Sounds - Music at Niles PL

Crystal B.!

2011-09-21T18:26:00.000-07:00

Cyndi R. and I had a rare and wonderful opportunity last weekend to see Crystal Bowersox in concert at Dominican University. (A big shout out to Cyndi for making this happen.) This concert was the first in a season of interesting entertainments offered by Dominican, which is not all that far from Niles, in River Forest. (Here is a link to their schedule.)

I was really excited to see Crystal live, as was the rest of the middle-aged to elderly audience. What? Her fan base skews older, and that may not be good news for imminent stardom. The house, a medium sized auditorium with a balcony, was full but there were a lot of empty seats in the back. She toted a band consisting of drums, harmonica (played by Ryan, her nanny), bass guitar, another guitar, and a musician who played the zither, mandolin, and told bad jokes during tune ups. She played acoustic guitar and wore a stupid bucket hat throughout.

In truth, I enjoyed her many of her numbers, but there is something about her that still leaves me cold, as it did on American Idol. She is not a very entertaining performer. This was compounded by a poor sound system and a band that did not do her credit. The bass was much too heavy and the drum playing was mechanical. There was one number in the early middle portion of the show where everything jelled and the house rocked. But it didn't happen again. Here is a link to several songs taken from the audience.

It seems that Bowersox is developing a little country vibe. Country seems to be the new rock. Crystal's opening act was Corey Crowder, who gave a more polished country-ish performance. He got a lot of mellow sound out of his voice, an acoustic guitar, and an electric mandolin. He also wore a stupid hat.

The New Folk: Americana

2011-09-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

There is one more folk-type musical phenomenon to mention - the strain of country music known as Americana. This is a return to country and western roots. In contrast with alt-country, a more rock oriented type of country music, Americana has a gentle, folksy sound.

Here is Blue Rodeo in an acoustic, stripped down performance that does remind me of old time country music:

But in contrast, another Americana group, The Jayhawks, seems to fit more into the soft rock category:

Some of the artists performing Americana are:

Dave Alvin
Blue Rodeo
Steve Earle (very much a rocker to me)
Joe Ely
Butch Hancock
John Hiatt
The Jayhawks
The Mavericks
Uncle Tupelo
Townes VanZandt
Gillian Welch

Coincidentally, The New York Times recently ran an article about the new sound from Nashville men, which they characterize as a gentler, more soft rock sound than traditional county. Here is a link to the article. I'm not sure if this new style fits into Americana or not, but some of the artists noted in the article are:

Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Charles Kelley (of Lady Antebellum)
Jake Owen
Blake Shelton

The Times notes that these artists can be recognized by the lack of a cowboy hat.

The 27 Club

2011-08-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

I know I'm late in taking note of this dreadful phenomenon, but I couldn't let Amy Winehouse's untimely death pass without mentioning the 27 Club. I've always known that Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix both died at age 27, but I didn't know that these other rock performers died at the same exact age. Why 27? In my day, we didn't want to grow up, to turn 30. These rock stars REALLY didn't want to turn 30.

Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson was an influential blues singer, guitarist, and and song writer. He died in August 1938, possibly poisoned by his girlfriend's husband. According to legend, he made a deal with the devil to become a great blues musician.

Brian Jones

Brian Jones, guitarist and the original leader of The Rolling Stones, drowned in a swimming pool in July 1969. He was widely known to have had a substance abuse problem.

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix died in September, 1970, chocking on his own vomit, after taking a strong sleeping pill. There is an unproven rumor that he was murdered by his manager. Jimi is widely considered to be the greatest electric guitar player who ever lived.

Janis Joplin

Janis Joplin died a month after Jimi Hendrix in October 1970. She was one of the greatest women blues and rock singers of all time. She died of a heroin overdose.

Jim Morrison

Jim Morrison, poet and lead singer of The Doors, died in July, 1971. His death may have been due to a heroin overdose, but the exact cause remains unknown. He died in Paris and is buried in Pere Lachaise Cemetery there.

Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain, a heroin addict, committed suicide in April 1994. He was the lead singer and guitarist of Nirvana.

In addition to these giants of rock music, there is a long list of lesser-known musicians who died at age 27. These include Rudy Lewis of The Drifters (overdose), Alan Wilson of Canned Heat (possible suicide), Kristen Pfaff of Hole and Janitor Joe (overdose), and the rappers Stretch, Fat Cat, and Freaky Tah (murdered).

Rest in Peace.

RIP Amy

2011-07-23T17:04:00.000-07:00

What a talent!
What a tragedy.
Rest in peace.

The New Folk Music: What's New?

2011-07-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

Bon Iver (Justin Vernon)

Currently, artists considered to be "folk singers" are singer/songwriters who create introspective, personal, and generally quiet music, yet may use pop and rock production techniques. The labeling of these musicians as "folk" doesn't seem quite right to me, yet this type of music can be seen as a progression from Bob Dylan's personal and unique style. Prior to Dylan folk singers concentrated on classic folk or topical songs. At Niles Library we shelve these artists in various categories including, folk, rock, and country, and truly their styles are equally varied.

Here is a list of contemporary folk artists with a few links and a YouTube video at the end:

Avett Brothers
Bon Iver
Jackson Browne
Neko Case
Tracy Chapman
Shawn Colvin
Ani DeFranco
Fleet Foxes
Patty Friffin
Nanci Griffith
Indigo Girls
Mumford and Sons (see video)
John Prine
Paul Simon
Suzanne Vega
Tom Waits (Martha, one of the most beautiful songs ever written)
Lucinda Williams

Here is Mumford and Sons, Little Lion Man:

The New Folk Music: Folk Rock

2011-07-06T17:20:00.000-07:00

The Byrds, pictured above, were the seminal folk rock band of the mid 1960s. Their music featured chiming guitar passages and harmonious vocals. They were among the first bands to meld the songwriting style of folk with a rock and roll beat. The Byrds were primarily a cover band, picking up songs from Bob Dylan and others including some traditional folk tunes. Below is a video of The Byrds covering Mr. Tamborine Man. They are famous for this version of the great Bob Dylan song, but clearly, to me, they do not do it justice.

The Byrds established the blueprint for folk rock to follow. Toward the end of the 60s folk-rock groups tended to return to the acoustic origins of folk. But over the next three decades both acoustic and electric rock prevailed.

Early Folk Rock Artists at Niles:

The Byrds
Leonard Cohen
Nick Drake
Bob Dylan
Grateful Dead
Richie Havens
The Lovin' Spoonful
Joni Mitchell
Van Morrison
Tom Rush (not at Niles but worth hearing)
Simon and Garfunkel
Neil Young

Note that list list includes some of the greatest musical performers of all time and some of the very most irritating. I'll let you decide which is which.

Now I Have to Watch the Voice Too????

2011-07-01T14:13:00.000-07:00

I guess I do. I haven't blogged the show, but I sure liked it. To me, it compares favorably with American Idol and, in fact, leaves AI in the dust in some ways. First off, I find the judges credible and entertaining. And after several years of following reality contest-type shows on TV, I've learned that it's all about the judges. Although these judges are not any more incisive than the AI judges in their comments, their extreme music chops and their role as coaches ups their credibility many times over the AI judges. let's face it. JLo, Steven, and Randy are all on the downswing of their careers. Not so Adam, CeeLo, Blake, and Xtina. Plus I'm in love with CeeLo and have fallen for Adam. Not so much Steven and Randy.

Second, the singing talent is more polished and mature, and the musicianship in general is more entertaining. Not to mention the stagecraft. Only James Durbin on AI has ever approached The Voice level of staging. One thing I will say for American Idol though - it's more of a contest. I always have my favorites and get really excited to see who will stay in the running and who will win. All four finalists in this premier episode of The Voice were so outstanding that I wouldn't have been sad to see any of them win. I was rooting for Beverly McClellan (Christina's team), a superb rocker, but I didn't think she had the popular support to win. During the final performance show, I was very impressed with eventual winner Javier Colon of Adam's team, although I thought that Xtina and Beverly's duet of Beautiful was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard (and not in the Steven Tyler sense of every performance being 'beautiful').

This brings me to the third point of The Voice's superiority over AI: the coaching. AI guest coaches seem bogus, and I think Jimmy Iovine may have done more harm than good last season. The Voice coaches all know what they're doing and seemed to be helping their teams. It was clear that Javier Colon, who was on his last chance in a failing music career, benefited hugely from Adam Levine's advice. He was a different and much better singer at the end of the competition. He deserved to win.

I'll be back next year with Idol though. Nothing beats seeing young people grow into their talent. But let's see how The Voice shapes up in future seasons. Meanwhile here is Javier in his outstanding winning performance of Stitch by Stitch. (Btw, having the competitors sing new, unreleased songs was a great move. They are not hampered by anyone else's version or performance.)

How did you like The Voice. Was Javier the Best?

The New Folk Music: Part One

2011-06-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

American folk music originally had a simple definition: traditional songs with simple instrumentation created by non-professional musicians and passed around through oral transmission. Subject matters tended to be simple and universal too: work, love, death, war.

In the 1930s and 40s, Alan and John Lomax (son and father) collected traditional songs from all over rural America, making field recordings available to the public through the Library of Congress. This pioneering activity brought to light such indigenous performers as Lead Belly (Huddie Ledbetter), Muddy Waters, and a more sosophisticated character - song writer Woody Guthrie. Here is Woody singing the traditional ballad, The House of the Rising Sun:

In 1940 0r 1941, Guthrie became a founding member of the Almanac Singers, a folk music group consisting of musicians who, in addition to singing traditional songs began writing and singing topical songs with a political point of view. A member of this group, Pete Seeger, became one of the most famous folk singers in America. He went on to become leader of The Weavers, a popular folk group in the early 60s.

The involvement of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger in folk music led to the association of folk music with protest songs, usually from a unionist, left wing perspective. The Almanac singers, who at one time formed a communistic collective, recorded union songs. Woody Guthrie famously wrote and sang the people's anthem This Land is Your Land, and Pete Seeger was known for anti-war protest songs. Bob Dylan, who since 1962 has been preeminent among American singer/songwriters, first gained fame as a folksy protest singer. His most famous song from this early period is Blowin in the Wind, although the chilling anti-war ballad Masters of War is a better song.

Folk music became newly popular in the early 1960s. Besides Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan, well known singers of the time included:

Joan Baez
Buffy Sainte Marie
Odetta
Peter, Paul, and Mary
Janis Ian
Judy Collins
The Kingston Trio
Harry Belafonte
Hoyt Axton
Burl Ives

Come to the library to hear these and other folk singers.

Oh No! Not Haley Too!

2011-05-20T11:28:00.000-07:00

We'll I'll be. I'd convinced myself that country kids Scotty and Lauren would cancel each other out, and that Haley would make it to the final, Lauren being the weaker singer of the country contingent. That's it for me. I can't watch an all-country finale. I already know that Scotty's going to win.

Those of you who voted in our contest were a lot smarter than I. Ten people tagged Haley for the elimination, eight named Scotty, and, surprisingly, only three thought that Lauren would go home. Maybe Lauren is headed for a win after all, but I can't believe it.

Remember to vote in the finale. We'll have a weekly winner for that, and then, those with the most right picks will go into a drawing for a chance at one of the two grand prizes which includes an ipod shuffle. So vote early, but don't vote often. One player was eliminated this week for marking all three semi-finalists' names.

This week's winner is Arjeta Bajraktari.

AI: The Semifinals

2011-05-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

GO HALEY! Actually I thought Scotty did a good job on all of his songs, but I really have to question the song choices of Jimmy and the judges. I thought that Scotty looked like a comic book country boy with his guitar and facial expressions on Jimmy's choice. The contrast between him and the bass guitarist was comical. The judges' choice seemed calculated to appeal to the grandmothers (the very oldest ones) in the audience. It was sleepy, old-fashioned and lounge -y. But I thought he did it as well as it could be done. His own choice was great, showing his range and romantic side.

Lauren is just too immature for stardom, although she has real talent. Her costume for the first song was horrible, and I noticed breath control problems on the second song. She did a good job on the judges' choice, although I thought it was a fairly dull song. I pick Lauren for the elimination this week.

Haley of course knocked her first song out of the park. Having her dad on guitar had to give her a lot of extra points. I loved her rendition of Rhiannon - very sultry and moody- fitting to the song. I was disappointed in her version of You Ought to Know, a great angry song that should have been perfect for her. Even though Haley is now my girl, I still have reservations about her. I predict a win for Scotty.

Are you looking forward to a Haley/Scotty finale? Don't forget to vote. You have until today at 6:00 PM.

Sasha Sees Haley

2011-05-18T15:37:00.000-07:00

Niles Library's own Sasha Vasilic scored tickets to Haley Reinhart's hometown concert last Saturday at Arlington Race Track. He was kind enough to send us his report and an awesome video clip!

Haley Reinhart Homecoming Concert Review On Saturday, May 14, 2011 over 30,000 screaming fans welcomed American Idol Top 3 finalist, Haley Reinhart, at the Arlington Race Track. The gloomy day did not stop her supporters from watching the live performance. Fans waved signs saying “Haley Is Our American Idol” and “We Love You, Haley”. Reinhart’s repertoire included, The Beatles, Duffy, Elton John and more. Overall it was a great event, even though everyone was wet from the rain. Take a look at a video clip put together by Niles Library employee @SaleVasi below.

I've just become a Haley fan, and would be even if she weren't from Wheeling. GO HALEY!
Thanks Sasha.

Oh No! Not James!

2011-05-13T11:42:00.001-07:00

Were you shocked? You must have been, because only two of you predicted that James would be eliminated last night. I wasn't totally surprised. I think James fell into the category of too consistent, too predictable, plus he seemed to be slipping a bit in quality lately. Maybe he was tired.

So while I am not shocked, I am disappointed. I loved James. To me, he was far and away the most entertaining performer in the competition. But America just doesn't seem to love a hard rocker.

And Haley is in the final three! Who'd a thunk it? What's next? Will Haley get James' votes? Will country cousins Scotty and Lauren cancel each other out? Who will be in the final two? Stay tuned.

The winner of this weeks contest is Kathy Ostapkiewiiz. Cogratulations!

The Final Four: Haley's to Lose

2011-05-12T07:06:00.000-07:00

Haley was in a strong position last week which lasted until the judges savaged her after her first performance last night. As usual, I don't get it. I just re-watched her performance of Michael Jackson's Earth Song on YouTube and still thought it was good. She sang the song simply, but with a becoming intensity. And she looked great. Then she got a standing O from the judges for severely over singing I Who Have Nothing. What??

Were the judges using that famous reverse psychology in the first song to mobilize Haley's fan base? Is Haley going home? Here is my power list:

1. Lauren Not a fan, but I thought she was great last night. She could win it all.

2. Scotty So likeable. It was fun seeing him squirm in the presence of Lady Gaga who told him to stick his tongue down the microphone.

3. James If Haley doesn't get voted off, he could be the surprise elimination. His first song was a bad choice (and a bad song). His second was great. He is beginning to suffer from too much consistency.

4. Haley The opposite of James - inconsistent. She retains an amateurish quality, even though I think she has a lot of potential.

I think it is still likely that my original prediction for the final three - James, Scotty, and Lauren - will hold. What do you think? Is Haley going home? Today is your last chance to vote. You can email your vote to av@nileslibrary.org.

Jacob Finally Goes

2011-05-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

After many weeks of declaring Jacob a goner, the prediction has finally come true. Jacob Lusk was eliminated in fifth place. While he is undeniably talented, I have come to believe that Jacob was simply not open to the advice that he must have been given by his coaches to tone down the emotion and gain better control over his vocals. There seemed to be something stubborn about him. It is a tribute to his power as a singer that he lasted as long as he did.

Ten of you predicted that Jacob would indeed hit the dust. Scotty got 3 votes, Lauren 2, and James 1.Please note that no one predicted Haley for the elimination. Hope for a local girl or insight into changing power positions?

The winner of this week's contest, by drawing, is Mollie Weinberg.

Who goes home next?

No Air: Not That Bad?

2011-05-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

I just compared Jacob Lusk's youtube of No Air with the original performance by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown. I have to be honest and admit that I did it to see how bad a job Jacob did. Well guess what? It wasn't that bad after all. Its just a bad SONG, melodically challenged as is so much contemporary pop music.

While Jordin and Chris are much better to look at than Jacob grabbing himself on camera, Jacob did a credible job of singing both parts. As you can see on the Sparks video, the two voices are not that far apart. I especially like the lightness in Chris Brown's voice which blends well with Jordin's strong pipes. Jacob actually conveyed the feeling of the original in his own way. But the cards just seem stacked against him.

In it to win it: Five to Four

2011-05-05T05:52:00.000-07:00

According to Randy, this is the week that separates the serious contenders from the wimps. Who is "In it to win it"? Each contestant sang two songs - one current number and one classic. I would say that the scores were close; even Jacob did a decent job on his second song of the night.

