Elise – Page 69

George Michael | Cowboys and Angels

After his breakthrough as 1980s pop/dance royalty with his duo Wham!, UK artist George Michael later released the smash hit 1987 solo release Faith. The album became Billboard‘s #1 Album of 1988 and won multiple top industry awards in the UK, the US, Japan, and more, selling more than 20 million copies worldwide. The album also spawned the iconic black-and-white video for the single “Father Figure,” which went on to win many more awards of its own.

In the wake of the mammoth success of Faith, Michael released the unexpectedly understated Listen Without Prejudice, Volume 1 in 1990. Michael didn’t officially come out as a gay man until 1998, but his sexual orientation was nonetheless an open secret. Pitchfork reported: “Something was happening that autumn to gay artists closeted from their fans … In its original form, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 was the follow-up that Faith demanded; in this new incarnation, it’s a miscellany unruffled by notions of coherence, an attempt to make art out of George Michael’s quarrels with himself. Never again would these quarrels work to such bounteous ends.” Michael went on to release several more albums through 2004, but was felled by heart failure on Christmas Day 2016 at the age of only 53.

The fast jazz waltz feel of “Cowboys and Angels” beautifully supports Michael’s broad harmonic sense, lyrical melody, and adroit arranging. Meanwhile, the lyrics traverse one of his favorite themes: the possibility of finding true romance and companionship despite great odds. The barely submerged subtext: spiking HIV fatalities, which wouldn’t see a peak for a few more years, muddied the waters yet further. The track was the first of Michael’s singles to miss the UK top 40 charts, peaking at #45.

Starting in Bb minor, the tune shifts to C minor at 2:37, reverts to Bb minor at 3:01, and drops into a clear emphasis on the relative major (Db) for a bridge at 4:57. More repetition of sections follows, ending in C minor.

Berklee Valencia Summit Sessions | Um Dia Mais

A group of students and faculty at Berklee College of Music’s campus in Valencia Spain collaborated on composing, arranging, recording, and engineering the track “Um Dia Mais” (One More Day).

According to the Youtube video posting, “‘Um Dia Mais’ is a song that combines experiential vignettes from different perspectives on the meaning of ‘a new morning.’ It is a song about hope, opportunity to start over, appreciating your surroundings, and seizing your day. The song was composed, recorded, and mixed during a three-day workshop, Summit Sessions: Ready, Set, Record!, which included a songwriting session led by Berklee faculty Viktorija Pilatovic; a production session led by artist, producer, and composer Magda Giannikou; and a recording session led by Giannikou and engineered by recording and mix engineer/audio technician Pablo Schuller.“

Featuring a 4/4 feel rooted in jazz fusion and infused with Brazilian flourishes, the tune begins in C minor but shifts to E minor for the chorus (1:00) before returning to C minor for the second verse (1:19). 1:56 brings a second chorus in E minor, continuing the pattern. An extended bridge begins at 2:34, initially in E minor but shifting to Bb minor at 2:53. At 3:11, we’ve returned to the E minor chorus, but at 3:30, we dive into an outro: a new 5/8 time signature serves as a compelling backdrop for a brief but wide-ranging keyboard solo; the vocal line, centered largely around one note, hovers and darts like a hummingbird.

Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach | In the Darkest Place

“‘Alfie,’ ‘What the World Needs Now,’ ‘That’s What Friends Are For’ — the list goes on,” reports NPR. “He’s written 73 Top 40 hits, along with musical comedies and other collaborations. He’s won Oscars and the Gershwin Prize. His songs are often poised on the edge between poignancy and joy, or sometimes the reverse.”

