Winehouse’s debut album, Frank, was released on 20 October 2003. Produced mainly by Salaam Remi, many songs were influenced by jazz and, apart from two covers, every song was co-written by Winehouse. The album received positive reviews with compliments over the “cool, critical gaze” in its lyrics and brought comparisons of her voice to Sarah Vaughan, Macy Gray and others. (wiki)
I love this album and Amy to bits and it breaks my heart that I’ll never get to see her live. I’ve always got Frank which I’ll play to my last dying day because it is such a timeless album.
R.I.P AMY WINEHOUSE…
I actually feel like I’ve been widowed now you’re gone.
First and foremost I must admit that although I’ve heard of Odd Future and listened to a few of their releases, I have not yet heard any of Tyler‘s official release Goblin. Why did I make that my opening statement, because I felt it important that you know that I’m coming from a listeners perspective. These renditions could of been totally original, named differently, they didn’t even have to tell me it was an Odd Future rendition and I’d still listen and love the music because it’s got a particular sentiment I can identify with.
It’s emotive, sinister, dreamy, pleasant yet nightmarish, the music to me is like taking a walk through my mind on a overcast evening when the sun begins to fade into the horizon and the skies turn orange. Video or no video of the musicians zoning out, I could listen to this, why, because it’s exactly what the likes of Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, Vince Guardi, Joao Gilberto, Stan Getz, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and many others would do. I could picture the jazz Baroness Nica Rothschild in the midst of the darkest corner puffing smoke from what has become her throne, menthol cigarette attached to the cigarette in mouth soaking up the sounds…
This is evocative music, regardless of who wrote the original pieces, what makes this particular recording special is the way they translated something considered to be far removed from tradition jazz and bebop into a much more elaborate and moving piece of music. I respect these guys highly.
And for the record here’s the original ‘Hip Hop‘ version -well the first rendition I fell in love with- of Electric Relaxation, one of my favourite songs of all time by my favourite band A Tribe Called Quest…
Funnily enough I met Jessica Symonds at the Westminster University BMus end of year student showcase at Cargo where our mutual group of friends politicked about music, spirituality, and whatever else whilst smoking cigarettes and downing pints -as students do- before we got drunk and ran the dance floor until the lights came on.
Quite the siren indeed...
I remember Jessica telling me about a project she was working on, but when I heard nothing for quite a while I seemed to forget -that and the fact that I was heavily intoxicated- until just now when I had seen the visuals. I really expected some Rhianna type of music but I was blown away to hear a Jazz/Soulful sound, complemented with sultry seductive vocals with painting pictures of a bygone era where a whole lot of teens would sneak off to the park to have a tipple of Lambrini -teenage class indeed.
Excitement and hype aside, I present to you Jessica Symonds, the nostalgic ode to her teenage adolescent years, Old Days…
“Gil Scott-Heron (born April 1, 1949) is an American poet, musician, and author known primarily for his late 1960s and early 1970s work as a spoken word soul performer and his collaborative work with musician Brian Jackson. His collaborative efforts with Jackson featured a musical fusion of jazz, blues and soul music, as well as lyrical content concerning social and political issues of the time, delivered in both rapping and melismatic vocal styles by Scott-Heron. The music of these albums, most notably Pieces of a Man and Winter in America in the early 1970s, influenced and helped engender later African-American music genres such as hip hop and neo soul. Scott-Heron’s recording work is often associated with black militant activism and has received much critical acclaim for one of his most well-known compositions “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”. On his influence, Allmusic wrote “Scott-Heron’s unique proto-rap style influenced a generation of hip-hop artists”.” (via http://gilscottheron.net)
This is my favourite Gil Scott Heron song, it gets me through so many dark times.
Vincent Anthony “Vince” Guaraldi (July 17, 1928 – February 6, 1976) was an Italian American jazz musician and pianist noted for his innovative compositions and arrangements and for composing music for animated adaptations of the Peanuts comic strip.
The first time I heard this song, it near enough moved me to tears. I asked the waitress for the name of the song and I remember spending hours going through iTunes trying to find it. I don’t know whether it was the moment it played or the song itself, but it’s a beautiful composition. I really wanted to write something tonight but as I don’t have The Great Pumpkin Waltz on my iPhone, I decided to dedicate a post to one of my favourite songs in the world.
Rest In Peace Vince Guaraldi, 47 years young when you departed but you left behind a composition that will stay with me forever.
Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011)
