriter and guitarist for MC5)
Kris Kristofferson (American actor and musician for The Highwaymen)
Neil Kulkarni (British music journalist for Melody Maker)
Linda LaFlamme (American singer)
Alcides Lanza (Argentine-born Canadian composer)
Ben Lanzarone (American composer for The Love Boat)
Teddy Lasry (French sax player for MAGMA)
Steve Lawrence (American actor and singer for Steve & Eydie)
Keith LeBlanc (American drummer for Little Axe)
Martin Lee (English singer for Brotherhood of Man)
Phil Lesh (American Hall of Fame musician for Grateful Dead)
Steve Lewinson (British bass guitarist for Simply Red)
David Libert (American music executive, musician for The Happenings)
Dave Loggins (American singer and songwriter)
John Lowe (English pianist for The Quarrymen)
Russell Malone (American jazz guitarist)
Richard Macphail (English musician for Anon)
Ed Mann (American drummer and keyboardist for Frank Zappa)
Brother Marquis (American rapper for 2 Live Crew)
Shaun Martin (American record producer and musician for Snarky Puppy)
John Mayall (English songwriter and musician for John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers)
Albert Mayr (Italian composer of experimental and contemporary music)
Melanie (American singer-songwriter and guitarist)
Sérgio Mendes (Brazilian bossa nova musician)
Jerry Miller (American musician for Moby Grape)
Zoot Money (English singer and keyboardist for The Animals)
Roli Mosimann (Swiss-born American musician for Swans)
Johnny Neel (American musician for The Allman Brothers Band)
Phill Niblock (American composer, filmmaker and videographer)
Annie Nightingale (English radio and television broadcaster for Old Grey Whistle Test, BBC Radio 1)
Phil Nimmons (Canadian jazz clarinetist)
Mojo Nixon (American musician and actor)
Rocket Norton (Canadian drummer for Prism)
Seiji Ozawa (Japanese conductor for Boston Symphony Orchestra)
Larry Page (English pop singer and record producer)
Roger Palm (Swedish drummer for ABBA)
Del Palmer (English singer-songwriter, bass guitarist, and sound engineer)
Liam Payne (English singer for One Direction)
Colin Petersen (Australian drummer for Bee Gees)
Barre Phillips (American jazz bassist)
Mike Pinera (American guitarist for Blues Image)
Mike Pinder (English musician for The Moody Blues)
John Pisano (American jazz guitarist)
Maurizio Pollini (Italian pianist)
Sandy Posey (American singer)
Catherine Ribeiro (French singer for Catherine Ribeiro + Alpes)
Wolfgang Rihm (German composer)
Lucy Rimmer (British vocalist for The Fall)
Gerry Robinson (British musician for The Purple Gang)
Chita Rivera (American actress and singer)
Chan Romero (American singer-songwriter and guitarist)
Dexter Romweber (American musician for Flat Duo Jets)
Jack Russell (American singer and songwriter for Great White)
Freddie Salem (American guitarist for Outlaws)
David Sanborn (American alto saxophonist and television host for Night Music)
Dennis Schiavon (British musician for The Rezillos)
Peter Schickele (American composer and musical satirist for P. D. Q. Bach)
B. B. Seaton (Jamaican songwriter, record producer and singer for The Gaylads)
Leif Segerstam (Finnish conductor for Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra)
Marlena Shaw (American singer)
Screamin’ Scott Simon (American pianist and singer for Sha Na Na)
Peter Sinfield (English lyricist, record producer, and musician for King Crimson)
Nell Smith (Canadian singer for The Flaming Lips)
Jo-El Sonnier (American singer-songwriter and accordionist)
David Soul (American-British actor and singer)
JD Souther (American singer-songwriter)
Mark Spiro (American songwriter and record producer)
T. M. Stevens (American bass guitarist for The Pretenders)
Roni Stoneman (American bluegrass banjo player for Hee Haw)
Damo Suzuki (Japanese songwriter and singer for Can)
Shel Talmy (American record producer)
Richard Tandy (English musician for Electric Light Orchestra)
Pooch Tavares (American singer for Tavares)
Bobby Tench (British musician for The Jeff Beck Group)
Dennis Thompson (American Hall of Fame drummer MC5)
Johnny Thunder (American singer)
Libby Titus (American singer-songwriter)
Ken Tobias (Canadian singer-songwriter)
Happy Traum (American folk singer
Andrew Turner (British broadcaster for BBC Radio 1)
Mick Underwood (English drummer for Quatermass)
Jimmy Van Eaton (American rock drummer, singer and record producer)
Karl Wallinger (Welsh songwriter and musician for World Party)
Max Werner (Dutch singer and drummer for Kayak)
Gavin Webb (Australian rock bassist for The Masters Apprentices)
Mary Weiss (American singer for The Shangri-Las)
Harry Williams (American singer for Bloodstone)
Russ Wilson (Canadian bass guitarist for Junkhouse)
Steve Wright (English disc jockey for BBC Radio 1 and television presenter for Top of the Pops)
Marian Zazeela (American visual and musical artist)