Here is how I grade the contenders (in performance order):

James Durbin: B & A- total = B+. This was James weakest showing for me. His first song seemed shouty. His second was good, but his lack of emotional control graded him down a half point. At end James said, "Every single week I leave everything on this stage." I believe him and think (and hope) that's why, despite last night's weak performance, he can win.

Jacob Lusk: C & B+ total = B-. Jacob's first performance was kind of a shipwreck. His second was much better,but still too much cry face. Everyone, not just me, has been predicting his AI demise for weeks. I can't see him staying past this week.

Lauren Alaina: A & B+ total = A-. Her first performance was almost perfect. She still seems a little jerky in her movements and not totally confident, even though she tried to project confidence. I graded her down in her her second performance because I just don't like her that much. And the song was too old for her. But good job overall.

Scotty McCreery: A & A- total = A-. Near perfect. He rocked the first song showing range and personality. The second song was beautiful (as Steven might say), but I graded it down for its lack of range. A contender.

Haley Reinhart: A & A total = A. Surprise! Haley was the best of the night. Why the judges beat her up on the first song, I can't imagine. What they hear must be very different from what comes over the TV. The second song was a great choice, and she did it better than Siobhan Magnus last season.

Well, is Jacob going home this week? Vote in our elimination contest and let me know.

Goodbye Casey

2011-04-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

It didn't seem like his time yet, but Casey Abrams was voted off in last night's elimination episode of American Idol. After using their only save of the season to keep Casey around, the judges seemed to take the news hard. I never really thought that Casey would make the top three (although I wondered after Lauren's dismal performance on Wednesday night) but I am sad to see him go so soon, especially when less worthy candidates are still standing.

Not surprisingly, no one who voted in this week's American Idol elimination contest picked Casey for the exit. James and Haley each received one vote, Lauren received four, and my pick, Jacob received four as well. (Two players voided their ballots by circling more than one name. Be sure to pick only the one person you think will be eliminated that week.)

So this week's winner of an American Idol related CD was picked by drawing. AND THE WINNER IS:

Gabrielle Carsello

Top 6 Compete - First Contest Week

2011-04-27T21:29:00.000-07:00

Well, who is going home this week? You have until Thursday at 6:00 PM to cast your vote for a weekly prize in our American Idol elimination contest. Remember, those with the most right picks at the end are eligible for an ipod shuffle!

My power list, with some shifts this week:

1. James Durbin: My notes say "phenomenal" and "perfect". I love this guy, and I didn't think much of him during Hollywood week. As I aways say to whoever will listen, I love American Idol because it is as much about character as talent. You never know who will seize their opportunity, fight off the insecurities that everyone has, grow each week, and emerge as a star. James is it.

2. Scotty McCreery: That said, I think Scotty is more likely to win American Idol with James as a close second. Everyone loves him, even someone like me who hates country music. Unless you're from the Boomer generation, you can't know what an iconic song Scotty picked, reminding us of James Taylor's wonderful performance. But Scotty put his own spin on it, showcasing his vocal range and narrow versatility at the same time. I loved this performance.

3. Casey Abrams: Gave a solid, imaginative performance with not too many scary faces. He could possible replace Lauren in the top three.

4. Jacob Lusk gave what I think is his best performance to date. He was upbeat and jazzy, and not over the top. I'm not sure it will be enough to save him though.

5. Haley Reinhart: There is something drastically wrong with her phrasing. Her performances tend to be strange. I often like her, but I don't think she did justice to this song. She lacked the rhythm and flow needed to perform a Carole King song well.

6. Lauren Alaina: I've been trying to like her, but I just don't. She is proving to be a weak performer, the opposite of James. She butchered this song with her frenetic movements and choppy singing.

American Idol Contest Starts Friday

2011-04-20T20:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick power list, because I want to tell you about our exciting American Idol elimination contest.

1. James Durbin. I can't resist him. Unbelievable guts, singing, and stagecraft. WINNER!

2. Scotty McCreery tried to branch out a little. He moved more and had a relaxed and confident attitude. Even though he is always kind of the same, somehow he isn't boring. Can't lose.

3. Haley Reinhart. I wasn't thrilled, but it was a perfect performance.

4. Lauren Alaina. Ditto on the thrills, but a solid. likable performance.

5. Casey Abrams: a little awkward, but I appreciated him trying to rock, and he somewhat succeeded.

6. Stefano Langone: I'd be bored if he didn't look so AMAZING. But he tried to change it up this week so kudos for that.

7. Jacob Lusk is going home.

After Thursday's vote there will be six contestants left standing, and that is when our contest kicks in. Starting on Friday, give us your pick for who is going home next. If you guess right you'll enter a drawing for a weekly prize. Players with the most right guesses at the end can win one of 2 IPOD SHUFFLES. So play to WIN. (And I love seeing who you think will be voted off)

American Idol: Eight to Seven

2011-04-14T08:25:00.000-07:00

Now that lackluster Pia is gone it's going to be harder to do the power rankings because there were so many good performances. The AI judges make it worse because they love everyone (except Haley).

Starting with the best, here are my picks for power:

1. James Durbin killed. Talent, energy, skill, the boy has it all. Interesting that so many of the boys defied the choices of permanent mentor Jimmy Iovine and unannounced permanent mentor will.i.am. James made the right choice.

2. Scotty McCreery still has to be way up there. His performance was beautiful if not that memorable. Last night he showed off his range, singing the high notes with assurance. He has a professionalism that goes way beyond his years.

3. Paul McDonald: I don't think he'll stay high on the list, but Paul went up quite a few notches last night. Very entertaining performance.

4. Lauren Alaina stepped into the Pia slot by showing a bit of diva drama, but her take was young and fresh. She also added just the right touch of country.

5. Haley Reinhart: What was with the judges hating on Haley? What they see must be very different from what I see. I thought that this was her second best performance after Benny and the Jets. The girl has talent, and the longer she stays the more it comes out.

6. Stefano Langone looked amazing and was OK in his modern take on R&B. Probably good enough to keep him in.

7. Casey Abrams: I really appreciate that he sang jazz and that he wants to bring it to a larger audience. But that wasn't the way to win American Idol, and it wasn't all that great. In this case Jimmy may have been right.

8. Jacob Lusk: The new Pia. Great voice, awful interpretation. Melisma and vibrato galore added to sob-face. So inappropriate for this song.

The Top Nine Rock On

2011-04-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

Most everyone did well this week, but for now, I think it's clear who are the top three:

1. James Durbin delivered a ballad on rock and roll week, and it was a risk that paid off. His performance of While my Guitar Gently Weeps proved that he has the best delivery and stagecraft of any contestant that I can remember including Adam Lambert. I like James better than Adam because he is less polished and seems more genuine.

2. Lauren Alaina was less annoying this week, but no matter how much she irritates me, her talent is undeniable. And I think men like her, which is a promising thing for a girl performer.

3. Scotty McCreery didn't do a slavish Elvis impersonation, but made the song his own, as they used to say every week on American Idol. But why did the stylists let him wear double denim?

4. Paul McDonald: Just going by tonight's performance, Paul went way up in the power ranking. He seemed so much at home with a little band, and he also showed great stagecraft.

5. Jacob Lusk sang beautifully this week, avoiding going over the top. But what was with those hip movements? And before his song when he said that America had better look in the mirror, was that a threat? And what did he mean about changing the world in his closing comments backstage? He's scaring me.

6. Casey Abrams: I want to like him more than I do. He did a great job on a beloved CCR song, but he still makes creepy faces.

7. Pia Toscano has a great voice, but she just can't bring it. She gets loud and shouty much too soon every time, she can't move, and tonight, her outfit made her look like a troll.

8. Stefano Langone has been taking lessons from Pia. He brought up the intensity much too soon (noted by Randy). Like Pia, great voice but flawed delivery.

9. Haley Reinhart: Janis? Really? Are you crazy? Maybe a lot of AI fans don't remember Janis Joplin, but all must admit that Haley's phrasing was ridiculous and her performance was sloppy. And delivered with a big smile throughout. Are you listening to the words? Just listen to the real thing:

Eleven to Nine

2011-03-30T21:24:00.000-07:00

Big week. Two people go home tomorrow with no possibility of a save. So they all sang their hearts out, especially Casey Abrams whose dramatic elimination and save last week will go down in American Idol history. Oh dear. How do the power rankings look now?

1. James Durbin: He still goes high on the list. Great job on a great song (Saturday Night's All Right for Fighting), perfect choice, incredible use of stage. He is the best of all the contestants at moving and, obviously, using the stage.

2. Lauren Alaina redeemed herself for sure. She took a sappy song (Candle in the Wind) and sang it as well as it can be sung. I don't like her style (either in dress or song) and her personality irritates me. But her talent is undeniable and I think she has popular appeal. If she can hold herself together (a big if) she could win. And then I'll be mad like when Taylor Hicks won.

3. Casey Abrams: He's Baaaack!!! Romantic, restrained, beautiful job on a beautiful song. He pushed it just enough.

4. Haley Reinhart: Fabulous! Hands down the most entertaining performance of the night (along with James). If she gets voted off I might have to stop watching.

5. Scotty McCreery: Yes he's one note, but there's just something about him. And he does change it up enough to remain interesting. I wouldn't be shocked (or sorry) to see him in the top three.

6. Pia Toscano was better than last week. She showed some restraint but still screeched on the high, loud notes. And what was with the melisma? So 2008. But I guess some people like Celine Dion, and although she isn't one, I guess some people might think so and vote for her. But I don't see her winning.

7. Jacob Lusk did a good job of reigning in his lusky stank for the most part. But when he gets that sobbing look on his face he looks crazy. Talented but, like Pia, not top three material.

8. Stefano Langone did much better than last week was was as adorable as ever. The editors did him dirty however by showing his rehearsal struggle to evaluate the words he was singing. I think he is a talented instinctive singer with a beautiful voice, but the intellect might be lacking. But great song choice and great job.

9. Paul McDonald: I don't know dawg, but I just wasn't feeling it. For me it was a little boring. I agree with Jennifer that he was holding back, but I'm not sure he has it in him. I was disappointed by the way he sang my all time favorite song, Rocket Man.

10. & 11. Thia Megia & Naima Adedapo: Bye ladies. Naima I'll miss you a lot; Thia not at all. Thia, come back in ten years.

Toward the Top Ten

2011-03-23T21:40:00.000-07:00

This is an important elimination, because the remaining contestants are assured a place in the American Idol summer tour. Besides exposure, the tour means a fat payday for the final ten. Given the stakes, the performers gave their all this week, so ranking them is especially difficult. I feel like previous ranking have been stood on their head. I try to be somewhat objective in the power rankings, but today's power list may reflect my preferences more than usual. Here they are best to worst:

1. James Durbin: Perfect, both voice and movement. I love his voice; it has such a pure ringing tone.

2. Paul McDonald: I haven't been liking him lately, but I loved his performance today. Like James, perfect. The guitar also served him well in curtailing his lurching dance. He is such an entertaining performer, I can't imagine America wanting to send him home now.

3. Naima Adedapo: After this week's performance, I feel justified in giving her a high ranking. She was awesome. The African drumming and dance was beyond wonderful. And she sang very well.

4. Casey Abrams: I still like him, but there is getting to be a sameness to his performances. If he doesn't change some, he'll soon be overtaken as front runner. That said, I loved his vocals on this song, but I found his movements a little creepy.

5. Stefano Langone: He has a classic vocal quality that I really like and which went well with this song. The judges were right though about his not acting the song's feelings. Jennifer nailed it when she said that his delivery was intense in an effort to do well rather than to fit the emotions of the song. But he's too good and too cute to go home.

6. Thia Megia: She did very well on an up tempo song. She has an outstanding talent, but not enough distinction in her delivery. She won't last to the end.

7. Jacob Lusk reigned in the screaming intensity to give a very good performance, but his face and motions were distracting. I liked him, but I don't think he deserved the raves he got from the judges.

8. Scotty McCreery turned Motown into Nashville, but it worked well. I like him too, but I think the voting audience might get tired of his sameness after a while.

9. Pia Toscano: Princess please, not another dreary ballad. And stop going for those high notes, because it makes your voice sounds like chalk scraped over a blackboard.

10. Lauren Alaina: Very boring and awkward. She might be in danger of the bottom three.

11. Haley Reinhart: But Lauren won't be going home because Haley will. I actually liked her performance; I always like a growly voice. But those shorts she wore made her look kind of desperate. If women are the main voters, they won't respond well to her costume.

Top Twelve Power Rankings

2011-03-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

Despite the judges jubilation, I found this week's performances generally uncompelling. In order of strength:

1. Stefano Langone: He reminds me of those old-fashioned Italian crooners like Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, but with a modern twist. AI voters won't be able to resist his adorableness. This season's Kris Allen.

2. James Durbin must have benefited from stylists' advice this week. And his voice really rang out. Too poppy Steven? Really? Aerosmith calling Bon Jovi poppy?

3. Casey Abrams: Not his best performance, but nice try; loved the electric bass. He should pull back on the aggressiveness. His cute parent's interview couldn't have hurt him.

4. Scotty McCreery: Reached a little vocally this week, with success. Elvis? You could have worse influences. Do non-country next time.

5. Pia Toscano: I dislike this personality deprived princess with the ugly clothes, but I know she has her fans. Boring performance as usual. And why doesn't anyone point out how screamy she gets on the loud, high notes?

6. Haley Reinhart: She should probably come later in the list, but I can't help it. I think she is perhaps the most innovative and versatile performer this season, and I hope that America will respond. I don't get the judges' dislike. Haley is this season's Katie Stevens in that regard. I thought that Katie gave better defined performances; maybe Jennifer is onto something in noting Haley's bodily discomfort, but Haley has undeniable talent.

7. Paul McDonald sang one of my favorite songs and did OK, but I can't stand to look at him move. I don't see him as more than an early favorite.

8. Lauren Alaina was much better than last week, but I don't think her immature personality is ready for prime time. Plus her dad scared me.

9. Jacob Lusk: The Lusky stank? That's too big an opening. Jacob is this year's Shiobhan Magnus, starting off strong, but kind of a one-note pony. I liked his momma's impromptu singing and did not appreciate his disrespecting her vocal chops.

10. Thia Megia: Technically good, but oh so boring. Looked lovely.

11. Naima Adedapo gave the worst performance of the night, ruining a really great song. If she doesn't go home, she'll definitely make the bottom three.

12. Karen Rodriquez had the worst hair ever, highlighting her princessy personna. Her performance was much better than last week's, but was it good enough to save her boring self?

AI Round One

2011-03-10T09:52:00.001-08:00

Here is my AI 10 power list based on last night's performances (worst first):

Karen Rogriquez: Most recappers hated Ashthon more, but the contrast between this lame performance and the sheer beauty of Selena's voice was crushing.

Ashthon Jones: Meh. Not 100% hideous.

Lauren Alaina: This girl will stay, but her performance stunk. Ew, Shania!

Thia Megia: OK performance, odd song choice, too young. She'd never heard of Charlie "Chapman", but who else hasn't she heard of?

Pia Toscano: I don't get the love. Horrible dress, no personality, screamy undisciplined performance. She's no (ahem) Katherine McPhee.

Paul McDonald: Love this song, decent performance, but his dancing makes me nervous. His truly sexy voice will keep him going for a long time.

Haley Reinhart: Great song choice, nice gutsy performance.

Stefano Langone: Lovely performance, classic pop voice and style in a timeless way.

Jacob Lusk: Fabulous voice and original arrangement, just not perfect.

Naima Adedapo: Vocals not perfect, but LOVED the reggae rhythm and moves; very creative.

Casey Abrams: Tasty; one of my all time favorite songs.

James Durbin: Inspired song choice and performance, but he also makes me a little nervous, like he might explode on stage.

Scotty McCreery: I used to hate it, but thanks to Scotty I now love country music.

I'm looking forward to seeing Adam Lambert tonight.

It's American Idol Season Again

2011-03-06T14:28:00.000-08:00

What do you think of the new judges panel? I for one loved them during the kinder, gentler auditions this season, but Steven and Jennifer are looking a little weak in the (semi) live judging. Randy, however seems to be stepping up to the Simon slot.

In any case this season's talent pool has been strong, as every blogger and commentator has pointed out. During last week's two sing -offs, I noticed something else about them. It was apparent to me in the performances of Robbie Rosen and Jacok Lusk, that the contestants are getting good advice. Bother of these over the top performers were nicely toned down. Jacob gave an especially beautiful performance.

