Bon Iver, 'Bon Iver'

No, I'm not being redundant.  Maybe Bon Iver is, though?

My buddy Blake emailed me the link to this album, and I'm in love with it after listening straight through the whole thing.  I love the colors, textures, lines, timbres, etc.  If you like ambient-esque music, but hate the obscurity of the genre, this album might suit you; it's ambience with a purpose.  And not every track makes you want to go light up a joint and stare at the stars, either (ala 'Explosions in the Sky').  There's a good balance and variety between all of the tracks.

I'm not going to pretend like I'm too familiar with Iver, himself, because I'm not.  But I do know that I LOVE this album.

You can listen to it in its entireity FOR FREE on NPR's radio station:

NPR.org: Bon Iver, 'Bon Iver'

And my favorite track from the album, after my first listen through it:

'Minnesota, WI' - Bon Iver

The Mystery of the Bach Cello Suites

On my last drive home from St. Louis to Columbia, in the midst of a sweaty car with broken A/C and a purple sunset in the distance, I caught a special on the St. Louis NPR station about the Bach Cello Suites.  It was truly fascinating to hear about!

If you aren't familiar with them, the Bach Cello suites are 6 different works for solo cello written by Johann Sebastian Bach and are probably the most famous and recognizable pieces for the cello.  You may be familiar with the opening prelude to his first suite:

Such beautiful music!  I love the minimalism and simplicity, yet how intricately crafted each note and phrase sounds.  Okay, I'll stop nerding out.

The cool thing about these pieces are that they are shrouded in mystery.  Nobody knows for sure why they were written, who they were written for, when exactly they were written, or even what they are really supposed to sound like!  Imagine, one of the most famous pieces out there in the classical realm, and we don't even know for sure if we're playing it right!

The pieces were uncovered in a thrift store/archive of sorts by a 13 year-old cellist in Spain, Pablo Casals, in the late 19th century, long after Bach's death.  At the time they were hardly known, thought of as practice etudes, and they were more like manuscripts with ideas rather than a legitimate piece of sheet music.  Casals took to studying Bach and the pieces and transcribing them (to the best of anyone's ability) into the form we know them as today.

Each suite is about 20 minutes long, so if you are feeling gutsy enough to give some 18th century solo music a shot, listen to one and see what you think!  Some people fall in love with them right off the bat.  For some, it takes some work to appreciate.  And some of you will probably think it's boring.  Hard to know for sure unless you give it a try!  And hey, you can brag to your friends later about expanding the horizons of your musical palate.  They'll think you're smart.  Maybe.

Morten Lauridsen: A Composer That Makes You Love Life

I don't know what it is about his music, but I don't think it's possible (for me, anyway) to hear his music without smiling.  There is a brilliance to his music that is so rich, complex, and tasteful that it transcends simple emotions and leaves you with a higher appreciation for the capabilities of an art form.

If you haven't heard of him, Morten Lauridsen is a modern classical composer who mostly writes choral music, with a sometimes added accompaniment of piano or, my favorite, an entire orchestra (- speaking of which, why don't more composers utilize full orchestras in choral music?  The combination of a beautiful chorus and strings is hard to top in my opinion! -).  We got to sing his Mid-Winter Songs in our university choir this past semester, and it's one of my favorite pieces I have ever performed, of any genre.

You could make the argument that a lot of music sounds the same, and I wouldn't necessarily disagree.  Call it a fault of his.  He really likes ethereal layering of voices, compounded with 4-3 and 9-8 suspensions over resolutions to give his music a rich sound, which is maybe why you might think that.  Oh well.  It's still amazing stuff.

There isn't much stuff of his on YouTube, otherwise I would share a link.  I would highly suggest his Mid-Winter Songs, Les Chansons De Roses, or Nocturnes, all of which are multi-movement pieces that will take around 20 minutes to listen to.

Well worth the listen if you have the time.  And listen to it without doing anything else.  It's more than background music.  It is art to be taken in on it's own.

The New(er) Wave of Jazz Vocalists

If all you know of jazz vocalists include Frank Sinatra, Chet Baker, & Ella Fitzgerald (all of whom, by the way, are wonderful musicians and have changed the face of jazz forever), here are some of the more recent jazz vocalists you may not be familiar with.  Jazz vocals are still alive and well, and offer more than recordings of "Fly Me to the Moon" being played at your local wedding reception.

1) Esperanza Spalding

You may recognize her from this year's Grammy Awards; she was the one who won Best New Artist and sent Bieber fans home in fits of rage, angry enough to post comments on various internet sites (gasp).  Probably one of my favorite jazz vocalists, this piece above is a little more on the pop side of her stuff.  I got to see her perform live in a clinic back in high school, and if you think her voice makes you melt in a recording, imagine it live and in person.  She is currently teaching bass at Berkeley School of Music, one of the top music schools in the nation.  The more recent her stuff, the more out daring, adventurous, and stretching the music becomes.

