I listen to a lot of music that isn’t in a language I speak. That’s okay, because music is expressive enough to transcend language. Where I stumble is when encountering songs that have been “translated” into English. We are left with either a soulless transcription, or a retelling of the song in English, wherein the…
Let’s listen to a song, watch it expand, and then understand what the artist is doing. Here’s George Benson’s version of Donny Hathaway’s “The Ghetto,” with Joe Sample on piano. Now, here is musician and teacher Rick Beato breaking down George’s work, because if we don’t know how artistry works, we devolve into believing it’s…
The Simpsons predicted this in 1996, yo. Insane in the membrane. Sometimes, reality exceeds even our fondest expectations. “Insane in the Brain.”
Music fans from the 1960s are familiar with The Kingsmen’s ballad, “Louie, Louie,” which became a surprise hit upon its release in 1963. But how many know that it was a remake? The original, performed by its composer, Richard Berry, was recorded in 1956 and released in 1957. Poor sound engineering by The Kingsmen’s studio…
“Like a Ship,” by Pastor T. L. Barrett and the Youth for Christ Choir and “Joy and Pain,” by Frankie Beverly and Maze
Raye and Coltrane.
I fell in love with the song “My Favorite Things” in 1993, the year my daughter was born, after buying Al Jarreau’s live-in-studio recording. He performed the song with operatic soloist, Kathleen Battle, and the combination, made in one take, felt flawless. I could immediately conceive of any number of interpretations of the song, it…
I once wrote 12 rules to help newcomers become prolific writers. There was some good advice there, but looking back, most of it can be boiled down to, “Be consistent and results oriented.” Being prolific isn’t about how many projects you start. It’s about how many you finish. Were I to give similar advice today,…
As a multidisciplinary artist, I find that passing time has different effects on how I perceive the art I create. The same does not seem to be true for others’ art. If I like another artist’s piece, I will always like it. Occasionally, as I grow more in my understanding of art, my tastes broaden,…
Sam Moore, the lead-tenor half of the 1960s soul duo, Sam & Dave, passed away yesterday, Friday morning. He was 89. According to NPR, “Publicist Jeremy Westby said Moore died in Coral Gables, Florida, due to complications while recovering from surgery. No additional details were immediately available.” Moore was best known for his successful partnership…
The Artists' Sanctum 