passings
Peter Green, guitarist, singer, songwriter, October 29, 1946–July 25, 2020
Fleetwood Mac (with Peter Green, vocals, guitar), “Black Magic Woman” (P. Green), live, Boston, 1970
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
only rock ‘n’ roll
Little Richard, 1932-2020
“Tutti Frutti,” 1956 (screen test, The Girl Can’t Help It)
*****
“Long Tall Sally,” 1956 (Don’t Knock the Rock)
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“Good Golly, Miss Molly,” 1958
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“Rip It Up,” early 1960s
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“Lucille,” 1973
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When you look at today’s Grammy winners – God bless them – half of them were discovered when they were 10 years old, were groomed, and had managers and publicists. Little Richard just clawed his way to the top at a very early age with nothing except a tremendous amount of talent and gumption.
—David Kirby, author of Little Richard: The Birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll (2009)
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Chicago
passings
Little Richard (aka Richard Penniman), singer, pianist, songwriter, December 5, 1932–May 9, 2020
“Didn’t It Rain” (trad.), live, New York (Apollo Theater), 1985
*****
“Yes, God Is Real” (K. Morris), 1960
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“Peace in the Valley” (T. Dorsey), 1961
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Chicago (Columbus Park)
*****
reading table
The hope that is left after all your hopes are gone—that is pure hope, rooted in the heart.
—Br. David Steindl-Rast (1926-), Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer (1984)
what’s new
Susan Alcorn (1953-, pedal steel guitar), live (Quarantine Concert presented by Experimental Sound Studio, Chicago), 4/29/20
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lagniappe
random sights
a while ago, Maine (Monhegan Island)
*****
reading table
LET THERE BE PHYSICAL SUDDENNESS!
—Michael McClure, poet, playwright, songwriter, etc., October 20, 1932–May 4, 2020, from “PLUME ODE”
passings
Tony Allen, drummer, August 12, 1940–April 30, 2020
Today, remembering him, we revisit some old posts.
8/15/18
like nobody else
Tony Allen (drums), “Wolf Eats Wolf,” 2017
*****
9/23/15
Perhaps the greatest drummer ever.
Tony Allen—three takes.
Recording studio, 2009
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Paris, 2015
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Istanbul, 2015
*****
3/3/15
what you simply cannot do
Listen to this drummer without feeling lighter, livelier.
Tony Allen (drums, vocals) & Band, live, Luxembourg, 2011
*****
9/22/12
Questlove (:10-) & Tony Allen (1:25-), live, Paris, 2011
What a contrast. Questlove, focusing on power and momentum, pushes the beat. Tony lies behind it, skips ahead, lies back again, favoring suppleness and elasticity.
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
passings
Henry Grimes, bassist, November 3, 1935–April 15, 2020
With Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone), Don Cherry (trumpet), Billy Higgins (drums), live, Rome, 1962
*****
With David Murray (tenor saxophone), Hamid Drake (drums, MCOTD Hall of Fame), live, Finland (Kerava), 2004
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With Kidd Jordan (tenor saxophone), live, New York, 2010
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Chicago (Columbus Park)
passings
Lee Konitz, alto saxophonist, October 13, 1927–April 15, 2020
With Warne Marsh (tenor saxophone), et al., “Subconscious-Lee” (L. Konitz), live (TV Show), 1958
*****
More?
With Elvin Jones (drums), Sonny Dallas (bass), Motion, 1961
“I Remember You” (V. Schertzinger, J. Mercer)
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“All of Me” (G. Marks, S. Simons)
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“Foolin’ Myself” (J. Lawrence, P. Tinturin)
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“You’d Be so Nice to Come Home To” (C. Porter)
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“I’ll Remember April” (G. DePaul, P. Johnston, D. Raye)
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Chicago (Columbus Park)
passings
John Prine, singer, songwriter, October 10, 1946–April 7, 2020
Prine’s stuff is pure Proustian existentialism. Midwestern mindtrips to the nth degree. And he writes beautiful songs. I remember when Kris Kristofferson first brought him on the scene. All that stuff about “Sam Stone” the soldier junky daddy and “Donald and Lydia,” where people make love from ten miles away. Nobody but Prine could write like that. If I had to pick one song of his, it might be “Lake Marie.” I don’t remember what album that’s on.
—Bob Dylan, 2009 interview
“Lake Marie” (J. Prine), live (TV show), New York, 2000
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
passings
Charles Wuorinen, composer, June 9, 1938-March 11, 2020
Flying to Kahani (2005); Orchestra of the League of Composers (C. Wuorinen, cond.), live, New York, 2016
In 2011, jazz composer Carla Bley called Mr. Wuorinen ‘the greatest composer working.’ And the proudly poly-stylistic composer John Zorn, who has worked in forms ranging from klezmer to punk rock, recently called Mr. Wuorinen ‘a true artist whose intense and uncompromising vision produced work of remarkable beauty and drama.’ ‘He never wrote an insincere note in his life,’ Zorn continued. ‘He was a powerful role model and I loved him dearly.’
—Tim Page, obituary, Washington Post, 3/14/20
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lagniappe
random sights
early yesterday morning, Oak Park, Ill.
passings
McCoy Tyner, pianist, December 11, 1938-March 6, 2020
John Coltrane Quartet (JC, 1926-1967, tenor saxophone; MC, piano; Jimmy Garrison, 1934-1976, bass; Elvin Jones, 1927-2004, drums), “Impressions” (J. Coltrane), live (TV show), San Francisco, 1963
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lagniappe
art beat: other day, Museum of Modern Art, New York
Henri Matisse (1869-1954), Dance (I), 1909; Jeannette, c. 1910
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radio
Today, Ornette Coleman’s birthday (b. 1930), it’s all Ornette all day on WKCR (Columbia University).
