george said:
Quote:Haven't seen the documentary but I do have a few of their recordings...
How about you?
What a wonderfully eclectic list!
I have very little 'classical' music in my collection and even less opera (I have a niece who sings opera professionally but I avoid concert invitations with prior appointments and heart attacks). Being mainly a word guy, I'm drawn to lyrics and my library reflects that interest, though not completely. American musical traditions account for probably 90%. I've just had a wonderful conversation with phoenix (a new york jew) on the influences and contributions of jewish musical and lyric traditions on American music. That was something I'd not really realized previously but I now understand that such influence marks American music possibly as much as the African influence. Listening to, say, the Mills Brothers or Ella Fitzgerald sing a Gershwin or Berlin song and I'm on spiritual tip toes.
Contemporary masters, Dylan, Cohen, Tom Waits (an extraordinary genius) account for a fair bit of my serious listening time. Perhaps one day you'll get past your distaste for Dylan's voice. If and when you do, you'll find a subtlety of vocal phrasing that I don't think is excelled even by Louis' trumpet. Different 'language', but same whallop.
Do rent the Ry Cooder documentary, george. He's a fellow you really ought to get familiar with in his own right. He's a real treasure for his contributions to American music quite aside from the work he has done bringing Cuban and other world musical masters into view.
