Harold Budd cites not music but visual art (in particular, the abstract expressionists Mark Tobey and Jackson Pollock) as his chief inspiration, although the notion that he's somehow immune to the thrill of music isn't true. As a teenager, he fell in love with the electrifying sound of bebop and went on to play drums … Continue reading Harold Budd : utterly no interest in labels
Author: f. d. leone
Songwriter.
Guy Clark dies at 74
Best known as one of the great songwriters of the 20th century, Clark took unassuming characters and mundane happenings and projected them into narratives with epic scope. Among Texas songwriters, only Willie Nelson and Townes Van Zandt compare to Clark, who died at age 74 Tuesday morning at his Nashville home, after a long illness. Guy … Continue reading Guy Clark dies at 74
Two Pop Masterpieces Turn 50 Today : Pet Sounds & Blonde on Blonde
Both recordings were released on May 16, 1966, fifty years ago today. One a ground breaking aural masterpiece which broke the mold of what a rock band might aspire toward with album length work; the other an impressive combination of roots rock and Shakespearian imagery. Brian Wilson’s Pet Sounds inspired The Beatles and countless other … Continue reading Two Pop Masterpieces Turn 50 Today : Pet Sounds & Blonde on Blonde
Shelby Lynne : A long and winding road leading to artistic fulfillment
Shelby Lynne was destined to be a singer. Born a singer. She was raised in rural Alabama by musical parents who stressed individuality and the importance of standing apart from others. Lynne was born Shelby Lynne Moorer in Quantico, Virginia, in 1968 and spent most of her childhood in Jackson, Alabama. Her father was a … Continue reading Shelby Lynne : A long and winding road leading to artistic fulfillment
Remembering Steven Stucky : Gentle yet powerful influence
“One kind of artist is always striving to annihilate the past,” composer Steven Stucky once wrote, “to make the world anew in each new work, and so to triumph over the dead weight of routine. I am the other kind . . . who only sees his way forward by standing on the shoulders of those who … Continue reading Remembering Steven Stucky : Gentle yet powerful influence
Morton Feldman’s Piano and String Quartet
A major figure in 20th-century music, Morton Feldman was a pioneer of indeterminate music, a development associated with the experimental New York School of composers also including John Cage, Christian Wolff, and Earle Brown. Feldman's works are characterized by notational innovations that he developed to create his characteristic sound: rhythms that seem to be free … Continue reading Morton Feldman’s Piano and String Quartet
Andrew Hill : uniquely gifted composer, pianist and educator
Whenever the thumbnail sketch of the 1960s American jazz avant-garde is drawn, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Cecil Taylor or Sun Ra appear in the foreground - and even a half-dozen other faces might materialize before that of Andrew Hill, who died at age 75 of lung cancer on this date in 2007. A uniquely gifted … Continue reading Andrew Hill : uniquely gifted composer, pianist and educator
Merle Haggard dies today at age 79
I wrote the following article earlier today before it was announced that Merle Haggard had died. Very, very sad loss. He was one of a kind and a songwriter and musician of unparalleled excellence. "Merle Haggard has always been as deep as deep gets," Bob Dylan told Rolling Stone in 2009. "Totally himself. Herculean. Even too … Continue reading Merle Haggard dies today at age 79
Bob Dylan’s Amazing Multimedia Late Career Work
Until recently it could have been argued that Bob Dylan peaked in the Sixties. The series of albums he released from 1962-1966 stands as one of the greatest achievements in American music. Then he confused his fans and critics with his next few recordings, the frustration climaxing with the release of Self-Portrait in 1970. It … Continue reading Bob Dylan’s Amazing Multimedia Late Career Work
Ornette Coleman : Artist of the Century
When Ornette Coleman passed away last year at the age of 85 there was much written about his life, career and impact. Today is his birthday, and I wish to mark the day by repeating some of those remembrances and listening his music, which is his true legacy. Joe Lovano Saxophonist From an early age … Continue reading Ornette Coleman : Artist of the Century
Musica Kaleidoskopea 