Trunkworthy describes 1998’s Painted from Memory, a collaboration between Bacharach and Elvis Costello, as bringing out the best in both songwriters: ” … it makes perfect sense that collaborating with one of (Costello’s) biggest influences would result in one of the most meticulously arranged albums in his entire career … Painted From Memory feels like Elvis deliberately writing from the viewpoint of someone who isn’t him but whom he hopes may be you … the songwriting on this record feels very much in the spirit of professionalism: exercises in manipulation, in putting feelings and words together such that they channel a universality which transcends the limitations of any one person’s experience … The sum of this artistic one + one is more than strictly musical. By coming together when they did, each man underwent a kind of recalibration whereby the sheen of kitsch acquired by Bacharach’s body of work since his ’60s heyday was stripped away, and Costello, then in his mid-40s, shed the last lingering remnants of his image as an angry young man.” The composition process between the songwriters ties the album indelibly to the 1990s: the tunes were written through multiple drafts sent back and forth via transatlantic FAX.

Bacharach’s harmonic sense is enough of a feast for any listener, but he brings more to the table. Early in his career, Bacharach studied composition and orchestration with Darius Milhaud, a French composer known for a melange of jazz and Brazilian sounds combined with more traditional classical structures. Milhaud, a member of the informal yet influential guild of composers (Les Six) bound together by a reverence for Eric Satie, likely had a sizeable influence on Bacharach. Bacharach’s comfort with an orchestral palette is at the forefront with “In the Darkest Place,” including a doleful initial hook featuring bass flute, followed by strings, muted trumpet, oboe, etc.

Largely in A minor, there’s a harmonic fake-out (1:49 – 1:54) which turns out to be only a false hint of a modulation. However, the outro shifts to A major at 3:22.

Aaron Copland | Appalachian Spring, movement 2

“As the composer recalled at an 81st birthday celebration held at the Library of Congress,” reports NPR, “on the same tiny stage where ‘Appalachian Spring’ premiered in 1944…’I was really putting Martha Graham to music. I had seen her dancing so many times, and I had a sense of her personality as a creative office. I had — really in front of my mind I wasn’t thinking about the Appalachians or even spring. So that I had no title for it. It was a ballet for Martha, was actually the subtitle that I had.’

By the time he received the $500 commission to create his ballet for Martha Graham, Aaron Copland was one of America’s most important composers. Throughout the 1920s and early ’30s, he created work in a modernist style, music that was prickly and angular, frequently utilizing elements of jazz. But by the early ’40s, he moved towards a more populist style, with such pieces as ‘Fanfare for the Common Man,’ ‘Lincoln Portrait’ and ‘Rodeo.'”

In an interview with the BBC, Copland said he made use of folk music was because it was free. “The principal attraction for me in a folk song was that it was an easy way to sound American.” The piece premiered in October 1944. The Graham company toured with the ballet; on 1945’s V-E Day, Copland won a Pulitzer Prize for the work.

Beginning in A major, movement 2 of “Appalachian Spring” transitions to C major at 0:26, but reverts to A major at 0:48. By 1:28, F major is in play, and not for the last time — and the movement touches on other keys as well.

Here’s the entire piece, conducted by the composer in 1980:

David Bowie | Word On a Wing

According to Songfacts, “Bowie explained on the VH1 Storytellers series that he penned this song as a prayer to see him through the period when a debilitating coke addiction had him flirting with fascism and black magic. Bowie told the NME that the crunch point came when he was filming the Nicholas Roeg film, The Man Who Fell to Earth. ‘There were days of such psychological terror when making the Roeg film that I nearly started to approach my reborn, born again thing. It was the first time I’d really seriously thought about Christ and God in any depth, and ‘Word on a Wing’ was a protection. It did come as a complete revolt against elements that I found in the film.'” Bowie was reportedly unable to remember having made the 1976 album Station To Station, which featured the track.

“Abandoning any pretense of being a soulman,” opines AllMusic, “yet keeping rhythmic elements of soul, David Bowie positions himself as a cold, clinical crooner and explores a variety of styles … what ties it together is Bowie’s cocaine-induced paranoia and detached musical persona. At its heart, Station to Station is an avant-garde art-rock album … “

“Word on a Wing” is a surprisingly staid mid-tempo track among Bowie’s rangy 400-song catalog. Although the primary chord progression throughout the verses is a straightforward I-IV-V, several shifts in tonality enter the mix (starting at 1:55).

