Christmas Music, Year Three

This is the third yearly Christmas music post. I've decided to do a theme this year, Christmas songs that were unknown to me before today.

I'm starting off with non-Django gypsy jazz. While I would normally use a Django Reinhardt song on any list I could get one to fit on, Django's "Christmas Swing" has never felt very Christmasy to me. Dutch Djangophiles The Basily Boys, however, do a very gypsy jazz version of Jingle Bells.

The Basily Boys: Jingle Bells

When I entered "John Zorn Christmas" into Google, I wasn't honestly expecting to find anything. What I found was the 2011 album "John Zorn's A Dreamer's Christmas". Seven classic Christmas songs and two Zorn originals. This became my favorite Christmas album over the course of the last few minutes.

John Zorn: Santa's Workshop


I've been a fan of Judy and Mary for a long time now, but I hadn't heard this song until today. This is from their 1994 album "Orange Sunshine".

Judy and Mary: Christmas



I may be cheating. I might have heard this one before. I know I've heard Judge Dread's Jingle Bells, and I think I've heard his Christmas in Dreadland. This does sound new to me, but I can't say for sure. Fuck it, I'm putting it on this years list anyway.

Judge Dread: Merry Christmas Mr. Dread

Stray Bullets: Slings and Arrows.

Stray Bullets are a ska/punk band from Boston. They just released their second album, Ghost City Rockers, on Dying Scene Records. Slings and Arrows is their first album, originally released back in 2004, the band re-relased the album digitally through Bandcamp in 2012.
The ska/punk genre is one I absolutely love when it's done right, and Stray Bullets certainly do it right. Fifteen tracks, high energy, good production, great songwriting, and only seven bucks digitally. You really can't miss this if this kind of music is your thing.
The type of drinking discussed in Bender reminds me of how I used to drink. "Stopping by the bar for one ... now I'm blackout drunk on a Monday night." I can't tell you how many times I decided to have one drink, then woke up hungover and apologizing.

Bender:

Gone:   

Frank Sinatra: Watertown

Watertown was recorded in 1969 and is arguably Sinatra's least successful album. Written entirely by Jake Holmes and Bob Gaudio, Watertown plays more like one long cohesive piece rather than a collection of songs. Technically, it would be a concept album, but I think it goes beyond the normal range of a concept album.



 I stumbled upon this album in a thrift shop and picked it up knowing only that it was a Sinatra album. I loved it as soon as I started listening though, and it didn't take me long to realize this was something different. It has quickly become one of my favorite albums. 

American Pop Standards Week. Day Seven: All of Me

I've really enjoyed doing my first "theme week". I don't think I'll do them all that often, but I will revisit this idea with a new theme sometime in the near future. I've hardly begun to explore the world of the American popular standard this week. Seven great songs, lots of different genres and eras represented in the versions I chose, but there still a lot left to explore.
I'm ending the week with my all time favorite song, All of Me. It was written by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons in 1931. Ruth Etting was the first to record it, and it has been recorded by a who's who of standards singers. It has received the usual instrumental treatment as well.

Like many standards I love, I came to love this one from hearing Willie Nelson play it. It was a hit single from his 1978 album Stardust. It has also been a staple of his live set:

Californian punk band NOFX recorded All of Me for a seven inch in 1996:

Jackie Lynton did a rather raw early rock and roll rendition in 1962:

There have been a few ska versions as well, including this one from French instrumental ska band Western Special:

American Pop Standards Week. Day Six: Summertime

Composed by the Gershwin brothers for the stage version of Porgy and Bess, with Porgy novelist DuBose Heyward. The song debuted in the 1935 opera, and soon afterward became a standard. While most pop standards fit multiple styles, they usually sound most at home in a more traditional setting. Summertime, on the other hand, sounds like it was meant to be a soulful blues vocal.
Recorded by a wide range of singers, including Janis Joplin, Doc Watson, Norah Jones, Nick Drake, Billie Holiday, Pete Seeger and Fantasia. There have also been numerous instrumental versions recorded, by Booker T. and the MGs, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, The Ventures, and many more.

Janis Joplin in 1969, not too long after she left Big Brother and the Holding Company:


Ska/rocksteady singer Lloyd Clark recorded several versions:


Of course Sam Cooke sang one of the definitive versions:


Miles Davis:

American Pop Standards Week. Day Five: Blue Skies

Blue Skies is another one of my favorite songs. Written by Irving Berlin in 1926 for Betsy, a short running musical by Rogers and Hart. It became a #1 hit for Ben Selvin in 1927. It was recorded many times over until it became a #1 hit for Willie Nelson in 1978. It continues to be recorded fairly often
Like many of the standards I love, it was Willie's version that made me fall in love with this song. It's lyrically kinda simple, in a good way, and accompanied by a great melody. It just sounds good.

Maxine Sullivan sang Blue Skies in 1937:

Art Tatum recorded this piano version in 1949:

Willie Nelson still plays Blue Skies live:

American Pop Standards Week. Day Four: I Can't Give You Anything But Love

In 1928, I Can't Give You Anything But Love debuted in the Broadway success Blackbirds of 1928, which was originally called Blackbird Revue. Jimmy McHugh wrote the music and Dorothy Fields wrote the lyrics. This song, and the rest of the material they wrote for Blackbirds, was their first success as a songwriting duo.
Like most pop standards, this song has many recorded many times and is successful both as a vocal song and as jazz song. It is somewhat brief and straight forward, but very catchy. It lends itself well to slower ballads, faster swing, and instrumental jams. Recently, in 2013, Willie Nelson recorded a version for his "Let's Face The Music and Dance" album.

