Moog synthesizer documentary

I have posted before about my interest in and love for the sound of the Moog synthesizer.  Well, I have found more about it in a documentary video via YouTube.  Here's a snippet of the inventor, Bob Moog, telling about his creation that has contributed to many genres of music over the last four decades or so.

Blues Traveler "Stand"

Ever notice how a certain song will get stuck inside your head (either the lyrics, the melody, or both), and no matter how hard you try to fight the darn thing, it'll just stick there like glue and drive you crazy?  That's happened to me recently with a song by a band I actually like and used to listen to quite a bit.  The song is Blues Traveler's "Stand".  John Popper is an amazing harmonica player and singer, and he can darn well write good songs, too.  Well, maybe writing a blog entry on this tune will help ease the track out of my memory at least for a while.  The part I am stuck on is in the chorus when Popper sings,

'Cause it's a long... way to fall

Here it is.  "Stand" by Blues Traveler.

Stanley Clarke "Silly Putty"

Cool track from Stanley Clarke's 1975 record "Journey To Love".  This track is "Silly Putty".  There could be more from this album, blogged.  Great record.  Will find a couple of the other songs to showcase.
Stay tuned.

Louis Armstrong

Today marks the birthday of Louis Armstrong, the New Orleans jazz trumpet player nicknamed "Satchmo".  One of his earliest influences was New Orleans cornet player King Oliver, who actually gave Armstrong his first gig as a member of his Creole Jazz Band in 1922.  Armstrong was born in 1901.  He has many legendary recordings and some of these are with his bands The Hot Five and The Hot Seven which were recorded between 1925 and 1928.  Here is a video of Armstrong playing "Basin Street Blues" in 1959. 
Happy Birthday, "Satchmo".

Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention "King Kong"

Here's something to behold.  This is Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, playing their instrumental, "King Kong".  Be warned.  The horns (predominantly saxophones), might get a little intense on this piece.  It's a great one, though.  The band lineup is as follows:

Frank Zappa - The Mothers of Invention

Frank Zappa (guitar),
Ian Underwood & Bunk Gardner (alto sax & tenor sax)
Motorhead Sherwood (tambourine, baritone sax)
Don Preston (keyboards)
Roy Estrada (bass)
Art Tripp & Jimmy Carl Black (drums)

record collection revisited: Return To Forever "Returns"

After a hiatus of three decades (from 1977 to 2008), Return To Forever put out a live album with their classic quartet lineup including Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Al di Meola, and Lenny White.  "Returns" is a strong album of their live performance from the 2008 Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland that was also made into a separate DVD and has a different performance of the encore from a venue in Clearwater, Florida.

The 2008 tour and record was very likely the last time the classic lineup for Return To Forever, including Al di Meola on guitar, would get together.  But, this is a treasured recording just for that reason.  It has the fire of the earlier albums from the '70s and is a great showcase of the instrumental virtuosity of the musicians as I've written about at times before whether it's this lineup or the newer lineup from the 2011 tour and recording featuring Frank Gambale and Jean Luc Ponty.

...And oh, by the way (to throw just a small editorial comment in here), this record is how I was completely turned on to Return To Forever in the first place, before going back to their older material, and subsequently seeing them in concert and meeting the band, nearly a year ago already.  Yes, there is a blog entry about that, too, if you go back in the archives to August 2011.

Check out "Returns" as well as the 2011 effort, "The Mothership Returns" to find out what RTF can do with their music in a live setting.  It's mesmerizing to say the least.  Here's the track listing for the 2008 album, "Returns".

Disc 1

1. Opening Prayer
2. Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy
3. Vulcan Worlds
4. Sorceress
5. Song To The Pharaoh Kings
6. Al's solo:

    Children's Song #3 (duet w/Chick Corea)
    Passion, Grace & Fire
    Mediterranean Sundance
    Cafe 1930
    Spain

7. No Mystery

Disc 2

1. Chick's solo: Friendship/Solar
2. Romantic Warrior
3. Stanley's solo: El Bayo de Negro
4. Lenny's solo: Lineage
5. Romantic Warrior (continued)
6. Duel of the Jester & the Tyrant
7. 500 Miles High
8. BBC Lifetime Achievement Award Presentation/Romantic Warrior

The award is presented by Sir George Martin followed by a performance of "Romantic Warrior" to cap off the record.  This disc is actually a great introduction to the music of RTF.  I'll say it again.  It's where I found out not only about them, but also, about the remarkable solo careers of their individual members as well.

Great article about Levon Helm's legacy

A music critic for The Huffington Post has written a great piece on Levon Helm's legacy, particularly the fact that the legendary "ramble" concerts he put on at his barn/home studio in Woodstock, New York, will undoubtedly continue.  Rest In Peace, Levon Helm.

The article is from July 26th.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joanna-colangelo/levon-helm-ramble_b_1701506.html