2) Kurt Elling

I'm not too familiar with his stuff, but here's another guy who I've had the pleasure of seeing live in St. Louis.  Extremely talented musician, and a superb performer all around.  He draws you in with his stage presence and really tells the story of each piece he sings.  And I'm not just spewing BS; I got a chance to watch a masterclass of his and he will tell you that this is what he constantly strives for in each piece he performs.

3) Erin Bode

Okay, so I'm biased with this one because she is a star in St. Louis (my hometown), but I think she represents the direction jazz vocals are heading.  She doesn't try to sound super refined or dignified in her style; it's much more straight-ahead and almost more rock-influenced.  Fellas, she's married already, so don't get your hopes up.  But I can't stop you from dreaming, I suppose.

4) Cyrille Aimee

I just found her via facebook a couple weeks ago, but I really like what I have heard so far.  She likes to mix in a fair amount of vocal percussion on top of singing.  A fresh approach to jazz, overall, in my humble opinion.  I haven't checked her out too much, so I guess I can't make a final verdict on her quite yet.

Love Him or Hate Him, He's Making Hip-Hop Worth Listening To

All opinions aside about his personal life, arrogant nature, stupid outbursts (see Taylor Swift incident at the Grammy's two years ago), or whatever else you may not like, Kanye West is hip-hop's saving grace.  In a genre where anyone with a decent copy of music-editing software could replicate 95% of it's music, Kanye is setting the bar higher and making music that is not just fun to listen to, but can actively engage you.  I didn't think it possible until his most recent album.

So I'm mostly concerned with Kanye's most recent album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.  I'm going to say right now that if you are sensitive about explicit lyrics and subject material, run far away from this alubm and don't give it another look.  It is definitely not for the faint of heart.  At times the lyrics can be down-right disgusting.  All that said, WOW, what a great album!

Some have referred to it as the "Sargeant Peppers of Hip-Hop."  I think that remains to be seen in about another decade, considering The Beatles probably didn't know they had quite the masterpiece we know it as today within a few months of Sargeant Pepper's release.  Nonetheless, if you actually sit down with a good set of headphones and just solely listen to the music (I like to do this with good albums as I lay in my bed), you'll be surprised at how intricate, heart-wrenching, and meticulously crafted this album is.

I say heart-wrenching because you can hear the pain mixed with bitterness in a lot of tracks.  It's what makes it such a good piece of art.  He doesn't carelessly throw these songs together.  Granted, you could maybe make the case for a couple of tracks on the album, but shoot, out of 13 almost all of them make you want to go back and listen as soon as they end.

So if you aren't offended by explicit content, give the album a go and see what you think.  Don't go in with any pre-conceived notions of what hip-hop or rap is.  Just listen to it as a piece of art.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

*Here is a cool video from the album.  It's kind of lame via YouTube because it's edited, therefore it sounds kind of awkward at times, but still really cool.*

5 Reasons to Love Miles Davis

In case you weren't aware, Miles Davis is the man.  Definitely one of my biggest musical heroes.

If you aren't super aware of his music, or if you aren't sure WHY you SHOULD be fascinated by him, here are five reasons:

1) Evolution

He is the best example, at least that I can think of, of a musician whose work constantly evolves into something different, never satisified with staying put.  Over decades of recording, his styles and methods changed so fast, the rest of the jazz world couldn't keep up with him.  A lot of people get fussy when an artist or band changes their "sound" from one album to the other.  And while some people (uninformed, I might add) may do the same with Davis, his work actually does so gracefully.  His music ranges from straight-ahead be-bop to modal jazz to soundtrack music to electronic funk to experimental "out" playing to...well, it just keeps going.  The point being, he touches on all different types of playing, but each one is a progression and change in sound, and he does so successfully, creating a beautiful work of art each time, refusing to allow you to stay comfortable.

2) Space

I was thinking about this playing at a church gig the other night, where it was two guitars (I was the second) and a djembe.  I was not leading any of the songs, and in order to maximize the quality of sound, I actually minimized the amount of playing I did.  If you read Davis' autobiography (which, I confess, I have not fully finished...add to the summer checklist, I suppose!) he constantly talks about unnecessary output of sound, whether it be musical, or just talking in everyday conversation.  HE HATES IT!  If it isn't going to add anything, why do it?

Next time you listen to a band or group, depending on how successful they are, take notice of how much playing each person does.  In the best groups, more often than not, musicians aren't stepping on each others' toes, or as Davis puts it, saying what doesn't NEED to be said.  That's why, when you listen to his music, you can be confident that what you are hearing is only his best stuff.  He NEVER plays notes or riffs just to fill space.

