Hey all, I know its been a few days, but I have been hard at work with a project with the one and only Austin Wells. We have been recording (props go to Austin for this one) and recording our version of the "Ooh Ooh It's Love" jingle for the 2012 Subaru of New England jingle contest. The contest is to cover the jingle and submit a video. The original jingle from the past year is below.
We decided to up the ante a little and get some inspiration and slightly more extravagant video editing. We were inspired to do it in the style of the one and only Tom Jones. Below is a clip of Tom Jones for those who do not recognize his presence in only his name and the masterpiece that we hope wins. I don't think there is any sort of voting that accompanies it so just pray.
Tom Jones in the critically acclaimed(bahaha) film "Mars Attacks!"
It another hot one out there for much of the country so I thought I would go back to some French art film music. No other than Martial Solal, who some consider to be the Art Tatum of France. He has wrote a number of compositions that have been featured in films, notably during the 1960's. The composition I have transcribed below is "New York Herald Tribune" from the the film "A bout de souffle" (or "Breathless" for the English translation)by Jean-Luc Godard.
The film is about a thief named Michael who is on the run after shooting a police officer. Michael hides out with his American girlfriend, Patricia, who is a student and journalist that sells copies of the New York Herald Tribune on the streets of Paris.
The song that plays while she is selling newspapers is very understandably the New York Herald Tribune. The reason I thought to write out this song is in the expressive way Solal plays his long runs, but its also a song I have never heard played or covered anywhere. I think there is a recording of Solal playing at the Village Vanguard, but besides this track no one else has thought to play it. I thought it might be interesting perhaps in a trio setting to play this as either a) a stand alone piece or b)as almost solemn transition between two larger compositions or improvisations.
July 4th Reflection and Oh You Pretty Things! by David Bowie
Happy July 5th, Everyone! This was the day the men at the signing of the Declaration of Independence woke up the next morning and thought, "Oh, Hancock wasn't joking. We are doing this thing..." Apologize for the delay in between posts. I had a couple days working on some original tunes (won't divulge these until they are ready for proper consumption), a larger project which I will get to in a moment, and doing some job scouting and future gig searching.
"I will find you, gigs. Oh yes."
I have a special treat for any Bowie Fans with a written version of "Oh! You Pretty Things" off the album "Hunky Dory".
"Oh! You Pretty Things"
Unfortunately, the program I am using, Musescore, which is free for download, is picky about its formatting, so I cannot post it here on the blog. I do hope to maybe perform it sometime in the near future, so I will update when that happens.
I went down to the Esplanade for the Fourth of July Pops Fireworks Celebration. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Boston, the Esplanade is a stretch of public land by the Charles River where the Boston Pops conducted by Keith Lockhart perform their nationally televised concert which is accompanied by Fireworks.
Keith Lockhart, You Smiling Rogue
This year and apparently for the past two years, this show has been hosted by one Michael Chiklis, whose most famous work that I know of has been as the main character on the Shield and as 'the Thing' from Fantastic Four.
The clear choice for a program of symphonic music and explosions.
I understand that he is from the area, but as a person who was at the event his role in the whole thing was confusing. I guess he actually did something for the national telecast because he was introduced to everyone before the show started i.e. a lady told him he was so great and asked him what his next projects are. If I had not seen that introduction I would have no idea that the guy was even the vicinity. If anything, it seemed like the host was our good buddy, Keith Lockhart.
Hopefully, not relation to this Lockhart
Going forward, I think if you are going to take the reigns of the program out of the conductor to a host in title only, make it for honorific reasons. Like maybe to a group of Marine Corps members who have just done a tour of duty. Or maybe a group of kids from a Boys and Girls Club. The Fourth of July is a nostalgic, feel good event and enough things are encrusted with token celebrity. Not to say Chiklis has not worked hard to get to the position he is in, but having a middle aged white male actor who is famous for beating up suspects and being a genetically altered version of Hulk Hogan does not line up well with symphonic music, especially when they are covering Mamma Mia.
I really didn't know what to say either
So to the people at Boston 4 Productions, if you are looking at next year and still want a in-name only host who is a white middle aged actor whose screen credits revolve around fighting bad guys and doing a little torture along the way, might I say upgrade a step...
Sorry all for my absence the past two days. I took a short trip to Jersey where I did not have access to a tuned piano, so no transcription for two days. I have done a little more work on the Jimmy Smith transcription, finishing one page and halfway into the second one. This part of the solo gets a little chromatic so pace has slowed a little, seeing where he is trying to go, but pushing through.
In terms of other interesting musical things going on, my group, "the Space Monkeys", have decided as a group to stop writing songs for the moment due to the high number of compositions we need to perfect and get tight to this point. Things are going well if we have too many songs to learn, I guess.
In terms of listening, I bought the album, "Midnight Marauders" by Tribe Called Quest a few days ago and have been listening it frequently. I was introduced to the album awhile back by one Dan "D.J." Fellman who at almost every party will at some point blast the song below.
Steve Bilko (Stir It Up)
What really caught my eye about the album was that Tribe sample Freddie Hubbard's song, "Red Clay", in the baseline of one of their tracks. The album, in general, is that old school, east coast rap and has some cool horn samples going on throughout. In comparison to other rappers today, like Drake who raps about in almost every song how he is famous now and he doesn't know anybody at the party he is at because he is famous now, there is some real insight and thoughtfulness in a lot of the tracks on this album.
