Back to church.
Whitney Houston (1963-2012), “God Will Take Care of You,” live (11:35-16:35), Evangelical Fellowship Church (Dr. Fred Jenkins Jr.), Pleasantville, N.J., 1998
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lagniappe
art beat
Helen Levitt (1913-2009), New York, 1980
never enough
Sometimes, it seems, nothing is more precious than clarity.
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Partita No. 2 in C minor
Tatiana Nikolayeva (1924-1993), piano
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lagniappe
reading table
The hill I see
Every day
Is holy—Samuel Menashe (1925-2011)
four takes
“Lulu’s Back In Town” (A. Dubin, H. Warren)
Fats Waller (studio recording), 1935
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Art Tatum (live), 1935
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Thelonious Monk (live, Paris; Charlie Rouse [tenor saxophone], Larry Gales [bass], Ben Riley [drums]), 1966
***
Jason Moran (live, New York [East Village apt.]), 2011
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lagniappe
art beat
Helen Levitt (1913-2009), New York, c. 1940
Before Jerry Lee, before Little Richard, there was . . .
Arizona Dranes (c. 1891-1963), “My Soul Is a Witness for the Lord,” 1926
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lagniappe
art beat
Danny Lyon (1942-), Albany, Ga. (Shiloh Baptist Church), 1962
Why not begin the week with something beautiful?
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), Ballade No. 1 in G minor (1831); Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (1920-1995), piano, live
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lagniappe
musical thoughts
[N]ow Miles [Davis] was relaxed and pianist Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli was sending him into several shades of ecstasy.
“Listen to those trills!” Miles ordered.
—1961 interview (Marc Crawford, The Miles Davis Reader)
*****
art beat: more from Friday at the Art Institute of Chicago
Henri Matisse (1869-1954), Interior at Nice, c. 1919
blues festival (day one)
T-Bone Walker (1910-1975), “Don’t Throw Your Love on Me So Strong,” live (TV show), Germany, 1962*
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lagniappe
art beat: yesterday at the Art Institute of Chicago
Claude Monet (1840-1926), The Customs House at Varengeville, 1897
*****
random thoughts
Every painting was once a blank canvas.
*****
*With Memphis Slim (piano), Willie Dixon (bass), Jump Jackson (drums).
No matter what she’s playing, she seems never to touch the ground.
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937), Piano Concerto in G (1929-31); RAI National Symphony Orchestra (Claudio Abbado, cond.) with Martha Argerich (piano), live, Rome, 1969
1st movt.
2nd & 3rd movts.
two takes
“Strange Man” (D. L. Coates)
Steve Dawson (lead vocals, guitar), Diane Christensen (vocals), Robbie Fulks (vocals, guitar), live, Chicago, 2013
***
Dorothy Love Coates (1928-2002; MCOTD Hall-of-Famer), recording, 1968
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random thoughts
Do the Canada geese, seeing me ride by on my bicycle, feel like they’re communing with nature?
Happy Birthday, Thelonious!
Thelonious Monk, October 10, 1917-February 17, 1982, pianist, composer, bandleader
Live (TV studio),* Paris, 1969
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lagniappe
musical thoughts
A note can be as big as a mountain, or small as a pin. It only depends on a musician’s imagination.
—Thelonious Monk (Robin D. G. Kelley, Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original)
*****
radio
WKCR-FM (Columbia University): all Monk, all day.
*****
*Set list:
1. Dreamland
2. Monk’s Mood (Version 1)
3. Thelonious
4. Reflections
5. Epistrophy
6. Round Midnight
7. Crepuscule With Nellie
8. Ugly Beauty
9. Monk’s Mood (Version 2)
10. Don’t Blame Me
11. Coming On The Hudson
12. Nice Work If You Can Get It
music clip of the day 