Birth of the Cool - Miles Davis (1949-50)

Miles had more experimental records, more innovative records, more brilliantly improvisational records, more cohesive records, quite a few records that were, well, better. But only Miles Davis can make a record that seems to fail those standards and still is among the greatest jazz albums ever. This is Miles's greatest compositional album, where every tune isn't just played, but crafted to perfection. There is that sense of fragility present throughout the album, as if any moment if you alter its sensitive structure it will collapse, that makes it so beautiful and compelling. "Moon Dreams," in my mind, tops them all - it sounds like a house of cards just waiting for you to remove a card from its bottom. Miles just stands guard and never lets that happen.

Birth of the Cool was first released as a compilation on LP in 1957, but it was recorded in 1949 and 1950.

Alex Chilton is Dead at 59

To me, there were very little musicians that sounded as American as Alex Chilton. That's weird, considering that along with his fellow Big Star member Chris Bell, they were about the most British-sounding band around. Maybe it's because we now associate so much of the subsequent "Power Pop" movement with lots of American bands, that we sometimes forget how much of their influence was from pre-Revolver British Invasion. Then again, the major influence of all of those groups was American R&B. Wherever the winding road ends up, Alex Chilton, one of Memphis's favorite sons, always seemed to create some of the most American music possible. It was in fact not too long ago that I discovered Big Star (remember, I'm a teenager), after having heard "September Gurls" many a time in numerous places. I heard Radio City and played, literally, nothing but that for about a week. Then I devoured #1 Record, then Third/Sister Lovers, then Chris Bell's posthumous I Am the Cosmos, and now I'm trying to track down Chilton's solo stuff. There really hasn't been any band like them, and there definitely wasn't a band like them when they were at their peak, which was actually the entire span of the band's existence - which was about 3 years, 6 if you count the later-released, really-more-of-a-Chilton-solo-album-but-equally-breathtaking Third. I'm rambling, not really making a point here, I guess. If there's a point, it's that they simply wrote beautiful guitar pop, and no one has come close to matching the beauty heard in their songs.

And now, just a few minutes ago, I found that Alex Chilton has died of a heart attack at 59. It's strange - he hasn't really made a well-received album in more than 20 years, it didn't really seem like he was on any sort of breakthrough, I always wanted to see him in concert or meet him, but that never seemed very realistic. So logically, besides the tragedy of an early death of a musical idol I've long admired from afar, it shouldn't really affect me. And yet, it feels like something like the "end of an era." The idea that there's a living, breathing human responsible for so much beauty is both obvious and slightly inconceivable. And now, the human's gone - but his music remains. So, thank you, friend / Wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you / I'm so grateful for all the things you helped me do.

Ornette Coleman Speaks

Many thanks to a blog absolutely worth checking out, Bop and Beyond.

Television Play "Venus" at the Ork Loft, 1974

Whoah! This is amazing! It's also great to track the evolution of "Venus" - this is the earliest version I've heard of it, but I've also heard demos, other takes, live performances... I will never, ever get tired of this song, even in its form here, which sounds almost nothing like the final product.

Chico Buarque: Minha História (1973)

I wasn't sure if Buarque's 1971 album Construção, often considered the greatest Brazilian album of all time, would live up to hype, but for all intents and purposes, it has. Such a beautiful song right here.

Eric Dolphy Remind Us that He's a Genius (Mingus & Dolphy, "Take the A Train," 1964)

Well, was a genius - he died way, way too young in 1964. One can only wonder how he would have evolved in the subsequent years.

By the way, absolutely amazing solo by the pianist, Jackie Byard - he's just swinging along, and then all of a sudden he goes stride on us. It's a real shame it's cut off.