Comments on: A Meme Thingie

By: Justine Larbalestier » this and that

Justine Larbalestier » this and that — Thu, 09 Jun 2005 21:24:23 +0000

[...] eption of “Get Back (Black, Brown and White)” inspired by Josh’s comment here yielded close to nothing. Anyone out there got any leads please to let me know! I finish [...]

By: Josh

Josh — Fri, 27 May 2005 10:11:15 +0000

A handful of (white, college-student) organizers for the Progressive Party drove through a Cleveland ghetto in 1947 with their sound-truck blaring Broonzy’s “Black, Brown, and White Blues.” They meant to show black Clevelanders how sympathetic they were to racial problems. It was not well-received.

Gosh, I hope peripherally-related anecdotes are allowed in blog comments.

By: jonathan

jonathan — Thu, 26 May 2005 23:22:10 +0000

hmm. tricky question. i’m trying to remember when i first became consciously aware of ellington or strayhorn. i grew up with jazz playing in the house, particularly the rather teutonic swing of stan kenton, for which i hold no particular affection. but i do remember ellington playing a lot in the background when i was growing up. that said, lush life was the first record that i purchased (in a small store in berkeley) that really made me think about strayhorn, as opposed to ellington.

i think strayhorn was probably one of those amazing talents that lacked the ego to push forward individually, so instead focussed on making wonderful romantic music with ellington instead. i think the music he made was extraordinary, beautiful, and romantic. and i loved the album ellington recorded in tribute, “…and His Mother Called Him Bill”.

By: Justine

Justine — Thu, 26 May 2005 00:54:58 +0000

I have indeed checked it out and am very fond. It’s hard to go past Ellington as a composer. Sheer perfection. Sadly I don’t have it on my computer though. So I’m contenting myself with the whole Joe Henderson “Lush Life” record. How do you feel about Billy Strayhorn? (Aside from him having the best name ever.) And how do you feel about the work they did together (Ellington & Strayhorn, I mean).

By: jonathan

jonathan — Thu, 26 May 2005 00:24:00 +0000

if you like joe henderson’s isfahan you should check out ellington’s far east suite. johnny hodges is extraordinary on it, and isfahan is a piece of a longer work.