George Barnes recorded this guitar based instrumental version in 1946:

The song found Western Swing with Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys:

Recorded shortly after it's Broadway review in 1928 by Annette Hanshaw:

American Pop Standards Week. Day Three: Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone

First published in 1930, Please Don't Talk About Me was written by Sam Stept and Sidney Clare. Like most pop standards, it has been recorded many times over both vocally and instrumentally. Of course Frank did it. Of course Willie did it, too. Ella, Dean, and Ray Price. Bob Wills did the song with his Western Swing outfit, The Texas Playboys. Bill Haley did it with his Comets. And on and on.
I really like this song. As far as standards go, the music is pretty simple. My personal favorite version is probably Willie Nelson's version from his 1994 album, Moonlight Becomes You.

Bill Haley and the Comets recorded this version in 1957 for an album of standards:

An instrumental version from Pete Daily and His Chicagoans:

Willie Nelson performing the song live:

American Pop Standards Week. Day Two: Night and Day

Night and Day was written by Cole Porter in 1932. It been recorded by both vocalists and instrumentalists many times in the eighty-plus years since Fred Astaire first sung it in The Gay Divorce on Broadway, soon followed by a film version, The Gay Divorcee. The 1946 biopic of Porter's life was named after the song. Willie Nelson named his instrumental album after the song. It has been recorded by Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Tony Bennett, Stan Getz, Sergio Mendez, and on and on.
The song has a very interesting feel. Lyrically, it has a kinda rolling flow to it. The verses start "Night and day" and end "Day and night", just to go right back to "Night and day". The chords, key changes and vocal melody are all a little south of normal, in a good way.

Frank Sinatra recorded Night and day many times during his long career, including a disco version in 1977. Here is his upbeat 1957 version:

Billie Holiday, in 1939:

Django Rienhardt recorded multiple instrumental versions. This one was recorded in Rome in 1949 with his longtime partner Stephen Grappelli on violin:

American Pop Standards Week. Day One: Stardust

American popular standards are songs written in the first half of the twentieth century that have become important and influential. Typically written between 1920 and 1950, give or take, pop standards are generally recorded and performed by a wide range of musicians. Usually this includes both male and female vocal versions as well as instrumental jazz versions. Also known as the Great American Songbook, these songs truly stand the test of time and are still often recorded and performed today.

I'm going to start this week off with Stardust, written by Hoagy Carmichael in 1927 with lyrics added in 1929 by Mitchell Parish. It was first recorded by Hoagy Carmichael himself in late '27. It has since been recorded well over 1000 times. Stardust has in an interesting melody and flow, and a fairly complicated chord structure. It is quickly becoming one of my favorite standards.
Stardust has been recorded by so many great artists, including John Coltrane, Bob Wills, Django Reinhardt, and Les Paul. Like many standards, it works great both as a vocal and as an instrumental. Many of my favorite musicians have recorded this song. My personal favorite version is Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis together for their Live from the Lincoln Jazz Center DVD and accompanying album.

The first recorded version, Hoagy Carmichael and His Pals:


Louis Armstrong recorded a great vocal version in 1931:


 Ella Fitzgerald, from here 1954 album Songs in a Mellow Mood:

Willie Nelson recorded an album of standards in 1978 entitled Stardust. The album, which featured the Carmichael/Parish composition, was a huge cross-genre success:

Quicksilver Messenger Service: Happy Trails

Happy Trails is the second album Quicksilver Messenger Service put out. Recorded in 1968, the album is essential two live performances. Side one, the "Who Do You Love Suite", is a 25 minute jam based on bo Diddley's Who Do You Love. The song is divided into six tracks and retitled to allow the band a better take of the royalties. Side two is a live performance that starts with Bo Diddley's Mona and seques into a few originals. The album ends with a quick take on the Roy Rodgers "Happy Trails" theme. Happy Trails is a lighthearted way to end a otherwise heavy psychedelic album.
Of the two distinct acts on the album, I favor side one's improvisation on Who Do You Love. The band manage to venture far from original but they still find their way back. The album as a whole is great, though, and the second side shouldn't be overlooked.

Music Documentaries.

I would like to consider myself a music historian. I don't know that I am at a point yet where that label would apply, but I am constantly learning about bands, performers, genres, and music history in general. There are a ton of great books out there, and I plan another post about music books soon. What follows here is a few of my favorite music documentaries.

Heartworn Highways
Filmed in 1975 and 1976, Heartworn Highways documents country music, focusing on outlaw country and country folk music. Featuring performances and interviews with Guy Clark, Steve Earl, Townes Van Zandt, David Allan Coe, and more. This movie has such a good feel and flow to it. Lots of insights into the songwriters and the industry at the time.I cannot recommend this highly enough, especially to fellow songwriters.



J'ai Ete Au Bal (I Went To The Dance)
I think of this as the Cajun music version of Heartworn Highways. It flows as good if not better than Heartworn Highways. This film goes a little more into the history and roots of Cajun and zydeco music. It is filled with great interviews and performances. If you are a fan or merely curious, I wold recommend this film.



Until the Light Takes Us
This is a newer one, released in 2009. A document on the original Norwegian black metal scene. A lot of time in this film is spent with Varg Vikernes when he was still in prison. Hearing the stories directly from him is great. There is also interviews with and about members of Mayhem, Darkthrone, Immortal and others. This film covers the creation of the scene, the recording of some of the albums, the church burnings, and the murder of Euronymous



What are some of your favorite music docs? Let me know in the comments!