Here are your AI 10 Top 13 with my very rough predictions:

Ashton Jones (13th place)

Casey Abrams (top 3)

Hailey Reinhart (11th place)

James Durbin (5th place)

Jacob Lusk (6th place)

Karen Rodriquez (10th place)

Lauren Alaina (top 3)

Naima Adedapo (12th place)

Paul McDonald (4th place)

Pia Toscano (8th place)

Scotty McCreery (7th place)

Stefano Langone (top 3)

Thia Megia (9th place)

That was alphabetical. Here they are in order of leaving:

Ashton Jones

Naima Adedapo (I love her, but America won't)

Haley Reinhart (so forgettable)

Karen Rodriquez (forgettable)

Thia Megia (a little freaky)

Pia Toscano

Scotty McGreery

Jacob Lusk

James Durbin

Paul McDonald

Lauren, Stefano, Casey (in no order yet)

I may be wrong about Pia, Scotty, and Stefano, under rating the first two and over rating the last. Here is a link to mj's big blog, the repository for all things AI, and her power list.

News: Grammy noms., the numbers, health bulletin

2010-12-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

Pink has scored the number one song in the nation with "Raise your Glass" according to Billboard's Hot 100. This is the young artist's third number one.

Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin has cancelled all of her concerts and appearances until next may due to health problems. She recently underwent surgery in Detroit that was reported to be successful. She is recovering.

In welcome contrast to the zillion "best of" lists that fly around this time of year, The Village Voice is counting down the 20 worst songs of 2010. Starting at #20 ("Rocketeer" by Far East Movement), they are currently up to #16, Lil Wayne's "Paradice". I can't wait to see what will be their number one pick.

The 2011 Grammy Nominations were announced this week. Rapper Eminem led the list with 10 nods including song, record, and album of the year. Next most nominated is newcomer Bruno Mars with seven, followed by Jay-Z, Lady Antebellum, and Lady Gaga with 6 apiece.

Mr. Excitement

2010-11-27T12:16:00.000-08:00

I'm back with the Niles PL classic R&B album playlist.

Previously I had the deep and unequivocal enjoyment of hearing Ray Charles, The Birth of Soul , Fats Domino, Walking to New Orleans, and Etta James, At Last. Today's performer, Jackie Wilson, presents me with a problem. I'm not that crazy about him. I can recognize that he was an early and distinctive voice in the development of rock and roll. His vocal power and quality is simply amazing, at times operatic. He is said to have been an electrifying stage presence, the godfather of the godfather of soul, James Brown. This should add up to pure enjoyment, but the problem is the sentimentality, the dripping strings, and overall cheesiness of many of his arrangements. As Allmusic puts it, "...there is a consensus...among critics that Wilson was ... an underachiever in the studio, due to the sometimes inappropriately pop-based material and arrangements that he used." He misses.

But when Jackie Wilson is good, he rocks. Here he is singing, very soulfully, Higher and Higher.

Here, in contrast, is To Be Loved, an arrangement dangerously dipped in schmaltz (but you can tell what a great voice he has):

Wilson is listed at # 68 on the 2004 Rolling Stone list of greatest artists and his 1992 album, Mr. Excitement, is listed as # 235 of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Problem is, Mr. Excitement is out of print and unavailable in its entirety through our library system. The partial version I was able to hear had way too many egregious numbers such as the most dramatic and cheesiest Danny Boy you've ever heard. Fortunately better albums are available to borrow such as The Ultimate Jackie Wilson and The Very Best of Jackie Wilson. He is worth checking out.

Next time, I'll let you in on his short and tragic life story.

Holla for Lollapalooza! Grant Park, Chicago Aug 6-8

2010-08-05T17:43:00.000-07:00

The much anticipated 3 day summer festival is back this weekend in downtown Chicago. It begins just after 11am Friday morning and ends Sunday night. Oh and don't forget about all the after shows that will be going on all weekend.

This year's festival is headlined by the likes of Lady Gaga, Green Day, and Soundgarden. Lady Gaga will undoubtedly put on a legendary performance, and I'm sure Green Day and Soundgarden will not disappoint fans. Some other highlights are Arcade Fire, Devo, Rogue Wave, Erykah Badu, Gogol Bordello, Yeasayer, and Wolfmother. Check out the entire line up and schedule at http://2010.lollapalooza.com

This is a great chance to enjoy some of your favorite bands and discover new talents as well. So bring your sunscreen and stay hydrated for this weekend of musical fun!

Hallelujah

2010-05-19T16:42:00.000-07:00

This is an American Idol post, posted minutes before the start of the Wednesday elimination show that will reveal the final two. I was not inspired to dish about the final three performances, because I would just be repeating myself. Casey was indifferent, Crystal was good but not moving, and Lee knocked my socks off. The collective wisdom of the web is unanimous that Casey is going home tonight, but I wouldn't be surprised if Crystal were voted off. Critics have been predicting Casey's demise for weeks and it hasn't happened. And surprises are what American Idol is all about.

I loved, loved, loved Lee's Hallelujah. But I am posting tonight to call your attention to the reason why Hallelujah doesn't need to be sung by anyone else, even Lee. And that reason is kd lang. Without further ado, here she is:

Stunning. Idol Chatter has posted video of other performances that I haven't yet had a chance to listen to. But I did hear the late Jeff Buckley, who made the song famous, and he also does a wonderful job, but lower key than either kd or Lee. His version is included on Idol Chatter.

American Idol: 4 to 3, Movie Night

2010-05-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

Well the competition is getting hot. We're going down to the final three. I would be able to whip up a frenzy of excitement if only movie night hadn't been so lame. What a disappointment. What stupid song choices. And Jamie Foxx? A great performer, but as a judge, Puleese!

4. Casey James personified lameness in his solo performance of "Mrs. Robinson" from The Graduate. First off, this song choice, about an older woman who seduces a young man, was embarrassing given the jokes throughout this season about Kara wanting to seduce Casey. Second, this song is satirical and only makes sense in that mode. Casey sang it wistfully, as if longing for Mrs. Robinson, while strumming a tiny guitar. Stupid, and as Simon said, the performance lacked substance. However, I predict that Casey is not going home this week.

3. That role belongs to Michael Lynche who sang "Will You Be There?" from Free Willy in a cheesy and insincere way. I guess that goes without saying, but Michael has more raw vocal talent that Casey, so I rate his performance higher. But why that song? Michael Jackson owns that song; it's sentimental, but while M. Jackson can transcend that, M. Lynche cannot.

2. As he does on rare occasions Lee DeWyze disappointed me a little in his solo performance. "Kiss From a Rose" from Batman Forever. This is a smoothly romantic song as sung by Seal, but I never would have picked this for gruff rocker Lee. As Randy sometimes says, it was a little sleepy. But I guess you could say that Lee was original in his version. It doesn't matter though. Lee is already a great musician as amply demonstrated in in this recording session:

1. Crystal Bowersox won the day with her big, energetic performance of "I'm Alright" from Caddyshack, a truly lame song and therefore a questionable choice. But Crystal was hands down better than Kenny Loggins, the originator of the song.

As for the duets, Lee and Crystal's version of the achingly beautiful "Falling Slowly" from Once was stunning. Their voices blended well, but I do think Lee outshone Crystal. Mike and Casey also did a nice job with "Have You Ever really Loved a Woman?" from Don Juan DeMarco. As opposed to all of the other songs presented tonight, these last two were really good choices.

American Idol: 5 to 4

2010-05-04T20:35:00.000-07:00

How adorable is Harry Connick, Jr.? Almost as cute as Lee DeWyze, and that is saying a lot about why Mt. Prospect's own Lee DeWyze has a good chance of winning American Idol this year. Based on the judges' reaction to his performance tonight, they're pimping him for the win. They must think that he is a more marketable performer than Crystal Bowersox, and they are probably right.

Getting back to Harry Connick, Jr., what an awesome mentor. He arranged each song from the Frank Sinatra (aka Great American) Songbook to suit each voice and style, and he played the piano too. Impressive. But he couldn't work miracles. Here are my picks of the top 5, worst to best.

5. Casey James has to be headed home. He took a great song, Blue Skies, and used it to prove that he is in no way a solo performer. He was stiff, thin-voiced, uncomfortable, and bleating. Even the bluesy arrangement did him no favors.

4. Michael Lynch won strong praise from the judges for his rendition of The Way You Look Tonight, but I thought his performance was a travesty. This is one of the most beautiful and romantic songs ever written. It has to be sung warmly and kind of humbly, directed outward to the one who is being loved and admired. But Big Mike made it all about him and his drama. There was no sense of appreciation of the loved one. Watch this version by Phil Collins to see how it is supposed to be sung.

3. Why did Crystal Bowersox seem so draggy, especially in the first part of her version of Summer Wind? The judges liked her phrasing, but I thought that it was bad at the beginning of the song. She did pick up in the second half. She looked great, but is she losing her moxie? I also thought that this relatively obscure and unmelodious ballad was a poor song choice.

2. I loved Aaron Kelly's classic version of Fly Me to the Moon. I listened to most of it with my eyes closed so I wouldn't be distracted by Aaron's littleness, and I thought he sounded romantic and a little jazzy. It was a beautiful arrangement. Why didn't the judges like it?

1. In contrast to Crystal, Lee DeWyze made a great song choice, perfect for him. The band and the arrangement were also fabulous. I loved the interactions between Lee and his mentor Harry, and I loved that Lee wanted to give Harry the credit at the end. I was actually a little disappointed by Lee's voice quality on this song, but as usual it was a sincere and authentic performance.

This week it was easy to pick the worst. Did you vote for Casey to be eliminated in our American Idol Elimination contest? Keep voting for a chance to wind the grand prize. Three ipod shuffles will go the three people with the most right guesses throughout the run of the final six.

American Idol: Six to Five

2010-04-27T20:57:00.001-07:00

I'm usually really good at being opinionated, but this week, I don't know. None of the performances was that bad given the poor quality of the material they were handed. Yes. I said it. Boo to Shania Twain whose cheesy ballads were co-written with her husband, who gets lead writing credit. No, she is not a great songwriter despite the American Idol hype machine, and I suppose that on Wednesday night we will find out that she is only an OK singer in a sexy costume.

6. Big Michael Lynche gets the boo-boo spot this week. Since I have no clue as to who will be going home, I might as well put my least favorite in last place. Last week, he did a good job. This week he was his usual schmaltzy self, trying too hard to be sensitive, overly dramatic, and coming off as insincere. Shania loved him-- he brought tears to her phony eyes-- as did the judges all except for Simon who called him "wet". I'm not entirely sure what he meant by that, but it somehow fits. He sang the egregious It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing.

5. Someone has to come in next to last, so I'll plug in Aaron Kelly who sang You've Got a Way. Actually he wasn't bad, and as the judges pointed out, he is country. Based on this performance I can't imagine that he'll be going home, but he is overall the weakest of the final six.

4. I was so surprised by the judges' love for Casey James rendition of Don't, that I had to hear it again. I also listened to Shania's performance of this song. First off, it's a whiny song with a weak melody, but on second listening I could see that Casey did a good job with it. Still, I find him weak. His voice is too small and tight and he is terminally stiff. I see him as a band member but not a lead performer.

3. I enjoyed Siobhan Magnus's performance of Any Man of Mine, and loved judge Randy's description of her as "country punk". She did well to choose an upbeat country-sounding song rather than one of Shania's tiresome ballads.

2. Lee DeWyze-- fill in the blanks. Loved, loved, loved. In You're Still the One he picked what has to be far and away the best song of this sorry songbook. And it fit him perfectly. Of course he suffered from being the first to sing.

1. Why did the judges react badly to Crystal Bowersox's warm and charming performance of No One Needs to Know? Were they trying to level the playing field? I thought it was great, and I loved her little band as well. Like Siobhan, she made the right song choice.

Who do you think will be eliminated? This week it's a hard question to answer, but come on and give it your best shot in our American Idol Elimination Contest. We'll have two winners drawn from the right choices. The ballot box is across from the AV desk on the first floor of the library.

American Idol: Getting to the Final Six

2010-04-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

This week's theme, inspirational songs, could have really gone bad like stale cheese. The early report from Buddy TV is that it stank like Limburger. But I disagree, at least in part. As usual I thought Lee killed, and so did Crystal. At the top are my picks for the bottom three moving on toward the best.

But first a word about Alicia Keys as mentor. She seems like a lovely person, but, except in one case, she was was pretty bland. I thought that she gave Siobhan good technical advice leading to a more controlled performance.

7. Aaron Kelly got a good response from the judges for his performance of I Believe I Can Fly by R. Kelly - except for Simon who said that it was a gutsy choice but that he would have turned off the radio. Me too. It was vocally good, but an unconvincing performance of a cheesy song.

6. Casey James gave a lackluster performance of another slice of cheddar, Don't Stop by Fleetwood Mac. At least the lyric fit his goofy grin. And while his body seemed a littler looser, his voice seemed to become stiffer. Casey has talent, but not that much. He could be in trouble this week.

5. Siobhan Magnus sang When You Believe by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, a big bite to swallow. Though her vocals were technically excellent, somehow the performance left me cold. Kara agreed, noting that the song was technically well sung, but not likable. Actually, Siobhan, a former front runner, could also be in trouble this week.

4. OK. I don't think Michael Lynche will be going home, but I hated his overly dramatic, pandering performance of Hero by Chad Kroeger. The vocals sounded ok, but that is not enough.

3. Based on the judges' and Buddy TV reaction, I should have put Tim Urban in the bottom three. But I actually liked his rendition of the Goo Goo Dolls' Better Days. I like the song, I like the Goo Goo Dolls, and I liked the way he sang it. Alicia Keys said that it gave her a good feeling, and I agree. I thought it was beautiful and sincere.

2. Crystal Bowersox gave a stunning performance of People Get Ready by the Impressions. It was incredible, but she spoiled it by breaking down in tears at the end. Rather than being a sentimental ploy, as in Big Mike, I think her tears were sincere, and that makes it worse. It was unprofessional to lose it completely like that. That is why she is in second rather than first place in my book.

1. Should I just copy what I have said about Lee DeWyze in previous posts? This was an emotional performance, but with contained emotions. As Alicia said, "You are the boxer." The Boxer is one of my all time favorite songs; I only wish it had been longer.

Don't forget that our American Idol Elimination Contest starts on Thursday April 22 following the Wednesday elimination show. Look for ballots at the AV desk on the first floor of the library. And play to win an ipod shuffle (we're giving away three) or one of ten weekly prizes.

American Idol: 9 to 7

2010-04-14T07:15:00.001-07:00

We are nearing the final six and the start of our American Idol contest because, thanks to the judge's save, two performers will be going home this week. And it's Elvis week. America surprised me last week by kicking Michael Lynche to the curb. They showed good taste and made the right, if surprising, choice, but Big Mike might have redeemed himself this week. Let's see. Here are my picks in order, worst to last.

1. Last week, broken record that I am, I predicted that Andrew Garcia would be going home. I was almost right; he came in next to last. This time I'll be amazed if his heinous rendition of Hound Dog doesn't send him packing. By the way, I thought Adam Lambert made a great mentor. He was obviously and rightly unimpressed with Andrew. His comment "it's boring" was to the point.

2. Aaron Kelly tried, but running around the stage like a junior Elvis impersonator can't have helped him. He sounded good when he slowed down the second half of Blue Suede Shoes, but the contrast between his teeny tiny self and the King did him no good.

3. One of the things that spells danger for American Idol contestants is lack of consistency. Casey James is the poster boy for that. Last week I thought he gave the best performance. This week, his Lawdy Miss Clawdy (never heard of it) was dreadful. He was stiff as usual and had a really stupid grin pasted on his face. His singing lacked rhythm, and his voice was drowned out by the band.

4. Tim Urban is likely to stay around for a bit, and his singing Can't Help Falling in Love won't hurt him. But I think he did no justice to this song, one of my all time favorites and one of the most beautiful songs ever written. All you have to do is sing the notes and lyrics to sound good, and that is all that Tim did. Zero to hero? Please Simon.

5. I'm getting tired of Siobhan Magnus, and I think she may be a dark horse for going home this week. She is the opposite of Casey James in that she is consistently a woman who sings slowly and dramatically, a one trick pony. That said, she did a credible job with Suspicious Minds, and I loved her outfit.

6. I can't help liking Katie Stevens, and I love the song Baby What You Want Me to Do. Katie gave it her R&B all, head bob included, and that was quite good enough for me. It's likely that she'll be in the bottom three. In contrast with Siobhan though, her costume was a train wreck. She should wear more dresses.

7. Crystal Bowersox gave her usual excellent performance. Critics are beginning to say that she is in the Daughtry danger zone, a performer who is taken for granted and in danger of being voted off too soon. I rate her slightly down this week because I didn't buy her rock and roll growls on Saved. I liked the fancy electric guitar and the girl chorus.

8. It's Big Mike comeback week at American Idol. Michael Lynche's sincere and moving performance of In the Ghetto wasn't cheesy at all, but perfect. It was my all-time favorite of his performances.

9. What more can I say about Lee DeWyze? That his version of Conversation was better than Elvis'? Well it was. This man has a musical career ahead of him no matter what happens.

American Idol: 9 to 8

2010-04-07T06:33:00.000-07:00

Its Beatles week on American Idol, a theme sure to raise the ire of this old Beatles fan, but the show turned out to be kind of meh. Listed from worst to best below, the order of performances kind of went that way. My opinions of some of the singers turned around, making this a kind of bizarro Idol.

