History of music in this city would be way different without him. Likewise Joe Segal, who died last year. Glad to read that Bob's son plans to keep the store open. http://bluesandjazzmart.com/
eta, posted last month on the store's FB page: "Wow.
Fancy sign. Bob bought Seymour's in 1959. It was in the Roosevelt
University Building on South Wabash. And from there, the Jazz Record
Mart evolved."
Franco Battiato is often heralded as Italy's answer to Brian Eno. A quizzical composer/lyricist, Battiato turned pop music upside down in the early '70s with three classic LPs – Fetus, Pollution and Sulle Corde Di Aries – that formed a confluence of avant-folk sensibilities and analog electronics.
Originally released in 1971 on Bla Bla, Fetus predated the prodigious Cramps and Multhipla catalogues to become one of the first electronic records produced in Italy. With his trusted VCS3 synthesizer, Battiato created primordial soundscapes that shift between dreamy and delirious. His unsentimental, yet evocative voice – combined with a sublimely detached approach to lyrics – spawned a new breed of divergent songwriting.
Fetus, a concept album exploring themes of genetic engineering, is enigmatically sub-titled "Ritorno al Mondo Nuovo" (Return to the New World) and dedicated to Aldous Huxley. While the sleeve design may have raised a few eyebrows upon its initial release, the back cover photograph of Battiato (standing defiant in dark glasses) makes the real iconoclastic statement.
Battiato's infectious melodies and innovative sound-collage techniques remain uniquely spry given that each track averages less than four minutes in length. Pink Floyd's Meddle, Os Mutantes' eponymous recordings and Jim O'Rourke's experimental-pop idiosyncrasies all find parallels to the curious beauty of Fetus.
Raul de Souza(1934 - Sunday)is another one of those musicians that I had a less than stellar introduction to. When I wrote for the Dallas Jazz News, I was given a copy of his 'til Tomorrow Comes" album which I panned because of its disco shenanigans - "...apparently he was bone to disco..." Since then, I've begun to appreciate a bit more of his work as a sideman.
Just learned belatedly that Dr. Lonnie Smith died September 28, age 79. Got to see him with his trio at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago a few years ago, front row seats. It was a memorable night.
He was quite active in his later years, so we got some good bonus time.
Interesting: "In the '60s, he became a close friend of Pannonica de Koenigswarter,
known as the Jazz Baroness...Harris moved into
her Weehawken home in the mid-'60s, where he lived until his death"
Article links to this video of him at Newport with Cannonball Adderley - almost 60 years ago
ETA/LOL: Introducer calls Cannonball an "articulate spokesman" for jazz
"I have come to occupy a somewhat unique position in the constellation of African American writing by keeping one ear to the street, one ear to the academy, and a phantom third hearing organ to my own little artsy-fartsy corner of Gotham and Brooklyn’s Black bohemia."
Comments
Norman Simmons
especially like his "The Man Outside"
but am listening to this one for now:
Franco Battiato (1945 - today)
Franco Battiato is often heralded as Italy's answer to Brian Eno. A quizzical composer/lyricist, Battiato turned pop music upside down in the early '70s with three classic LPs – Fetus, Pollution and Sulle Corde Di Aries – that formed a confluence of avant-folk sensibilities and analog electronics.
Originally released in 1971 on Bla Bla, Fetus predated the prodigious Cramps and Multhipla catalogues to become one of the first electronic records produced in Italy. With his trusted VCS3 synthesizer, Battiato created primordial soundscapes that shift between dreamy and delirious. His unsentimental, yet evocative voice – combined with a sublimely detached approach to lyrics – spawned a new breed of divergent songwriting.
Fetus, a concept album exploring themes of genetic engineering, is enigmatically sub-titled "Ritorno al Mondo Nuovo" (Return to the New World) and dedicated to Aldous Huxley. While the sleeve design may have raised a few eyebrows upon its initial release, the back cover photograph of Battiato (standing defiant in dark glasses) makes the real iconoclastic statement.
Battiato's infectious melodies and innovative sound-collage techniques remain uniquely spry given that each track averages less than four minutes in length. Pink Floyd's Meddle, Os Mutantes' eponymous recordings and Jim O'Rourke's experimental-pop idiosyncrasies all find parallels to the curious beauty of Fetus.
stellar introduction to. When I wrote for the Dallas Jazz News, I was given a copy of his
'til Tomorrow Comes" album which I panned because of its disco shenanigans -
"...apparently he was bone to disco..." Since then, I've begun to appreciate a bit more of
his work as a sideman.
Frederic Rzewski (just saw him in 2017 with Musica Elettronica Viva and solo)
and
Peter Zinovieff (influential engineer: EMS studios introducing the VCS3 synthesizer to lots of major rock bands).
When I saw these, it showed that they died on the same day - today -
but seconds later it showed Zinovieff dying three days ago.
Both people very important to their professions.
Oh, man...
Louis Andriessen (1939 - today)
R. Murray Schafer
Wigwam was a favorite growing up.
So too, were these guys...
Dee Pop
Everett Morton
Haven’t thought about him in a long time,
but The Jazz Butcher has died.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgEBOhcrCXc
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/nov/22/david-longdon-frontman-of-prog-rock-band-big-big-train-dies-aged-56
"English Electric: Full Power" is a tremendous album with ProgArchives rating Part One No. 2 album for 2012 and Part Two No. 7 for 2013.
Plus "Far Skies Deep Time" which at over 43 minutes is the longest EP I've ever come across!
Well, this one hurts big time.
The first time I met him was in the mid-70s along with Bob Rauschenberg and Viola Farber.
The last time I was actually with him was having an ice cream in a shop.
Last time I saw him perform was in 2019.
Ninety years old and such a legacy of sound.
Agreed a great loss, but why am I wondering about the flavour of the ice cream? He must have influenced generations of musicians.
Barry Harris, beloved jazz pianist devoted to bebop, dies at 91
"I have come to occupy a somewhat unique position in the constellation of African American writing by keeping one ear to the street, one ear to the academy, and a phantom third hearing organ to my own little artsy-fartsy corner of Gotham and Brooklyn’s Black bohemia."
Robbie Shakespeare of Sly and Robbie fame has died.