Today is the birthday of French composer Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc, born in 1899. Poulenc has always had a special place in my heart ever since I first heard his music my first year at music school. Prior to my formal music studies my background had been in jazz and R&B. While I had a … Continue reading Francis Poulenc : Born today in 1899
Author: f. d. leone
Songwriter.
Wynton Marsalis : His Jazz Suites from the 1990s
Shortly after Wynton Marsalis burst on the scene in the 1980s, he and what was seen as his “agenda” became subjects of controversy. Just prior, the Jazz scene had experienced Free Jazz and Fusion, both of which were styles Marsalis and his fellow traveler Stanley Crouch opined were “outside the tradition” of Jazz. Two decades … Continue reading Wynton Marsalis : His Jazz Suites from the 1990s
Silvestre Revueltas: Mexican composer and conductor born today in 1899
"The music evokes pre-Columbian landscapes and images with a cinematic grandeur, sweep and colorfulness that go beyond the merely picturesque. The suite reaches its climax (in more ways than one) in the fourth section, "Night of Sorcery," featuring no fewer than a dozen percussion instruments--drums, gourds, rasps, even a conch shell--leading a Mayan sacrificial dance. … Continue reading Silvestre Revueltas: Mexican composer and conductor born today in 1899
Today is the birthday of Hans Abrahamsen and now playing is “Walden/Wald”
In a creative life of almost half a century, Hans Abrahamsen has more than once had the courage to stop, and the equal courage to start again – freshly, out of a clear reconsideration of where he was before. His allegiances are shown by the roll of composers whose works he has, as a master … Continue reading Today is the birthday of Hans Abrahamsen and now playing is “Walden/Wald”
Cristóbal de Morales : “Officium Defunctorum”- Jordi Savall
Cristóbal de Morales (c. 1500-1553) was a Spanish composer of the Renaissance. He is generally considered to be the one most influential Spanish composer, who, together with Tomás Luis de Victoria and Francisco Guerrero, is recognized as one of the three most important Spanish composers of the 16th century. Almost all of his music is … Continue reading Cristóbal de Morales : “Officium Defunctorum”- Jordi Savall
A Love Supreme : John Coltrane’s Statement of Faith
2015 marked the fiftieth anniversary from the release of John Coltrane's seminal recording A Love Supreme. This recording is unique in Coltrane's discography in that it was the first time he conceived the music as a four-part suite, broken up into tracks: "Acknowledgement" (which contains Coltrane chanting the phrase that gave the suite its name), "Resolution", "Pursuance", … Continue reading A Love Supreme : John Coltrane’s Statement of Faith
The Hilliard Ensemble : Says goodbye with “Il cor tristo”
One of the world’s finest vocal chamber groups, The Hilliard Ensemble has a formidable reputation in the fields of both early and new music. The program featured on their farewell recording exemplifies its distinctive style and highly developed musicianship in both repertoires. At its heart is a work commissioned by the ensemble from British contemporary … Continue reading The Hilliard Ensemble : Says goodbye with “Il cor tristo”
Vinicio Capossela : Marinai, Profeti e Balene
Vinicio Capossela (born 14 December 1965) is an Italian singer-songwriter. His style is strongly influenced by US singer and songwriter Tom Waits though it also draws from the traditions of Italian folk music. Capossela's lyrics are highly original and are often inspired by literary sources such as John Fante, Geoffrey Chaucer, Louis-Ferdinand Céline, Oscar Wilde, … Continue reading Vinicio Capossela : Marinai, Profeti e Balene
Mal Waldron & Archie Shepp Pay Tribute to Billie Holiday
Mal Waldron's first tribute to Billie Holiday, titled Left Alone, was recorded in 1959, mere months before the singer's death. He and tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp came together in 2002 to salute the legendary vocalist with the CD Left Alone Revisited which is likely to be his final tribute to Holiday. Waldron, who died within a year of making … Continue reading Mal Waldron & Archie Shepp Pay Tribute to Billie Holiday
A year in Jazz : 1959
Six albums were either recorded or released in 1959 that had historic importance, arguably more so than in any other single year: Kind of Blue - Miles Davis’s smoldering modal meditation which both broke with the past and set a new course for jazz. Giant Steps - John Coltrane’s last hard bop recording, released at … Continue reading A year in Jazz : 1959
Musica Kaleidoskopea 