9. Andrew Garcia sang Can't Buy Me Love. Just as I, in a way, criticize Crystal Bowersox for being too consistent, I have to knock Andrew for his inconsistency. Last week he was only under Lee DeWyze in greatness. this week, though it was hard to pick the worst, he did slaughter that song. I give him props for trying to recapture the peppy spirit of the early Beatles, but I don't see that it's right to distort, er, change the melody of a song the way he did. Simon called him a wedding singer.

8. Katie Stevens singing Let it Bleed, a dull and predictable choice made me and the judges switch places. They loved her. I hated her. Other bloggers were going on about how great her voice sounded. I thought it was strained and shrill. Her version of this song was heavy, draggy, and schmaltzy.

7. Aaron Kelly sang Long and Winding Road. It's interesting that the youngest singers don't get the Beatles' lightness. Partly it was the lightness of their voices that made almost maudlin songs pass. Aaron sang this like an old fashioned crooner; I kept thinking Perry Como. It was all wrong. The judges agreed with me that it was boring. I think Andrew and Katie will be in the bottom 3, and probably Aaron as well.

6. Tim Urban came up a notch with his rendition of All My Loving. Here is a young performer who does get the Beatles' spirit. This song was the right choice for him. The judges agreed with me that he was much better than last week.

5. Michael Lynche as usual got high praise from the judges. They generally loved his dramatic version of Eleanor Rigby, but of course I'm not so sure. It wasn't bad. I especially liked his use of falsetto, but can you make this song too dramatic? Yep. Mike was over the top.

4. Siobhan Magnus partially redeemed herself with this quiet and delicate version of Across the Universe. She had to prove that she could be restrained and that she doesn't have to end every song with a scream. This song also showed off the greatness of her voice. But I thought she was too restrained. I also didn't like her heartfelt tears of emotion during the judging. Didi went home.

3. Surprise. I am not putting Lee DeWyze in first place this week. But I did love his joyous rendition of Hey Jude, not my favorite Beatles song. But he made me love it. He was better than the Beatles. (You will note that I am trying to be objective here.) He gets points down for the practical joke of the bagpiper, and, his vocals were a hair less than perfect. The judges loved him, but Simon agreed about the bagpipes.

2. Casey James surprisingly chose Jealous Guy, a late John Lennon song that I haven't heard in many years. I just listened to John Lennon's version, and I have to say that Casey did very well, but it gave me a dose of John Lennon grief. He was smart to pick something less familiar that he could give a blusey spin to. The judges thought it was the best performance of the night so far.

1. This time Crystal Bowersox killed with a great version of a great song, Come Together. I, along with the judges loved her confident and spirited rendition of this song, and Simon noted her smiles and warmth.

We will be down to 8 finalists this week. Our American Idol contest starts the week we go down to six. Starting the Thursday after the final six are announced, you get to vote each week for the contestant you think will be eliminated next. Weekly prizes are awarded by drawing from all the right guesses, and this year there will be 3 grand prizes. We are giving away ipod shuffles to the three winners who have had the most right guesses. So vote every week. We take entries by email or in person at the library up to 6pm on Wednesdays (before the results show). Only Niles cardholders are eligible for prizes.

American Idol: Lee DeWyze Kills

2010-03-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

Can you tell what I'm getting at with the title of this post? No? Maybe it will become clearer as we review together your top ten American Idol contenders on R&B night, starting, for a change, with the absolute best.

1. Lee DeWyze killed. He sang Treat Her Like a Lady by The Cornelius Brothers, a fine song delivered with driving soul by the great Lee DeWyze. The judges, along with this week's mentor Usher, were stunned.

2. Andrew Garcia lacks a big voice, but it is distinctive. He redeemed himself from all charges of mediocrity tonight with his sincere, light R&B delivery of Forever by Chris Brown. The judges loved him and were pleased for him that he did so well. I've been a fan of his all along, and I also loved his mother's performance when she stormed the stage to scold Simon for saying that her son has no personality (not true).

3. I toyed with putting Casey James ahead of Crystal Bowersox this time, but she really did a fine and soulful job with Midnight Train to Georgia by Gladys Knight and the Pips. The judges loved her with Simon adding that she seemed uncomfortable. I don't know why she is beginning to leave me cold. Maybe she is too consistent. She doesn't seem quite real to me, more like a big beautiful wind-up doll.

4. I have not been a fan of Casey James, but I loved his blusey rendition of Hold on I'm Coming by Sam & Dave. Randy and Simon liked him a lot but the ladies were lukewarm. I was unimpressed with his guitar work this time.

5. This time around, Mike Lynche was restrained, but I found his rendition of India. Arie's Ready for Love to be pretty but kind of boring. He tried to take Usher's advice to "really connect" with audience by sitting facing them with his back to the judges. That was weird. I still find him smarmy, but the judges loved him.

6. Katie Stevens gets no respect from the judges. I thought she made a bold choice and gave a credible performance of Chain of Fools by Aretha Franklin. She was very R&B; she even had R&B hair. The judges generally liked her, but Ellen beat her up with the senseless advice to be more youthful and current, and Simon called her cold and robotic (?). Girl can't win.

7. Sad to say, Siobhan Magnus was not among my top picks this week because her performance of Chaka Kahn's Through the Fire was unimpressive, high-pitched scream and all. She is getting a little predictable. The judges basically agreed. She also should stop trying so hard to look edgy. The prom dress with combat boots she wore a few weeks ago was her high point. Last night's outfit was incoherent. It's interesting that all the advice Usher had for her concerned her appearance.

8. I liked Aaron Kelly's Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers immortalized last season on Idol by Kris Allen. But it didn't stand out and of course suffered in comparison with Kris's version. The judges didn't love it or hate it. Simon compared him to a cupcake. Cute.

9. It was a toss up for the going home spot between Tim Urban and Didi Benami. As little as I liked Tim's performance, I have to say it was better than Didi's. He tried something different with Sweet Love by Anita Baker. His vocals weren't bad, but he had no R&B cred whatsoever. He took Usher's ubiquitous advice to "connect with the audience" very literally by aiming a scary, crazy- eyed stare into the camera throughout the whole song. The judges hated him, but as Simon said it doesn't matter. He has fans.

10. Bye bye Didi. You have so far given the two worst performances on American Idol this (or any) season with Stand By Me and last night with the annoying What Becomes of the Broken Hearted originally sung by Jimmy Ruffin. And that includes Paige Miles. The tempo was off, as was the tune. It was an embarrassing, stumbling performance and the judges rightly hated it. And guess what? I don't care about your tears and emotions. I don't want to know.

Did you all hate Didi too? By the way, if you're reading this you must already know, but just in case you don't, the American Idol performances are usually available the day after on YouTube, as are the original versions. I just listened to Jimmy Ruffin. Not my favorite song, but a masterpiece compared with Did's version.

American Idol: The Tour Elimination, 11 to 10

2010-03-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

After tonight's elimination, the ten remaining competitors will be part of the American Idol Tour this summer. This is a big deal, as Judge Simon reiterated last night: it means a paycheck and big exposure. So who will be going home?

11. My pick for elimination this week has to coincide with everyone else's, but note that many predictions for this season have already been dead wrong. While I didn't hate her as much as the judges did, Paige Miles singing Phil Collins' Against All Odds really wasn't on tune throughout most of her performance. But she tried. She lost the smile and showed emotion. Too bad, but as Billboard said, "Cute shoes, though."

10. If Paige Miles had performed better, I would really be wishing for Tim Urban's elimination. He sang Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen (!?) in the most pandering manner possible, and came off as if he were in a high school talent show. Simon said that he needs singing lessons if he plans to stay in the competition. But young girl voters are likely to keep him around for the tour.

9. Andrew Garcia made a bit of a mess out of Marvin Gaye's I Heard it Through the Grapevine. His voice was ok, but he was a little choppy vocally and more than awkward in his movements. He looked cute in his rehearsal hat though. The judges didn't mention his hat, but they hated his performance.

8. As usual, I didn't think Katie Stevens was bad. She sang Fergie's Big Girls Don't Cry, and she tried to rock out in a youthful way. Her voice sounded strained to me, and I realized that she is not that good vocally. The judges were lukewarm, with Kara saying that Katie had found her niche and Simon saying the opposite.

7. Casey James, a decent singer and guitarist, is slipping in my opinion. He is too low key of a performer, veering close to dullness. He definitely should have been on his feet and moving during The Power of Love by Huey Lewis. Again Kara and Simon disagreed: Kara - "You're in the zone." Simon - "No originality." As usual, I agree with Simon.

6. Aaron Kelly gave a good but forgettable performance of I Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith. He is rising in my opinion, and the judges all liked him.

5. The judges all hated Didi Benami's performance of You're No Good by Linda Ronstadt. I didn't think it was that bad. It was strong and dramatic, almost loungey, but it rose above that level to me. I think that Didi, with her stink-face, will be going on tour.

4. Surprise! I liked Mike Lynche's performance of Michael Bolton's When a Man Loves a Woman. I thought it was very classic R&B with beautiful vocals, although maybe a bit overdone at the end (except for the falsetto). However, the judges criticized him for the same indulgent cheesiness that I have been noticing all along, except for last night.

But that's what I love about American Idol. You can never predict who will emerge as the best or worst. It has to do more with character and perseverance rather than pure vocal talent.

3. Crystal Bowersox is clearly a very good performer, but she is not growing on me. She is also not Janis, and I don't think she should ever sing another of her songs. I think the judges overloved her rendition of Me and Bobby McGee, one of Janis' worst songs. She had a weak beginning and a shout out at the end that kind of came from nowhere. That said, she is still one of the best in the contest, but she needs to show more versatility.

2. Siobhan Magnus also needs to stop screaming. But she is still a great performer and her take on Stevie Wonder's Superstition was wonderful. I love the way she fearlessly takes on the greats like Stevie and Aretha and succeeds. That is the kind of character that makes a winner.

1. I am hopelessly in love with Lee DeWyze's unpretentious performances. He tried something different this time in his take on The Letter by the Box Tops led by the recently deceased Alex Chilton. He jazzed it up with necklaces and a suit, and looked good and sounded great doing it. The readers and bloggers over at Buddy TV don't seem to like him as much a s I do, but what do they know?

By the way, Miley Cyrus as mentor? A peculiar choice, but she did a better job than I expected. I liked the way she talked to Siobhan Magnus, as if she were an equal, and I liked the way Crystal Bowersox talked to her, as if she weren't a kid. But I was disturbed by the coarseness of her manner and appearance and got a flash of Lindsay Lohan. I will bite my tongue for saying that.

American Idol: The Final 12

2010-03-16T21:33:00.000-07:00

Last week American Idol was a terrible shock for me. I thought Lilly Scott and Alex Lambert were two of the most promising contestants, and I liked Katelyn Epperly as well. I can't believe they were voted off. This week was hard for me in a different way, because I love the Rolling Stones, arguably the best rock and roll band ever to exist, perhaps even to this day. With every song of the Rolling Stones songbook, especially those done by less than worthy performers, I heard the Stones in my mind, making the performances sound even worse. With that true confession out of the way, here is my list for this week, worst first.

12. Tim Urban What was that mess he made out of Under my Thumb, one of the most hostile and aggressive songs ever written? With his weak voice, he tried to sing it as a jolly and romantic Reggae song? What? The judges hated it as much as I did. Get out now. Goodbye.

11. Lacey Brown, inevitably paired with Tim as the worst, although sadly only one can go home this week. She didn't get the mystery of Ruby Tuesday but only parroted the lyrics and tune. As Simon said, she acted it.

10. Andrew Garcia picked a hard song to sing in Gimme Shelter. The song was too much for his voice, and his performance lacked flow. The judges didn't hate it, but didn't like it much either.

9. Katie Stevens gave a controlled performance of Wild Horses, a haunting song that was a little too much for her. Her voice didn't sound great. I still think she has promise as a singer, and the judges liked her, but I don't think she'll go far in the contest.

8. The judges loved Casey James' performance of It's All Over Now, but I disagreed. I liked his performance in part, but he countrified the song (never good in my book) and, like Andrew, lacked flow.

7. Paige Miles's version of Honky Tonk Woman wasn't bad. She showed a lot of spirit and had a feeling for the original. But she was a little awkward. The judges like her big voice and liked this performance.

6. I'm trying to be objective about Michael Lynche, but I really dislike him. He picked the worst, lamest, and most forgettable Rolling Stone song, Miss You, and sang it as an R&B number. All of the judges but Simon loved it. Simon called it at little cheesy and desperate; he nailed it. Last week one of the bloggers (I forget who) described Lynche's performances as "point and preen." That nails it as well.

5. Didi Benami gave a dramatic, slowed down performance of Play With Fire, which was a good song choice for her. I thought it was a little slick, but good over all. The judges agreed that it was a solid performance.

4. Aaron Kelly surprised me with his solid performance of Angie, a great song choice for him. He seemed mature and assured. Simon correctly observed that he picked the right song for his vocal limitations, although I thought he was in great voice.If only he could look a little older.

3. Crystal Bowersox disappointed me a little this week with her performance of You Can't Always Get What You Want. She did convey the spirit of the original, but all the judges agreed that it wasn't her best performance.

2. I love Lee Dwyze's voice. Beast of Burden is a wonderful song, but an unambitious choice. Nevertheless, I could listen to Lee's unpretentious, authentic singing all day long. All the judges loved it, but Simon thought that the performance didn't shine. I can sort of see why he said that, but I don't agree.

1. Siobhan Magnus killed with her dramatic and fearless performance of Paint It Black. She channeled Mick Jagger, but delivered the song in her own way. The judges were just as bowled over as I was.

American Idol Third Elimination: 16 to the final 12

2010-03-11T08:42:00.001-08:00

This is a big week for American Idol. It ends in the naming of the final 12 competitors, to be announced Thursday night. Imagine my despair when my DVR failed me on Tuesday night. That's right. I didn't get to the see the women perform. I did catch the men on Wednesday, but everyone gave such good performances that I am in serious doubt about my picks to go home. So today, I'll refer to my fellow American Idol bloggers to find a consensus on who was best, who was worst, and who will be eliminated.

My favorite American Idol site, Buddy TV, polled its readers' comments and its own experts, coming up with slightly different lists from each source. Everyone agrees, however, that Paige Miles (pictured) will be one of the women going home. The pick for the other woman due to be voted off was split among Katelyn Epperly, Lacey Brown, and Katie Stevens. I hope it's Lacey Brown. Apparently she gave a good performance on Tuesday, but I just don't think she is a relevant performer in the current pop music scene. Neither is Katie Stevens, but I think she has a place in the nostalgia/American Songbook market.

The Wall Street Journal (a blog I hadn't seen before today) picked Paige and Katie Stevens for the off. Idol Blog Live actually did my job and summarized the picks of 10 critics from all around the net. Seven out of 10 bloggers picked Paige and 6 out of 10 picked Katie. It might go without saying, but Vote for the Worst named Paige Miles as worst girl. Sot it looks like Paige Miles and Katie Stevens are going home, although I'm still hoping for Lacey.

As for the boys: Buddy TV readers are split among Todrick Hall, Andrew Garcia, and Aaron Kelly (pictured), but they and the Buddy TV critics agree on Todrick and Aaron. To complicate matters, Vote for Worst picks Tim Urban. The Yahoo music blog, Reality Rocks, also picked Tim Urban to go home and paired him with Andrew Garcia. EW's Pop Watch agreed about Aaron Kelly and Andrew Garcia.

Apart from Aaron Kelly, who gets the most mentions as the loser this week, picking the worst guy seems a hard choice. Based on what I saw last night, I pick Andrew Garcia for the second off. I like his voice, but I think he gave the weakest performance. He seemed strained and uncomfortable. I don't think that Tim Urban and Toderick Hall will last too long in the competition, but it seems like Andrew's turn to go home this week. Aaron, on the other hand, gave a good performance, pretty mature for 16. But someone has to go.

As with the girls' Lacey Brown, who I don't think will last, I love to hate Michael Lynche, who might make it far this year, although I don't see him as the winner. I can't see why the judges all went insane over him last night. He still seems insincere to me, although he is skilled at acting as though he feels his performances, and he does have a good voice. But the contest is not just about vocal ability. His movements seemed as if he worked them out carefully before hand ("on this note I'll stomp, and here I'll turn around") but tried to make them look spontaneous. At one point I caught him looking at the camera out of the corner of his eye, as if to catch his reflection. Maybe he'll grow on me.

Etta At Last

2010-03-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

What a strong, clear voice. The album At Last apparently represents Chess Records' attempt to propel Etta James into the pop mainstream. It opens on "Anything to Say You're Mine" with lush violins, but Etta's first note is full of soul. She wails this song. The next song, "My Dearest Darling", has a strong country tinge. "A Sunday Kind of Love" is pure jazz. "I Just Want to Make Love to You, " of course, could not be more bluesy, growl and all. Etta James reminds me of Ray Charles in being an accomplished and convincing performer in all styles. At Last Made #116 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Albums.

