Remembering Chet Baker - Time After Time

Chet Baker is my favorite jazz musician. He could play (trumpet), he could sing, and he was cool as cool gets, because of his James-Dean-like looks and West Coast music circle affiliation. Though he lived a tragic life filled with drug addiction, jail time, divorce, and heartache, he channeled all that misery into some brilliant music over his 30 or so year career. I found this video on YouTube of my fave song that he did (in fact, it was the song Julie and I first danced to a our wedding) with some footage from Bruce Weber's film Let's Get Lost, which is a biography of sorts of Chet. You can see how the years aged him harshly. Also, check out the links to some of what I think are the best Chet albums that represent his artistry. (memorial photograph by Jeroen Coert)



The Best of Chet Baker Sings



Chet Baker in Milan



The Original Gerry Mulligan Quartet w/ Chet Baker

Mother, Father - Journey

OK, so Journey Escape is, in my opinion, one of the greatest complete albums ever, hands down, no doubt. This tune, though not a radio single, is probably my favorite on there. A story of a dysfunctional family encouraged to not lose hope, set to very cool descending chord progression that builds into an anthemic chorus worthy of the best cigarette lighter.

Now, Steve Perry ain't no slouch, but I prefer the song sung by the band's current drummer, Deen Castronovo. What's so amazing about it is that he nearly duplicates Perry's vocals while pounding the heck out of the drums. Check it out . . . .

• Mother, Father by Journey

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My favorite:

Welcome!

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Hello, and welcome to my new blog. Here I will be sharing random thoughts and musings, mostly regarding something musical, or not.

Recitative? What's that? Well, here's a wiki link to help explain.

Basically, it is singing lines of speech, or Speaking in Music, as it were.

I was inspired to start this because I always have a song or two running through my head (sometimes something jazzy, sometimes something rockin', sometimes something cheezy). Since I continuously bug my family by repeating a line or two of the song ad nauseum until it is replaced with a new one, I figured I could spread the love and share the music (and possibly the annoying-ness) to a broader audience, so without further adieu . . . .


The Gabe Dixon Band
Five More Hours
I love the premise of this song, having driven cross-country a few times. "Five more hours of highway, til I'm in the place I know . . . ". Great rocking piano trio with sweet vocals and just enough jazzy raucousness. I liken Gabe Dixon to a modern-day-Billy-Joel of sorts.

I prefer the studio version of this tune on the self-titled 2008 album, but the live one is good, too, 'cuz a good song is just a good song, period.

A few random facts re: The Gabe Dixon Band - they were thrust into the national consciousness through a tune called "All Will Be Well" that was used to promote a series on NBC called Conviction. Fortunately, the song is better than the show was. Gabe Dixon played keyboards for Paul McCartney on tour. Check out their releases The Gabe Dixon Band, Live at World Cafe, and Disappear-ep

• Five More Hours by The Gabe Dixon Band

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a live video . . .


and a little bonus track . . .

• All Will Be Well by The Gabe Dixon Band

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