Hallelujah. . .

 

(from wikipedia.com)
"Hallelujah" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, originally released on his album Various Positions (1984). Achieving little initial success, the song found greater popular acclaim through a cover by John Cale, which later formed the basis for a cover by Jeff Buckley. It is the subject of the book The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley & the Unlikely Ascent of "Hallelujah" (2012) by Alan Light. In a New York Times review of this, Janet Maslin praises the book and the song, noting that "Cohen spent years struggling with his song 'Hallelujah.' . . . He wrote perhaps as many as 80 verses before paring the song down." Many cover versions have been performed by many and various singers, both in recordings and in concert, with over 300 versions known. The song has been used in film and television soundtracks, and televised talent contests. It is often called one of the greatest songs of all-time

In 2004, k.d. lang recorded a version of "Hallelujah" on her album Hymns of the 49th Parallel. She has since sung it at several major events, such as at the Canadian Juno Awards of 2005, where it "brought the audience to its feet for a two-minute ovation." Lang also sang it at the 2006 Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame when Cohen was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Cohen's partner, singer Anjani Thomas, said: "After hearing k.d. lang perform that song at the Canadian Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2006 we looked at each other and said, 'well, I think we can lay that song to rest now! It's really been done to its ultimate blissful state of perfection'." Lang sang it at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, before a claimed TV audience of three billion.

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Kind. . .

. . . words and the usual clever prose. . .

. . . of Mr. Rod Deacey, Frederick, MD music impresario, singer, songwriter, bluesman and all-around good guy.

". . .The gonzo piano prelude this Monday will be played by piano fitness instructor ROCKIN’ RAY JOZWIAK, who comes to Brewer’s Alley once a month to keep those black and white keys in shape – he is one of the few pianists to play for us to actually use all the keys, often in the same piece! If our embryonic grand had real strings, he would be climbing under the hood to search for quarter- tones and to make other Keith Jarrett-like noises, but it’s all electronic, so he has to make do with including as many extra notes as he can cram in. Incidentally, besides being a gonzo pianist, Ray is an accomplished classical composer, and is also able to pass for a normal person for the most part... As per usual, the benefits of an early arrival are good seats for the evening, as well as being able to see and hear the entire prelude... You can come upstairs at 7:15 pm (maybe 5 minutes or so earlier than that if we’re ready; performers can come up when they arrive). . . "

Brewer’s Alley Songwriters’ Showcase this Monday, March 18
Brewer's Alley Restaurant & Brewery
(take the elevator on the right to the 2nd floor)
124 North Market Street Frederick, MD 21701
Telephone: 301-631-0089 Fax: 301-631-1874
http://www.brewers-alley.com/

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Genius?. . .

 . . . well maybe. . . but even if NOT. . . certainly one of the most creative, uncompromising, free-thinking artists. . .

 . . . of this (and last) century . . .

(from wikipedia.com)
". . . Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American composer, singer-songwriter, guitarist, recording engineer, music producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album covers. Zappa produced almost all of the more than 60 albums he released with the band The Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist. While in his teens, he acquired a taste for 20th-century classical composers such as Edgard Varèse, Igor Stravinsky, and Anton Webern along with 1950s rhythm and blues music. He began writing classical music in high school, while at the same time playing drums in rhythm and blues bands; he later switched to electric guitar.

Zappa was a self-taught composer and performer, and his diverse musical influences led him to create music that was often difficult to categorize. His 1966 debut album with the Mothers of Invention, Freak Out!, combined songs in conventional rock and roll format with collective improvisations and studio-generated sound collages. His later albums shared this eclectic and experimental approach, irrespective of whether the fundamental format was rock, jazz or classical. His lyrics—often humorously—reflected his iconoclastic view of established social and political processes, structures and movements. He was a strident critic of mainstream education and organized religion, and a forthright and passionate advocate for freedom of speech, self-education, political participation and the abolition of censorship.

He was a highly productive and prolific artist and gained widespread critical acclaim. He had some commercial success, particularly in Europe, and for most of his career was able to work as an independent artist. He also remains a major influence on musicians and composers. Zappa was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. Zappa was married to Kathryn J. "Kay" Sherman from 1960 to 1964. In 1967, he married Adelaide Gail Sloatman, with whom he remained until his death from prostate cancer in 1993. They had four children: Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet Emuukha Rodan and Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen. . . "

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Tired . . .

. . . of hearing of . . .

 Romney's misrepresenting Obama's welfare plan.   The need for fact-checkers.  Serious and terminal illness, helplessness and grief.  Willful ignorance.  Political polarization.  The approaching end of summer.  Droning, monotone, musically elementary folk singers who are hugely popular.  Office politics.  Lack of leadership.  Bad poetry.  Higher prices.  Senseless killing.  Theistic religions with archaic tenets.  Endless, mindless drivel from the media about stupid people who have money but no sense. 

