Oh cool! lovely James Brown! It’s cool to hear such an old song from a young, fresh perspective.
Guess my research was not extensive enough into who wrote Prisoner of Love. They have Veronica Swift credited on Youtube and Spotify, no one else. And when I looked it up on youtube - it just brought a song in the Producers. I stopped there. Thanks for the correction.
On the subject of the holidays, and drumming up Holiday cheer with music (particularly this year), I’m reminding myself of a few of My Favorite Things:) Good song for the tough times. I came across this version and Singer that were previously not know to me. This stripped down, thumb piano version gave me chills. Love to be taken aback by an old favorite of mine:)
Love this song, my favorite Christmas tune this year. This is a nice version! I was looking for a jazz trio + vocalist version…, but hey! Since it’s Christmas, why not go all out with Melody Gardot!
Hope you guys are having yourselves a Merry Little Christmas!!!
Here’s some world music from Fatoumata Diawara (vocals) and Roberto Fonseca (piano).
Diawara (born 1982 in Ouragahio, Ivory Coast) is a Malian actress, singer-songwriter and multiple Grammy Award nominee currently living in France. She sings primarily in Bambara, the national language of Mali. Roberto Fonseca (born 1975, Havana) is a Cuban jazz pianist. He’s an incredibly veratile pianist, and one who I’ve been listening to closely for some time now. (I’ll probably post an entry on him in another section later.)
In the first two videos, we have a mix of his band and hers. He’s clearly the leader, but works primarily as a sideman. In the last video, there’s a moving tune from Diawara’s debut album, “Clandestin.” I can’t understand the lyrics, but I can feel the emotion.The song is about the young Malians’ desire to emigrate and seek a better life. In her own words:
They wanted to travel as everyone does. They wanted to cross the ocean. They were told they didn’t have the right. Couldn’t their leaders do something to encourage them to stay home and build a better life together? This gave them even more desire to travel: the more you are refused, the greater the desire! People told them “No!” After ten years of refusal to their visa applications they decide to leave on foot! The journey takes a day, a year, two years, five years, ten years. Many perish, they die en route and no one knows any more of them. They are called “illegals”, but I call them warriors as it’s not easy to leave everything behind and to trust in the unknown. In Bambara, we call them nomads. Travelling has really become part of our culture, which is why I call them by their real names. This song is dedicated to all the brothers who die on this trip and to those who have already left! Their parents cry for them every day!
Here are some tunes from Janis Ian, a very fine vocalist/songwriter who is probably unknown to many now, the 1970s being her heyday. Check your streaming platform for Between the Lines (1975). It’s one of those albums where nearly every tune is worthy of “greatest hits” status. (It reached number one on the Billboard album chart in September 1975, and sold 1.9 million copies in the United States.)
Many of her tunes would work quite well in a jazz setting, as the first clip, a cover of Ian’s “Stars,” by Nina Simone, shows. That is followed by Ian’s version of “Stars” (which for me is far better), as well as a couple of other live clips from the 70s.
Love this. Such fun, uplifting and beautiful music - full of meaning and life!
The first song, Sowa - is so Danceable; couldn’t help myself on this Tuesday:) Especially the Clav had me going at my home office desk. Great energy! So fun.
The 2nd one was that traditional island Clav on piano but the mood changes made it so fun. Also the instrumentation was new to me, and such a treat.
Finally the 3rd one , Clandestine - it surprised me. It has such a simple, singer-songwriter vibe and then the absolute most beautiful singing. I loved the simplicity of it.
Their story is so inspiring and it also demonstrates a point I was just speaking of in my last live seminar
the aesthetics of the voice.
It changes with different cultures and time periods. What makes Singing beautiful is far more complicated than just singing in pitch. She plays with the edges of her tones intentionally and uses it to express the uniqueness of their culture, their background, their story, her heart. I’ve heard this edge before from singers with a similar background, but she plays with it in her own beautiful, unique way.
I loved being exposed to this today! An inspiration for us all to find and use our voices for what is meaningful to us! It’s the true power and magic of music.
Oh, and not to overlook Roberto Fonseca! He’s just delightful. I especially loved his piano on Bibisa - the very next track to come up after the 3rd link.
Thanks Scott for your impeccable curation.
Re: Janis Ian - What a lyricist! Such meaningful and deep stories, it’s such an art! She’s dropping truth bombs that are timely even now. I love especially Stars! I think I will have to consider learning this one.
Looking for videos of Emiliano Salvador, a brilliant Cuban pianist who died at 41 (1992), I came across Zahili Gonzalez Zamora. She’s a Cuban-born pianist and vocalist who according to a blurb,
has been impressing North American audiences for the past several years. Having performed and collaborated with Ingrid Jensen, Ruben Rada, Jon Secada, Paquito D’ Rivera, Kim Burrell, and Emmanuel Jal, among others, Zamora is being lauded as on her way to becoming a “major force in jazz.”
I thought her version of Salvador’s “Puerto Padre” well worth a listen. She’s quite good.
Enjoy!
Here’s something a bit different with a fascinating West African instrument, the kora. The kora is a string instrument used extensively in West Africa. It typically has 21 strings, which are played by plucking with the fingers. It combines features of the lute and harp, and at times sounds very much like a piano, as some of the videos show.