Françoise Hardy

Goodbye 2023

classical, electroacoustic, electronic music, experimental music, Gone Gone Gone, improvisation, jazz, music, obituary, progessive rock, psychedelic music, vocal, , , , , ,
Jeff Beck

We lost another batch of big name musicians in 2023 including Jeff Beck, Burt Bacharach, Robbie Robertson, Gordon Lightfoot, Carla Bley, Charles Gayle, David Crosby, Ahmad Jamal, Tony McPhee, Shane MacGowan, Sinéad O’Connor, Tony Oxley, Kaija Saariaho and Tina Turner.

I was especially saddened to learn of the passing of a couple of people who used to send me their music to air on my radio programme over the course of my 25 years on the radio. Both Gloria Coates and Steve Roden have made their way onto the list this year.

Ed Ames (American actor and singer for Ames Brothers)
Katherine Anderson (American singer for The Marvelettes)
Stanley Appel (British television producer for Top of the Pops)
Kirk Arrington (American drummer for Metal Church)
Clarence Avant (American music executive and film producer, founder of Sussex Records)
Burt Bacharach (American Hall of Fame composer, six-time Grammy winner)
Robbie Bachman (Canadian hard rock drummer for Bachman-Turner Overdrive)
Tim Bachman (Canadian guitarist for Bachman-Turner Overdrive)
Ian Bairnson (Scottish musician for The Alan Parsons Project)
Philip Balsam (Canadian songwriter for Fraggle Rock)
Clarence Barlow (British composer)
Bruce Barthol (American bassist for Country Joe and the Fish)
Russell Batiste Jr (American drummer for The Meters)
Jeff Beck (British guitarist for The Yardbirds, The Jeff Beck Group)
Harry Belafonte (American Hall of Fame musician)
Tony Bennett (American singer)
Karl Berger (German jazz pianist, composer, and educator)
Jane Birkin (English-French singer and actress)
Jeff Blackburn (American songwriter and guitarist for Blackburn & Snow, Moby Grape)
Carla Bley (American jazz composer and musician for Jazz Composer’s Orchestra)
Peter Brötzmann (German jazz saxophonist)
Pete Brown (English poet, lyricist and singer)
Angelo Bruschini (English guitarist for Massive Attack)
Dennis Budimir (American jazz and rock guitarist for The Wrecking Crew)
Jimmy Buffett (American singer-songwriter)
Colin Burgess (Australian rock drummer The Masters Apprentices, AC/DC)
Bobby Caldwell (American singer and songwriter)
Ronnie Caryl (English guitarist for Flaming Youth, Phil Collins)
Paul Cattermole (English singer for S Club 7)
Monte Cazazza (American artist and composer)
Gloria Coates (American composer)
Tony Coe (English jazz musician)
Michael Cooper (Jamaican musician for Inner Circle)
David Crosby (American songwriter and singer for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)
John Cutler (American record producer and audio engineer for Grateful Dead)
Dean Daughtry (American keyboard player for Atlanta Rhythm Section)
Richard Davis (American jazz bassist)
Charlie Dominici (American singer for Dream Theater)
Bobby Eli (American guitarist for MFSB)
Simon Emmerson (English record producer, DJ, and musician for Afro Celt Sound System)
José Evangelista (Spanish composer)
Johnny Fean (Irish guitarist for Horslips)
John Fitzpatrick (Irish violinist for Nightnoise and Jeff Johnson)
Jeffrey Foskett (American singer and songwriter for Beach Boys)
Pete Garner (British bassist for The Stone Roses)
Charles Gayle (American jazz saxophonist and pianist)
Renée Geyer (Australian singer)
John Giblin (Scottish bass player for Kate Bush)
Astrud Gilberto (Brazilian samba and bossa nova singer)
Brian Godding (Welsh jazz rock guitarist for Blossom Toes, Centipede)
Myles Goodwyn (Canadian singer for April Wine)
Jim Gordon (American convicted murderer and musician for Eric Clapton, Derek and the Dominos)
John Gosling (English keyboardist for The Kinks)
Bruce Guthro (Canadian singer-songwriter and musician for Runrig)
Dickie Harrell (American Hall of Fame drummer for Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps)
Wee Willie Harris (English rock and roll singer)
Steve Harwell (American singer for Smash Mouth)
Fuzzy Haskins (American singer for Parliament-Funkadelic)
Redd Holt (American jazz drummer)
Brad Houser (American musician for Edie Brickell & New Bohemians)
Ron Howden (English drummer for Nektar)
Ralph Humphrey (American rock drummer for The Mothers of Invention)
Rudolph Isley (American songwriter and singer for The Isley Brothers)
Chuck Jackson (American R&B singer)
Ahmad Jamal (American jazz pianist)
Stu James aka Slater (British music executive and singer for The Mojos)
Bob Johnson (British guitarist, singer and songwriter for Steeleye Span)
Scott Johnson (American composer)
Howie Kane (American pop singer for Jay and the Americans)
Seán Keane (Irish fiddler for The Chieftains)
Scott Kempner (American guitarist for The Dictators)
Terry Kirkman (American songwriter and musician for The Association)
Jean Knight (American singer)
