Elise – Page 32

Enya | Exile

“Perhaps much of the derision directed at (Enya’s 1988 release) Watermark over the years has come thanks to the millstone around its neck – the entirely un-representative ‘Orinocho Flow’, with its icily plinking keys and lyrics ‘from the North to the South, Ebudæ into Khartoum / from the deep sea of Clouds to the island of the moon,'” (Quietus) “… For all its hundreds of thousands of sales, and the Top Of The Pops performance that made them, that track distracts from the quiet, clever grace of much of the rest of the album, which recalls traditional Celtic folk, sacred early music and world music – which, let us not forget, was then held in its stuffy, separate ghetto. To label and denigrate this as new age is lazy too – Enya herself dismissed the term as ‘marketing.’

… While a record with clear Celtic origins and Enya always proud of her roots, there’s no misty-eyed evoking of some shamrock ‘n’ leprechaun ‘auld country’ here, with songs delivered in English, Irish and Latin … ‘Exile’ (is a) gorgeous hymnal … gliding downstream on flute and organ drones.” On the negative side is ” … overproduction, with sometimes just a little too much 80s gloss and sheen on the strings and Enya’s vocals. Yet, essentially, Watermark is a deeply weird album in the context of its bright and garish era, and as well as that a strongly and confidently female album. It also stands out as a record inspired by spiritual music in a mainstream pop world that has in recent years chosen to end the centuries-old musical dialogue between the secular and religious, the sacred and profane.”

“Exile” begins in Db minor; after two verses, a chorus arrives (1:17) with a shift to Db major before a return to the original key for the next verse at 1:49. The alternating pattern continues from there.

Joe Perry Project | East Coast, West Coast

“As co-founding member, principal songwriter, electrifying lead guitarist and co-producer of Aerosmith … Joe Perry has achieved permanent iconic stature in the pantheon of rock,” (ArcadaLive). “He has helped to drive his band, over the course of three decades, to sales of more than 150 million albums, critical acclaim, four Grammy Awards … and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Perry’s work with Aerosmith has resulted in an unending array of accolades and honors. Beyond their Grammy Awards and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, other key milestones over the past 35 years include: 12 MTV Video Awards; two People’s Choice Awards; six Billboard Music Awards; eight American Music Awards; 23 Boston Music Awards; and an Academy Award nomination for Best Song, ‘I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing’ (from the soundtrack to Armageddon).”

During a hiatus from Aerosmith, Perry explored different facets of his sound with a new band, the Joe Perry Project. Their uptempo 1981 single, “East Coast, West Coast,” shifts from E major downward to C major during an instrumental verse (1:51 – 2:33). Many thanks to our regular contributor Rob P. for sending us this tune!

Tom T. Hall | I Love

“’Songwriters aren’t good songwriters,’ Tom T. Hall once said,” (HollerCountry). “‘People are good songwriters. You sit down as a person and write a song. If you’ve written a song by the time you stand back up, you’re a songwriter. But the person comes first.’

One of Hall’s simplest songs, ‘I Love,’ went on to be the most successful solo single of his career. The song is a softly sung, heart-warming list of everything that Hall loves about life, from baby ducks to pick-up trucks, squirrels to puppies, written in five minutes and recorded in two takes. ‘I invested a total of nine minutes into it, and it sold more than a million copies and was used in a Coors Light commercial.'” It was released in October 1973 “as the only single from the album For the People in the Last Hard Town,” (Billboard). “The song would be Hall’s most successful single and was his fourth number one on the US country singles chart, spending two weeks at the top and a total of 15 weeks on the chart.”

Starting in F major, the tune shifts up a half step at 1:58 to F# major. Many thanks to our regular contributor Rob P. for submitting this track!

Säje feat. Jacob Collier | In the Wee Small Hours

“The female vocal ensemble säje brought their ethereal, contemporary jazz to the Grammys recently, winning the award for best arrangement,” (KUOW.org). “Their winning song featuring Jacob Collier, ‘In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning,’ is off the group’s debut self-titled album, säje … You’re likely to find säje categorized as ‘jazz’ or ‘vocal jazz,’ … the group has been most influenced by Black American music. ‘There is a small subset of that in the jazz community that really prides itself on this concept of amplification of voices,’ vocalist Sarah Gazarek said. ‘Amplification of social issues. Intentional creation of music that means something beyond just romance and dreams, that is curious about music, that isn’t just nostalgic references.’

It’s that kind of support for each other and for underrepresented voices that makes säje what it is: an independent phenom. ‘It feels like so much of it is sort of gate-kept by these major labels and big publicists and big marketing machines,’ Gazarek said. ‘But at the end of the day, the majority of the music community is fighting tooth and nail. So, hopefully, that win felt like it was a win for [the independent music] community, because that’s the community that we inhabit.'”