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The time has come. . .

. . . to sing a traveling song. . .

 Johnny Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Although he is primarily remembered as a country music artist, his songs and sound spanned many other genres including rockabilly and rock and roll—especially early in his career—as well as blues, folk, and gospel. This crossover appeal led to Cash being inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Late in his career, Cash covered songs by several rock artists.

Cash was known for his deep, distinctive bass-baritone voice; for the "boom-chicka-boom" sound of his Tennessee Three backing band; for his rebelliousness, coupled with an increasingly somber and humble demeanor; for providing free concerts inside prison walls; and for his dark performance clothing, which earned him the nickname "The Man in Black". He traditionally started his concerts by saying, "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash." and usually following it up with his standard "Folsom Prison Blues."

Much of Cash's music, especially that of his later career, echoed themes of sorrow, moral tribulation and redemption.  His signature songs include "I Walk the Line", "Folsom Prison Blues", "Ring of Fire", "Get Rhythm" and "Man in Black". He also recorded humorous numbers, including "One Piece at a Time" and "A Boy Named Sue"; a duet with his future wife, June Carter, called "Jackson"; as well as railroad songs including "Hey, Porter" and "Rock Island Line".

Cash, a troubled but devout Christian,has been characterized as a "lens through which to view American contradictions and challenges." A Biblical scholar,  he penned a Christian novel titled Man in White, and he made a spoken word recording of the entire New King James Version of the New Testament.  Even so, Cash declared that he was "the biggest sinner of them all", and viewed himself overall as a complicated and contradictory man. Accordingly, Cash is said to have "contained multitudes", and has been deemed "the philosopher-prince of American country music".

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Not popular, definitely better. . .

. . . than most.

Artist Profile: Jazz Singer Johnny Hartman
By Jacob Teichroew, About.com Guide

Johnny Hartman
Born: July 23rd, 1923 in Chicago, Illinois as John Maurice Hartman
Died: September 15th, 1983

The Struggling Balladeer:
Despite his talents, jazz singer Johnny Hartman struggled to maintain a thriving career. Hartman caught a couple of big breaks during his life that seemed to show promise, but the racial and cultural milieu during his active years were such that he never earned the recognition he deserved while he was still alive.

Hartman’s first big opportunity came after he won a singing competition at age 17 in a Chicago supper club. The prize was a brief engagement with Earl Hines’ big band. Hines, whose band cultivated the talents of bebop stars such as Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, invited Hartman to join the group for a longer period.

Bebop: Not the Right Fit:
Hartman, whose strengths were his dulcet vocal timbre, emotional nuances, and meticulous phrasing, did not entirely fit into the bebop scene. He left Hines’ band to sing in Gillespie’s big band, but abandoned it in 1949 for a solo career.

Hartman distinguished himself from the majority of jazz singers in the 1950s by rejecting conventions such as scat singing and modifying standard songs. He prided himself on staying close to original melodies, allowing the lyrics to guide his musical interpretation. Some argue that for this reason, Hartman’s potential was squelched by promoters who weren’t interested in supporting a black musician who sounded thoughtful, intelligent, and romantic.

John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman:
Hartman barely got through the 1950s as a solo artist, but got another big break in 1963. That year he recorded John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (Impulse!), an album of ballads including Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life.” On the record, Hartman employs his rich baritone voice to convey the melancholia of various love songs. Hardly straying from the melodies, Hartman’s approach evidently inspired John Coltrane to do the same. The two complement each other perfectly, and the album is one of the best jazz vocal albums ever made.

While Hartman’s reputation got a boost after his work with Coltrane, he could not sustain it. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, when rock music pushed romantic jazz out of the mainstream, Hartman refused to compromise, recording jazz with bands led by Oliver Nelson and Gerald Wilson. His 1980 album Once in Every Life (Bee Hive), was nominated for a Grammy in 1981, but that was the last hint of promise in his career. He died in 1983 of lung cancer.

In part thanks to Clint Eastwood’s 1996 movie, The Bridges of Madison County, which uses recordings of Hartman in the romantic scenes, Johnny Hartman started to achieve posthumously the acclaim that he deserved while still active.




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You don't know Jack. . .

. . . but you should know Doug.

Doug Alan Wilcox, the Hagerstown (formerly Frederick) singer/songwriter/bard/guitarist/entertainer/excellent human being who offers his melodic musical compositions to you via live performance and cds. . . his newest of which is called WHAT I MEANT TO SAY. And you can hear it on his website by clicking on the hyperlink below.

Not only is Doug the creative musician par excellence, he is a board member of the Frederick Acoustic Music Enterprise promoting local original music and musicians.



Visit Doug's Website

Doug Alan Wilcox with Ray Jozwiak, Frederick Coffee Company, June 11 @ 8PM


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