Some of you could take that advice and apply it to your everyday conversations :)

3) "Kind of Blue"

Okay, seriously, if you haven't heard this album, you are doing yourself a great injustice.  Go ahead and look at a dozen different ratings of the "best albums of all time" or whatever nonsense they claim, and I guarantee this album will be at towards the top of that chart.

If I could only have one album to keep for the rest of my life, this would probably be it.  I'm afraid the jazz world may never be graced with an album that can recreate the perfection this album achieved.

4) Stick-it-to-the-man-ism

Miles never let anyone tell him how his music should sound or be played.  If you don't like his playing, his posture, his sound, his genres, his articulation, or whatever other nit-picking categories you can come up with, then go listen to someone else.  And be disappointed by their playing, I'm sure :)

There is a reason he was such an influential figure in the music realm.  You think he didn't have people telling him what to do all the time?  He probably wouldn't have achieved 1/8 of the success if he had listened to his college orchestral director who told him to knock it off with all of the tomfoolery of "playing jazz" every night.

Who do you think had better judgment?

5) Style

Come on.  Tell me you don't love outfits like these:

Or these:

Crooked Still; check 'em out!

While listening to some Punch Brothers last week (which, if you haven't heard them already, stop everything you are doing and devote 40 minutes to listening through the 4 movements of The Blind Leaving the Blind; it will change your life) I stumbled upon this group.  Loving them so far!  I haven't bought any of their stuff yet (broke college student syndrome) but they have some really good stuff up on YouTube.

Their strings all come together very well for an ethereal sound that fills their tracks.  Don't be fooled by the banjo (as so many people sadly are; banjo does not equal redneck bluegrass...well, not always, anyway).  This is just good, straight-ahead acoustic music, lending itself more to a mix of pop and classical tastes.

Can't wait to check them out some more.  Give them a listen below:

                                                      "Half of What We Know" - Crooked Still

Sensory Overload

I would have posted this sooner, but alas, finals began this week.  Epic time vacuum :(

This last weekend was crazy, filled with all kinds of music worth noting.  Columbia, MO had all kinds of stuff going on...

Thursday: MU Choral Union & MU Concert Jazz Band

Man, this was a REALLY cool event.  This concert featured old African American spirituals, music set to the poetry of Langston Hughes, and the Duke Ellington Sacred Concerts, featuring a full chorus, Soprano, Baritone, and a full big band!  It's a hard recording to come by, and apparently much harder to get your hands on the actual sheet music, but it is really, really incredible.

I would highly suggest you check out some Duke Ellington if you haven't before.  His music is so, for lack of a better word, fulfilling.

Friday: Dance Party on Lowry Mall :)

 I am part of a team traveling to Cambodia this summer, and one of our main projects is to raise money to build a school for a community with 840 children who have no way of getting into school.  So we had a dance party in the middle of campus!  Super fun.

Saturday: James T. Scott Memorial Service & Procession

For those of you that aren't familiar with the story, James Scott was the last man lynched in Columbia, Missouri.  He was a university employee, wrongfully accused of raping a white woman.  Before sound evidence could be collected, he was pulled out of his cell by an angry mob of white citizens, dragged to the Stewart Bridge, and lynched.  He had been in an unmarked grave in Columbia Cemetery for almost 100 years-until Saturday.

The service was truly moving, and it was so great to see such a big turnout from people who wanted to do SOMETHING to try and honor this innocent man and the tragedy he suffered.  I add this in there because part of the event was a New Orleans-style processional through downtown Columbia with a local marching band.  The band was nothing special by any means, but it was cool to see how music can transcend purposes beyond entertainment.  It sends a message.  It can honor individuals.  It can help deliver justice.  Sorry, sappy, I know, but that's what I was thinking on that warm, Saturday morning, marching alongside hundreds of Columbia natives mourning the loss.

Sunday: MU Women's Chorale



Okay, I'm biased with this one because my little sister, Hannah, is in this group :)  Fun concert, though!  I actually enjoyed the pieces written by female composers the most.  I don't mean that as an insult, but to point out that female composers, until recently, are so few and far between, that you don't come across their music too much when looking back on prominent classical works.  I think Gwenyth Walker is one of my new favorite composers; from what I have heard so far, her music wonderfully balances colorful chords, beautiful voicings, and tastes of dissonance.  I would highly suggest her for anyone looking into choral music.



Okay, that was a REALLY long post.  I promise they won't be that long anymore :)  Just goes to show there is a lot of music going on if you are willing to keep your eyes open for what's going on.

Here we go...

I've never tried this whole blogging thing all you youngsters are going wild about, but I figured I would give it a shot.  Read it.  Or don't.  I just want to write down the different music findings & experiences I come across.  Albums, live performances, artists, genres, and whatever else comes to mind.  I need a way to keep track of all this stuff.  The music realm is so vast and overwhelming that I can't keep tabs on it in my own head.

Feel free to comment, argue, suggest posts, etc.  We'll see how well I actually keep up with all this :)