Everyone from the day remembers this hit, often both the Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin versions.
I only recently read about Bacharach’s meaning in the lyrics: from the perspective of a young wife, hoping her husband comes back from Vietnam. Wow. Adds another level.
This version from Paul Brown and Lina stands up with any other.
Thanks for posting!! Always loved this song, particularly the Warwick version, which I remember hearing walking around the Avenues with my 6 transistor radio, in I think the summer of '67.
Paul Brown is a gifted guitar player, and in this tune is adding some very nice Wes Montgomery style guitar accompaniment.
Here’s a nice easy listening Jazz tune by Paul, which combines some of the 1970s George Benson style simultaneous guitar playing/scat singing, and a lot of Wes Montgomery style octaves and chord soloing. (He’s also pictured playing a spectacular old blond Gibson L5).
Edit to add a sample of George Benson’s playing/scatting:
Edit again to add a sample of Wes Montgomery for anyone not familiar. He is still generally thought of as the greatest Jazz guitarist of all time. He died at the age of 45 in 1968, after an active recording career of only 9 years. Smokin’ at the Half Note released in 1965, was his last significant album, and considered his best. This tune, is, for my money, the greatest 6:45 of Jazz guitar ever recorded. But it could be any other tune on that album.
Wes Montgomery also took a 12 year old Pat Metheny under his wing, who was fascinated listening to Mongomery playing at the state fair near Kansas City where they both lived.
Metheny had an insatiable appetite to learn, and Mongomery had a serious prodigy… while all around them in KC were Civil Rights protests and lots of social tension in the air. They played through it.
Socially they were unlikely to pair up during a tough time, but Metheny credits Mongomery for teaching him the foundation of the Jazz guitar skill that led to 20 Grammys.
I have such a soft spot for symphonic metal that combines the brutality of flesh peeling vocals and riffs with the beauty of epic orchestra arrangements and soaring choirs. Bands like Fleshgod Apocalypse and Septicflesh have been carrying that particular torch for decades, but some of the new crop have put out some really strong efforts over the past couple years.
The new Worm Shepherd album is an excellent example.
So…I’m running out of Crime Shows to watch. I’m having to revisit some older shows and Crossing Jordan came to mind. As I’ve been watching, I’ve come to realize the music in each episode kicks butt.
The show actually put out a soundtrack in 2003 and here are a few songs listed…
I’ve been diving into the Red Hot Chil Peppers and had not realized their relationship with John Frusciante, who has had a very bizzare but remarkable career. He apparently has quite an expansive artistic repertoire in multiple styles. This album (his first) is no doubt avant garde, but particularly well liked. I find him to be exceptionally musical, and look forward to learning more about this artist.
It’s way outside my typical musical wheelhouse, but I’m jumping on the Angine de Poitrine hype train that seems to be taking over the world. This funky weirdness is a total blast.
When I was about 17-19, my guitar teacher was J D Moffat, who was an instructor in the Music Department at the time (mid 70’s). He had previously toured with the likes of Lou Rawls, John Lee Hooker and a couple of other mid major jazz/blues acts I don’t recall now.
He was a Jazz guitarist at heart and spent as much time as he could watching and jamming (in after hours jazz sessions) with Wes Montgomery, who most consider the best Jazz guitarist of all time.
In that setting J D got to know George Benson, who was also sometimes following Wes around.
JD later toured for a very long time with Ray Charles, but George Benson, starting in the 70’s, launched a successful Pop career unlike most Jazz guitarists, that included popularized scat singing in unison with the guitar, signing with leading lady jazz/pop singers, and singing in on his onw. He had a good enough voice that he was quite popular.
This is one that is still somewhat true to the Jazz genre:
Another George Benson tune that better captures his Jazz capabilities, even though it’s a 40 year look back to the Benny Goodman era. His chords and his comping here demonstrate all the things he learned watching Wes. His solos however, are much more like Charlie Christian who was the guitarist for Benny Goodman, and most Jazz guitarist consider by most to be the second most influential jazz guitarist.
I’m a math rock fan in the general sense and I liked the album these guys put out a couple years ago. I had no idea they had gotten so popular until very recently. I don’t get the polka dot costumes and whole visual thing, but… it’s fine.