“In the Wee Small Hours,” written in 1955 by David Mann with lyrics by Bob Hilliard, was first released by Frank Sinatra on his album of the same name. Säje’s version with Collier takes the original soft-spoken classic jazz ballad and deconstructs it further. The new arrangement’s rubato whisper is accompanied only by Collier’s piano. The transcription video shows where the several key changes occur within the arrangement, but the the video of the studio recording session is a must-see!

Don Henley | Dirty Laundry

“’Dirty Laundry’ is one of Don Henley’s greatest hits—but it doesn’t come without controversy,” (American Songwriter). “The song, co-written by Henley and session musician Danny Kortchmar, was released in 1982 as the second single off his debut solo album, I Can’t Stand Still. The lyrics take aim at mass media, proclaiming how people love dirty laundry. But the second verse is particularly scathing, as Henley sings, We got the bubble-headed bleached-blonde / Comes on at five / She can tell you ’bout the plane crash with a gleam in her eye / It’s interesting when people die / Give us dirty laundry.

‘Dirty Laundry’ holds no punches when it comes to Henley’s opinion about sensationalism in news, especially. ‘I’m a news junkie, I watch the news a lot,’ the Eagles frontman said in a 1990 interview. ‘I got tired of seeing these talking heads up there stripping people of their dignity. I got tired of the sensationalism of the death of certain celebrities,’ he said, referencing the deaths of high-profile figures including Marilyn Monroe, John Belushi, and Elvis Presley … ‘Dirty Laundry’ became Henley’s first #1 hit as a solo artist. It reached the top of the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.”

The song featured a star-studded personnel list, including Henley’s Eagles bandmates Timothy B. Schmidt and Joe Walsh and Toto’s Steve Porcaro, Jeff Porcaro, and Steve Lukather. Given that the song is one of Henley’s most static in terms of repetition of melody and chord progression, the whole-step key change arrives with a bang at 3:39.

Josep Castanyer Alonso | Never Gonna GiFugue Up

“(Cellist) Josep Castanyer Alonso has been a member of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra since 2019,” (from the Orchestra’s website). “… He has performed in several festivals and attended different academies, such as the Verbier Festival in Switzerland or the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, Italy, with mentors such as András Schiff, Lynn Harrell, Ferenc Rados, Gustav Rivinius, Wen-Sinn Yang or Gábor Takács-Nagy.

Performing regularly in different chamber music groups, Alonso has as well been a member of the Alinde Quartett. He is also frequently involved in other chamber music projects with colleagues, from the WDR Symphony Orchestra in Cologne, the Vienna Philharmonic, the Staatskapelle Dresden, and the vast German and European orchestral scene. He was a student of the RSPO Orchestra Academy and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, and he was the first student of this academy to become a member of the orchestra.”

From Alonso’s description of the video, which bearrs the subtitle A 4-voice fugue, but you got rickrolled: “… the contrapuntal throwback takes us to the ’80s with Rick Astley’s hit ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ — famous in its day and even more popular thanks to Internet meme culture and the “rick-rolling” frenzy of the early 2000s. I’ve developed the irritatingly infectious short initial motive of the tune into a 4-voice fugue, showcasing the structure with motion graphics and light-hearted commentary …” The piece shifts from D major to F# minor from 0:57 – 1:33. Of Alonso’s wonderful piano technique (in addition to his stellar composition chops), our regular contributor JB added, “It’s kind of dumbfounding that piano is just a hobby for him.”

Thank You, Sergio Mendes (1941 – 2024)

“There’s a word in English that I love: Serendipity. That’s the story of my life.”

– Sergio Mendes

“Serendipity and joy are two common threads that weave throughout the staggeringly diverse tapestry of music that Sergio Mendes has created over his remarkable six-decade career,” (SergioMendesMusic.com). “One of the most internationally successful Brazilian artists of all time, Mendes has recorded more than 35 albums, many of which went gold or platinum. He’s a three-time Grammy Award winner, Oscar-nominated songwriter and the subject of a joyful 2020 feature documentary.

From his pioneering contributions to the foundations of bossa nova alongside the likes of Antonio Carlos Jobim, through the era-defining Latin-pop sound of his iconic group Brasil ’66; his scintillating collaborations with jazz legends like Cannonball Adderley and Herbie Mann to his chart-topping adult contemporary smash ‘Never Gonna Let You Go;’ on through his 21st-century reinvention with the Black-Eyed Peas and John Legend or his Oscar-nominated theme song from the animated hit Rio: an infectious spirit of joy pervades everything Mendes has ushered into the ears of listeners.”

We have featured many tunes by Mendes, who passed away this week, over the years. In his memory (though it’s very difficult to choose just one tune), we offer his collaboration with his fellow countryman Hermeto Pascoal, “Pipoca.” Though short in length, the track reflects Mendes’ positivity; his masterful use of the textures, colors, and shifting rhythms of Brazil; buoyant vocals (in this case, universally wordless); and the ever-present contemporary flair which pushed his music forward.

