As a brazilian, sometimes I feel that I should post something about our MUSIC. I mean, about our REAL GOOD MUSIC (Chico Buarque, Gilberto Gil, Tom Jobim, etc.).

But I always give up, since it would be of almost NO INTEREST; I know that most of you loves music, and some of you are musicians, but I doubt that more than 3-4 people would be interested in brazilian music, because, unfortunately, our good music is not "fast-food", and is not played on the mainstream media. Only the "initiated" have access and knowledge enough to appreciate what, for many experts around, is the BEST MUSIC OF THE WORLD. Yes, it can be a flaming subject, but I believe that brazilian music is the best. And I love jazz, I love Mozart, Bach, I love blues, etc. etc.

So, I wont bother you with my stuff. The goal of this thread is touch you, old fat monkeys - but only the monkeys that knows and loves Jazz. Yeah, I should present you our brazilian "choros", our "sambas", but for now I wil share with you guys a thing that is simply AMAZING.

Nothing compared with our Elis Regina, but it is close. In fact, I would leave Alessandra for this woman.
Everytime I hear this music I have an... well, forget it.

Just pay attention to every single instrument, and pay attention to this. It is something that changes a man's life, believe me.

I see what you mean Ped, she has got a look.

Thanks, TR.

But it is not to "see" what I mean. My wife is prettier and hotter than Madeleine Peiroux, believe me.

You guys are supposed to "hear" and "feel" what I mean. I love her "musicality".

I am crying. No, not davycrocketing, I am really crying.

Ah yes! Beware of the musical crush!

Especially bad if it happens with a fellow musician. I've had a couple of friends who's voice or playing was intoxicating! Playing music together can be very intimate. It can almost feel like cheating and jealousy can be an issue even if the "touch" is only with sound.

McFate,

God gave me the gift of hand-drawing, but the most valuable things I earned/had/have was/is because of my acoustic guitar and my questionable voice and singing skills.

A poor, ugly scarface boy like me would NEVER get married if not by my musical crush. I could never beware.

Still crying. Now listening Elis Regina. She is a monster (Youtube for her).

If I didn't quit drinking, a full bottle of single-malt would not be enough this night.



Edit: Alessandra is sleeping. She's on a "4-days-red-signal". So, here I am.

Ped,

Thanks for the post. As the son-in-law of a life long Jazz Musician (saxophone) and the father of another that shows decent potential, I have some appreciation for Jazz. I understand how the music can move you. I personally don't "feel" it with your featured artist, but I get it.

I think I probably have a stronger appreciation for the instrumental part rather than the vocals. I've learned a little about the unique "voices" of specific musicians when they play their various instruments. I never have gotten close to hearing it how my father-in-law did. He could hear a single note from a 100 different musicians and name them all. I did learn his "voice" though and it can literally bring me to tears. We lost him a few years ago. He became my best friend, my fishing buddy, my advisor and confidant. I miss him terribly. I have a few recordings of him playing. None of them are "professional" recordings, but they're good enough. I listen to him and his band occasionally. It feels me with a wash of emotion when I do.

Although it's not quite the same type of sensual feelings it invokes for you, it's still powerful for me. I get it.

Thanks again,
PH

Yeah, Parrot, I AM talking about the whole thing: MUSIC.

The voice, the interpretation, AND THE INSTRUMENTS.

I can sing every instrument of the musics I like. From my mouth. I can distinguish every single detail, I am obsessed by the musical arranjements.

Of course that the sensual-feelings-thing is a side-joke. With a bit of reality, indeed, but a joke.

Nice to know you are a jazz fan. I thought all americans was jazz fans, but I see that cheap-music is unfortunately conquering the world... sigh...

Lets go to bed. Good night, folks.

Thanks for the video ped. I hate to say it but I guess I'm a narrow minded country boy from kansas I tried really hard to watch your video but couldn't get into it. Most of today's main stream music I have a hard time listening to, but if you put on some country music from the the late 70s, 80s or 90s I'm probably going to know every word.

Most instruments dont move me emotionally, but their are a few vocalist that can send shivers up my back. Alison Kruass and Ashley Monroe are two that come to mind . Alison Kruass sang a song with brad pasley a few year ago that give me goose bumps every time.