David LaFlamme (American singer and violinist for It’s a Beautiful Day)
Denny Laine (English musician for Wings and singer for Moody Blues)
Bill Lee (American jazz musician and film composer)
Rita Lee (Brazilian singer for Os Mutantes)
Mylon LeFevre (American Christian rock singer)
Linda Lewis (English singer-songwriter)
Gordon Lightfoot (Canadian Hall of Fame singer-songwriter)
David Lindley (American musician)
Lord Creator (Trinidadian-born Jamaican singer-songwriter)
Robin Lumley (British jazz keyboardist for Brand X)
Ralph Lundsten (Swedish composer)
Laura Lynch (American musician for Dixie Chicks)
Shane MacGowan (Irish singer for The Pogues)
Steve Mackey (English record producer and bassist for Pulp)
Bernie Marsden (English rock guitarist for Whitesnake)
Manny Martínez (American drummer for The Misfits)
Brian McBride (American musician for Stars of the Lid)
Les McCann (American jazz musician)
Tony McPhee (English guitarist for The Groundhogs)
Randy Meisner (American musician for Eagles)
Mendelson Joe ( Canadian singer-songwriter)
Butch Miles (American jazz drummer)
Essra Mohawk (American singer-songwriter)
Francis Monkman (English musician for Curved Air)
Napoleon XIV (American singer)
Peter Nero (American pianist and conductor for Philly Pops)
Chas Newby (British early bassist for The Beatles)
Sinéad O’Connor (Irish singer)
Blackie Onassis (American rock drummer for Urge Overkill)
Tony Oxley (English free improvising drummer, co-founder of Incus Records)
Jon Povey (British musician for Pretty Things)
Lisa Marie Presley (American singer-songwriter)
Alberto Radius (Italian guitarist and singer-songwriter for Formula 3)
Alan Rankine (Scottish musician for The Associates)
Lee Rauch (American drummer for Megadeth)
Lance Reddick (American actor and musician)
Otis Redding III (American singer for The Reddings)
Sheldon Reynolds (American guitarist for Earth, Wind & Fire)
Robbie Robertson (Canadian musician for The Band and film composer)
Sixto Rodriguez (American singer-songwriter)
Steve Roden (American contemporary artist and musician for Forms of Paper)
Bernt Rosengren (Swedish jazz tenor saxophonist)
Gary Rossington (American Hall of Fame guitarist for Lynyrd Skynyrd)
Andy Rourke (English bassist for The Smiths)
Kaija Saariaho (Finnish composer)
Ryuichi Sakamoto (Japanese musician for Yellow Magic Orchestra)
Renata Scotto (Italian operatic soprano for La Scala)
Don Sebesky (American composer, arranger, and conductor)
Bob Segarini (American-Canadian radio presenter and musician for The Wackers)
Jah Shaka (Jamaican dub and reggae sound system operator)
Sweet Charles Sherrell (American bassist for James Brown)
Wayne Shorter (American jazz saxophonist)
Ray Shulman (English musician for Gentle Giant)
Mick Slattery (British guitarist for Hawkwind)
Huey “Piano” Smith (American R&B pianist and songwriter)
Tom Smothers (American comedian, musician for Smothers Brothers)
Floyd Sneed (Canadian drummer for Three Dog Night)
Jack Sonni (American musician for Dire Straits)
Seymour Stein (American Hall of Fame music executive, founder of Sire Records)
Lester Sterling (Jamaican saxophonist for The Skatalites)
April Stevens (American singer)
Mark Stewart (English musician for The Pop Group)
Chris Strachwitz (American record company founder and executive for Arhoolie Records)
Barrett Strong (American singer and songwriter)
Yukihiro Takahashi (Japanese drummer and singer for Yellow Magic Orchestra)
Ted “Kingsize” Taylor (British singer and guitarist for Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes)
Teresa Taylor (American drummer for Butthole Surfers)
Charlie Thomas (American Hall of Fame singer for The Drifters)
George Tickner (American rock guitarist for Journey)
Top Topham (English guitarist for The Yardbirds)
Ismaïla Touré (Senegalese musician for Touré Kunda)
Vivian Trimble (American musician for Luscious Jackson)
Trugoy the Dove (David Jude Jolicoeur) (American rapper for De La Soul)
Tina Turner (American-born Swiss Hall of Fame singer)
Dwight Twilley (American singer-songwriter)
Nancy Van de Vate (American composer)
Conny Van Dyke (American singer and actress)
Tom Verlaine (American musician for Television)
John Waddington (English guitarist for The Pop Group)
Geordie Walker (English guitarist for Killing Joke)
Lillian Walker (American singer for The Exciters)
Algy Ward (English heavy metal bassist for The Damned)
André Watts (American pianist and academic)
Cynthia Weil (American Hall of Fame songwriter)
Lasse Wellander (Swedish guitarist for ABBA)
George Winston (American pianist)
Fred White (American Hall of Fame drummer for Earth, Wind & Fire)
Roger Whittaker (British singer-songwriter)
Mars Williams (American saxophonist for The Waitresses, The Psychedelic Furs)
Gary Wright (American singer-songwriter and musician for Spooky Tooth)
Gary Young (American drummer for Pavement)

