Infidel music: playlist #1
Since Charles Johnson is still publishing audio playlists on LGF, and I’m too busy right now to write anything meaningful, I thought I’d take a stab at uploading my own playlist. It seems Charles is a bit of a jazz head, and coincidentally so is yours truly. I was pleased to find on imeem dot com some of my favorites in that infidel genre, and I’ve assembled a few of them here.
The “#1″ in the title does not mean there’s more of this sort of thing coming, but on the other hand I may indeed make “infidel music” an occasional feature when there’s a thematically relevant reason for playing music. You’ll find I can make out of almost anything a thematic link to the jihad, and of course all forms of free self- expression— notably and especially our art and music—are endangered by Islamic radicalism. But right now, I’m not trying to be relevant. I’m just playing with my new publishing platform.
A few personal comments on these tunes are in order:
- Charles Johnson seems to like the Yellowjackets. “Mile High” is one of their “greatest hits.”
- The tune for “Why Should I Care” was composed by Clint Eastwood. Yes, THAT Clint Eastwood. This particular Diana Krall performance was showcased in his movie True Crime, and she later appended it at the end of one of her albums.
- The Hancock cut is from Herbie’s album, so he gets the billing, but that’s obviously Stevie Wonder singing “St. Louie Blues,” and that’s also Stevie on harmonica and Hammond B3.
- Bill Evans recorded and performed “Emily” countless times, but this celebrated cut is notable.
- That’s jazz great Ernie Watts of Tonight Show band fame on tenor sax on the “Oleo” cut. In the early nineties I was Ernie’s keyboardist at two concerts he headlined (one a Midwestern jazz festival that got a lot of air play). Ernie has performed and recorded with everyone from Monk to the Rolling Stones, but he’s best known for his long affiliation with Doc Severinsen and for his sax work on the Ghostbusters and Sanford and Sons themes.
While you yet can, enjoy—before the jihadists turn off the lights.
14 comments
Nice work. You be stylin’. Now, how about appending some of your own performances?
Thanks, Darryl. I hope you enjoyed some of it. I’ll get around to some real work by and by.
Right now, you know what time it is. It’s tax time! Oy.
As for my own stuff, I don’t have anything I can readily convert to MP3, but it’s something I’m thinking about for the future, admittedly. In fact, my mind is racing with possibilities.
Thanks for asking.
HAID
Haid, this is cool. I have imeem, too, thanks to Charles (Where I post as Jauhara) but I haven’t loaded it. I like jazz, too, especially the late Maynard Ferguson. I think I will upload the Live at Jimmy’s album. Ya like yerself some Maynard, Haider?
Hey, Scherzo. Thanks for stopping by. I just got this blog up and running and opened it up to search only yesterday.
Believe it or not, I actually played with the great Maynard Ferguson back in roughly 1975, before he was very well known in the US. I was a performance major at the time, and my piano teacher was scheduled to play the gig, but he took ill and recommended me. Maynard was extremely gracious to me, and it was a scintillating concert. We did a bunch of Stan Kenton stuff, I recall. I’ll never forget it, and it remains one of the highlights of my (now defunct) musical career.
Thanks also, therefore, for the exhilarating stroll down Memory Lane.
Regards,
HAID
Oh. My. Golly. Gee, Haid. I am in the presence of former greatness! Did you play with Bruce Johnstone?
Haider, I saw Maynard in 1976, I saw Stan Kenton before he died, too. I got to see Buddy Rich, and Mel Lewis and Toshiko Akiyoshi. In Seattle at the Paramount. I was in stage band at Eisenhower H.S. in 76, and we took field trips to Seattle every month to see the hottest big bands. Man oh man, such glorious memories.
No. I never played with Johnstone, nor with most other legends, for that matter. I have also heard in person all those guys you mentioned, except Stan Kenton.
If you like bari players, however, I have a great story for you. Many years ago I had the chance to catch Gerry Mulligan, even though tickets were hard to come by because it was a tiny venue. The quartet opened with “Autumn Leaves,” and they were smoking. An old couple in front of me chatted through the entire tune, and by the time each member had soloed on multiple “rides” and they had traded fours a few times to boot, I was amply annoyed.
Just as I was about to bang the old timers’ heads together, the band restated the head to close the tune out. At this point, the old bag suddenly recognizes the song and exclaims to her hubby, “Listen, Harold. They’re still playing ‘The Falling Leaves.’” LOL.
I didn’t find it funny at the time. I was young, dumb, and full of you know what, and it just pissed me off big time. So when the last note sounded, I leaned my head in between theirs and I said, “If you don’t like this kind of music, you’re welcome to leave and then I won’t have to pour my beer down your backs.” They left immediately, and I enjoyed the rest of the concert.
I’m a lot mellower now, admittedly.
Ugggh! The story of my father’s life as a jazz musician. Always with the yak-yak. People who want to talk during a performance where the artists and the audience doesn’t care, should just go to the movies.
Oh, and Evans version of Emily is one of my favorites. In fact, I named my firstborn Emily, after this song, as sung by Singers Unlimited
what, no tupac b?
What’s a tupac?
Nice, Haid! Way better than listening to talk radio on the internet:)) Glad I came over and checked you out from you-know-where!
Hi, Presley. Nice of you to stop by.
Don’t remind me about talk radio–another one of my addictions (almost as bad as hanging out at you-know-where).
Regards,
HAID
A tupac is a hairpiece for both the head and the rear end….if you’re into that sort of thing, Haid.