Sergio Mendes | Lapinha

Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66‘s “smash formula,” according to AllMusic, was “cover versions of pop/rock hits backed by lavish strings, a simplified bossa nova rhythm, and the leader’s piano comping.” The group’s covers of the Beatles’ “Fool on the Hill” and Simon and Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair” reached #6 and #16 on the US pop charts, respectively. “Even though he had become thoroughly embedded in the consciousness of mainstream America, Mendes still managed to have it three ways: exposing first-class tunes from little-known Brazilian talent, garnering commercial hits, and also making some fine records.”

The San Diego Union Tribune quotes Mendes speaking about his introduction to the USA: “… the idea was to bring a band from Brazil that represented what Brazilian music is — the vitality, the romance, the rhythms, the sensuality. I was not thinking to put a label on it, but to bring Brazilian music to the world.”

The energetic “Lapinha” (1968) alternates between D major and D minor until the groove drops out for a huge shift to Eb major late in the game (2:27).

säje | I Can’t Help It

säje is a Grammy-nominated, jazz-inflected “vocal supergroup,” according to its website. “Born out of close friendship and incredibly deep admiration, these world-renowned artists, composers, and arrangers have come together to explore, create, and celebrate the music that moves them. As individuals, each artist has crafted their own notable solo career, and now are delighted to bring their collective voices to this union, traversing a vast array of compelling original material, beloved jazz standards, and contemporary re-imaginings (Alina Engibaryan, YEBBA, Johnny Cash, etc)”. säje received their first Grammy nomination in 2020, for their first composition “Desert Song” in the Best Arrangement Instruments and Vocals category. “The union of säje is rooted in the tradition of joy, curiosity, lush harmony, heart-felt expression, and profound sisterhood.”

The quartet’s cover of “Can’t Help It” was released in 2020. The track was originally intended for Stevie Wonder’s monumental Songs in the Key of Life (1976). It was co-written by Wonder and Susaye Greene, a singer and songwriter who was the final member to join The Supremes after Mary Wilson’s departure. Although Greene was a background singer for Wonder on Songs, the tune didn’t make it onto the album; it was instead featured on Michael Jackson’s 1979 album Off the Wall, Jackson’s first release with Quincy Jones as producer.

Unlike the original, with its textbook smooth funk feel aimed at the pop charts, säje‘s cover is full of unexpected percussion kicks, bass line flourishes, and the unpredictable magnetism of tightly clustered vocal lines. Sean Jones‘ trumpet solo further testifies to the ensemble’s jazz-centered pedigree. Forbes’ recent profile quotes säje member Johnaye Kendrick: “’We’re taught, as you’re coming up [as an artist], It’s a male-dominated field, you have to be one of the boys, and know how to hang, and what to say, and all of that … I didn’t think to immerse myself and surround myself with women … It’s amazing to be surrounded by powerful women with endless ideas and the desire to uplift; it has changed our lives.’”

The tune begins in Ab major, travels through a transition starting at 2:53, then dives downward to Gb major in a glissando-led modulation at 3:15, delivered as easily as a sigh. At 3:39, we’ve reverted to the original key. All is wrapped in the most polished of 2020-style socially distanced video packaging, leaving us waiting for the energy of a synchronous performance from this extraordinary ensemble, new in so many ways.

Christian Jacob | Little Eyes

Jazz Times calls pianist/composer/arranger Christian Jacob “a post-bop modernist touched by the souls of Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett.” Jacob’s website outlines his multi-faceted resume: “Multi-Grammy nominated pianist and arranger Christian Jacob first gained widespread exposure as music director for Maynard Ferguson and later as leader of the Christian Jacob Trio and co-leader of the Tierney Sutton Band. Christian is also the musical director for both Broadway legend Betty Buckley and American icon Jack Jones.”

A French native, Jacob “fell in love with classical music at age 4 and discovered jazz at age 9.” After winning top honors at the Paris Conservatory, Jacob continued his studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Jacob went on to teach at Berklee, tour with Maynard Ferguson, and win an accolade from The Japan Times as one of the best-selling foreign jazz pianists in the Japanese market. He is a multi-time Grammy nominee for his work with vocalist Tierney Sutton, drummer Ray Brinker, and bassists Trey Henry and Kevin Axt.