While she is often classified as an R&B singer, she is equally good at rock, blues, and jazz. In an article in Rolling Stone Bonnie Raitt wrote “ Anybody who has a bluesy side...can point to Etta James as the bridge between R&B, blues, and pop singing.”

Born Jamsetta Hawkins in Los Angeles on January 25, 1938, James began singing solos in church at the age of five. By the time she was 14, James had formed a singing group, the Creolettes, with two other girls. In 1955, when she was 17, two of her songs, recorded on the Modern Records label, become top ten R&B hits.

By the late 1950s, James' career was lagging until a lucky break brought her to Chicago. Here, she drew the attention of Leonard Chess, founder of Chess Records which had been gaining recognition for recording such artists as Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley. With producer Jerry Wexler, James recorded a series of successful jazz and soul hits for Chess and its subsidiary Argo. James’ relationship with Chess Records and its founder is covered in the film Cadillac Records which features Beyonce in a great performance as Etta James.

James’ personal life was out of control by the time she was 21, when she became addicted to heroin. She did go on to produce Call My Name, a well-received blues album and to record “I’d Rather Go Blind" an incredible R&B ballad. In 1974, she entered a drug rehabilitation program in Los Angeles.

After this she pulled her life together and went on to tour and record, becoming recognized as an R&B legend. She received two awards from the NAACP in 1990 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2003 she received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked her #62 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Early this year, 2010, Etta James at age 72 was hospitalized for sepsis following a urinary tract infection, according to her son, Donto James. She was also treated for dependence on painkillers. As of early March, the time of this writing, she is still hospitalized in Los Angeles, but hopes to eventually return to performing.

Etta James at Niles library
Blues to the Bone Her Best
Let’s Roll Deep in the Night
Blue Gardenia Time After Time
Matriarch of the Blues Mystery Lady
At Last! Rocks the House
Heart of a Woman all in Blues & Jazz
Life, Love and the Blues

(all selections in Blues & Jazz)

Here is Etta James performing her well known ballad, "At Last."

Sources (all online): Rolling Stone Magazine, "100 Greatest Artists of All Time"

All About Jazz, "Etta James, Vocalist"

Wikipedia, "Etta James"

Allmusic "Etta James"

Urban Mecca.com

American Idol Second Elimination: 20 to 16

2010-03-03T22:03:00.001-08:00

Before rating Tuesday night's boys' performances, I just have to say a word about the judging. Why is Ellen Degeneres a judge? Her comments are so tentative and bumbling, her humor is so flat, and her ideas are completely generic and derivative of the others' comments. She doesn't seem to have an idea in her head. Oppositely, I have come to value Kara DioGuardi. Her comments make sense to me and she has authority in that she is a music producer and song writer. Does Kara agree with me about the boy rankings for this week? I don't know, but as always, I have my opinions. PS: Last week I only got one out of four right.

The performances are ranked from worst to best. In a fair world, the worst would be voted off, but it doesn't always happen that way. I still predict that the first two in each list will get the boot.

10. John Park sang Gravity by John Mayer and made it boring to the nth degree. Sorry Northbrook. If he stays, it's only because he's cute.

9. Jermaine Sellers is not as cute. He slaughtered What's Going On by the great Marvin Gaye. There wasn't much song left after he pulled out all of his vocal falsettos and other tricks.

8. Tim Urban, current Vote for the Worst poster boy, sang Come On Get Higher by Matt Nathanson. He was much better than last week, but still lacked charisma, distinction, and a good voice. Ellen gave her only good advice of the night: get a job on Glee.

7. Todrick Hall, What's Love Got to Do With It by Tina Turner. What? Dramatic but self indulgent with weak vocals. He gets credit for trying something different.

6. Aaron Kelly destroyed the delightful My Girl by the Temptations by adding countless vocal runs. He is only 16 years old, and it shows.

5. Michael Lynche gave a good, professional performance of This is a Man's World by James Brown. But unlike the judges and all the other American Idol bloggers, I don't like him. I think there is something fake about him. He is an actor, and I feel that he is acting his performances.

4. But I love Alex Lambert (pictured above), who sang Everybody Knows by John Legend. He has a distinctive voice and style, and a lot of sincerity.

3. Andrew Garcia has taken a lot of flack for his recent performances. The judges criticize him whatever he does. I think he has a great voice and a lot of restrained soul, although he was a little stiff. He sang You Give Me Something by James Morrison.

2. Likewise, Casey James, who played guitar and sang I Don't Want to Be by Gavin McGraw, was inexplicably slammed by the judges. His guitar playing was great, and I liked his voice. He performs with understated authority.

1. I have fallen hard for Lee DeWyze. He sang Lips of an Angel by Hinder, and is no longer a dark horse. His vocals this time reminded me of Eddie Vedder. He is an authentic artist.

Top Ten Girls

There were a lot of outstanding girls' performances on Wednesday night.

10. Unfortunately, Haeley Vanghn's wasn't one of them. She sang The Climb by Mikey Cyrus, and the judges hated it as much as I did. Haeley is the girl pick on Vote for the Worst. At 16, she is simply not ready for this competition, if she will ever be.

9. Didi Benami is a more interesting and competent singer than Haeley Vaughn, but her performance of Lean on Me by Bill Withers was excruciating both vocally and rhythmically. Maybe she has potential, but if she could be this bad, she deserves to go home.

8. Lacey Brown, singing Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer, was bouncy and better than last week, but kind of generic and forgettable.

7. Katie Stevens to me, is an interesting performer. She is only 17, but seems made to sing torchy old ballads of the 1940s and 50s. The judges want her to be youthful though, so she sang Put Your Records On by Corinne Bailey Rae in a meh performance.

6. Michelle Delamore competently performed With Eyes Wide Open by Creed, a risky choice. She did very well, but she just isn't that lovable.

5. Paige Miles, a more likable performer, rocked out with Walk Away by Kelly Clarkson, a song written by Kara DioGuardi. I though she was a little shouty, but good.

4. Here is where it gets difficult, because the remaining performers were all great. Katelyn Epperly played piano and gave an intense, drawn out performance of The Scientist by Coldplay. In a lesser field, she would have stood out more. The judges criticized her for being too versatile, which I don't quite get.

3. Lilly Scott. I love her. She gave an offbeat, distinctive, and moving performance of one of my favorite songs, A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke.

2. Siobhan Magnus (pictured above). Could this girl be any more quirky and interesting? She gave a fearless belt out of Think by Aretha Franklin, in the style of Aretha Franklin. It was wonderful.

1. Crystal Bowersox is the girls' Lee DeWyze. She played guitar and sang Long as I Can See the Light by CREEDENCE. It was an authentic and stunning performance, organically felt.

We will post the eliminations on the signs in the AV area on the first floor. Check us out and see if I got it right.

American Idol First Elimination: 24 to 20

2010-02-25T08:15:00.000-08:00

I'm posting this on Thursday morning, the day after the first two groups of 12 contenders have had their turns - girls on Tuesday, boys on Wednesday. The results will be announced this evening when 2 boys and 2 girls will be eliminated from the competition. Here are my picks in order, with the worst first. I predict that the first 2 in each list will go. Let's see if I'm right.

Top 12 Girls

12. Haeley Vaughn
I Wanna Hold Your Hand by the Beatles
Horrible beyond description; hideous voice, no tune or rhythm

11. Lacey Brown
Landslide by Fleetwood Mac
Bad phrasing, breathing forced, dull

10. Ashley Rodriguez
Happy by Leona Lewis
Completely forgettable, you''d never pay to see this performance

9. Paige Miles
All Right now by Free
Well done, but not outstanding; hurt by getting the first slot

8. Michelle Delamor
Falling by Alicia Keys
Polished, but not melodic or memorable. I don't think this will be the year of the diva.

7. Janell Wheeler
What About Love by Heart
Pretty but small voice, unusual delivery

6. Didi Benami
The Way I Am by Ingrid Michaelson
Trendy style, sweet sound, seemed into the song

5. Katie Stevens
Feeling Good by Michael Buble
Sultry performance from such a young girl; silvery voice

4. Lilly Scott
Fixing a Hole by the Beatles
Unique, jazzy version of a Beatles song; want to see more of her

3. Sibohan Magnus
Wicked Games by Chris Isaak
Unusual voice with very deep tones; very good performance

2. Katelyn Epperley
Oh Darling by the Beatles
It was a toss up between Katelyn and Crystal Bowersox for first, but I went for the rocker; sophisticated and confident torchiness

1. Crystal Bowersox
Hand in My Pocket by Alanis Morisette
Authoritative voice, good phrasing, honest performance

Top 12 Boys

12. Tim Urban
Apologize by One Republic
The only thing that will keep him on is if people feel sorry for him; horrible voice and falsettos.

11. Tyler Grady
American Woman by the Guess Who
Embarrassing. He tried to rock, but only faked it.

10. Aaron Kelly
Here Comes Goodbye by Rascal Flatts
Poor movements, weak voice, smarmy ballad

9. John Park
God Bless the Child
A bit of a train wreck, garbled lyrics, insincere delivery

8. Todrick Hall
Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson
Choppy delivery, gimmicky arrangement, not good, but at least he tried something.

7. Michael Lynche
This Love by Maroon 5
Poor voice quality, ok performance but a little dull

6. Jermaine Sellers
Get Here by Oleta Adams
Bad faces, great voice, I disagree with Simon that he blew it, but I don't think he'll last.

5. Alex Lambert
Wonderful World by James Morrison
He deserves a chance for his potential; poor, nervy performance, but wonderful voice.

4. Joe Munoz
You and I Both by Jason Mraz
Relaxed, confident, distinctive voice; well done

3. Casey James
Heaven by Bryan Adams
Excellent, almost perfect, but a little too country for my taste

2. Andrew Garcia
Sugar We're Going Down by Fallout Boy
Great voice, sounds a little like Dave Matthews, not perfect but very good

1. Lee Dewyze
Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol
I loved this; great guitar and voice; beautiful song, unpretentious performance

Patsy Cline: Sweet Dreams Still

2010-02-12T14:07:00.000-08:00

Meet me at the big screen in the Large Meeting Room tomorrow (Saturday February 13) at 2:00 PM for a Valentine. We will be featuring the heartbreak girl of country music, Patsy Cline, in a film anthology of performances from throughout her short career. And, in honor of the sweetness of the day, we will have refreshments. The name of the film is Sweet Dreams Still.

As one of the greatest female country music singers of all time, Patsy Cline has become a legend, perhaps owing in part to her early death. Patsy was born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Winchester Virginia on September 8, 1932. As a young child, Patsy was interested in dancing like her idol, Shirley Temple and in singing like Judy Garland. Later she learned to play piano by ear and began singing. She sang with perfect pitch.

She began her recording career in the mid 1950s. Her first recording contract with Four Star records limited her repertoire to songs by Four Star composers which boxed her in to a rockabilly style that did not suit her powerful voice. She had few hits and little success until after 1960 with her recording of “I Fall to Pieces”.

Patsy’s career remained hot despite her injuries in a severe auto accident in 1961, which was the second of two she experienced during her life. After her recovery from the severe injuries she sustained, she followed up with hit recordings of “Crazy” , written by a young Willie Nelson, and “She’s Got You” , both released in 1961.

Still in her prime and near to the top of country music fame, Patsy’s life was cut down when she died in a small-plane crash at the age of 30. In 2002 she was named by the country music industry as one of the 40 greatest women in country music and in 1999, she was voted number 11 on the VH1 list of the 100 greatest women in rock and roll.

lick on this link for a YouTube video of Patsy Cline singing "Crazy".

The Fat Man

2010-01-30T13:21:00.000-08:00

The four-disc CD set, Walking to New Orleans is number two on the Niles Library R&B Album Playlist. The man himself, representing classic New Orleans R&B, is at number 25 on the Rolling Stone Magazine 2004 list of the 100 greatest artist of all time.

Born Antoine Dominique Domino in New Orleans in 1928, Fats Domino first drew public attention in 1949 with his Imperial Records releases. The 1949 song “Fat Man” is often considered to be the first rock and roll record. “Fat Man” began a series of hits culminating in the crossover hit “Ain’t That a Shame” in 1955 which made the pop top ten.

The song “Fat Man” brought Fats in contact with Dave Bartholomew, a producer who became Domino’s songwriting partner and an important element of his success. In his Rolling Stone write up on Fats, New Orleans musician Dr. John gives credit to Bartholomew: “ He had the sense to go with the best-feeling take….People would have missed something great about Fats if they had just heard the more ‘correct’ takes—the ones without that extra off-the-wall thing that Fats would bring.”

Fats changed labels and continued to record until around 1970, and he continued to perform live as well. He retired from performing in the 1980s, no longer wanting to leave New Orleans partly because he couldn't get food he liked any place else. Domino’s home in New Orleans was flooded during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and a rumor surfaced that he had died. It turns out that he and his wife had been rescued by a coast guard helicopter and sheltered in Baton Rouge. In 2006, President George W. Bush personally delivered a replacement for the National Medal of the Arts that Fats had been awarded by President Bill Clinton and that was lost in the flood.

While not considered to be a musical innovator, Fats Domino’s recordings stand as among the warmest and most approachable in all of R&B. He remained consistently popular well into the rock and roll era. In 2007 he was honored with Offbeat Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The Beatles song “Lady Madonna: was written as an homage to Domino’s style. As of this writing he is 81 years old.

Each of the four discs in this outstanding collection is a smile-maker. Like the Ray Charles album, The Birth of Soul, the songs are arranged chronologically. The liner notes indicate the year of release and chart rankings for each song. Throughout the 1950s Fats had a string of hits which began to taper off in the 60s. Generally he ranked higher on the R&B charts than the pop, but later in his career Fats began to show up on the pop charts only. Some of his highest ranking songs include The Fat Man (#2 R&B); Going to the River (2 R&B, 24 pop); All By Myself (1 R&B); Blueberry Hill (1 R&B, 2 pop; and I'm Walking (1 R&B, 4 pop).

Fats Domino has a warm New Orleans accent and a gently rocking style heard well on Goin' Home (disc 1) and Blue Monday (disc 2). Other highlights include the classic, smooth, Blueberry Hill (disc 2), Walking to New Orleans (disc 3), a loping stroll, and My Girl Josephine (disc 4), a slow jitterbug with minimal instrumentation. This four disc set is not currently available through our library system, but is on order for our collection.

2009: The Year in Music, Part Two

2010-01-15T10:38:00.000-08:00

September began the year of Taylor Swift

This country/pop princess loomed large this month, and into the end of the year. As she was accepting her award for best female video at the MTV Video Music Awards ceremony, rapper and gonzo critic Kanye West stormed the stage and cut off her acceptance speech, declaring that Beyonce had the best video and deserved the award instead of Swift.

But never mind. Swift proved that success is the best revenge as she finished the year with a near sweep of the CMA (Country Music Association) awards in November. She was awarded for album of the Year (Fearless), music video of the year, female vocalist, and entertainer of the year. Previously she had been awarded for video of the year and female video of the year by Country Music Television (CMT), and album of the year by the Academy of Country Music (ACM). She has been nominated for eight Grammy awards, and Fearless was the top-selling album of the year in 2009.

September also saw the release of the complete Beatles catalog remastered for the first time since 1987 with new liner notes and photographs. This release coincided with the release of the game, The Beatles Rock Band.

October was the month to Rock and Roll

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (in Cleveland) celebrated its 25th anniversary with a 12 hour 2 night concert in Madison Square garden in New York City on October 29 and 30. Among the huge stars appearing were Ron Wood, Bruce Springsteen, Simon and Garfunkle (together), Stevie Wonder, John Fogarty, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Billy Joel, and JERRY LEE LEWIS (I thought he was dead). On November 29th, HBO aired 4 hours of the concert which has not yet been released on DVD.

In November we noticed the Oprah Effect

In November both Variety and Rolling Stone reported on the effect of Whitney Houston's September appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show. Houston's comeback album, I Look to You," spiked up 77% in sales following her Oprah appearance. Variety also attributed Barbra Streisand's September appearance on the show for the chart topping sales of her 2009 release, Love is the Answer.

In December we loved vinyl

Finally, in December The New York Times reported that there is a resurgence of vinyl record sales along with the turntables needed to play them. These are not used records, but newly cut versions of current CD releases. Younger records buyers are discovering that they prefer the sound of vinyl and they also like the better graphics and liner notes that the larger vinyl format can accommodate. Vinyl and turntable buyers are also using turntables to mix and scratch records just like DJs.

Special thanks to Donna Block, Barb Palac, and Sue Wilsey for their contributions to this 2009 recap.

2009: The Year in Music, Part One

2010-01-09T07:14:00.000-08:00

Before we let go of 2009, let's stroll down memory lane and review some of last year's more interesting events in music.

