by Nick DeRiso Every so often, a singer gets so dispirited, laid so low, that he’s simply got to talk back to the blues. I love those songs. Think Billie Holiday’s “Good Morning Heartache,” and this one — recorded by Jimmy Rushing with a sizzling early edition of the Count Basie Orchestra. Included on the Decca date are Lester Young [...]
by Nick DeRiso Bassist Charles Mingus, an enlightening yet stormy presence, clearly felt he had unfinished business with some of his earlier work. So, he used “Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus” and a move to the more creatively open Impulse! label to take another pass at them. That turned into a dramatic remodeling project for Mingus. In fact, he rips [...]
by Nick DeRiso A player of both strength and generosity, Louis Armstrong’s influence — as a soloist, as a pioneer who moved folk music into the realm of artistry, as a personality — remains incalcuable nearly four decades after his death. There are lines you could draw: No Armstrong, no Lester Young. No Lester Young, no Charlie Parker. No Charlie [...]
by Nick DeRiso Billie Holiday’s voice, fragile and thin at the end, belied the strong-willed fighter she always was. This record, dotted with tunes she’d once owned two decades before as a bubbly bird in front of big bands, makes the argument for her. By the mid-1950s, the hard-living Holiday had lost some dexterity, but none of her gumption. Few [...]
Don’t Miss A Thing
Bad Behavior has blocked 4321 access attempts in the last 7 days.
RSS
E-mail
Twitter
Facebook
Myspace
Something Else loves these
Comments