Kaija Saariaho

Mark E. Smith 1957 – 2018

Gone Gone Gone, music, vocal, , , ,

Back in the late ’70s, I was still in the habit of picking up one of the weekly British music newspapers. I mainly picked up Melody Maker for many years and by the end of the ’70s, it would either be that or the New Musical Express. I can’t recall which one featured info about The Fall that piqued my interest back then. But, when I spotted the Canadian pressing of their debut LP Live at the Witch Trials at a record sop in 1979, I felt compelled to pick it up without having heard so much as one note.

Having already purchased many UK albums and singles through the preceding Punk Rock couple of years, I was quite versed in the sounds that had been coming out of England in recent times. However, The Fall seemed to be something different. It was the start of the Post-Punk era and The Fall seemed to represent something even more exciting and revelatory to these ears.

At the heart of this sound was the caustic, language-bending and often humourous words spewed by band founder, songwriter and vocalist Mark E. Smith. Over the years, Smith virtually WAS The Fall. He ruled the roost with an iron fist and the line-up of the group changed several dozen times over the many years of the band’s existence.

Dave Thompson’s essential 2003 book entitled A User’s Guide to The Fall covers the band’s history from their first line-up in 1977 up until their 39th(!) variation in 2002. Considering the fact that the band was active right until the latter part of 2017, I’m not even sure what number line-up that would be. 73rd? Dunno.

I followed the band with quite a bit of dedication until the end of the 1980s and still bought the odd release when I’d come across it over the subsequent years. During their long career, the band issued over 30 studio albums. I think that I’ve probably got about 20 or so. Plus live albums, compilations of singles and an impressive CD box set of all of their John Peel BBC Radio Sessions.

At the end of last year, The Fall played some gigs in the UK which featured Smith sitting in a wheelchair as he spouted his patented brand of vitriolic verbiage accompanied by the current line-up of the band.

Mark E. Smith was a one of a kind artist. For better or worse, a true original. You either got/enjoyed the sound of The Fall or you just simply could not stand them. For those of us who loved the sound, their albums will just have to keep us happy into the future. I have a feeling that there will soon be some archive releases in the offing as the years progress.

 

Goodbye 2016 (we will not miss you)

avant-garde, classical, experimental music, Gone Gone Gone, jazz, music, progessive rock, vocal, , , , , , , , , , , ,

I have been dreading having to write a wrap-up piece about the year 2016. The last post that I made was in November when Leonard Cohen died. Since then, it seems to have been difficult to write anything. It has never been my intention to have my blog look like an obituary column but, it quite often feels like that.

In recent years, I have been reminding people that the musicians whose music we have enjoyed since the ’60s and ’70s are now mainly in their 60s and 70s. That means that the inevitable signs of mortality will surely take hold. This has certainly been the case in 2016.

The year seemed to start off on a high note with a brilliant new release (Blackstar) by David Bowie. However, this event seemed to quickly get overshadowed when Bowie died a couple of days after its release.

The death of Bowie seemed to resonate hard and deep within both the music industry and among his long-time fans. As someone who had been a fan for 45 years, I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. This seemed to be a shared experience as many people that I talked to or exchanged messages with appeared to be doing their best to hold back a wellspring of tears. Many tried but did not succeed. The last time that I can honestly recall such a reaction was when John Lennon was brutally gunned down.

But, that was just the start of a year that appeared to be voracious in its appetite to take away so many musicians and music related personalities away from us. It didn’t matter which genre of music was your favourite, the losses touched all aspects of music from rock, pop, R&B, jazz, classical and avant-garde.

Bowie, Cohen and Prince were among the biggest or most influential names for most of the year and then word of the death of George Michael slipped in on Christmas day.

I’ve owned records by many of the people who have passed this year. I’ve seen some of them in concert. I’ve even had the pleasure to meet a couple of them. The sad fact is that as time marches on, more of these people will make the headlines as they continue to leave us. So, let’s enjoy their music while they are still here and continue to honour their memory after they are gone.

Music can make us happy. Music can make us sad. Music can make us think. Music can make us feel how great it is to be alive. It doesn’t matter what kind of music you like, it just matters that it means something to you. Be grateful for that. It is rare.