Last night I was in a very good mood. Quiet night, my two girls sleeping, I tried to relax a bit by hearing good music. It worked, despite the absense of a good old single-malt.

Now, back to work, back to real life, back to the bills to pay, back to traffic, back to worries...

Ped,

I'd venture to say most Americans under the age of 40 would have a hard time naming a Jazz musician outside of Kenny G. (Not a dig at Kenny). I think of Jazz as an American art form and have never really considered how it may have spread outside of the States. I'll have to do some googling and find some non-domestic varieties.

Parrot,

Jazz is one of my favorite music styles. But I don't like modern jazz. I like old, traditional jazz. Lionel Hampton (vibes, not so old, but not new either), Satchmo, Charlie Parker, Coltrane, Dave Brubeck, and non-american artits like Claude Boling, Paco de Lucia and many brazilian jazzists (my favorite is Hermeto Pascoal, but his music is a little "dificult").

I suggest you to do a research for the brazilian music that, for me, has lots of things in common with USA jazz: Chorinho. Its a music style based mostly on instruments, rarely performed by singers. Hell of fun. Listen to "Noites Cariocas", to take a good begining.

I love Jazz....I have played saxophone since I was 10 and jazz saxophone since high school and have been in many worship bands at church as well. I love jazz.....some of my favorite musicians are:

Chuck Mangione, David Sanbourn, Eric Marienthal, Warren Hill, John Coltrane and Dave Koz to name a few:

Let me leave you with one of my favorite jazz songs from David Sandbourn's duet with Bob James with Bob James band "Fourplay" a song called "Maputo":

Thanks, Swop!!!!

And I used to download free mp3 dayly from the best site I know: www.allaboutjazz.com

(You can download nice musics for free, once a day! And it works as the best channel to get in touch with the news and with the jazz world!)

Ped.

Thanks for your appreciation of my post.....My family and friends say I'm a real good saxophone player....I'm the type of player if I can hum or sing a song I can play it. I personally own all of the saxophones except the baritone saxophone...The Tenor, Soprano and Alto are all in my possession

I have always desired to go professional but the one thing that separates a professional saxophonist and a "very good" saxophonist is whether or not a saxophone player can play in the "altissimo" register...This is the upper end register that has a totally different fingering than the normal saxophone register... It also requires a totally different embouchure aka "mouth structure" or how you mouth is and/or breath technique in addition to the different fingerings to learn.....

Man....altissimo is the only thing....

I thought Ped...I would share a little of my "life experience" playing jazz saxophone.

altissimo is the saxophone equivilent to "falsetto" for singers.

But you do play on clubs, right? I mean, even if not "professional", hope you show your skills sometimes in public. I used to play in theaters when I was 17-19 years old, on my home town. It was a good time.
Nowadays, I still play some acoustic guitar, some flute and harmonica, but I only play at home, or in parties with friends. No more bars, no more theaters.
I use to say that, unfortunately, God gave me the gift of hand-drawing (I know it may sound absurd, heretic), so I am hooked at it (hand-drawings) since I was a baby; people always refer to me as the cartoonist, not the musician - and this prevented me from being a "serious" musician. If I could go back in time, for sure I would switch: making hand-drawing my hobby, and spending my efforts on music - even knowing that it is hard to make a living from it.

It would be nice to hear you - perhaps you sould make some improvisations over a base harmony, record it and put the mp3 here, huh? I am thinking about making it by myself... Playing guitar and flute, mixing the thing and uploading it somewhere. Perhaps here... But I need time, what I don't have these last months (the Looney Bin crew can tell, for they probably gave up waiting for the cartoon I promised and didnt delivered yet).

Time punishes...

doughens wrote: I'm the type of player if I can hum or sing a song I can play it.

Ha!

I used google translator to check for "hum". Hey, I do it a lot! mostly when in bathroom, where the accoustic is good... I hum several musics making noises with my mouth, a la Bobby McFerrin (who, for me, is one of the two most gifted musicians of the Universe, together with the brazilian Gilberto Gil).

When I hum brazilian chorinhos imitating trumpets and clarinets, my neighbours think I am crazy. And my wife goes mad at me.