February was a month of sadness in music.

We lost two representatives of American jazz history this month last year.
Blossom Dearie died on February 7 at the age of 82. She began her career as a jazz singer in New York city in the early 1940s and continued to perform in clubs until 2006.

Louie Bellson, who died on February 14 at age 84, was an Italian American jazz drummer. He was born in Rock Falls, Illinois and performed throughout the 1940s with some of the biggest names in big band jazz. His last recording was made in 2007 and released in 2008.

On February 8, 21- year- old R&B singer Rihanna cancelled her scheduled Grammy appearance. It later surfaced that she had sustained visible injuries in an incident of domestic violence involving her boyfriend, singer Chris Brown. She subsequently postponed her Malaysian tour. In early November Rihanna was interviewed on television by Diane Sawyer. To her credit, Rihanna was open about the extensive abuse she suffered, begging other young girls who find themselves in abusive relationships to get out and seek help.

April was the month of Susan Boyle.

On April 11 Susan Boyle, a plain middle-aged Scotswoman, caused a sensation when she appeared on the TV show Britain's Got Talent, a UK American Idol featuring Simon Cowell. Her performance of the song "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables stunned the audience and judges. She went on to win the talent competition and released her first album in November. Her album has since sold over 700,000 copies in the U.S., making it the biggest U. S. -selling debut album since 1993. In its first week of release, the album sold a total of 3 million copies around the world.

June was a month of incomparable sadness in music.

The world was stunned by the sudden death of pop star Michael Jackson at age 50. Although he had not released an album since 2001, Jackson was poised to begin a 50 date comeback concert tour shortly before his death. Jackson's death was investigated as a possible homicide by the LA police, so the singer was not laid to rest until September. Today, the news broke that the physician who administered a powerful sedative to Jackson hours before he died is going to be charged with manslaughter.

Earlier in June, we lost Chicago blues singer Koko Taylor. She died at the age of 80, having remained an active performer up to her death.

August was silly season.

I guess it wasn't silly to Paula Abdul. All through the summer there was talk about whether or not Paul Abdul would return as a judge for the next season of American Idol. Will she or won't she achieve a successful contract negotiation? It seemed like the publicity was meant to generate interest in her position and create pressure on the network to renew her. What would American Idol be like without goofy, sympathetic Paula? I guess we'll find out. When the definitive answer came, it was a 'no'. It was announced in September that Paula Abdul has left American Idol, to be replaced by goofy, sympathetic Ellen DeGeneres. I can't wait.

PS: Rumors surfaced this week that Simon Cowell is leaving American Idol in 2011 to launch the X Factor, another talent competition imported from the UK, and that he is bringing Paula with him as a judge. Remember, this is just a rumor folks.

The Birth of Soul Reviewed

2009-12-27T12:27:00.001-08:00

This three-disc album is arranged chronologically covering the period from 1952-1959.

Disc 1

The first five tracks on Disc are vocalized with big band orchestration. The first three are smooth and jazzy. Starting with track 4, Jumpin' in the Morning, the sound becomes less smooth and more R&B.

Tracks 6 through 17 feature smaller, rhythmic R&B sounding bands. These tracks are bluesy, becoming more and more intense, bringing in gospel elements toward the end of the disc.

My favorite Ray Charles is the blues singer. My favorite track on this disc is # 8, Sinner's Prayer, featuring a great blues band, Ray's piano, and a gospel-charged soulfulness. Here is an older Ray Charles singing and playing this song with B.B. King.

Disc 2

Disc 2 is the heart of this album. The blues/gospel fusion is well developed, and Charles' voice is amazing with an inner lightness under the grit.

I have a lot of favorite tracks from this disc, but the first (track 18), I Got a Woman, is a must-listen. It is a Ray Charles original, based on a gospel tune, but I thought it was a traditional blues when I first heard it. Come Back Baby, track 20, sounds very gospel to me, slow, rhythmic, and intense with gospel shouting, and Hard Times, track 23, sounds very bluesy. Starting with track 26, Drown in My Own Tears, another soulful favorite of mine, Ray's back up singers, the Raylettes, first appear. Hallelujah I Love Her So, track 27, is a Ray Charles hallmark, here in a youtube of a rare 1955 live performance.

Disc 3

Here there are fewer Ray Charles originals, a general smoothing out of the grit, and evidences of a more commercial sound. Track 36, Swanee River, is cute, a soul-ish version of a classic with an R&B beat. Tracks 37-39 are straight R&B to my ears. Track 40, I Want a Little Girl, is to the tune of This little Light of Mine, and has a commercialized R&B sound. My track picks from disc 3 are track 44, Tell the World About You and Track 50, What'd I Say, seen here in a remarkable 1963 performance.

Happy New Year everyone! I plan to spend the holiday listening to Ray's Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, number 104 on the Rolling Stone Magazine list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

The Genius: Ray Charles and the Birth of Soul

2009-12-18T12:25:00.000-08:00

The Birth of Soul: The Complete Atlantic Rhythm and Blues Recordings 1952-1959 by Ray Charles made the number 53 spot of Rolling Stone Magazine's 2003 list of the top 500 albums of all time.

On listening to all three discs in this collection for the first time, the greatness was not in question, but the quality that stood out most for me was the fluidity of Ray Charles' performances. He seems the easy master of every style from jazz to pop to r&b to pre- rock and roll, and especially the blues. In his liner notes for this album,* Robert Palmer also notes Charles' versatility, calling him "...[a] musical polymath, blender and creator of of idioms, setter of styles and trends...." According to Palmer, around Atlantic Records they took to calling him The Genius.

But what about this "birth of soul" business? Soul music is variously defined as a mixture of blues and gospel and, more often, as a mixture of rhythm and blues and gospel. Soul music tends to be grittier and more emotionally intense than typical R&B, and uses gospel devices like call and response and the gospel choir (ie: the backup singers). Since the 1960s, what is called soul music has diversified quite a bit, according to allmusic, but in the 1950s of Ray Charles' creative flowering, he is credited with bringing gospel fervor to the blues and creating soul music.

Charles himself describes the process, as quoted by Robert Palmer: "There was a crossover between gospel music and the rhythm patterns of the blues, which I think came down through the years from slavery times....But when I started doing things that would be based on an old gospel tune I got criticism from the churches, and from musicians too. They thought it was sacrilegious or something....But I kept doing it, and eventually...the people started saying I was an innovator."

Next time, I'll go through the discs with my comments and Youtube links to give you a taste of this genius.

* This 3 disc set is available at our library, but Robert Palmer's liner notes are missing. They can be found in the Robert Palmer collection Blues and Chaos, not in our collection but available through our library system.

Josh Groban on the Big Screen

2009-12-16T18:18:00.000-08:00

Saturday, December 19 at 2:00 pm

Don't miss this concert filmed in Pasadena and backed by a symphonic orchestra. Groban's debut album, Josh Groban, was released in November 2001. Over the next year, Groban became a star. His album went double platinum, and he had his own PBS special in November 2002. This is the PBS concert featuring the following selections:

1. Alla Luce Del Sole
2. You're Still You
3. Vincent (Starry Starry Night)
4. Gira Con Me Questra Notte
5. Un Amore Per Sempre
6. Alejate
7. Broken Vow
8. To Where You Are
9. Cinema Paradiso (se)
10. For Always (song from A.I. - John Williams Conducting)
11. Home to Stay
12. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
13. Canto Alla Vita
14. The Prayer (featuring Angie Stone)
15. Let Me Fall (from Cirque du Soleil)

R&B & Soul Album Playlist

2009-11-28T11:25:00.000-08:00

Following the lead of young Angela, the creator of a Five Year Crash Course in Music, I made a list of (take a deep breath) the 30 best R&B & Soul albums from 1952 to 1993. I hasten to add that any such list is arbitrary and leaves a lot out, but I wanted to give myself, and possibly you, a crash course in pop music history, focusing on one genre.

Again following the lead of Ang, I consulted the Rolling Stone Magazine list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. There, after eliminating all the rock, I was left with a list of about 45 albums containing many by Stevie Wonder, quite a few by James Brown, just about all that Otis Redding ever made, and some others. While I agree about Otis Redding, I only wanted to sample one album, hopefully the best, by each artist. So putting together the Rolling Stone list with the genre lists at Allmusic, I came up with my own R&B & Soul Album Playlist. I wound up with 29 artists, so to round the list off to 30 I added Wilson Pickett because I like him. (PS: I hope you click on the links above, especially the Allmusic, one which is crammed with information.)

Here is the list, in rough chronological order:

Ray Charles (genre) (Soul) (album) The Birth of Soul

Fats Domino (New Orleans/R&B) Walking to New Orleans

Etta James (R&B) At Last

Jackie Wilson (Chicago Soul) Mr. Excitement

Sam Cooke (Soul) Live at the Harlem Square Club 1963

The Drifters (Soul) Under the Boardwalk

James Brown (Soul/Funk) Live at the Apollo 1963

Smokey Robinson (Soul/Motown) Going to a GoGo

The Supremes (Soul/Motown) Where Did Our love Go?

The Temptations (Soul/Motown) The Temptin' Temptations

Aretha Franklin (Soul/Urban) I Never Loved a Man Like I Love You

Dr. John (R&B/New Orleans) GrisGris

Otis Redding (Soul/Southern) Otis Blue

Sly & the Family Stone (Funk) Fresh

Ike & Tina Turner (Funk/Soul) Proud Mary: The Best of Ike & Tina Turner

Lou Rawls (Soul/Philly) The Best of Lou Rawls

Marvin Gaye (Soul/Motown) What's Going On?

Wilson Pickett (Soul/Southern) The Exciting Wilson Pickett

Stevie Wonder (Soul/Funk/Motown) Innervisions

Al Greene (Soul) Greatest Hits

Curtis Mayfield (Chicago Soul/Funk) Superfly

Earth, Wind and Fire (Funk/Soul/Urban) Gratitude

Gladys Knight (Soul/Motown/Urban) Imagination

Michael Jackson (Motown/Urban) Off the Wall

Funkadelic (R&b/Funk) One Nation Under a Groove

Whitney Houston (R&B) Whitney Houston

Janet Jackson (R&B) Rhythm Nation 1814

Mary J. Blige (R&B/Urban) My Life

D'Angelo (Soul/Neo-Soul) Brown Sugar

Toni Braxton (Contemp. R&B) Toni Braxton

Please let me know if I've left off anyone important, or if you have an alternate album choice. It was Ang's 60s list headed by Aretha Franklin that set me off on this soulful path. I've listened to her album, but I think I'll come back to it, since I want to start at the top chronologically. I'll listen to and comment on at least some of the albums and artists, and discuss the genre definitions along the way. On to Ray Charles then.

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving.

We interupt R&B...

2009-11-13T10:25:00.000-08:00

...to bring you news from another part of the music world. This week the Country Music Association (CMA) passed out awards during its annual showcase which was televised on Veterans Day, November 11.

Here are this year's winners:

Entertainer of the Year: Taylor Swift (of course)

Song of the Year: "In Color" (Jamey Johnson, Lee Thomas Miller, James Otto)

Single of the Year" "I Run to You" (Lady Antebellum)

Album of the Year: Fearless (Taylor Swift)

Male Vocalist of the Year: Brad Paisley

Female Vocalist of the Year: Taylor Swift

Vocal Duo of the Year: Sugarland

Vocal Group of the Year: Lady Antebellum

Musician of the Year: Mac McAnally

New Artist of the Year: Darius Rucker

Music Video of the Year: Love Story (Taylor Swift)

Here are some You Tube links:

Taylor Swift, Love Story
Lady Antebellum, I Run to You
Jamey Johnson with Keith Urban, In Color Don't miss this one.
Sugarland, Keep You Another great performance. What a voice!
Darius Rucker on Letterman Formerly of Hootie and the Blowfish

Best Of Lists and a Jazz Offering

2009-11-11T14:32:00.000-08:00

A Five Year Crash Course in Music

Recently, I discovered a great idea while searching for musical ideas and news on line. A young British woman named Ang (short for Angela) is compiling lists of the 52 best pop music albums of every decade starting with the 60s. She proposes to listen to one album each week and post video and written reviews when she has digested the music by listening to the album at least five times. Here is a link to her blog in the section where she explains how she selected her album candidates. You can click through to see her lists for the 60s and 70s and the reviews she has posted so far. You can also follow her on Facebook.

So far Ang has posted her 60s and 70s list. Rather than her reviews, I am most interested in her selections. I am very tempted to follow her idea and listen to all of the top albums. In fact I started the process by listening to the first selection on Ang's 60s list: Aretha Franklin's I Never Loved a Man The Way I Love You, her first album on the Atlantic label.

In hearing Aretha at her best, I got interested in the definition and evolution of R&B and Soul music, a genre that I know little about except for what everyone hears on the radio. I am toying with idea of going through Ang's selections in this genre and perhaps researching some selections of my own. In any case, you will be hearing more about Aretha Franklin and this seminal album that began her rise to become Queen of Soul and one of the biggest music stars of all time.

Jazz on a Summer's Day

Meanwhile, join us in the large meeting room on the first floor of the library for a unique experience. On Saturday, November 21 at 2:00 PM we will be showing Jazz on a Summer's Day, a day in the life of the Newport Jazz festival of 1958. This is a true work of visual and musical art which mixes scenes of an idyllic summer on the water with jazz performances from the festival. This film captures a lost America and presents classic performers like Anita O'Day and Louis Armstrong in their prime. This ends our jazz offerings for a while (Fall is for jazz), so don't miss this large screen showing.

Time for Jazz

2009-09-30T14:38:00.000-07:00

Coming soon, on Saturday October 10 at 2:00 pm, is one of the most unique and touching music documentaries you will ever see. Although it contains some rare performance footage, it is mainly a loving tribute to the men (and women, although there are fewer of them) who made jazz.

A Great Day in Harlem , a 1994 Oscar-nominated film documents the story behind the Summer day in 1985 when freelance photographer Art Kane gathered 57 jazz greats for a group portrait. The film highlights such seminal artists as Dizzy Gillespe, Thelonious Monk, Count Basie, and Gerry Mulligan. This film captures the past, or as the film's web site describes it:

"A Great Day in Harlem captures the spirit of an era when New York City was the center of the jazz world, when music history was constantly being made, and when creativity was fostered by an intense and nurturing community of musicians and fans. It was indeed a great day when musicians met and joked with friends, family, and community residents - in one instance even blowing a few jazz riffs - on a side street in Harlem in 1958. Like the photograph it documents, A Great Day in Harlem is a vivid portrait of a unique community."

RIP Mary Travers, the heart of Peter, Paul & Mary

2009-09-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

As a young performer, she was heartbreakingly beautiful, to me as a young girl, an icon of what grown up beauty could be. And she had a clear, strong soprano that soared above the mellow tenors of her singing partners, Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey. She was Mary Travers, the Mary of Peter, Paul & Mary, a 60s group that had a surprising and long- lasting revival in 1978, but is now one voice less.

As Rolling Stone puts it, she was "...best known as the visual focal point of ...Peter, Paul & Mary. With her fervent stage moves and long, straight blond hair...Travers brought both powerful lungs and sex appeal to folk music."

Born in Louisville, KY, the daughter of journalists, Travers grew up in New York’s Greenwich Village, the perfect setting for an aspiring artist. She benefited from exposure to the folk music scene of the early 1960s. Influenced by the folk tunes of the Weavers, Ledbelly, and Woody Guthrie, she became a regular performer in the weekend folk sessions at Washington Square Park while still in her teens. As a member of a teen group, The Song Swappers, she performed at Carnegie Hall and recorded with folk icon Pete Seeger.

Albert Grossman, famous as the manager of Bob Dylan, introduced Travers to Peter Yarrow and later to Noel Paul Stookey, suggesting that they form a trio. After an initial reluctance-- she never pictured herself making a career of folk singing-- Travers became a founding member of Peter, Paul & Mary, which debuted at The Bitter End in Greenwich Village in 1961. The group’s debut album, Peter, Paul & Mary was a top ten seller for ten months, and their single, “If I Had a Hammer”, written by Pete Seeger, became an anthem of the civil rights movement, as did their later recording of Bob Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind.”

The trio, whose work together was infused with social commentary, separated in 1970. Travers, by now mother to two daughters, remained active as a solo artist, recording four albums by 1974. She also remained a political and social activist, even after the end of the Vietnam War following President Nixon's resignation in 1974.

Peter, Paul, & Mary reunited in 1978 for a benefit concert that went so well they agreed to resume the trio. That year they released the album Reunion and embarked on an ambitious concert schedule that they maintained until the present day, despite Traver’s diagnosis of leukemia in 2004. The group also continued their political activism, taking on such causes as human rights in Central and South America, homelessness, and world hunger among many other issues. Mary Travers died of cancer on September 16 at the age of 72.

Sources: Rolling Stone website (linked above) and Allmusic

You Tubes

P, P & M singing John Denver's Leaving on a Jet Plane, their only number one hit single, and one of my favorite songs.

