sleep all day
Jazz aficionados and musicians are probably scratching their heads and saying, "Well now, I don't recall that one," and frantically searching Google to find a jazz standard with this title. Or not. For those of you who remain puzzled, however, I should explain that I've bent my own rules here. As of late I've been straddling the fence of popular music. Hey, at least it's good popular music. Perhaps I should explain...
I've been away from the Top 40 scene for quite some time. Since my first year in college I think. Ever since I discovered Bird, then Coltrane, and Stitt, and on and on. Every now and then, however, I'll turn on a local radio station to see if anything interesting is being put out there. Most of the time the results are quite disappointing...but there are a few artists that I find intriguing (Black Eyed Peas, Matchbox20, and even a bit of Green Day...even though I just saw them on Saturday Night Live and they didn't sound very good). About a year ago I discovered Jason Mraz, who has a fantastic voice and actually writes his own music. I've never paid much attention to lyrics before, probably because most of the time they're mindless and dull. Mraz's words, however, are quite poetic and catchy and makes you really want to listen to see what he has to say. Wordplay, analogies, near-rhymes, and themes that we can all relate to (mostly love) weave in and out of yes, simple song structures, but there's something more. At first I couldn't put my finger on it. Then I found a live CD/DVD combo of his last tour and I realized, (1) the guy really loves music, (2) his band plays really well together, (3) it's not about showmanship, and (4) Mraz is isn't just another iconic rock star, he comes across as a truly down-to-earth individual. Just visit his journal to see for yourself.
So with this in mind, I'm going to try to attend the first non-jazz concert in many, many years. Mraz is coming to ISU at the end of the month and if I can find someone to go with me, I may pick up a couple of tickets next week. Any takers?
My admiration is so great that this artist has earned a spot on my "Other Links" section. Check it.
The weekend will be busy, with a gig tonight, 2 gigs tomorrow, a wedding to attend on Saturday, and a gig on Sunday. I'm looking forward to making some good music and will be sure to report anything inspiring, unusual, or humorous next week.
TGI(almost)F! See ya back real soon.
I've been away from the Top 40 scene for quite some time. Since my first year in college I think. Ever since I discovered Bird, then Coltrane, and Stitt, and on and on. Every now and then, however, I'll turn on a local radio station to see if anything interesting is being put out there. Most of the time the results are quite disappointing...but there are a few artists that I find intriguing (Black Eyed Peas, Matchbox20, and even a bit of Green Day...even though I just saw them on Saturday Night Live and they didn't sound very good). About a year ago I discovered Jason Mraz, who has a fantastic voice and actually writes his own music. I've never paid much attention to lyrics before, probably because most of the time they're mindless and dull. Mraz's words, however, are quite poetic and catchy and makes you really want to listen to see what he has to say. Wordplay, analogies, near-rhymes, and themes that we can all relate to (mostly love) weave in and out of yes, simple song structures, but there's something more. At first I couldn't put my finger on it. Then I found a live CD/DVD combo of his last tour and I realized, (1) the guy really loves music, (2) his band plays really well together, (3) it's not about showmanship, and (4) Mraz is isn't just another iconic rock star, he comes across as a truly down-to-earth individual. Just visit his journal to see for yourself.
So with this in mind, I'm going to try to attend the first non-jazz concert in many, many years. Mraz is coming to ISU at the end of the month and if I can find someone to go with me, I may pick up a couple of tickets next week. Any takers?
My admiration is so great that this artist has earned a spot on my "Other Links" section. Check it.
The weekend will be busy, with a gig tonight, 2 gigs tomorrow, a wedding to attend on Saturday, and a gig on Sunday. I'm looking forward to making some good music and will be sure to report anything inspiring, unusual, or humorous next week.
TGI(almost)F! See ya back real soon.
posted by jazzmom | 2:51 PM
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