Two brilliant singer-songwriter-pianists have just finished an album together and christened it with a duo concert in New York City. Elton John and Leon Russell recently released their well-received Union album, and the concert was by all accounts a triumph. John has long acknowledged Russell as a major influence on his music, and John’s early albums showed a strong fondness for Russell’s joyful gospel-rock sound and a laudable musical adventurousness that belied John’s pop-artist reputation. Album info here and here. Concert review here.
Music
Previously Undiscovered Vivaldi Concerto Found
A previously undiscovered flute concerto by the Italian baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi has been found—in Scotland, of all places. It will receive its modern-day premiere performance in January in Perth, UK. Story and sound sample here.
Mamma Mia, It’s a Beach Boys Musical
20th Century Fox is planning to produce a musical based on the songs of the Beach Boys. Think Mamma Mia with hot rods, moon doggies, and bikinis. I’m all for it, of course. I vote for Mike Love as the villain. Story here.—STK
The Greatness of ‘Hey, Jude’
What’s the greatest Beatles song of all? Aleks Karnick says it’s “Hey Jude,” at Family scholars.org.
Forty Years of Drooling, and They Put You on the Graveyard Shift
Paranoid. I didn’t get it then, and must confess I get it only slightly better with 40 years hindsight. With all that was available musically at the time, why would anyone pick Sabbath?
Remembering the Silver Fox
By Larry Kaufmann Probably no greatly popular American singer had less desire to be a superstar than Charlie Rich. Private, modest and unassuming, he shunned the limelight and sometimes literally wished he could be fishing rather than on stage. Wanted or not, though, fame would come, with more than two-dozen songs on the country and pop charts in the 1970s, making Charlie Rich the biggest country music crossover star of his time. The ultimate irony is that success came as country’s “Silver Fox,” since Charlie Rich could rock like Elvis, swing like Ella, croon like Sinatra, and plumb soulful depths second only to the Queen of Soul herself. He was the musical twin of Ray Charles, at home in multiple genres and bringing a uniquely soulful fusion of musical styles to everything he sang or played. Very little of this was known by country music fans back in the day, and it’s almost completely forgotten now. In fact, if Charlie Rich is remembered at all, it is almost as a punch line to the mawkish and clichéd hit song “Behind Closed Doors.” That is more than a shame, because the Silver Fox left behind a complex and deeply felt (although
Asia on DirecTV
DVR alert: The original lineup of Asia performs in concert in a broadcast on DirecTV tonight at 9 and midnight EDT. Asia was a true rock supergroup, bringing together veterans of top progressive rock bands such as King Crimson, Yes, and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer (and of course we mustn’t forget the Buggles). But they brought their considerable talents to bear not on ambitious prog extravaganzas but instead on accessible, melodic rock music. Hits such as “Heat of the Moment,” “Only Time Will Tell,” “Don’t Cry,” and “The Smile Has Left Your Eyes” are classics of the classic-rock style, combining superb songwriting, instrumental brilliance, and John Wetton’s stunningly passionate and technically strong vocals. Wetton has remained my favorite rock vocalist since his years with King Crimson in the very early 1970s. Asia has had several different lineups over the years, but the original lineup is definitely the best and most musically and commercially successful. The band kicks off a tour of North America on August 2. They won’t be appearing anywhere within 500 miles of Karnick Manor, so it looks as if the video concert is the closest I’m going to get. The band’s new album, Omega, is quite good,
George M. Cohan: America’s Cheerleader
July is a time for patriotism in the United States, and much very good music has been written for the occasion, from John Philip Sousa through Aaron Copland to Chuck Berry and the Beach Boys and beyond. People across the political and social spectrum have written music to express their love for this nation. I didn’t grow up in a particularly patriotic family, however. Sure, we’d go to the fireworks show every other year or so, but most of the time we stayed home and watched whatever was on television or listened to the radio. The old movie Stars and Stripes Forever, with Clifton Webb, Robert Wagner, and Debra Paget is the film I remember—more for the obvious charms of Ms. Paget than for the patriotic themes, I’m afraid. For whatever reason, John Philip Sousa never quite struck a chord in me. But George M. Cohan is another story. Not the Jimmy Cagney version from the movie Yankee Doodle Dandy, which is terrific, but the actual Cohan who gave us all those great songs that celebrate America as a land of dreams to be realized and opportunities to be seized, a country whose optimism was not something to be trifled
Musician Shawn Phillips on U.S. Tour
The brilliant folk-rock singer and songwriter Shawn Phillips is on a U.S. tour. See him if you can. Schedule here. Aptly referred to on a fan site as “The best-kept secret in the music business,” the Texan Shawn Phillips combined an astonishingly powerful voice with impressive songwriting and eclectic musical tastes incorporating folk, rock, jazz, classical, avant garde, and world influences. Phillips began his career in the 1960s with the Scottish folkie Donovan (allegedly cowriting some of the latter’s most popular songs, such as the classic “Season of the Witch,” but having his author credit stolen), and he released a series of superb albums in the 1970s. He never became a big star, but his music is well worth investigating. It’s important to note that there’s nothing of the annoying ’70s folk-rock-weenie approach in Shawn Phillips. His music is muscular, his voice forceful, and his lyrics intelligent and confident. He’s also unembarrassed about his Christianity without hitting people over the head with it. Those who don’t ordinarily like folk-rock should give Shawn Phillips a chance. Album recommendations: Second Contribution–a classic, five stars out of five. Much of the album is done as an extended suite. Phillips”s singing was never more
The Aaron Hendra Project Meets The Machine Gun Preacher
Turn any corner, especially in Hollywood, and you’ll find stories about artists struggling with day jobs while perfecting their art. I met one such artist, Aaron Hendra, when our paths crossed on a construction site. Instead of waiting tables, Aaron spent his days managing contracts and supervising tradesmen in the construction business while perfecting his craft and pursuing his dream as a musician and songwriter. Long years and hard work seem to be paying off. In the ‘About’ section of The Aaron Hendra Project website, Aaron briefly describes the time between 2001 and 2008 as “years of small acoustic shows by night, and days spent on construction sites.” I had the distinct pleasure of spending several months with Aaron at one of those sites and can tell you that this young man, in addition to being an amazingly quick study in the building biz – he went from a laborer to construction site supervisor in a matter of months when I had the pleasure of working with him in Southern California – is incredibly devoted to his music. Aaron’s seems to reaping some much due rewards for the years of hard work. In 2008, he met St George, an entrepreneur who “believed in
New Miley Cyrus Album Cuts Cheer Quotient
The latest album by megastar teen vocalist Miley Cyrus, Can’t Be Tamed, is a bid to create a slightly more mature appeal and persona, taking some cues from Kelly Clarkson’s songs about resilience. Unfortunately, Cyrus and her team tend to equate ‘adult’ with ‘unhappy.’ Some of the tunes have the usual bounce, but the girl who just wanted to have fun seems to have lost some of her verve and good cheer.
Emerson-Lake Praised
Keith Emerson and Greg Lake of the great progressive rock band Emerson, Lake, and Palmer recently did a well-received tour of small-scale performances in North America. Profile here, review here.
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