Here is a very brief list of some of the musicians and music-related people we lost in 2016:

Signe Anderson (Jefferson Airplane)

Gato Barbieri

Paul Bley

Pierre Boulez

David Bowie

Leonard Cohen

Tony Conrad

Keith Emerson

Glenn Frey (Eagles)

Dale Griffin (Mott the Hoople)

Merle Haggard

Sharon Jones

Paul Kantner (Jefferson Airplane)

Greg Lake

Neville Marriner

George Martin

George Michael

Scotty Moore

Alphonse Mouzon

Pauline Oliveros

Rick Parfitt (Status Quo)

Prince

Leon Russell

Dave Swarbrick (Fairport Convention)

Rudy Van Gelder

Alan Vega (Suicide)

Maurice White (Earth, Wind & Fire)

For a much more detailed (and depressing) list of the people that we lost this year, please visit Musicians Who Died in 2016.

Leonard Cohen 1934 – 2016

folk / folk-rock, Gone Gone Gone, music, vocal, ,

Canadians have a reputation for being rather quiet, polite and certainly not braggarts. It seems to be an inbred part of our culture. We have produced some of the most talented people involved in the arts but, we seem very surprised that their work becomes known outside of our own country. Luckily, the rest of the world has embraced such Canadian artists as Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Leonard Cohen.

It seemed quite fitting that within hours of his passing, the word that Leonard Cohen was gone appeared to make the news around the globe. His words and music appeared to resonate well beyond our Canadian borders.

Although he was a successful poet and novelist in his early years, Leonard wished to have a career with which he could actually afford to pay the bills. He was in his thirties by the time he began to set his words to music. Judy Collins and others began to cover his works and Cohen soon followed suit to begin his own recording career.

Both his dark voice and even darker lyrics seemed to make for an unlikely path to success. However, he became an unlikely “star” none the less. His worked garnered both love and respect from other artists and his audience.

As with any artists with such a lengthy career, his also included many ups and downs – musically, personally and financially. Through it all, he kept going and created a body of work which would keep his star shining right up until the end.

Those who thought that his music was a doom and gloom have missed the point on many occasions. There was often a great deal of humour hidden among the black thorns.

When I began playing his album Old Ideas upon its release back in 2012, I was soon laughing out loud. The song Going Home pretty well says it all.

Going Home (Leonard Cohen / Patrick Leonard)

I love to speak with Leonard
He’s a sportsman and a shepherd
He’s a lazy bastard
Living in a suit

But he does say what I tell him
Even though it isn’t welcome
He just doesn’t have the freedom
To refuse

He will speak these words of wisdom
Like a sage, a man of vision
Though he knows he’s really nothing
But the brief elaboration of a tube

Going home
Without my sorrow
Going home
Sometime tomorrow
Going home
To where it’s better
Than before

Going home
Without my burden
Going home
Behind the curtain
Going home
Without the costume
That I wore

He wants to write a love song
An anthem of forgiving
A manual for living with defeat

A cry above the suffering
A sacrifice recovering
But that isn’t what I need him
To complete

I want to make him certain
That he doesn’t have a burden
That he doesn’t need a vision
That he only has permission
To do my instant bidding
Which is to say what I have told him
To repeat

Going home
Without my sorrow
Going home
Sometime tomorrow
Going home
To where it’s better
Than before

Going home
Without my burden
Going home
Behind the curtain
Going home
Without this costume
That I wore

I’m going home
Without the sorrow
Going home
Sometime tomorrow
Going home
To where it’s better
Than before

Going home
Without my burden
Going home
Behind the curtain
Going home
Without this costume
That I wore

I love to speak with Leonard
He’s a sportsman and a shepherd
He’s a lazy bastard
Living in a suit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv4J7sID3Pk

David Bowie – Stardust, Diamonds, Heroes and Ashes

Gone Gone Gone, music, vinyl, vocal, , , , , , , , , , ,

DavidBowie-Is-catalogue-cover-front

The clock radio went off at 5:30 AM and the lead-off new story is about David Bowie. His latest album – Blackstar – was released just three days ago and the news reveals that Bowie’s voice is now silenced. Apparently, a well kept secret regarding 18 months of suffering from cancer has now become public.

While I may have initially been exposed to Space Oddity or some tracks from The Man Who Sold the World, my first real exposure to Bowie came with the album Hunky Dory in 1971. Many tunes from that album were constantly on the FM airwaves in the Windsor / Detroit area at the time. It wasn’t just Changes and Life on Mars. It was also Queen Bitch, Andy Warhol and Oh You Pretty Things.

And then there was Ziggy. He was seemingly the man who fell to earth and changed the face of music and style. A flaming red-haired alien who rocked like nobody else at the time.

Bowie seemed like a person who could single-handedly  both start and end an era. He had a vision that seemed unstoppable in an era of ever changing fads and fashions. Since nobody seemed to know what he would do next, there was an endless curiosity as to what would be his next revelation.