If I Had a Hammer, a protest anthem by Pete Seeger, sung by P, P & M at the Newport Folk Festival of 1963.

Blowin in the Wind, an elegant presentation.

The Brill Building

2009-09-02T16:47:00.000-07:00

Ellie Greenwich died last week at the age of 68. I don't expect that you've heard of her; her's isn't exactly a household name. With her husband, Jeff Barry, she was a hit song writer of the early 1960s. She is most famous for such truly great girl group songs as "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "Chapel of Love". Do yourself a favor and listen to these.

But I digress. Because reading about Ellie Greenwich put me in mind of the Brill Building, an 11 story office building at 1619 Broadway in New York City. Even before the 1950s, the Brill Building was home to pop music publishers and composers who wrote for the great swing bands of the 40s. But in the late 1950s into the early 60s, the Brill Building became the venue for the hottest and most influential commercial music ever produced. This stream of music, influenced by Latin music and rhythm and blues, gave rise to such songwriters as:

Burt Bacharach and Hal David

Neil Diamond

Gerry Goffen and Carole King

Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller

Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil

Laura Nyro

Paul Simon (under the name Jerry Landis)

Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield

Phil Spector

Among the hundreds of hits produced by these and other composers are Yakety Yak, Save the Last Dance For Me, The Look of Love, Calendar Girl, The Loco-Motion, We Gotta Get Out of This Place, River Deep Mountain High, Be My Baby, and Natural Woman. Be My Baby, written by Greenwich and Barry, for a while was the only song that played on Beach Boy Brian Wilson's home jukebox

Carole King, quoted in Wikipedia, described the atmosphere of the Brill Building:

"Every day we squeezed into our respective cubby holes with just enough room for a piano, a bench, and maybe a chair for the lyricist if you were lucky. You'd sit there and write and you could hear someone in the next cubby hole composing a song exactly like yours. The pressure in the Brill Building was really terrific...."

Five for Fighting!

2009-08-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

I am so lucky. Last night I caught Five for Fighting at Jammin' at the Zoo. Along with the lions and gorillas, I and about 2,000 others snuggled our chairs and blankets onto the Lincoln Park Zoo main mall and gently rocked.

Five for Fighting is the professional name of singer/songwriter John Ondrasik who performs with various back-up bands. Last night's trio of lead guitar, bass guitar, and drums was work- man- like, but Five for Fighting was in great form. He sang some of the best known tracks from America Town, Easy Tonight and Superman, and my favorite, 100 Years from Battle for Everything. (I'm 45 for a moment/The sea is high/And I'm heading into a crisis/Chasing the years of my life.)

He added NY City Weather Report, Angels and Girlfriends, The Riddle and Chances from his upcoming album Slice. There were others as well, and he ended the set with a rousing rendition of Elton John's Rocket Man, one of my all time favorite songs. What great taste.

Ondrasik is an interesting and admirable character. In one of his numbers last night he saluted those in the military and praised freedom in a song. In 2007 and 2008 he coordinated the production of mix CDs of some favorites like Billy Joel, the Fray, the Goo Goo Dolls, and Keith Urban donated by the artists. He distributed over 200,000 free copies of each CD to members of the U. S. military. He also uses his music to raise funds for several charities such as Save the Children, Autism Speaks, and ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). In person, he is as down to earth a rocker as you ever can see.

I wish I could say the same for Five for Fighting's opening act, Angel Taylor. Like Ondrasik, who briefly studied opera, Taylor has a beautiful and powerful voice. Both artists' voices sounded much stronger in person than they do recorded. But Taylor's set was gloomy and pretentious, featuring her piano, a simple drum, an acoustic guitar, and her unmelodic tunes. I only liked one of her tunes, Like You Do. One of her best numbers was written by someone else, Sex on Fire by the Kings of Leon. Angel is only 21 years old; she has the talent to be a fine pop singer, but not all talented performers have the songwriting ability of Five for Fighting.

RIP Les Paul (and Mike Seeger)

2009-08-19T14:40:00.000-07:00

Les Paul 1915-2009

A king of pop music, Les Paul began his career as an accomplished jazz guitarist with a fluid, swinging style. Never able to read music, Paul had a magnificent ear and could hear entire arrangements in his head.

Born Lester William Polsfus in Waukesha, WI, in 1915, Paul first discovered music at the age of eight when he took up the harmonica. By age 13 he was performing as a country guitarist. Throughout the 1930s he played jazz guitar, releasing his first 2 recordings in 1936.

In 1939, he built one of the first solid bodied electric guitar, known as The Log. In the early 1950s, Gibson produced a guitar that used Paul’s ideas and marketed it as the Les Paul Standard. He played that guitar throughout his career, although his personal models were heavily modified. In 1962 Paul was issued a U.S. patent titled “Electric Musical Instrument”.

In 1948, Paul suffered a near-fatal automobile accident which shattered his right arm. Told that he would never move that arm again, Paul had his doctors set the arm in a bent position that would allow him to play guitar.

After his recovery, Paul teamed up with his second wife, singer Colleen Summers who he renamed Mary Ford. The couple had a series of mega hits in the 1950s including “How High the Moon’’, “Bye Bye Blues”, and “Vaya Con Dios”. Always innovative, Paul’s work with Mary Ford benefited from his invention of multi-track recordings.

Les Paul semi retired in the late 1960s with occasional returns to the recoding studio. In 2005 he received a 90th birthday tribute concert at Carnegie Hall, and in 2008 he received the American Music Masters award with a tribute concert in Cleveland sponsored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Mike Seeger 1933-2009

Although not as well known as Les Paul, in his limited sphere Mike Seeger was a musician of influence.

Seeger began playing traditional instruments - banjo, fiddle, dulcimer, mouth harp, mandolin, and Dobro - at age 12. He learned traditional folk music from the recordings his parents brought home from the Library of Congress where they assisted John and Alan Lomax collect songs for the Archive of Folk Music.

His music credentials extend to his siblings Pete Seeger, the godfather of American folk singing, and Peggy Seeger, a respected folk singer as well.

In the early 1950s Seeger began to collect his own field recordings. In 1958 he co-founded the New Lost City Ramblers, a group specializing in string band music from the 1920s and 30s. In the 1960s, Seeger released solo recordings and formed the Strange Creek Singers. He went on to continue solo recording throughout the 1970s and became involved in the Newport Folk Festival. In 1970 he became director of the Smithsonian Folklife Company.

In Chronicles: Volume One Bob Dylan acknowledges a debt to Mike Seeger who helped Dylan in his early struggle to gain notice in the New York city folk scene. Seeger also served as a role model for Dylan, who admired Seeger as a folk musician.

Mike Seeger on You Tube

Freight Train

New Lost City Ramblers

RockDocs: The Rolling Stones

2009-08-08T07:34:00.000-07:00

Summer is the time to rock and roll. For the second Summer, here at Niles Library we are presenting a series of rock and roll documentaries. So far this summer we are seen Elvis (you have to ask "Elvis who?") in his short-lived prime as he rehearsed and performed in a dynamic Las Vegas concert. In a two part presentation we have followed the early career of Bob Dylan as he made the transition from beloved folk and social protest singer to electrified rocker.

Third up is Shine a Light, director Martin Scorses's take on a present-day Rolling Stones concert. The 60-something Stones haven't lost their energy or charisma. Supplemented by Jack White, Christina Aquilera, and Buddy Guy, the Rolling Stones produce a jaw-dropping mix of music and moves enhanced by Scorses's tight camera angles that make you feel like you're on the stage. This 122 minute film and rated PG13 and will be played on the big screen on Saturday August 15 at 2:00 PM in the large meeting room. Don't miss it.

In a special showing, to honor Michael Jackson on what would have been his 51st birthday, we are also screening the film Dangerous, a compilation of music videos and behind the scene action from the making of the 1991 Dangerous album and tour. This 112 minute film is unrated and will be shown on the big screen on Saturday August 29 at 2:00 PM.

We have extended music films into the Fall, turning the coming season into Jazz Fall with showings of A Great Day in Harlem on October 10 and, ironically, Jazz on a Summer's Day on November 21. Look at this space and the AV Desk on the first floor for more information to come. Meanwhile, enjoy the eye candy below: the Rolling Stones in their youth.

Finding Love at the Pitchfork Festival

2009-07-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

When I was younger, finding new bands to love was as easy as turning on the radio. Now though, it's not so easy. I no longer enjoy listening to commercial radio because of, well, all the commercials! The portion of my brain that dictates musical taste also seems to have congealed around the grunge movement, which hasn't really existed since 1995.

This summer I decided to break out of my musical rut by attending the Pitchfork Music Festival. Pitchfork is kinda' like Lollapalooza, except smaller. It took place in Union Park instead of Grant Park, it featured 40 bands instead of 130, and a 1-day pass cost just $35 instead of $80. The bands are mostly less well known, too, which is great if you're on a mission to discover something new.

I bought tickets for Sunday, July 19. $35 (plus the Ticketweb processing fees) gave me the potential to hear 18 different bands. The biggest name was The Flaming Lips, who I've actually seen live before. A few of the others (Blitzen Trapper, The Vivian Girls, and Grizzly Bear) I had heard of. The other 14 were all new to me. I could have just walked into the park blind, so to speak, but instead I did some preliminary research. Which bands did I want to hear? What times would they be playing? How would I find them in the park? All of these questions were answered by visiting the Pitchfork website (www.pitchforkmusicfestival.com). In fact, if you're interested in learning more about the bands that played over the entire weekend, and even in hearing some of their songs, you can still do that via the website, as well. In addition to pictures and brief bios of the bands, the website features a streaming playlist of 48 songs (visit the "media" link to find it).

The first band I really wanted to hear was Blitzen Trapper. Formed in 2000 in the Pacific Northwest, this is a flannel-wearing sextet who have a hard-to-describe sound that is a little folkish, a little bluesish & a little rockish. The folk really comes out on gentle songs like "Furr," and the rock rocks on songs like "Love U;" with the lyrics "I love u like a shoe's got soooouuuuuullllllllll!" screamed out with a spine-tingling banshee wail. Next up was Pharoahe Monch, an MC & singer who's worked with Mos Def and had a song, "Simon Says," featured in the movie "Charlie's Angels." I'm no authority on Hip-Hop, but I thought he was pretty good. The "Monch" part of his name derives from the monchichi doll, so he must have a sense of humor. The woman singing backup had a great voice, and the DJ wasn't "pushing buttons back here," but spinning actual vinyl.

I took a break to visit the various food and beverage booths for refreshment, and then it was time for The Thermals, a trio (2 guys & a gal) from Oregon with a punk-pop sound that the website describes as "neo-grunge." They ably covered Nirvana's "Make You Happy" and Green Day's "Basket Case." After more food, NY band The Walkmen were up with one of the most impressive sets of the day. They have a noisy garage-rock sound similar to The Strokes and sounded great outdoors, especially the vocals. I thought the "The Rat" and "In the New Year" were two of the best performances of the day. M83 was the last new act of the day for me. Named after Messier 83, a spiral galaxy discovered in 1752, their electronic music - created with synthesizers, guitar, and drums - could be described as "spacey" or "ethereal" and was excellent chill out music.

Grizzly Bear did not sound so great outdoors, partly because the crowd was growing larger and more rowdy in anticipation of the Flaming Lips. Their beautifully harmonized vocals got lost in the hubbub, and the only song of theirs that I recognized was "Two Weeks. I think they'd play better in an indoor venue like the Chicago Theatre. I stuck around The Flaming Lips of course, but I've heard them before. Their shows are a lot of fun - much like their trippy music - filled with bouncing beach balls, confetti, and lead singer Wayne Coyne rolling out into the crowd in a giant hamster ball.

One downside to a music festival like Pitchfork is that some of the shows happen simultaneously on different stages. That meant that I missed a few bands that I would really have liked to hear. Three bands that I caught a just couple of minutes of, but that I think are worth checking out are: The Vivian Girls, Frightened Rabbit and Japandroids.

All in all, it was not a bad way to spend a Sunday and I also satisfied (temporarily, at least) my craving for new music.

Up Next in Rock Docs: Bob Dylan, No Direction Home

2009-07-03T11:42:00.000-07:00

Wednesday July 8 at 7:00 PM (part 1); Wednesday July 15, 7:00 PM (part 2)

How does it fee-eel? Dylan fans will recognize this line from the benchmark song, "Like a Rolling Stone", which symbolizes the changes documented in Martin Scorsese's No Direction Home. This 208 minute film, which will be shown at the library in 2 parts, focuses on Dylan's early career, covering the period from 1961 to 1966.

Early in 1961, Bob Dylan appeared on the New York folk scene and quickly became its darling with his strong and original protest songs like "Blowin' in the Wind," "Only a Pawn in Their Game," and "Masters of War." Embraced by the queen of political folk music, Joan Baez, Dylan soon became a major figure of the genre. The film documents this early phase of Dylan's career and traces his transition from folk to electrified rock musician, to the extreme displeasure of his folkie fans.

Working with hours of previously filmed interview tapes and performance clips, Scorsese puts together an analysis through interviews of Dylan's initial rise to fame and his infamous transition to rock and roll in 1965 with the electric backing of Chicago's Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Among those interviewed on film are Odetta, Joan Baez, Woodie Guthrie, Muddy Waters, the Clancy Brothers, Pete Seeger, Allen Ginsberg, and Johnny Cash.

In retrospect, it is clear that Dylan was too dynamic a musician, song writer, and poet to be boxed into the narrow folk genre. Roger Ebert in The Chicago Sun Times, has the words for it:

"His songs led to change, but they transcended it. His audience was uneasy with transcendence. They kept trying to draw him back down into categories. He sang and sang,and finally...found himself a hero who was booed.... His music stands and it will survive."

Women in Jazz: Dinah Washington

2009-06-27T09:50:00.001-07:00

Did Dinah Washington sell out? Critics accuse the sweet /salty-voiced singer of catering to the mainstream following her 1959 pop hit, "What a Difference a Day Makes". For the remaining four years of her career she concentrated on ballads with lush orchestration following the formula of famed, and commercial, R&B singer Ray Charles.

Born Ruth Lee Jones in Tuscaloosa, AL in 1924, she was raised in Chicago where, from childhood, she became immersed in the world of gospel, playing piano and directing her church choir.

After winning an amateur singing contest she began singing in nightclubs at age 15. Discovered by a talent agent, she became known to bandleader Lionel Hampton who hired her to sing with his band. At this time she acquired her stage name, Dinah Washington. Dinah began her recording career in 1943 with Keynote Records. Her first hit was "Evil Gal Blues." From 1948 to 1955, she produced a string of top ten hits for the Mercury label.

Struggling with her weight, Dinah Washington died in 1963 at the age of 39 from an accidental overdose of diet pills and alcohol. As a singer, she was still going strong, making a Los Angeles club date two weeks before she died. Her death ended a tempestuous life during which she married seven times and had innumerable lovers. She had a huge influence on later singers Nancy Wilson, Ester Phillips, and Diane Shuur.

In her biography Rage to Survive the singer Etta James, who idolized Washington, reports that one night while she was performing she heard that Washington was in the audience. Deciding to cover one of Dinah's songs, James began to sing "Unforgettable." She had hardly begun when she heard a big crash. It was Dinah who screamed "Girl, don't you ever sing the Queen's songs!"(as reported in the web site Panache)

Dinah on You Tube

Here are some links to Dinah Washington performances:
Mad About the Boy
What a Difference a Day Makes
Clips from a BBC documentary about Dinah Washington
Stormy Weather

The Boswell Sisters (Women in Jazz)

2009-06-13T08:14:00.001-07:00

It was lucky that the Boswell Sisters were brought up in New Orleans. With their natural musical talent and training combined with exposure to southern gospel and New Orleans blues, the sisters became the best jazz vocal group of their time - and perhaps of all time. See their performance of the Heebie Jeebies , and you will see that this last statement is no exaggeration.

Their influence on the Andrews Sisters is obvious. Ella Fitzgerald loved their music and developed her own singing style from Connee Boswell's. Connee, the middle child, (1907-1976), like Ella , could use her voice as a trumpet or oboe. All three sisters played instruments, but it is their vocal harmonies that really set them apart.

Martha, the eldest (1905-1958) who also played piano, described the sisters' harmonies this way:

"If we sang according to orthodox musical traditions, Vet (1911-1988) would be the high voice or soprano, I would be the middle or alto, and Connie would be the low, or contralto. But we don't sing in the orthodox musical way....Instead, when we sing as a trio we achieve an unusual...effect by deserting our own particular tone and singing in another tone. We call that blending." (from the fan site Bozzies.com)

The sisters began their career in vaudeville during their early teens, and made their first record in 1925. In 1930 they moved to New York and first gained national attention when they broadcast their own radio program. Their major recording contract was with Brunswick Records. They made many recordings between 1930 and 1935 with this label, which was a highly regarded jazz label of the time. The musicians with whom the Boswells worked and recorded during this period included Glenn Miller, the Dorsey Brothers, and Benny Goodman.

