The mid 1950’s were not the best of times for Duke Ellington and his Orchestra. While dominating jazz from the late 1920s through to the 40s, his post war recordings suffered in comparison. In addition, changes in popular culture were…
Blog Archives
“There’s A Riot Going On” . . : Duke Ellington’s Diminuendo And Crescendo In Blue At Newport Jazz Festival, 1956
Tagged with: Diminuendo And Crescendo In Blue, Duke Ellington, Jazz, Newport Jazz Festival, Paul Gonzalves
Posted in Jazz, Music Appreciation and Analysis
Posted in Jazz, Music Appreciation and Analysis
“Lucky Day” . . . : The Importance of the Thirteenth of May
This past thirteenth of May was my mother’s 95th birthday. While I admit to my lack of objectivity on the matter, she is one of the most amazing people . . ever. Born in Vienna, Austria in 1927, she has…
Tagged with: Gil Evans, J Giles Bans, Magic Dick, Mary Wells, Miles Davis
Posted in Classic Rock, Jazz, Music Appreciation and Analysis
Posted in Classic Rock, Jazz, Music Appreciation and Analysis
“When Sunny Gets Blue” . . : Pat Martino 1944 – 2021
Pat Martino, jazz guitarist extraordinaire, passed away recently at the age of 77. Pat started out in the Philadelphia jazz scene, playing in the soul jazz organ combos of Charles Earland, Don Patterson and Jack McDuff. You can certainly hear…
Tagged with: Jazz, jazz guitar, Pat Martino
Posted in Improvisation, Jazz, Music Appreciation and Analysis
Posted in Improvisation, Jazz, Music Appreciation and Analysis
A Haiku For The Holidays 2020
Yeah, This Year Sucked Big We Can Only Look Forward And Hope For The Best
Tagged with: Haiku, I Got Rhythm, Jamband, Jazz, The New Jazz Spasms
Posted in Country/Bluegrass, Jam Band, Jazz, Music Appreciation and Analysis
Posted in Country/Bluegrass, Jam Band, Jazz, Music Appreciation and Analysis
“You Know You Know” . . . . . : The Mahavishnu Orchestra
There were records that were pivotal in my wanting to play music: Allman Brothers Live At The Fillmore East and Eat A Peach, Grateful Dead Live Dead and Europe 72 and Mahavishnu Orchestra Inner Mountain Flame and Birds Of Fire. The…
“When The Living Was Easy” . . . : Gershwin’s Summertime
Normally (yeah, what’s that now . . ) the end of May would be the start of summer with thoughts of vacation plans, beaches, outdoor concerts (yeah, about that . . .) The song Summertime was written by George Gershwin…
Tagged with: Al Green, Billy Strings, Doc Watson, Ella Fitzgerald, George Gershwin, Janis Joplin, Marcus King, Miles Davis, Summertime
Posted in Classic Rock, Country/Bluegrass, Jazz, Music Appreciation and Analysis, Uncategorized
Posted in Classic Rock, Country/Bluegrass, Jazz, Music Appreciation and Analysis, Uncategorized
“If You Get Confused Just Listen To The Music Play” . . : A Video Asks, “Was Jerry Garcia a Jazz Improviser?”
As a musician and as a Deadhead, I have had on more than one occasion a conversation with non-Deadhead musicians who dismiss Jerry Garcia as someone who just plays scales up and down, someone who “noodles”. This pisses off Deadhead…
Tagged with: Grateful Dead, Improvisation, Jazz Theory, Jerry Garcia, Jerry Garcia and Ruben Blades
Posted in Grateful Dead, Improvisation, Jazz, Music Appreciation and Analysis, Music Theory
Posted in Grateful Dead, Improvisation, Jazz, Music Appreciation and Analysis, Music Theory
Midnight Blues . . . : Support Kenny Burrell
During the fifties and sixties, there were a trio of jazz guitarists who (to me at least) epitomized that zone between bebop and blues, Grant Green, Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell. Kenny Burrell came from Detroit, a scene in the…
Tagged with: Blue Note Records, Jazz, jazz guitar, Kenny Burrell, Midnight Blue
Posted in Blues, Improvisation, Jazz, Music Appreciation and Analysis
Posted in Blues, Improvisation, Jazz, Music Appreciation and Analysis
Five More Classic Jazz Songs For Your Classic Rock Friends
This is a continuation of my previous post “Five Classic Jazz Songs For Your Classic Rock Friends” (https://roymusicusa.com/2019/01/13/five-classic-jazz-songs-for-your-classic-rock-friends/). In that post, I was talking about classic jazz tunes that might appeal to your friends who are more inclined to listen…
Tagged with: Art Blakey, Classic jazz, Classic Rock, Duke Ellington, Giant Steps, Jazz Messengers, John Coltrane, Lee Morgan, Rockin' In Rhythm, Sidewinder, Straight No Chaser, Thelonious Monk
Posted in Jazz, Music Appreciation and Analysis
Posted in Jazz, Music Appreciation and Analysis
Five Classic Jazz Songs For Your Classic Rock Friends
One of the things that music nerds like me like to do is to try and turn people onto music we love (that’s really what this blog is about). So over the years I have tried to get my friends,…
RoyMusicUSA 