In the beginning, he played in short-lived bands who played R&B. By the time of his debut LP, he was planted firmly in a mode reflecting his admiration for popular singer Anthony Newley. But, it was his subsequent release of Space Oddity which would gain him more attention.

That led to his joining forces with guitarist Mick Ronson on the Tony Visconti produced The Man Who Sold the World. From there it was on to Hunky Dory and then the creation of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

After the “retirement” of Ziggy, Aladdin Sane took the stage. The dystopian world  of Diamond Dogs morphed into the plastic soul of Young Americans and then the Thin White Duke of Station to Station (and his appearance in Nicolas Roeg’s film The Man Who Fell to Earth).

It was his 1977 project with Brian Eno which changed the game once again. The album Low presented one side of rocking tunes with another side of spacey, avant-garde electronic explorations which would develop into what would become known as The Berlin Trilogy (along with “Heroes” and Lodger).

From there, Bowie jumped around into dance music, more rock and roll and drum & bass excursions. His restless creativity pushed and pulled him into whatever direction he considered interesting for many more years.

After a silence of nearly ten years, Bowie proved that he could still surprise and suddenly announced a new single and LP back in 2013. The Next Day was a stunning new effort which was kept under wraps until the last moment.

With the release of Blackstar last week, Bowie seemed to be aware of the fact that this would be his farewell gesture to his long-time fans. At least he lived to see its release.

I only got to see Bowie in concert one time. It was to become his final concert tour. The show on May 14, 2004 at the John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario featured some 26 songs spanning his long career.

One other Bowie event that I was pleased to attend was the David Bowie Is exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario in 2013. Over the course of a two hour trek through this show, one could get a close look at everything from stage costumes to hand-written lyrics to abandoned album cover designs.

David Bowie may no longer be with us but, his legacy will certainly continue for years to come. His life and work will become one of the benchmarks by which others in the performing arts will be measured.

David Bowie 1947 – 2016 

DavidBowie-Is-catalogue-SpaceOddity-lyrics

Patty Waters – In Concert 2015

improvisation, jazz, music, vocal, , , , , , , , ,

If you read my earlier blog post about Patty Waters (or know me in real life), you’ll be aware of my affection for her ESP label debut LP. Well, this month marks the 50th anniversary of the recording of that album (December 19, 1965). So, it seems fitting to make another post about Patty at this time.

Last month, Patty gave a rare concert appearance at the Jazzhouse in Copenhagen, Denmark. Luckily, quite a bit of the performance was captured on video on that night of November 8th.

Here are clips from that show featuring Burton Greene (piano), Barry Altshul (drums) and Tjitze Vogel (bass). Enjoy!



 

Recent Arrivals – Leo Records

improvisation, jazz, music, Recent Arrivals, vocal, , , ,

Pianist Uwe Oberg’s latest release – Twice, At Least – is a solo outing recorded at concerts in Germany in 2012 and 2015. In addition to the self-penned compositions, he also plays works from Annette Peacock, Steve Lacy, Carla Bley and Thelonious Monk.

Throughout the performances, Oberg expands the sound of the piano by often simultaneously playing the keyboard while also reaching inside to pluck the strings. This practice adds an extra layer of detail and expressiveness to the works which are already detailed and dynamic.

Hearing these live recordings makes the listener wish that there they were in the audience to see the performance first-hand. An excellent collection of works which excite the ears with their dynamic variations.

VocColours is a quartet of poetic vocalizers who have teamed up with musician Eberhard Kranemann to produce a unique blend of voices along with double bass and electronics. Throughout their CD entitled Luxatio, the ensemble bobs and weaves through a tapestry of vocalizations with sympathetic sonic accompaniment by Kranemann.

The result is a quilt of sound full of abstract sonic imagery and highly interesting blending dynamics.

The other two most recent releases in this latest batch from Leo Records share many similar sonic traits.

14 rue Paul Fort, Paris features the trio of Joelle Leandre (bass), Benoit Delbecq (piano) and Francois Houle (clarinets). Ramble is by the quintet known as SWQ and features Sandra Weiss (sax, bassoon), Jonathan Moritz (sax), Kenny Warren (trumpet), Sean Ali (double bass) and Carlo Costa (drums).

On both recordings, the ensemble players are seeking to create a flowing and abstract sound picture. The musicians listen to the sounds emanating from around them and spontaneously react to the situation at hand. It feels more like an improvisation of sound clouds than a a musical progression.

These clouds bend and blend to create a wonderful distortion of musical reality. Two sonic excursions which provide an aural palette of curious abstract imagery.

