If you’re a fan of the band Rush, then you know the beginning of the song “YYZ” hits you like a dog whistle. The same rings true for “La Villa Strangiato” on Exit Stage Left, perhaps the band’s best live recorded album and guitar intro by Alex Lifeson. I remember Lifeson explaining not too long ago that he can no longer play the beginning of “La Villa Strangiato” like he once could, and how hard it was for him to learn it, never mind create it. Repeating genius is near impossible. It’s why being the best at what you do can be painful. You die twice. But it doesn’t mean what you … [Read more...]
Song of the Day: New Birth in New England
From the album C’est la Vie by Phosphorescent performing this summer at the Newport Folk Festival on Sunday, July 28th. … [Read more...]
Rush’s “YYZ” and Triangle in the Percussion Section
You know the triangle is a special instrument. It’s small, yet important. Like the cherry on a sundae. It has a place. But when you’re a drummer in a high school band and you see the sheet music for the Nutcracker and you’re playing the triangle you know it might be a light day. That’s why anyone in a high school band around Christmas in the early 1980s might be familiar with the sound of the all-important triangle not from Tchaikovsky but from the band Rush and their song “YYZ.” If you know the song, then you can hear the beginning right now: Drummer Neil Peart hitting the triangle … [Read more...]
Fleetwood Mac and Lindsey Buckingham Go their Own Way
Lindsey Buckingham is out of Fleetwood Mac, according to the band. ‘‘Lindsey Buckingham will not be performing with the band on this tour,’’ the statement said. ‘‘The band wishes Lindsey all the best.’’ One of the driving forces behind the longevity of Fleetwood Mac is co-founder and drummer Mick Fleetwood. The self-taught drummer brings a straight-forward, unconventional style of drumming that’s hard to duplicate. Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way (HQ) More here from the Boston Globe: Buckingham joined the band with then-girlfriend Stevie Nicks in 1974 and the two became the central … [Read more...]
Join Me and Escape to Margaritaville🌴
Escape to New York City It sure is nice to change your latitude every now and then—New York City in this case—where, if you live in New England, you don’t have to go too far to change your attitude, or have it changed for you. Such was the case this weekend which included an exciting industry conference, a somber visit to the 9/11 Memorial, and as the name to Jimmy Buffett’s musical implies, an Escape to Margaritaville. Let’s Talk about that Attitude When I was a kid my dad was a real estate broker. I remember him saying how important a positive attitude was for his business. “You … [Read more...]
What You Missed Friday Night at the Newport Jazz Festival
The Newport Jazz Festival got the party started Friday night with Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue. Shorty, aka Troy Andrews, is the grandson of Jessie Hill who is known for the classic song "Ooh Poo Pah Doo.” Shorty closed his Newport show with a get up and dance version of his funk and soul sound with “Do To Me” heard throughout the colonial streets of downtown Newport. It was awesome. Here it is along with his take on his grandfather’s classic. Do To Me Ooh Poo Pah Doo … [Read more...]
Lost 29 Years: This Japanese Comeback will Surprise You
What is old is new again in Japan. Next year Sony will begin doing something it hasn't done for 29 years. With incredible demand for vinyl records from consumers looking to recapture the excellent analog sounds of their youth, Sony will begin making its own vinyl records once again in Japan. As I wrote earlier this year, Becky and I love our vinyl record collection. And we're not the only ones. "2015 sales of $416 million were the highest since 1988. Stay tuned for 2016’s numbers." NPR's Bill Chappell writes that fans want the rich sound of vinyl, and they also love the liner notes and album … [Read more...]
Legendary Jazz Drummer Peter Erskine Makes La La Land Sing
Peter Erskine, legendary jazz drummer, and other L.A. session musicians poured their own experiences of trying to make a living playing jazz into the work they did on La La Land's soundtrack. Randall Roberts of the L.A. Times writes: Don’t judge, says Erskine. Asked what advice he’d give Seb, who in a defining scene is shown lazily playing rote versions of Christmas carols in a restaurant instead of the Thelonius Monk-inspired music that drives him, Erskine says, “Every playing opportunity informs the next one. You might learn something profound about just how to work with other musicians, … [Read more...]
Cold Duck Time
"Cold Duck Time" is on the album Swiss Movement by the Les McCann trio with saxophonist Eddie Harris and trumpeter Benny Bailey. It was recorded live on June 21,1969 at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. They learned the song earlier that day. Duck is a cheap sparkling wine. … [Read more...]
Before Bob Dylan there was Chuck Berry
Here’s a great tribute to Chuck Berry from Newport Daily News columnist Jim Gillis: You could argue that Chuck Berry, who died recently at age 90, helped invent rock ‘n’ roll. I’d throw Little Richard and Elvis in as well. Berry’s appearance at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival was rife with controversy—a rocker crashing a jazz event. This was seven years before Bob Dylan rocked out at the folk fest. You can see Berry in “Jazz on a Summer’s Day,” the documentary on the ’58 fest. Berry never traveled with a band. He gathered with whichever local band signed on (never providing a set … [Read more...]