In the 1936, the sisters moved to Decca Records, but disbanded as group after only 3 Decca recordings. Connee continued to have a successful recording career with Decca. Throughout her career, Connee sang from a seated position due to an accident she had as a young child. Because of her disability, she was not accepted as a performer on U.S.O. tours during World War II.

The Boswell Sisters were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2001, a major musical about their lives, The Boswell Sisters was produced in San Diego.

RIP Koko Taylor

2009-06-05T12:23:00.000-07:00

Chicago lost a blues legend with the June 2009 death of Koko Taylor from complications of gastro-intestinal surgery. She was 80 years old.

Known as the Queen of Chicago blues, the big-voiced Taylor helped to prove that the world of blues is not just for men. She came from a tradition of hard-belting blues women starting with Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and Big Momma Thornton. A player in the Chicago blues scene in early 60s, she was discovered singing in a club by blues artist Willie Dixon in 1963.

She signed with Chicago-based Chess Records in 1964 and had a major hit with “Wang Dang Doodle” the following year. She transferred to another Chicago label, Alligator, in 1975 when Chess closed. Meanwhile she had formed her own band, The Blues Machine.

The 1984 Grammy-winner (for best blues album) was born Cora Walton, a sharecropper’s daughter in Memphis TN. She got her nickname because she loved chocolate. Her musical career began with gospel-singing in her local Baptist church. She married Pops Taylor in 1953. Taylor remained a devout Christian throughout her life, avoiding the hard drinking and drugging common in the music business. She remained an active performer until her death.

You Tubes

Here is a You Tube video of a young Koko singing Wang Dang Doodle with Little Walter on harmonica. Here is an older Koko singing I'm a Woman at the Kennedy Center tribute to Morgan Freeman.

Discography 1969-2007

Koko Taylor
Basic Soul
South Side Lady
I Got What it Takes
Queen of the Blues
Southside Baby
The Earthshaker
From the Heart of a Woman
An Audience with Koko
Taylor
Live from Chicago
Jump for Joy
Love you Like a Woman
Wang Dang Doodle
Force of Nature
Royal Blue
Old School

Bold = at Niles in Blues and Jazz

American Idol Fans Win Prizes Galore While Picking the Wrong Winner

2009-05-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the six winners in the American Idol elimination contest!

Jessie Amga won Jennifer Hudson's new Grammy-winning CD.
Catherine Foss won last year's runner up David Archuleta's new CD.
Alicia Cook won last year's winner David Cook's (no relation) new CD.
Elvira Resuli won Daughtry (the CD not the man).
Richard Englund won Carrie Underwood's latest CD.
Norma Englund, grand prize winner, won a deluxe version of Kelly Clarkson's new CD which includes a DVD; a tee shirt with sayings from Randy Jackson; and a Best and Worst of American Idol DVD.

Grand prize winner Norma was the only person who guessed correctly on three weekly eliminations. Two others guessed correctly on two eliminations. The surprising thing about the contest was how few entrants predicted Kris Allen's win. Out of 71 ballots cast, a full 49 had Kris biting the dust. It was especially noticeable that during Danny Gokey's elimination week, most of our contest entrants picked Kris for the loss. All I can say is, I'm glad you were wrong.

This is the end of Kris Allen love and American Idol love for this year. From now on, I promise to post about other things until next Spring, when AI fever returns.

It's Kris!

2009-05-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

My wish came true. He won!

Kris Allen is your eighth American Idol. While some may see this as an upset, I say this win was predictable. Both Kris and Adam Lambert are madly talented and both deserved to win, but I think that Adam was too edgy for the American public. He may have also been a bit of a one-note artist, always giving stellar performances, but always in high dramatic mode. Kris did not have the best singing voice of this year's ultra-talented group of contestants, but he is the best musician of the bunch and a creative, versatile performer. Being the cutest has not hurt him either.

The fact is that both Kris and Adam are poised to have successful careers in music. Adam needs to find a band to become this generation's Freddie Mercury. Kris is a more unique performer who will make a place for himself in acoustic rock, but I can also see him as a jazz singer. Allison Iraheta can join them in stardom because women combining great rock voices with soulful delivery are basically non existent. She is the new Janis.

What I love about American Idol is that it brings wonderful talent to public notice, but more, that it tests the ability of each artist to sustain a high level of performance under conditions of great pressure. It is a true proving ground for talent. It is always clear that the last artists standing are the ones who can make it.

Falling Slowly

2009-05-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

In the process of honing my admiration for the two entirely worthy American Idol finalists, I have been perusing You Tube performances by heartthrob Kris and rock star Adam. I came across this studio recording of Kris Allen singing Falling Slowly. Simon Cowell Called Kris's performance of this on the show "brilliant". Enough said.

I had forgotten how lovely this song is. It won the Academy Award for best song at the 2008 Oscars. It was sung in the movie Once, an unusual and entertaining love story about street singers in contemporary Dublin. It was written and performed in the film by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova who together form the group The Swell Season. Hansard is also the leader of the Irish band The Frames.

Here is a You Tube of The Swell Season perfoming the song on the David Letterman show.

In our audio visual collection we have the 2007 film Once. We also have the movie soundtrack (which I have checked out as of this writing). In coming months we will be acquiring more CDs from The Frames and The Swell Season. Look for them on the New CD list at the AV desk on the first floor.

Don't forget to come to the American Idol final performance party in the large meeeting room on Tuesday, May 19 at 7:00 pm. There will be prizes including ipod shuffles. Who do I want to see as the next American Idol? look at the top of the page.

American Idol Returns to Niles

2009-03-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

It's baaack! The annual American Idol Elimination contest and Big Screen Final Viewing Party return to Niles Library. This year is shaping up to be one of the most dynamic American Idol competitions ever, and our roster of prizes for the contest and party are bigger and better than ever before.

Our contest starts when there are six contestants left on the show. For each of the final six weeks, you can win a newly released American Idol CD if you correctly guess which contestant is voted off the show that week. In the event of a tie, the winner will be determined by drawing. CDs include David Cook, David Archuleta, and as part of the grand prize, Kelly Clarkson's new release in a deluxe version with bonus tracks and a DVD.

In addition to the deluxe Kelly Clarkson CD, the grand prize winner will get a three DVD set of The Best and Worst of American Idol and, Dwag, a t shirt featuring the sayings of judge Randy Jackson. The grand prize goes to the person who made the most correct elimination picks (or through drawing if there is a tie).

Last year, we had such a great time at the final broadcast party that we wanted to extend the fun by adding some fabulous prizes. So come to the party for games, refreshments (junk food of course) and a chance to win one of two 2MB iPod Shuffles that clip on to your lapel in American Idol blue. Other door prizes include the best and worst DVD set mentioned above, the American Idol DVD karaoke game, Kelly Clarkson's new CD, and a Randy T.

Visit the AV desk on the first floor of the library for more information. Party space is limited, so sign up soon.

American Idol: The Last Group of 12

2009-03-03T20:19:00.000-08:00

Tonight the last of the top 36 American Idol performers competed to determine which 3 the audience vote will send through to the final 12. Although I think that the women are generally stronger than the men in this competition, tonight I thought the men were better. No one really blew me away. They are listed in worst to best order.

12 Taylor Vaifanua sang Alicia Keys' "If I Got You". Off-pitch, forgettable, boring. The judges agreed.

11 Arianna Afsar sang "The Winner Takes All" by Abba (a lot of a's there), a horrible song choice. The judges though she was dreary. She has a big voice but I thought she lacked vocal control. All in all, a bad performance.

10 Alex Wagner-Trugman sang one of my favorite songs, "I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues" by Elton John. I secretly love his dorky charm and enjoyed his performance, as did the judges. But I have to admit that he was amateurish and unpolished compared to the other performers.

9 Nathaniel Marshall sang "I Would Do Anything for Love". He isn't a bad singer, but he is ruined by his crazy image. He'll never make it as a performer without a complete make-over, and maybe not even then.

8 Von Smith sang "All You Need to Get By" by Marvin Gaye. The judges thought it was his best performance so far. I liked his energy, but thought he was shouty. He also makes annoying facial expressions.

7 Felicia Barton sang "No One" by Alicia Keys. She was eliminated from the final 36, rated #37, but brought back when another contestant was disqualified. I though her performance was annoying and self indulgent. The judges loved her. I don't think she has a chance of coming back.

6 Kendall Beard, a country singer, sang "This One's for the Girls" by Martina McBride. To me she sounded shrill, and the judges were not impressed with her vocals. But she is pretty and seems likable.

5 Jorge Nunez sang "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" by Elton John. The judges loved him. I thought he was smarmy and tries too hard. I am going out on a limb to say that he won't be voted in. However, he is handsome with big brown puppy dog eyes. I don't want to underestimate his audience appeal.

4 Ju'not Joyner sang "Hey There,Delilah" by Plain White Ts, a pretty song. I loved him. He was sweet, soulful, and restrained. I predict that he will not win the audience vote, but I really hope that he will be a wild card.

3 Kristen McNamara sang "Give Me One Reason" by Tracy Chapman. She gave a strong, bluesy performance. The judges liked her, but did not like her song choice. I thought it was a good song for her. She does have image problems, though and badly needs a stylist. I would like to see how she develops as a performer.

2 Scott McIntyre sang "Mandolin Rain" by Bruce Hornsby. He has a sweet voice and has depth to his singing. The judges loved his passion. His being blind will not work against him.

1 Lil Rounds sang "Be Without You" by Mary K. Blige to the great praise of the judges. She is a strong authoritative singer, but, to me, not unique; just another R&B performer. But she was the best girl singer tonight.

Good Job American Idol Audience

2009-02-26T21:22:00.000-08:00

Very pleased. They picked the right winners: Allison Iraheta, Kris Allen, and inevitably, Adam Lambert. Adam is a wildly talented singer, but his image is too slick (see photo above). I hope the AI stylists will help him. I'm in love with Kris Allen, think he's great, but he doesn't have a chance of winning AI. Since the 3rd choices have been men so far, I'm beginning to think that the judges will pick women as wild cards. From this group it will probably be Megan Joy Corkrey.

Even though I usually prefer the men singers, in this season I think the women are stronger.

American Idol: Second Group of 12 Ratings

2009-02-25T19:54:00.000-08:00

These rankings are a compromise between who I really liked and who I think the audience will pick. They are in order of worst to best. All in all, I thought this week's batch was worse than last week's.

1 Jeanine Vailes sang This Love by Maroon 5 horribly. She was off-key, unpolished, and unconvincing. The judges hated her. This was an easy pick for worst.

2 Matt Giraud sang Viva La Vida by Coldplay. The judges liked him slightly more than I did. I thought he sounded whiny, and his movements were jerky. I also hate this song.

3 Kai Kalama sang What Becomes of the Broken Hearted by Jimmy Ruffin, a poor song choice in that it sounded dated. He has a weak voice and horrible facial expressions. His tempo sounded off as did his phrasing. The judges thought he was ordinary.

4 Jasmine Murray sang Love Song by Jasmine Bareilles. I liked her better than the judges did. She seems like a good, basic r&b performer. The judges thought she was off pitch and too young for the competition.

5 Matt Breitzke, the welder, sang If You Could Only See by Tonic. Totally mediocre and forgettable.

6 Jesse Langseth sang Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Cairns. This was one of my favorites. I love her voice, but she doesn't have a chance. The judges thought she was forgettable.

7 Mishavonna Henson sang Drops of Jupiter by Train very nicely. I liked her a lot, too. She was very self-assured for an 18 year old. But her performance left the judges cold. They thought she was too serious, and that is probably the kiss of death for the audience vote.

8 Nick Mitchell the comedian sang And I am Telling You. This was a very entertaining performance, and he has a great voice. I would love to see how he develops as a performer. All the judges but Simon were entertained by him, but none thinks he will go on.

9 Kris Allen sang Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson in a polished, confident manner. His cuteness might get him through.

10 Megan Joy Corkrey sang Put Your Records On by Corinne Bailey Rae. The judges love her and think that she's saleable. I thought her voice was weak. She is also amazingly beautiful and will probably be put through.

11 Allison Iraheta sang Alone by Heart in strong rocker fashion. The judges loved her. She is a wonderful singer but an awkward personality.

12 Adam Lambert sang Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones, also in strong rocker fashion. He is a sure winner, but thinks a little too much of himself. The judges thought well of him too.

Ryan Seacrest finally explained the judging set up. The boy and girl with the most votes will go though. The next biggest vote getter, of either sex, will also go though. Later the judges will pick three wild cards to make up the 12 finalists.

I Got it Right - Almost

2009-02-18T18:28:00.001-08:00

Alexis Grace and Danny Gokey made it into the top 12. In my opinion these were far and away the best performances of the night. To my surprise, Michael Sarver also made it. He is one of the dullest AI performers I have ever seen, but maybe he has in -person charisma based on the judges favorable reaction to him. I am not sorry that my number 3 pick, Jackie Tone got sent home.

I must have the rules wrong though. It looks like the audience voted for the top three performers. The judges must have a wild card pick coming from each group to round out the final 12. I predict that their wild card from this group will be Anoop Desai. Do you agree, disagree? Comment and let me know.

American Idol Top 36: Rating the First 12 Performances

2009-02-18T09:12:00.000-08:00

In this year's American Idol format, the finalists have been narrowed down to 36. They will compete in 3 groups of 12. Each group will have one girl and one boy winner selected by audience vote and one wild card winner selected by the 4 judges. Last night the first group of 12 sang for their place in the final competition of American Idol, Season 8. Since I have authorial rights in this blog, I figured that I could rate them. Tah Dah! Here are my rankings of the contest among the first 12, listed from worst to best:

12 Casey Carlson sang "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" by the Police. Eww! It was horrible. Her movements were jerky, she looked like a Barbie doll and sang like Barbie would if she could sing.

11 Stevie Wright sang "You Belong to Me" by Taylor Swift. More likable than Casey Carlson, she was awkward and had no vocal control.

10 Roughneck Michael Sarver sang "I Don't Wanna Be" by Gavin DeGraw. Good voice, colorless performance. The judges liked him a lot more than I did. He could be a wild card.

9 Rick Braddy sang A Song For You by Leon Russell. I thought his performance was forced, puling, and insincere. The judges liked him.

8 Afro topped Stephen Fowler sang "Rock With You" by Michael Jackson. I really wanted to like him, but agreed with the judges that it was a mediocre performance and a poor song choice.

7 Brent Keith sang "Hicktown" by Jason Aldean. An OK country performance, not my favorite genre.

6 Anne Marie Boskovitch sang "Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin, a bold song choice. The judges didn't like her, but I did.

5 Likable Anoop Desai sang "Angel of Mine" by Monica. Both the judges and I wanted to like him more, but it was a solid R & B performance, if not stellar.

4 Drama queen Tatiana Del Toro sang "Saving All My Love for You" by Whitney Houston. This contestant could not have been more obnoxious during the previous phase of the competition. But what a great voice. A solid performance too.

3 Jackie Tohn sang "A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis Presley, and she channeled the King. Impressive and entertaining performance, but this girl has a little too much personality. See drama queen above.

2 Alexis Grace sang "Never Loved A Man" by Aretha Franklin. Stellar!

1 Danny Gokey sang "Hero" by Mariah Carey superbly. Toss up between him and Alexis. The judges liked him better.

Well, did I get it right? What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

Do You Like Soft Rock?

2008-10-24T14:05:00.000-07:00

My reflex answer to that question is NO! I like to rock hard and I like music with drive - AC/DC, Pearl Jam, Blue Oyster Cult. But in researching soft rock styles, I uncovered a softer side. Some of my favorite performers are categorized as soft rock or the edgier pop rock: Elton John, the Beatles, Blondie, Neil Diamond (I can't help it; I like him.). Illustrating this post is the quintessential, and one of the best, soft rockers of the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s, James Taylor.

Look over these descriptions and lists of soft rock styles and discover where you stand on the question. Information is condensed from allmusic, the incredible and comprehensive music web site.

Soft Rock
Soft rock emerged in the early 1970s as a reaction to the extremes of the late 60s. Bands like Bread, Chicago, and the Carpenters took a melodic song and heightened it with lush production. Soft rock was easy to listen to and dominated the airwaves in the 70s before giving way to the sound of adult contemporary in the 80s. At Niles, some of these artists are in (P)opular and some are in (R)ock

America (R)
Jackson Browne (R)
The Carpenters (R)
Chicago (R)
Neil Diamond (P)
Fleetwood Mac (R)
Hall & Oates (R)
Billy Joel (R)
Elton John (R)
Carole King (R)
Paul McCartney (R)
Michael McDonald (R)
Linda Rondstadt (R)
Todd Rundgren (R)
James Taylor (R)

Stay tuned to this blog for the next installments in this series, Adult Contemporary and Pop Rock.