Ped....

You mentioned "God giving you the gift of hand drawing as being "heretical". I would like to say. That is FARTHEST from the truth. I do NOT believe it is "heretical".. I want to say that I'm VERY proud that God DID give you Ped the wonderful gift of drawing....Your an AMAZING cartoonist...I have ALWAYS loved your drawings. In church this past sunday...we had the children come forward for a "quick lesson"...The audio/visual people put a 1 minute "cartoon" on one of the parables....it was VERY funny and VERY biblical and done in such a way that the children understood the particular parable from the Gospel of Luke...I was so impressed with the cartoon. It reminded me of your amazing ability for cartoons. I would love to see you do cartoons of some of the "parables of Jesus" for children....

I personally dont play or have ever played in "clubs".....I kind of have "stepped away" from playing saxophone in public....I do want to get back to playing in the worship team at church.....I played last month at home and it appeared I havent "lost a step". I need to look into playing at church, do solos, etc....I have thought about attending the "2014 Warren Hill Saxophone Symposium"....but it costs around US$600 plus airfare, hotel and food for 3 days. This symposium is "hands on", with classes, as well as "jam sessions"....I need to look into that but man.....thats alot of money.

I grew up listening to my parents' records of 1930's-40's jazz. I was into my own pop and rock 'n roll, but all of the tunes they played stuck in my head. Later in life, the tunes have great meaning for me, even though I know little about them, who sang them, or even the songs' names. Making things even more difficult, these songs were played by so many different artists than the original composers and lyricists, in so many different styles. Making things easier however, is the internet, because if I can remember a sliver of lyrics I can often find the title. Unfortunately I can't lookup a mental tune (although that's an internet search engine idea that I'd like to collaborate with someone on sometime).

My dad played piano, accordion, and bass in a jazz band when he was a young man. He and mom passed along their musical genes to my brother and me, and the same interest is in all of our kids. Basically three generations of musical people, and I think it's an amazing part of our lives. While I shy away from performance (a couple of tragic embarassments in high school that I might deal with some day with a qualified counselor lol), my kids seem to like singing and playing in front of people. My dad plays regularly at his retirement home, and a new band seems to be in the making, with all of the tunes you guys are talking about here.

I play by ear, and occasionally dabble on a public piano where I can be totally anonymous (some airport lobbies have pianos). Some of my favorites these days are imitations of remake artist styles (a guy named Joe Augustine comes to mind, check him out). My own improvisation is limited, and I'm much better when I am simply copying someone else's riff or solo.

I've also sung with some a capella harmony groups, not so much as a talented vocalist (yikes), and more in the Arrangement role. I directed a group for a year, and my favorite tunes were out of that 30's era. Imagine 12-person Manhattan Transfer but without the modern stuff and far less singing capability. Actually some modern era songs were memorable too, especially for an audience response - those are really fun to arrange into 4 part harmony.

Finally, I am learning guitar, just to keep things interesting. Pop rock is the easiest path to learn strumming and fingerstyle, but what I find intriguing as a listener is jazz electric. Perhaps a nice hollow body would connect my listening interest to actual playing. Cuz finger picking an intricate riff is really tough on a steel string acoustic!

Anyway Ped, thanks for starting this thread! Keep up the vid posts guys!

Manfred

Swop,

When I said "heretic", I was trying to refer to the fact that, in some way, I would prefer going back in time just to put my "God's gift" aside, and invest in a minor skill - the heresy would reside on ignoring "God's will", lets say. Hope now you understand me. Oh, my engrish...

Manfred, look for Yamandu Costa on youtube, and watch that little guy destroy the guitar. He is a monster. Well, I don't know if it will help you to learn to play (in fact, I fear that he may cause you the same effect that the "Yes" guitarr player Steve Howe caused on me when I was trying to go further on my poor guitar learning - he brought me down with the song "Clap") - youtube it as well...

How about one of my all time favorites :
"Linus and Lucy"
by Vince Guaraldi

O. M. G. Ped, Yamandu Costa is a maniac! I listened to a few youtube selections. No wonder his guitar looks so beat up, it's hardly an instrument in his hands, it's a weapon

Steve Howe and Clap: if anyone ever doubted the straight connection between blues and hard rock, they should listen to this. No I won't be trying that one any time soon. But I can listen and dream.