This 1992 track, which we initially featured in 2018, starts off with a tumbling, mischievous feel, throwing us its first modulation at only 0:16 (!) after a playful ascending chromatic run. The intro sets the scene for key changes which continue to to turn on a dime as they arrive frequently throughout the track.

Sure Fire Soul Ensemble | La Fachada

“If you are a fan of the organ (and we know you are), gritty funk, and beautiful original soundtracks, these guys are for you,” (Cole Mine Records). “The SFSE is a heavy, original, instrumental soul band based out of San Diego, CA that released their debut self-titled album on Colemine Records in June of 2015.”

“The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble rock an instrumental style of soul and funk with a long history, drawing upon contemporaries like Budos Band and El Michels Affair, then going back through a lineage that includes Poets of Rhythm, The Meters, and The Bar-Kays … It’s a gritty and raw style of funk …” (Scratched Vinyl). “SFSE is a large group, with three percussionists, three horn players, keyboards, bass, guitar, and drums, which gives them a nice full sound. Of course, it only makes sense to rock a group this big if you can be tight enough to make it worth it … SFSE lay(s) down grooves that will have you bobbing your head and making stank face …”

The SFSE’s 2022 track “La Fachada” begins in Bb minor, shifts to a strings tremolo feature section in Gb major at 0:28, and then drops into a horns-driven section built on a spicy Cb augmented chord at 0:50. These sections alternate until a bridge section in C major appears (1:59 – 2:20) before returning to the regular rotation.

Jamie Cullum | All At Sea

UK singer/songwriter/pianist Jamie Cullum, “… mostly self-taught, began playing in a rock band at age 15,” (Brittanica). “He soon became attracted to jazz and began playing and singing it in bars and on cruise ships. He spent a year in Paris and then attended the University of Reading, England, where he studied film and English, composed music, and acted … His second album, Pointless Nostalgic … became such a favorite on British radio that … major labels fought a bidding war to sign him. His singing and playing, which evoked swing and ballad moods rather than rock, were an anomaly in the pop music of the day, but the CD sold 2,000,000 units, 400,000 of them in the United States.” Twentysomething reached top three in the UK, and the Netherlands; it scored top 100 status in most of Europe and the USA.

“… This is not a jazz album in the unapproachable sense – there are Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Buckley covers here (CLUAS.com, 2004) … This is a bona fide listenable and enjoyable opus. Jamie Cullum is not your typical jazz pianist or singer … he straddles genres for fun. This is certainly not a jazz-only album … the end result is surprisingly great.”

The single “All At Sea,” wasn’t a big hit by any stretch of the imagination, but received slow but steady airplay in the US (Cullum’s success seems better measured through the relative success of his full albums as opposed to his singles). Built in Eb major overall, the tune’s bridge (2:44 – 3:26) is in Ab minor; then Eb makes its return. The 2015 live version below includes an extended Billy Joel quote in its closing bars, demonstrating the breadth of Cullum’s improvisatory sensibilities. The studio version benefits from a full instrumentation and vocal harmonies — but Cullum’s dense voicings, sharpened vocal and piano technique, and absolutely unsinkable time make the solo version more than a full portion.

Jonatha Brooke | Glass Half Empty

“Jonatha Brooke is one of those artists whose name always sounds familiar … but whose music you may not be familiar with … though, frankly, you really should be,” (Popdose). “She’s a talented singer-songwriter who first got her career rolling in the early ’90s as a member of a duo called The Story, with collaborator Jennifer Kimball, but Brooke soon stood on her own two feet and has trotted out album after album … some on major labels, some on indies … to critical acclaim and a decidedly diehard following.”

In a 2001 interview, Brooke held forth on the seismic shift in the music industry brought set in motion by Napster and file sharing. She had a front-row seat to both the “before” and “after” cultures of this shift: “‘… it still breaks my heart that music has been so devalued and I think labels — especially the majors — are the worst culprits at not defending the value of art, of music. And because songs are the easiest, tiniest files to steal at this point, the cat’s out of the bag. But I think it comes down to no one being educated as to what really goes into doing what someone like me does … yeah, there are tons of opportunities and great ways to network and share stuff on the Internet, but it’s hard making a living … you have to seek out gazillions of other revenue streams because records just don’t sell the way they used to.'”

1997’s 10-Cent Wings, an early solo effort, was well reviewed: “ … essential, like taking a deep breath after witnessing something magnificent,” (Billboard). “Glass Half Empty,” a mid-tempo track, is quintessential Brooke: polished musicianship, unpredictable and rangy melodies, a rich harmonic vocabulary, and lyrics that are likely to feed an earworm for days on end. You could search for a frayed edge in Brooke’s songwriting, but instead you’re too engaged in the narrative, the mood, or the shifting textures to even start. The intro and verses are in A minor overall (with a shift in emphasis to C major at times); the chorus throws some grit in the gears, shifting to G minor (1:28). Next is a return to the lighter tread of the interlude and then the next verse at 1:50, both in A minor. The alternating pattern continues from there.