Leo Records website 

 

Recent Arrivals – Discus

electroacoustic, experimental music, improvisation, jazz, music, progessive rock, Recent Arrivals, vocal, , , , , , , ,

If there is one thing that you can anticipate from the releases on the Discus label, it’s to expect the unexpected. This is a case in point.

frostlake is Sheffield-based singer, musician Jan Todd. On this debut release (White Moon, Black Moon), she creates layers of her voice and multiple instruments alongside contributions from other fine folks from the area including Martin Archer, Charlie Collins, Terry Todd and others.

The first thing that strikes you is the reverb-drenched near-whisper vocals. These are combined with layers of dreamy instrumentation that evokes a folky, psychedelic, progressive soundscape. It almost feels like one of those unearthed rarities of what is now termed “acid folk” recorded in the late ’60s or early ’70s.

However, the sound is brought up to date with one foot in the past and another with a hold on the present and future. The music is dreamy yet never slipping into a maudlin melancholy. There is always something going on to keep the listener engaged as the background sounds blend seamlessly with the often haunting layered vocals in the foreground. Definitely an album inviting repeated late-night listens.

Martin Archer’s latest release – Echoic Enchantment – is a collaboration with poet Bo Meson. Martin goes into some detail about the project’s genesis in the liner notes of the CD.

Inspired by a performance by Bo’s poetry group, Martin was inspired to create a work written around the text. The musical portion of the disc-length range from sparse basslines to haunting string sections evoking an atmosphere not unlike Ligeti or Pendereski. These sections are juxtaposed with others based on “directed improvisation” which have been edited and collaged featuring percussion, piano etc… which incorporate text which weaves its way into the soundscape.

The work flows and glides in several directions often creating a haunting and evocative atmosphere. A lengthy sonic journey that provides multi-layered scenery for the ears.

Discus website

 

Sandy Denny: Remembered Again

books, folk / folk-rock, music, vocal, , , , ,

SandyDenny-book-IveAlwaysKeptaUnicorn

Sandy Denny was one of the richest voices to come out of the British music scene during the 1960s and ’70s. She was a person who was much admired and respected within her area of folk and folk-rock music. Unfortunately, at the time of her death in 1978 at the age of 31, the promise of her hard work seemed to never be fully realized.

Mick Houghton’s new book about the late British singer brings together impressive amounts of information which help to gain an insight into the events which shaped her path through her musical career.

Many surviving members of her inner circle of friends and fellow performers have been interviewed to provide an insight into her rise and fall. These include people like Richard and Linda Thompson, Al Stewart, Ralph McTell, John Renbourn and members of Fairport Convention. Archival interviews with many other people including her late parents are also mined for extra depth into her character.

Denny began singing in folk clubs when just barely into her mid-teens. She sang what were called floor spots. These were performances by young hopefuls whereby they could sing and play a few songs without having yet achieved the status of being a credited performer on the main stage. Eventually, she did move onto that stage where she succeeded in attracting the attention of the audience and other folk musicians.

The story traces her first recordings with other musicians such as Alex Campbell and Johnny Silvo to her move to join the Strawbs with Dave Cousins. Of course, the thing that may be of most interest to many people was her joining Fairport Convention as a replacement for singer Judy Dyble.

Her days in and out of Fairport are covered in lengthy detail and bring the experience to vivid life. This includes such events as the horrific van crash which took the life of drummer Martin Lamble and Richard Thompson’s then girlfriend Jeannie Franklyn. Fortunately, Denny was travelling in another van with Trevor Lucas and his bandmates from the group Eclection. However, that did not prevent her from feeling the scars of the tragic event.

Houghton artfully weaves the story dealing with Denny’s involvement with Fairport Convention, her departure to start her group Fotheringay and her time as a solo recording artist.

Her personal life and relationships are also covered in great detail. Both that personal life and her musical life were often victims to her own emotional ups and downs. Bouts of insecurity often seemed to derail her attempts to keep things both musical and personal on a steady track. The addition of heavy drinking and cocaine use also served to keep things off a productive path.

I’ve Always Kept a Unicorn (a line from Denny’s song entitled Solo) is a well documented and well paced book which helps to put Sandy Denny’s life and career into perspective nearly forty years after her death from a fall down the stairs.

This is essential reading for any fan of British folk music from that era.

(I’ve Always Kept a Unicorn by Mick Houghton is published by Faber & Faber, London) 

Recent Arrivals – Discus

electroacoustic, electronic music, experimental music, improvisation, jazz, music, Recent Arrivals, vocal, , , , , , , , ,

DiscusCDs-Tippetts&Archeretc...-flat

One of the best things about doing a radio programme featuring non-mainstream music for many years was receiving music from like-minded folks from around the globe. Such was the case back in the ’90s when I received a package of CDs from Martin Archer on his Discus label.

Martin continued to send me music and I continued to feature it on the airwaves. We also corresponded quite frequently and a musical relationship built up. In the ensuing years, we have played together live many times on my visits to the UK and we’ve also contributed to each other’s recordings.

