"Compared to What," Eddie Harris & Les McCann

Song: "Compared to What"
Album: Swiss Movement
Artist: Eddie Harris & Les McCann

Hot Jazz, sharp tongue; what not to love.

To me, when you strip Jazz down to the elemental, it is the musical embodiment of the triumph of the human spirit over oppression. I think that the roots of Jazz come from the human need for expression, even in an environment where you could get killed for saying the wrong thing (or for nothing at all).

It's with a sense of liberation in this song that Les McCann presents some lyrics to match the fierceness of the music. The song was actually written by Eugene McDaniels. This one song takes on the issues of greed, animal cruelty, war, patriotism, cowardice, religion, poverty and abortion. When a song can do all that, it's nearing the pinnacle of possibility for this short art form. Here's the stanza on greed:

I love the lie and lie the love
Hanging on, with push and shove
Possession is the motivation
that is hanging up the God-damn nation
Looks like we always end up in a rut (everybody now!)
Tryin' to make it real� compared to what? C'mon baby!

My favorite version of the song is the one linked above from the 1969 album Swiss Movement, recored live at the Montreaux Jazz Festival. I think this is a clip from that performance:



This music is timeless. Fast forward 20 years and here's what you get:

"When a Cajun Man Gets the Blues," Tab Benoit

Song: "When A Cajun Man Gets The Blues"
Album: Tab Benoit - Live At Jazz Fest 2007
Artist: Tab Benoit

I took my son to see the I-Max movie, Hurricane On The Bayou, and this song was featured. Tab Benoit's voice is wonderful and the simplicity of this arrangement is great. "It's so hard to drive, with these tears in my eyes." This lyric just gets to me. I think about New Orleans, Katrina and the people who are still suffering there.

"Lua," Bright Eyes

Song: "Lua"
Album: Lua - EP
Artist: Bright Eyes

Honesty.

Bright Eyes (a.k.a. Conor Oberst) is a master of conveying a feeling with a song. This is one of my favorite things about music-- it’s probably the best medium for conveying emotions. Yet Bright Eyes strips this song of all the optimism and hopefulness that usually accompanies a budding romance. This is a complete expression of the “out of self” observations of an addict and the resignation that accompanies the fall of an individual in tandem with the fall of society. If you have a shot at getting some and still can't muster a thread of hope, the world is weighing heavy my friend. In a word, this song is honest, heroically so.

"I'd Rather Be Blind, Crippled and Crazy," The Derek Trucks Band

Song: "I'd Rather Be Blind, Crippled and Crazy"
Album: Songlines
Artist: The Derek Trucks Band

Mr. Trucks makes me writhe with his slide solos on this song. Pure funky, cool, painful pleasure. Here's a link to the youtube post from Legacy Recordings.

"Tamacun," Rodrigo y Gabriella

Song: "Tamacun"
Album: Rodrigo y Gabriela
Artist: Rodrigo y Gabriela

Just listen. Wow. My friend Dave turned me onto Rodrigo y Gabriela. It's beautiful guitar work. This music reminds me of Spain and makes me want to pick up some castanets and stomp around the room like a Flamenco dancer. Now that's successful music. It was fun to learn that they are former thrash metal players from Mexico City.

"Shaking The Tree," Peter Gabriel

Song: "Shaking The Tree"
Album: Secret World Live
Artist: Peter Gabriel

This live version of Shaking The Tree is awesome. It features Paula Cole on vocals. I think it's cool when a live version of a song takes it to a new level. Maybe becuase of the subject matter of the song, Cole's voice brings balance. Enjoy.

"Symphony of Sorrowful Songs," Henryk Gorecki

Song: "Symphony No. 3: II. Lento e largo - Tranquillissimo"
Album: London Sinfonietta - Gorecki - Symphony No. 3
Artist: David Zinman, Dawn Upshaw & London Sinfonietta

This recording was reported to have stopped traffic in Los Angeles when it was played on the radio.

"When the recording was played on public radio station KCRW in Santa Monica, California, enchanted motorists pulled off the freeways to phone in and find out what it was."

Hearing it is powerful enough without knowing the subject matter, but this music connects on a very basic level. I encourage everyone to listen to the entire album and learn as much as you can about the music, the composer and the subject matter. The Wiki Article is a good place to start.

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