Ballaké Sissoko is the master of this instrument, and he has a new album out tomorrow, Djourou (2021 No Format!). The first video features a very interesting vocal by Camille, which is why I posted here. The other two I included simply because the instrument is so fascinating.
Here’s Lizz Wright with Danilo Pérez. She’s a fine gospel/jazz vocalist, and he’s a Panamanian pianist/composer/educator who’s very much worth checking out. He’s worked with Dizzy Gillespie, Paquito d’ Rivera, and Wayne Shorter, among others.
Love the Kora! There is something about it that really moves me! Strange because it feels familiar but new at the same time… a very “particular energy” indeed!
The scene with Camille - wow! Felt like I was in Africa, what a dream! Very beautiful.
And I liked what Sona Jobarteh had to say about the instrument, as well a Ballaké Sissoko as a musician… that he had great technique but didn’t let it get in the way of the music. He only played what was called for by the sensibility of the music. Very wise.
Thank you for sharing this!
RE: Lizz Wright and Danilo Perez! Love these two together! This song is nice, Thanks for Posting Scott.
First fell in love with this combo on Lizz’s album Salt - Afro Blue. His touches are just heaven! And the way he picks up the energy level in AfroBlue harkens to CeCe Bridgewaters’ version, but more subtle and delicate. I find his pianistic voice unique and can recognize in a few notes:)
PS - About 10 years ago, I got to hear Lizz Wright Live in Paris, but not with Danilo. About the same time I got to see Danilo Perez with Herbie Hancock in Paris, (but not with Lizz Wright.)
Some day maybe I’ll here them both live. This works for the time being!
https://youtu.be/2qFBKjHyFBs - Posted this before on this thread, but since I referenced it again, thought I’d list for ease in finding.
Since you shared Lizz’s take on Mongo Santamaria’s “Afro Blue,” I had to share this version with Robert Glasper and Esperanza Spalding without her bass. (She’s a Portland native, by the way .) It’s really fine.
Norah Jones has a new album, 'Til We Meet Again (Live), released a couple of days ago on Blue Note. I haven’t had time to give it a good listen, but the first track–“Cold, Cold Heart,” a reimagined version of her earlier cover of the Hank Williams standard–just strikes all the right notes. Also, there’s an interesting revisit of her “I’ve Got to See You Again” with an Afro-Cuban feel. I think after all her at-home pandemic concerts, she’s re-emerged with a force that merits a close listen. Enjoy!
Re: Esperanza Spalding’s Afro Blue - interesting! So much space. Cool arrangement. And I like how she uses phrases as well and syllables in her vocal solo that gets a little raspy - Just lovely!
Oh and can’t forget that flute line! Floating in all that space! Super cool.
Love this! What a gem! Her voice and piano have matured and grown in such a way since I heard her live many, many years ago Live in New Orleans. That was in the first few years of her career. I find her to be just such a true musician, always growing with that wonderful balance of technique and heart.
I was surprised to see that this is her first live album, and I think that’s one of the reasons that people don’t give her the proper jazz creds. In many ways, she is most powerful live, and many haven’t taken the time.
I read a quote by her many years ago that playing music is to risk it all, every night. To take the chances and you might fail, but not to play it safe anyways. I’m paraphrasing but you can hear it here in every note. That’s real music and she is fully present in both her piano and voice with a soothing yet fearless expression.
I ran into Norah one time at a pizza place in Brooklyn. I was way to star struck and shy to say a word. I have such respect for how she has handled her stardom. She was with her family, and I just couldn’t say a word.
I’m not as crazy about her more pop/rock music, but I admire that she is always, always exploring music and her place in it. When she first came on the scene 20 years ago, she inspired me to really learn my piano. There were not that many women back that, that rose to her pop level, who could play their instrument that well, in addition to singing. She’s always stayed focused on the music. She’s produced so much. And I’m so thankful for that.
As always, thanks for sharing Scott.
Here are a couple of Brazilian pianists/vocalists. Tania Maria (born 9 May 1948) is an artist, singer, composer, bandleader and piano player. Here, she has a distinctive approach to Jobim’s “Agua de Beber.” Eliane Elias (born 19 March 1960) is probably better known in the U.S., a fine pianist and vocalist, with a simple , but intriguing take on Jim Morrison’s “Light My Fire.” [Fun fact: She began performing at seventeen with Brazilian singer-songwriter Toquinho and touring with the poet Vinicius de Moraes, Jobim’s lyricist.] Enjoy!
Tania Maria is Boss! Truly loved hearing her play with such fluidity and tangible joy.
I just went down a Tania Maria rabbit hole - had to hear more. And in particular I love her voice/piano improv. It’s just so effortless. What a master!
This is from New York in 1991. Enjoyed this very much, especially hearing her version of the Stones “Satisfaction” around 25:40ish.
And that’s a cool interpretation of Light My Fire by Eliane Elias. I like hearing it in a fresh way but nothing will ever compare to Ray Manzarek’s organ which I just read was inspired both by Bach and John Coltrane’s Favorite things.
.) It’s really fine.
