Archive for the 'Music' Category
07
Jun
Lee Rogers
I saw him singing the blues in a pub in Belfast and it was an astonishing experience! This guy should have been on a stage in front of thousands of people, not in front of me! A deep broken manly voice, a genuine charisma and particular guitar skills. What could you ask more? Oh, I know… A few beers and three incredibly talented musicians playing in harmony around him!
20
Apr
Jeff Beck
What is astonishing about this guitarist is its right hand. He often plays with a pick on his thumb and uses his fingers to modify the volume or the tone of the sound while he plays. This constant control over the intensity and the colour of his sound allows him to achieve wonderful modulations.
Just check his beautiful cover of Cause we ended as lovers to experience it.
What I especially like about Jeff Beck is its slighlty rough way to play, he does not aim at perfection but tries to highlight the musical intensity.
He is a very original musician. He did few different (irregular) albums surrounded with great musicians, or playing with a particular band, but always seemed to prefer his independence. He looks a bit like a lonely modern blues player.
16
Apr
The Yardbirds
Though this 1960s very British band is not so famous it indirectly gave birth to a musical revolution. Indeed, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page all started playing in the Yardbirds at the youth of their musical careers. The Yarbirds was one of those successful bands that met a regular audience but did not manage to go beyond Europe. It seems surprising because they had an incredible potential. Just listen to Stroll on or Train kept a rollin’ to realize the energy they could spread.
I think that the Yardbirds was quite a “teaching band”. Through it those three amazing guitarists learnt the last elements they needed to reach their best. They faced the musical rigor, the hardships, the audience fluctuant mood, the tensions… And they efficiently dealt with that. Little by little they started to get well known by the professionals and earned enough musical credit to fly with their own wings.
Most of all, through the Yardbirds they defined their musical directions. They turned their backs to the successful pop music and aimed towards the music that appealed to them and that would be the core of their future fantastic creations: The Blues.
Eric Clapton played with Cream and met a worldwide success. Jeff Beck started an irregular solo career, but made some astonishingly beautiful albums. And obviously Jimmy Page gave birth to the amazing Led Zeppelin.
Hail to the Yardbirds!
11
Apr
The Freebeez
I discovered them during a small gig in a French shop, where they played to promote their new album “bumble beat”. Though they had a very basic settling (tiny stage, few amplifiers…) their sound’s harmony and balance was amazing. It is even more stricking as they were 8 musicians on the stage (and three were missing)! Still, the beat was heavy, the bass groovy and the sax, trumpet and others took well-balanced chorus and listened to each other as if they were jazz musicians. But the Freebeez play funk and an astonishing funk! That kind of old-school sound inspired by James Brown and Sly.
What I loved about their performance is that these middle-aged French musicians looked as if they had gone all through the hardships of trying to live from their passion. Yet they had this genuine joy, this respect for the funk’s fathers and an originality (surprising notes, old-fashioned clothes, French touch). I was really blown away! And actually, I only attended to their last song!
I am pretty sure you have all heard Smash Mouth before. Though this band is not incredibly famous, their song “All Star”has been used in Rat Race, Mystery Men and of course Shrek. I am not a huge fan, but I like their energy, and I find the singer quite charismatic and original. They also manage to bring some diversity and softness though their genre is quite common. Learn more and listen to
18
Mar
doctors scare musicians
“I don’t need no doctors!”
A great song by Ray Charles played afterwards by John Mayer and John Scofield. It is incredible how many bands are playing it now. I hope you’ll like it!
08
Mar
Great New Sounds
This is a quick post about my favourite French bands of the moment.
Some kind of a hip-hop, funk, jazz and soul. Kind of hard to define actually. The groove is awesome, the lyrics are beautiful/funny and the mix is perfect.
A soft voice tinted with sugar and velvet, a smooth jazz guitar, a good beat and a lot of creativity. What could you ask more?
Everyone says he is the French Ben Harper or John Butler. Well I do not think so. He does not have their technicity or their commitment. But he has the same guts, the passion, the poetry and the amazing simplicity. Yes, the genuine simplicity, a pure sound and an unmodified voice. The ability to play great basic riffs or easy chords but to put all his musicality and his feelings into it. His bassist and drummer are also worth a carefull earing.
Enjoy!
07
Mar
More Heavy Coke!
05
Mar
Damn give me some Coke !
Two amazing discoveries from Nova’s podcast “Out of the blue”.
First one: Coke Escovedo and his album “I wouldn’t change a thing”. (For sure he doesn’t look back in anger)
One of those lost musical blessings that DJs often loot. This is not so far from Sly and the Family Stones’ sound (especially Coke’s voice).
Second one: The heavy
And I can tell you that this sound weighs a lot. I do not know what you think about this little abstract but it completely turned me on. The singer has one of the highest and softest voice I know. The groove is smooth and the chorus dances in my head.
Hope you’ll like it!