As an arranger, Jacob received a Grammy nomination as an arranger with The Phil Norman Tentet; his arrangements have been performed by John Scofield, Billy Cobham, Charlie Haden, Phil Woods, Joe Lovano, Ron Carter, Gary Burton, the Swiss Youth Jazz Orchestra, and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. In 2016, he composed the score for director Clint Eastwood’s film Sully; the next year, Eastwood again hired Jacob to score The 15:17 to Paris.

Jacob’s composition “Little Eyes” was recorded in a live 2007 trio performance in Japan. Jacob recounts the performance: “In 2007 I was invited to tour and record in Japan. I always loved Japanese audiences, and to make this recording special, I chose four Japanese melodies that every Japanese person would recognize, and arranged them for trio. They were the highlight of the tour … I was happy to bring my two longtime partners: Trey Henry on bass and Ray Brinker on drums.” The tune begins simply and peacefully in G major. But after a restless transition through several keys of the moment (1:30 – 1:49), we land in G minor. The cycle begins again at 2:05.

BTS (방탄소년단) | Dynamite

1960s British blues artists such as Peter Green, Eric Clapton, John Mayall, etc. took a quintessentially American style of music and mirrored it back across the pond with a new twist. In the 21st century, the US boy band pop formula which peaked in the late 90s and early 2000s is alive and well: it’s now served to us from the deep inside the corporate fortresses of South Korean K-Pop.

K-Pop royalty BTS (also known as Bangtan Boys) has won a nearly universal planetary fanbase. Perhaps fueled by the novelty of its English lyrics, the video for the August 2020 single “Dynamite” has amassed a staggering 1.26 billion views on YouTube, certainly a record for any tune we’ve featured to date! Vox reports: “In 2018, they became the first South Korean band in history to debut an album at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart, as well as the first to have a single land at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.” They have collaborated with the likes of the Chainsmokers, Nicki Minaj, Ed Sheeran, and Halsey.

K-Pop is big business, and BTS is at the apex of the genre’s multiple groups (both male and female). SBS News reports that in 2019, BTS was worth more than $4.65 billion US dollars to South Korea’s economy each year, or 0.3% percent of the country’s GDP.

The modulation is at 3:04.

Earth, Wind + Fire | You

“Earth, Wind & Fire were one of the most musically accomplished, critically acclaimed, and commercially popular funk bands of the ’70s,” proclaims AllMusic. “…EWF’s all-encompassing musical vision used funk as its foundation, but also incorporated jazz, smooth soul, gospel, pop, rock & roll, psychedelia, blues, folk, African music, and, later on, disco … More than just versatility for its own sake, EWF’s eclecticism was part of a broader concept informed by a cosmic, mystical spirituality and an uplifting positivity the likes of which hadn’t been seen since the early days of Sly & the Family Stone … at their best, Earth, Wind & Fire seemingly took all that came before them and wrapped it up into one dizzying, spectacular package.”

After several chart-topping albums in the late 70s, in particular the late-70s smashes All ‘n All (triple platinum) and I Am (double platinum), the band released Faces in 1980. “You,” Faces’ fourth single, reached #10 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and #30 on the Adult Contemporary Songs chart. Like “After the Love Has Gone,” EWF’s quintessential power ballad, “You” was co-written by David Foster.

After starting in G major, 1:13 brings the chorus in E minor; halfway through the chorus (1:27), the tonality folds in on itself and we’ve landed in G# minor. At 1:45, verse two starts, but we’re now elevated up a whole step (A major) relative to the first verse — likely unnoticed due to the overall harmonic sleight of hand! A 2:40, the chorus arrives again, this time to stay: it morphs into an extended outro. The outro centers around three two-chord pairs (F# minor/B minor; A# minor/D# minor; and D minor/G minor), all compellingly connected by half-steps. The three sets, repeating and fading to the end, essentially form a gigantic hemiola effect over the 4/4 time. Many thanks to our faithful mod sender-inner JB for this tune!