Patsy Cline: Sweet Dreams Still

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)