Producer: Joyride Media
Reccomended: Fats Waller: If You Gotta Ask
Fats Waller’s famous compositions of the 1930s and 40s have attained an immortal, standard-level of recognition and have stood the test of time. But what is lesser known is that Fats Waller was also an entertainer par excellence, bringing the music he performed to life with jokes and asides to the audience. As historian Dick Hyman explains, “he was engaging in signifying – critiquing something while you are actually performing. Satirizing what he is singing in very sophisticated ways.” Playwrite and critic Murray Horowitz calls Waller “one of the greatest jazz musicians of the first 50 years of the music, but also one of the great comedians of the golden age of American comedy”!
Music included: “Ain’t Misbehavin'” “Bessie Bessie” “Christopher Columbus” “A Change in Me” “It’s a Sin to Lie” and “Your Feets Too Big”
Producer: Joyride Media
Reccomended: Fats Waller: If You Gotta Ask
In this podcast, musicians Herbie Hancock, David Amram and Jimmy Cobb address the music theory behind Kind of Blue, and how the feeling of the musicians was equally as important as the compositions themselves in its creation. Considered “Modal Jazz” as it is written from a few basic notes that form the structure of the song, it is as Herbie Hancock says “a new use of an old technique.” David Amram expounds: “Miles knew that music from India, the middle east and native music around the world would have a basic scale, and the sophistication would be in HOW you did it.” Herbie Hancock concurs with Amram on his interpretation of this historic album: “Musicians could easily learn the songs, of course the challenge was playing them.”
Songs included: “All Blues” “Blue in Green” and “Freddie Freeloader”
Producer: Joyride Media
Recommended: Kind of Blue -50th Anniversary Legacy Edition (2-cd)
Strangely enough, two things happened to Fats after he died: he essentially disappeared from our culture’s memory for over 30 years, and when he was talked about, it centered around his clowning and humor, which was sorely misunderstood. Despite his untimely death, Fats Waller spent nearly every day of his short life making the music he loved. In that time, he created a rich, prolific legacy that today is justly revered.
Producer: Joyride Media
Reccomended: Fats Waller: If You Gotta Ask
Our second Miles Davis segment begins with legendary saxophonist Jackie McLean and Kind of Blue drummer Jimmy Cobb talking about the sound Miles was after with his 1959 sextet at the first Kind of Blue recording session on March 2, 1959. Herbie Hancock also adds his thoughts on Miles’ priority for the session to capture the moment – not to do multiple takes of the same piece to create something mistake-free.
Music heard in all the Miles Davis episodes comes from the new 50th Anniversary Legacy Edition of Kind of Blue – winner of “Best Album Notes” at this past weekend’s Grammy© Awards! So please join us in congratulating the author, Francis Davis, for his achievement.
Producer: Joyride Media
Recommended: Kind of Blue -50th Anniversary Legacy Edition (2-cd)
Thursdays are Fats Waller day here at the Legacy Podcasts, in honor of Black History Month.
Fats Waller is one of America’s great composers and performers of the 20th century. His songs, stride piano style and on-stage and on-screen antics were legendary and made him one of the first African-American superstars.
Count Basie sat at his feet to learn, Art Tatum considered Fats the best, and Waller’s stride style influenced Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Dave Brubeck and many others.
Producer: Joyride Media
Reccomended: Fats Waller: If You Gotta Ask
Our Black History Month feature continues with another great African-American musician – Miles Davis, to honor the 50th anniversary of his landmark album “Kind of Blue.” Collaborators, friends, critics and historians look back on how this record was created and its impact on music and pop culture over the last 50 years.
In this second episode, guitarists Derek Trucks and John McLaughlin continue the discussion about how Santana’s music relates to his deep, inner spirituality. Carlos Santana also adds some rare insights on this matter. Featured songs include “Spirit,” “Live is Worth Living,” “Samba Pa Ti” and more.
Recommended: Santana: Multi-Dimensional Warrior
Producer: Joyride Media
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