I thought he sounded like someone was choking a homeless person.
But that seems like eons ago. Now? Well…now I think he’s a f’ing genius. That voice, that guttural agony. Without compunction, it lays bare all of his sins, his heartaches, his infinite sadness and his endless nights of longing. Jersey Girl is…well…it is what it is. It makes you know why you are in love, reminds you of why you were in love or makes you realize why you want to be in love again. Don’t look for Britney or Justin when it comes to love songs. Thomas Alan Waits has got that all hemmed up.
And I will argue with you to the grave and never back down on my opinion that Tom Traubert’s Blues (Four Sheets To The Wind In Copenhagen) is the greatest “drunk at the bar, two in the morning and I’m all alone” song ever penned.
Tom Waits ain’t no pop star. He’s the guy pop stars have nightmares about. Because they know that his voice will resonate long after theirs has dissolved into the stratosphere.
So, I’ve written about this musician before and she definitely doesn’t need any promotion from me as she is already a well-established singer, BUT I want to laud the talents once more of vocalist Stacey Kent. I really love her voice and her new album is a real delight. It’s so nice to hear a voice that doesn’t fall in line with convention. In the past if you heard Sarah Vaughan, you knew it was Sarah Vaughan. Billie Holiday, Ella, Anita. You didn’t have to wonder what the name was behind the voice. Well, the same goes for Stacey Kent. Whenever I am listening to the station and one of her tracks begins to play, I know right away who I am listening to. A great talent. I look forward to hearing more and more from her.
Listen out for some tracks from the new album in the upcoming week.
Max Roach passed away today at the age of 83, and while I could try to explain the influence he had on jazz and American music as well as on me personally, I know that I could never do him justice. Of course, Mr. Roach played with Charlie Parker, but he was a legend in his own right. I mean, think about it. It was 44 years ago that Max Roach strode on stage along with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus and Bud Powell and made the kind of music that will outlast us all.
He was an innovator, a believer in truth and freedom from injustice, and one of the last of the great ones. Parker, Mingus, Powell and Gillespie have been gone many years now. Max Roach was the only one left. Every time another jazz legend passes, I feel like the spotlight on jazz dims just a little bit more.
I used to goof on Mel Tormé. I believe I did this for two reasons. Well…three really. The most obvious reason was ignorance. I knew the name and perhaps caught a wisp of his singing, but that was about it. But I was an avid Night Court viewer in my youth and when Tormé visited the character of Judge Harry Stone, a Tormé fanatic, on the show, all I saw was this old dude who looked a little droopy eyed and sang in this kind of lazy, somnambulist way. He wore old-dude clothes and looked like he could keel over at any minute. Some second-rate lounge singer was my guess. The Velvet Fog. What a weird name. And funny. The guy made me smile but not once did I take his talent seriously.
Then there was this scene from SCTV.
The first time I saw this, I thought it was one of the funniest things I had ever seen, and I had no idea who Mel Tormé was. I was probably eleven or twelve at the time. I just thought it was a hilarious skit. This was, of course, probably the first time my mind had been tainted against Mel Tormé. Who knew it would take almost twenty years for me to truly appreciate not only the musician and vocalist, but also one of the most strident patrons of jazz. He was a drummer, could scat with the best of them (something often attempted but rarely done skillfully) and he penned quite a number of songs. Of course, his name is attached to one of the most cherished and lovely holiday songs. The fact that the phrase “Chesnuts roasting on an open fire” can coax so many pleasant and well-treasured memories is a great testament to Tormé who co-wrote the tune.
I have a great amount of respect for Mel Tormé. I came to his music later in life and now must mock my own ignorance. I should be so lucky to live a life like his. Unlike an early morning mist that oft-times disappears with heat of the rising sun, I believe that the music and legacy of Mel Tormé will continue live on for years. Jazz was lucky to have such a faithful friend.
This clip takes a few moments to get to the vocals, but it’s worth the wait.
Johnny Frigo passed away Wednesday at the age of 90. Frigo is best known for having co-wrote the tune “Detour Ahead” along with Lou Carter and Herb Ellis. Evening Melancholy is about beautiful ballads and “Detour Ahead” in its many renderings stands as one of the prettiest jazz ballads of the 20th century. I’ve heard many versions of this tune — Billie Holiday, Stan Getz, Bill Evans. Lyrically and musically, it is intoxicating and timeless.
I could only find one version of it on YouTube, but it is a very nice one. Herb Ellis in a trio setting. Songs like this one were made for candlelight and lingering glances.