… So goes the first line in A GOOD AMERICAN. And it’s true – there’s a lot of music in the book. There’s a reason why the cover has a cornet with notes spilling out of it. The story begins with a love affair ignited by the power of song, and throughout the novel, music plays a central role in …
Music for the Ages
Finally, a respite from all the advice. Now it’s my turn to ask for your help. (And, I know. You never asked for mine.) I’ve been having a fine old time lately enjoying Spotify, a music website that has (finally) been made available over here in the US. It is an amazing resource and I have been discovering lots of …
Name That Tune
I confess this footage of my daughter stumps me. I can’t for the life of me remember what on earth she was listening to on the headphones which made her into a human metronome (well, kind of.) Chances are it was either “Hey Soul Sister” by Train, or, um, “Hampsterdance” by that noted songsmith, Hampton the Hampster. It’s strange – …
Beatles, Jazz, or What?
Finally, on this Thursday morning spot, some Brad Mehldau. Mehldau is perhaps the musician most responsible for the recent vogue of adopting pop songs and transforming them into a jazz idiom. I could do several months’ worth of posts just with him. He’s covered everything from Oasis and Paul Simon to Radiohead, Nick Drake, and Soundgarden. And he does it …
Who Needs Keith Jarrett?
The amazon fairy visited last week, bringing with him (among many other goodies) Keith Jarrett’s latest release, a compelling 3 disc recording of two recent concerts in Paris and London. A full review will appear in due course. But Jarrett isn’t the only one who can, as he modestly puts it, “build a universe” at the piano. Here’s Catherine, simultaneously …
Distractions and Prevarications, Part 4
One of my greatest regrets is that I cannot write while I listen to music. I need my quiet. There is no such thing as background noise for me. The music rushes to the forefront of my consciousness, demanding attention, and I can no longer hear the words I’m forever trying to grasp. Sentences swim in front of me but …