mercredi 28 mai 2008

hey louis, do you really think bob dylan prays better than pops staples and pierre pinchik?

..L........














bob dylan/tell me that it isn't true (rochester, 2000)
another of those great funny rocking numbers from year 2000 (year one, as far as dylan is concerned), fabulous version of a light country song from NASHVILLE SKYLINE


staples singers/uncloudy day (1956)
perfection of christian prayer, coupled with pops staples' charlie patton guitar with african echoes

pierre pinchik (ex cantor of leningrad, 1936)
perfection of greatest hazan's voice and angelic jewish prayer

hey louis, who's the best music writer, will friedwald or peter guralnick?

as far as music goes -be it jazz, blues, rock, pop-, i've never needed anybody's help in any way.
it's been more complicated with soul music, country music ... ... ...and with the infinite variety of jazz singers and crooners.two persons have helped me on the way.
the best writer on country music and soul music has always been peter guralnick (he's also the best on sam cooke, and he'll be soon the greatest authority ... on sam philips). he's taught me a lot.
all that peter guralnick loves, i have come to love and respect. there's not much i love that he doesn't love himself.
the best writer on jazz singing is will friedwald (the expression "jazz singing" is used because i haven't found any better one, but i could have called it light jazz, crooning, whatever ....)
all that i did not find out by myself on al bowlly, whispering jack smith, billie holiday, dean martin, dick haymes ... ... .... or frank sinatra, i have to admit i learnt from him, from his books and liner notes to be precise.
all that he loves, i have come to love and respect. without him, i may have ignored the great singing of jack teagarden, david allyn, mildred bailey, ukulele ike, connee boswell, ... .... ... or the only good ella fitzgerald record, let no man write my epitaph (now known as "the intimate ella")
but will friedwald has a problem: he only loves "strong" styles, and "big" voices, this is why he despises such great artists as sylvia syms, beverly kenney, jeri southern, irene kral, shirley horn, blossom dearie, or bobby troup.
he doesn't seem to know that less is more.
here's to bobby troup.

bobby troup/their hearts were full of spring (1958)

" invraisemblable ou pas, crois-moi, c'est la vérité -et il n'y en a pas deux ..."