Compare
Red Clay (at around 1:09)
Sucka Nigga
I will probably finish this chorus by Jimmy Smith and then take some time working on the solo. I'll start another transcription TBD tomorrow.
First up is the track "J.A.T.P. Blues" by Charlie Parker. I only transcribed the first 8 bars because it is Oscar Peterson and anyone who has listened to any Oscar Peterson knows that 8 bars is all it takes for him to fill up a lot of space. I couldn't find a good recording online anywhere, but I got the track out of one of those huge box sets. This track is an alternate to the other take of J.A.T.P. blues which is taken at a slower tempo.
The other track is "Hackensack" by Jimmy Smith. The original tune is written by Thelonious Monk, featured below.
"Hackensack" by the Thelonious Monk Quartet off the album "Crisscross"
This track is off the albums "Retrospective", which is a best of album, and originally off the album "Softly as a Morning Breeze". I could not find another version of this track on the interwebs so that you all could get a chance to listen through here. So far, I have written out the melody and chords of the song, which the guitar player, Kenny Burrell, plays while Smith comps.
The reason I selected these two songs to transcribe are because I have not to this point transcribed any organ, although I have been using organ sounds in performances for a little while now. I figure if I am transcribing anybody I should get the great Jimmy Smith. For those who haven't heard him, here is a track rightly titled "The Champ".
"The Champ" by Jimmy Smith off "A New Sound A New Star Jimmy Smith at the Organ Vol. 2"
My reason for the Oscar Peterson recording is to work on fast introductions and increase my blues language which Oscar is well versed in.
Tomorrow, I will be beginning the organ solo which is as about as hot as it was today here in Boston at 95 degrees. Enjoy all!
I have been unemployed from City Year for 6 days, in which time I have begun my process to play music and figure out my life. If I want to play music I need to transcribe and get my technique together.
My biggest strengths to this point are as follows:
I have an intermediate understanding of music theory.
I own a keyboard, 3 amps, and stumbled upon a PA system. I can now play a gig equipment wise.
I have a good sense of rhythm and can play chords.
I can read lead sheets.
I can improvise.
I can drive.
I am usually not a dick to people.
My biggest weaknesses to this point are as follows:
I have very small connections in the Boston area.
My ability to sight read is limited.
My technique is amateurish at certain levels and needs to be improved upon.
There are many conservatories in Boston i.e. many other piano players who are much better than me.
There are fewer places to play especially in the genres that I play in.
I have no regular employment at the moment.
Because of these things, I am calling this the summer of transcription. I will transcribe something, anything, every single day. For those friends who do not know what transcription is, transcription is when you learn literal versions of recorded music. I personally like to write down my transcriptions, but it can just be listening and memorizing what an artists plays.
The reason why this is important is because in order to be great at any art you must be able to speak the language. Not only speak it and get by, but speak it well. It is important to emphasize words and phrase just as it is to line them up correctly.
By transcribing, you literally learn how to speak, or in my case, play like someone who is a master or significantly better.
And so, by transcribing I will
Hone my technique by recognizing what I need to focus on.
Learn more songs.
Increase my improvisational vocabulary.
Develop my melodic and harmonic understanding.
You might be asking, "So how can I get involved?"
Good question, world!
You can support, berate, suggest, encourage, yell or comment at me. I figured the people around me, whether it is in physical proximity or those I have encountered in my life, can provide me that extra motivation and kick in the ass I need to get this work done. I will post each day exactly what I transcribe and, if available, links to the music itself to see if you can follow along. So lets get started.
Transcription #1
"Get By" by Talib Kweli & "Homecoming" by Kanye West
"Get By" is a based on the song "Sinnerman" by Nina Simone that rapper Talib Kweli sampled, changed key, and rapped over.
"Sinnerman" by Nina Simone off the album "Pastel Blues"
There is an interesting history of how "Sinnerman" has been used in different media, as it has been sampled by a number of artists and background for a number of films and TV shows. I remember the first time I heard this song it was in the remake of "the Thomas Crown Affair" with Pierce Brosnan during the last major chase scene. I thought it was a very fitting song for the scene.
Regardless, the song "Get By" samples it and there are a couple of awesome versions of it. The first below is the original music video by Talib Kweli. The next video is a unreleased single by Kweli with Jay-Z, Kanye West, Mos Def, and Busta Rymes
Music Video of "Get By"
"Get By" with Jay-Z and controversially some other underground rappers of the time: Kanye West, Mos Def, and Busta Rymes
I did a rough diagram of the piano line and the chords that make up the piano part, which repeats as the sample in the song. I choose to transcribe this song because not only is it a killin' contemporary line, but I am learning it for a potential performance with the group I am playing with currently, the Space Monkeys.
A rough write up of the two songs
Below that we have "Homecoming" by Kanye West. I'll be honest, I was listening to "Get By" on youtube and on the right side they had "Homecoming" and decided to keep moving to the next one. Everyone has heard this song at this point, but it will be a progression that I'll take a little time to get through. Below is the music video.
Tomorrow, we will be moving onto some BAM courtesy of Charlie Parker so stay tuned.