When I visited Martin in Sheffield last June, he was in the midst of about a dozen different recording and performance ventures. At that time, he played me a number of recordings that he was working on. Many of these are now available on this latest trio of double-CD releases.

Vestigium is the latest collaboration between Martin and vocalist Julie Tippetts. Every release in their series of works seems to magically rise above the previous  set. This is no mean feat as each of their projects are quite wonderful affairs.

This latest set is no exception as the individual works often vary drastically in their sound but manage to create a bigger picture which holds all of them together. Sonic backdrops can be minimal and shimmering with the vocal lines drifting through the landscape. Other times, a steady bassline and percussion beat bring the funk to the fore.

Listening to these works, it seems like both Martin and Julie were destined to lock their creative energies together. Julie’s dexterous vocalizations meld perfectly with the music. Martin’s ear for detail and the ability to create subtle layers for the vocals makes for a tapestry of aural delights. The final work in the set – Stalking the Vision – is a fine example of this sonic synergy in action.

Bad Tidings from Slackwater Drag is by Martin’s ten-piece big band called Engine Room Favourites. From the introductory tune – Song for Alice Coltrane – you know that you are in for a good ride. Tracks range from dense and frenetic to minimal improvised structures.

At times, I was put in the mind of Soft Machine and also was reminded of Julius Hemphill’s Big Band. The latter thought was confirmed as the concluding number of the set is a cover version of Hemphill’s classic track The Hard Blues. And ERF do a most admirable job in their performance.

Inclusion Principle’s Third Opening shows even more diversity for Martin and his cohorts. This is a trio which also includes Herve Perez and Peter Fairclough.

On this set, the sounds range from environmental field recordings, computer-generated sounds, saxophones, piano and percussion. From minimal soundscapes to wild hyper-rhythms, the pieces blend and weave their way through two CDs of diverse sonic contexts.

Definitely three more highlights for the ever-expanding Discus catalogue.

Discus Music website

 

 

The Mysterious Mystery of… Lois

jazz, lounge, music, vinyl, vocal, , , , , , , ,

Lois-SatinDoll-back-cover

There was a time when you could find some interesting records at the thrift shop for a buck. The negligible investment made it possible to take a chance on things that just looked a bit odd or interesting. That is how I discovered a record that still remains a mystery to me.

Lois – Satin Doll showed up during one of my scavenges at a local thrift shop. It looked interesting enough to risk a dollar. So, I grabbed it.

Lois was apparently a regular fixture playing lounge style organ at a restaurant called The Charlesgate Restaurant in Williamsville, New York. This LP was recorded live there. It contains a mix of old chestnuts like the title track, Misty, Call Me etc… It also contains Herbie Hancock’s Watermelon Man. The tunes are well played and her voice is very good on the numbers that she sings.

So, of course, I should be able to track down something about her on the interwebs. Right? Well… no.

The record is a private pressing manufactured by a company called Mark Custom Records in 1977. I have been able to find out that these folks are still around doing custom runs of CDs for people today. That’s where the trail runs cold.

Countless searches only turn up the odd listing on eBay which simply quote from the liner notes of the LP. So far, I have been unable to find out any information about the mysterious Lois herself.

If you have any information, I’d love to hear from you. Until then, Lois remains a mystery.

Lois - Satin Doll

 

Essential Sounds – Patty Waters

Essential Sounds, improvisation, jazz, music, vinyl, vocal

Back in the mid-’70s, I was listening to the radio (WABX, Detroit or CJOM, Windsor) when I heard a DJ talking about an record that he was about to play. He sounded very upset. He felt that this was a VERY special album and that in a perfect world everybody would own or at least hear it. He then played the piece which takes up the entire second side of the LP entitled Patty Waters Sings. I was so blown away by the sounds that I immediately went downtown and special ordered a copy of the record.

Recorded in December 1965 and released the following year on the wild and wonderful ESP record label, Patty Waters Sings is indeed an essential listening experience.

The first side consists of short songs with Patty on vocals and piano. The songs are minimalist works of art. Both the vocals and piano seem to hang suspended in space with a persistent mood of melancholy mixed with broken-hearted despair.

Every time that I have played this album for people, they would sit motionless and entranced by the sound. Jaws would drop.

And then there is the second side. Here, Patty is accompanied by Burton Greene (piano), Steve Tintweiss (bass) and Tom Price (percussion). The sole piece on this side is a radical reworking of Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair.

During the course of this track, the band goes off into a manic level of improvisation while Patty seems possessed by a demon. She starts off quite traditionally but winds up sounding like she is running around the studio shrieking to the mass of angular sounds stabbing their way around her voice. It is a magnificent tour de force of both instrumental and vocal dexterity.

In a recent discussion on a music forum, the question was asked what one album you would save if you had to escape your home burning down. This was the album… and it didn’t take a great deal of thought to make the decision.

Patty released one more LP for ESP which was a live recording. But, her debut album is the one that really stands the test of time for its essential sounds.

PattyWaters-Sings