It's always been a dream of mine to play a Rachmaninoff piano concerto with a famous orchestra. Sure I can read the notes, and I can feel the emotion and depth. I can even approximate some of the passages. But darnit my fingers just can't go that fast and precisely, and it's not from lack of trying! Regardless, you know that any time I happen to have Rachmaninoff playing (my many moods, thank goodness for many musical forms), my mental image is me in the tux and tails behind the flying fingers.

And so it will be with jazz guitar. But let's stick with a more melodic sound that doesn't put the fingers or instrument at risk!

You are inspiring me to (maybe) put a song to the forum. Maybe. Eh, perhaps I don't have a good recording capability. Yeah that's a good excuse! Piano or guitar, and definitely my voice, will get wrecked by my phone's lame little microphone. (But then again, what better excuse for the bad quality?...)

Anyway, this is why listening is such a joy. It holds no personal risks!

Manfred

Ped.....your funny....I see what you are saying....I would say that in a question form "How about BOTH (gifts) being God given?" your cartoon ability AND your musical ability and therefore....it wasnt "heretical"....Swoppy thinks you did a GREAT job.....Its never too late to pursue the "gifts" God has given you...which is both....to what extent on each gift...is whats "being responsibile".....Well Ped....its never too late to pursue BOTH of these gifts fully......

I will say.....I'm SO VERY proud....that as an individual that you are "seeking" to find the "perfect will of God" in your life....Your attitude on this is SOOOO inspirational....I just can't help but give you "kudos" for that....

Ped.....I'm sensing that you are becoming even MORE of a good friend to me....Thanks for accepting me in this way......your one cool dude.

Amen, my Chaplain!



But I need to say - and hope I don't disappoint you - that, although I believe in a Superior Force that rules this world, I am not a religious man. I am agnostic. But I try to be a good man. And I will begin going to Church with my two girls, cuz I want Laura have a faith to follow, at least until she grows up and build her own beliefs.

Changing back to our subject: what about a jam session, me, you and Manfred? I mean, we can chose a song, each one records her own performance (for example, me on the guitar, you on sax and Manfred playing piano or keyboard)?

It would be fun!

Oh Ped, your so nice. It is so VERY nice that you call me "My Chaplain"....

I know/knew u are agnostic....I just see in your response lately something more "deeper" than agnostic in your response (sorry if Swoppy is being WAY too forward)...I also see a little bit of "seeker" in you....Who knows (I'm not trying to influence you)....but in addition with you also beginning to take your children to church...you just might find the "Friend that sticks closer than any brother.....by which we call Abba, Father"....(Swoppy not preaching just going by observation, thats all)

Ped. I would LOVE that.....Swoppy is "IT unknowledgable".....you would have to walk me through that probably through PM's.....if that is okay......I would have to record on my IPhone 5 I guess....how to put that on here is another story...LONG story.....and one that requires patience with the Swop..

Not trying to be forward but I tell this to everybody...If you need anything Ped or any pilot....I'm a PM away.

I have to disagree man

Bhangra band music from britain has been scientifically proven to
Be the best music ever put out by humans

Im ready for the flaming

Nah, Singh, no flaming. You are welcome.

And for this jam session, erm... well...

I confess I need to stop promising things that, at least for now, I simply dont have time to do.
But this idea is good, and I will come back to it later - after I finish my current priority tasks - and one of them is to make the Looney Bin front page drawing.

Ok, Laura, I'm coming. Good night, folks.

Ped, I think you will like this song too-


If you don't want it on your thread, I'll take it down, but please watch it first.

McFate wrote: How about one of my all time favorites :
"Linus and Lucy"
by Vince Guaraldi

()

This brought back fond memories, but I forgot to respond. Total classic, poo-pooed by some "serious" jazz types simply because it achieved general popularity. I have a Vince Guaraldi CD in the car, and I love listening to it. Linus and Lucy is a tough one for me to play. It probably just needs work, but it's challenging to get time with it... any time I try playing it, the kids break out in dance. Hard to practice and really work on a piece that receives such instant attention

Manfred