paul secor

Received this as part of an e-mail from Mosaic this morning. Most of us probably don't always listen this way, but there's much truth in what he wrote. (And I think that what he wrote about the concert hall applies to listening in other places, even at home.) Listening - One Of The Great Joys! The first prerequisite for listening to music is so obvious that it almost seems ludicrous to mention, yet it is often the single element that is absent: to pay attention and to give the music your concentrated effort as an active listener. It is revealing to compare the actions of theater audiences to those of symphonic audiences. In the theater the audience listens with full attention to every line of the play, knowing that if important lines are missed understanding can be diminished-this instinctive attention is too often lacking in the concert hall. One has but to observe listeners at a concert to witness the distractions of talking or reading or simply staring into space. Only a small percentage are vitally concerned with the essential role of active listening. This lack is serious because the listener is essential to the process of music; music after all consists of the composer, the performer and the listener. Each of these three elements should be present in the most ideal way. We expect a fine composition brilliantly performed, but how often do we think it should also be brilliantly heard? The destiny of a piece of music, while basically in the hands of the composer and performer, also depends on the attitude and ability of the listener. It is the listener in the larger sense who dictates the ultimate acceptance or rejection of the composition and performer...Unfortunately for music, many listeners are content to sit in an emotional bath and limit their reaction to music to the sensual element of being surrounded by sounds. But the sounds are organized; the sounds have intellectual as well as emotional appeal. The adventure of learning how to listen to music is one of the great joys of exposure to this art...Your efforts to understand more of what is taking place will be rewarded a thousand-fold in the intense pleasure and increased interest you will find. - What To Listen For In Music, Aaron Copland (The bold print was my emphasis.)

The One Eyed Man Who is King in the Land of the Blind Sammy Davis Jr. Peter Falk

Everybody likes Hampton Hawes (Contemporary)

I've enjoyed listening to Meredith d'Ambrosio over the years. For singers no longer alive, it's Billie. I like some earlier female singers, but no one comes close to Billie.

Lonely Boy Paul Anka Solitary Man Herman's Hermits

Malcolm McDowell Sudden Sam McDowell Sad Sam Jones

Roscoe Mitchell: Snurdy McGurdy and her Dancin' Shoes (Nessa)

Just received this e-mail passed along by a friend: November 22, 2013 To: Listings/Critics/Features From: Jazz Promo Services Press Contact: Jim Eigo, jim@jazzpromoservices.com www.jazzpromoservices.com Roswell Rudd is presently undergoing treatment for cancer at Sloan Kettering. This Sunday at Le Poisson Rouge he will celebrate the release of his new CD TROMBONE FOR LOVERS with an illustrative group of musicians The concert is a benefit to help with medical costs. ADVANCE $25 DAY OF SHOW: $30 Trombone For Lovers: A 78th Birthday Concert & Benefit for Roswell Rudd w/ John Medeski , Steven Bernstein , Bob Dorough , Gary Lucas , Richard Hammond , Aaron Comess , Fay Victor , Michael Doucet , Rolf Sturm , Heather Masse , Ivan Rubenstein-Gillis , and NYC Labor Chorus with Reggie Bennet Sun., November 24, 2013 at 4:00 PM

My thoughts exactly. And you said it better than I could have.

Just going by some of the names, it seems that Wynton doesn't have a problem associating with "people who read the Torah" as long as he can collect his one million plus $ salary.

Hipsters Poseurs Miss Manners

Hope it's a very Happy Birthday!

Rashied Ali - Leroy Jenkins: Swift Are the Winds of Life (Survival)

So folks should buy the Everly's version of Songs Our Daddy Taught Us instead of listening to two copycats.

To break in on things, I'm surprised that Arnold Wesker was knighted. I'm even more surprised that he accepted it.

Wynton and Stan don't want to fight a war with them. They just want the $. Looks like there's a lot of that there.

Elmore James: King of the Slide Guitar (Ace)

C Sharpe Johnny B. Goode P.P. Arnold

Everson Walls Wilson Pickett The Rail Band

Listened to clips and while this sounds decent, what's the point of just copying the Everly Brothers, no matter how well it's done? Unless you're into current popular artists (I'm obviously not) check out the Everly's versions and hear the songs done better. edit: I'm glad I'm posting this here. If I'd posted it on the old BN Board I'd probably have been banned for life.

Big Wheeler Truck Parham Van Morrison

Air: 80° Below '82 (Antilles)

John Jackson: Deep in the Bottom (Rounder)