All Your Love - Magic Sam (1957)

     Magic Sam (Samuel Gene Maghett) was a Chicago blues musician. 'All Your Love' was his first record in 1957 and was known for his trembolo guitar style. His style had tremendous influence within the musical niche of Chicago. His strong, expressive high vocals was a unique characteristic that distinguished from other blues musicians during his time.

     Other musicians and record producers noted Magic Sam for his unique guitar sounds, ability to write music, and his singing quality.

     The background carries a repetitive musical idea, while the vocal melody expresses its own style above the guitar and bass. He portrays his ideas with pride while taking his time. He does not understand the concept of rushing through his musical ideas, which is foreign to the blues concept and beyond its inherent nature.

     Since the background is so repetitive, the audience may become bored with the overplayed melody. In order to keep the ears of the listeners from drifting away, he would add a unique musical signature to certain notes whether by emphasizing a beat or playing a minor solo improvisation that incorporates with the repetitive background melody.

     I personally find his music very enjoyable to listen to. However due to the heavy repetition that is replayed during the majority of the piece, I do not think this song is something to be replayed over and over. Personally, I would enjoy listening to 'All Your Love' sparingly with all the special qualities this piece has to offer.

solitude - billie holiday (1934)

     This song did not give a blatant sound of happiness or sadness. However, the happy and sad moments seemed to weave together (melodically speaking). But the story that Billie Holiday is telling is very mellow as she displays her insecurities of loneliness. She's telling everyone that there is nobody to give her the love and attention she desperately longed for.

     Interestingly enough, she does not ask her lover to resolve her problems of dispair, but turns to 'the Lord.' She resorts to God to seek the love that can only be satisfied from above.

     The words were written by Eddie DeLange and Irving Mills. Ellington (Duke) was the composer for the Cotton Club in the Harlem district of New York City.

Regardless of how the meanings can be, the song has a slow romantic quality to dance to.

     This 'haunting' classic was a significant success. This song is still considered to be one of the greatest swing era collections to this day (1935 - 1945)

Herbie Hancock - Jazz Fusion Cantelope Island

I'm guessing Herbe Hancock is the pianist. Quite a phenomenal player. The way he plays seems like he improvs his way through the entire piece, although he does seem to have the overall idea and structure of the musical work. It is amazing how the climax of the piano melody matches very well with the percussion.

The overall piece is very exciting with high amounts of unpredictability. The melodies and ideas fly by so fast that it is almost impossible to know what to expect. The guitar solo is equally skilled as the pianist. The way the guitar melody plays is comparable to singing. It's like a single note can fluctuate in emotions like humans do. The range of dynamics is very colorful although there is almost no range of soft sounds. The softest dynamic level I hear is mezzo forte and beyond. The dynamics is within a very pleasant range. Nothing is too quiet or bombastically loud.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrgP1u5YWEg

House Frankman - Gimme More (Frankmans Deep Culture Mix) D.H.& S.H. sensation

This is a modern twist of jazz with a very modern emphasis with electronic influence. The ambiance is more for a lounge/night club setting with a classy atmosphere. The saxophone, the trumpet, the vocals and the subtle chord progression supporting the melody gives this piece and jazz identity.

I cannot classify this piece strictly in a single genre because this is more of a hybrid. Some can classify has this as 'house' music (subgenre of electronic/techno). One of the strong reasons why this piece does not belong in a single identity category is because of the 'house' elements. There is a lot of repetition with rhythm and theme that is played. For listeners that are not acquainted with this type of music, some may think the ideas and beats are overplayed and lacks a sense of creativity. The range of dynamics are not as diverse as classical jazz. In this case, the dynamic range does not really have a high standard deviation. There is no "wow's" or unexpected twists. It's quite predictable...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6kFPjbaQ7c

Jesse Cook – Mario Takes a Walk

Jesse Cook – Mario Takes a Walk

Not quite jazz because this guitarist fuses tango and latin influences. His playing is quite remarkable. He is a classically trained guitarist. He plays with sensitivity and emotion. The subtle vibratos at the end of his melodic phrase definitely add sophistication. This piece is quite festive and passionate. The vibe of his playing gives the audience an uplifting mood. There seems to be a theme in his piece because there is a certain melody that is played over and over. The theme is not quite played verbatim, but adds a twist by playing in a different key or adding ornaments to create diversity. I find jazz to be somewhat of an improvisation and a place of surreal activity. I sense that quality in his piece, but at the same time, it does not feel that way because the quality is well thought out and executed with precision.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3iTfEF52kw

Miles Davis, Quintet in Paris – Générique

Miles Davis, Quintet in Paris – Générique

There are beautiful authentic trumpet and tenor sax solos that sing throughout the whole piece. There is also a very strong bass sub melody that bounces along with a rich tone. The piano complements along with the bass but sounds very distant and surreal. The piano adds a subtle color and flavor. The whole feel to the music best describes a New York City scene on a rainy day. Sounds like nothing new or exciting is taking place. Things were just normal and regular. Nothing innovative. It has a “it’s always been this way” attitude. Along with Miles Davis, Pierre Michelot (bass), Berney Wilen (tenor sax), Rene Urteger (piano), and Kenny Clarke (drums) are included in the ensemble. I do not know if I am just naïve about the sound difference between the tenor saxophone and the trumpet, but the two sound so similar. Both of the instruments that carry the main melody sound like they are crying. More like sobbing at some times. However, it brings me joy that instruments have the ability to mimic human emotions to a certain degree. I find joy in this realization.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqhXbRH8_D4