tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-162718172024-02-07T02:38:20.466-06:00What do I know...?An informal look at some of the stuff I think about and, from time to time, teach in my humanities classesKen Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comBlogger174125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-37854613433792383442008-11-29T11:49:00.017-06:002009-12-21T16:52:55.716-06:00Etruscan SarcophagiGroup of Etruscan Sarcophagi lidsLarth Tetnies and his wife Thanchvil Tarnai (350 - 300 BCE)Etruscan art seems the product of a culture rich in self-awareness, in the pleasures of life - especially to include those of conjugal love - and in the vivid appeal of fine craftsmanship. Their elegant mirrors might be a good metaphor for their civilization, about which sadly too little is known. They mayKen Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-32738596978721995662007-12-30T10:05:00.003-06:002008-12-11T22:39:49.551-06:00Some Topics in Greek ArtFunerary SteleRepresentation of human consciousness Greek artists inherit from the Egyptians and from art of the near east generally – going back to the Neolithic - a tradition of figural representation that shows faces with abstract looks, with eyes that seem to stare out – presumably they are looking at a god, or watching out for the gods - but which reveal nothing about any thoughts inside. Ken Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-74209920875685793452007-12-30T09:28:00.003-06:002010-01-15T07:53:20.751-06:00Greek Art by Periods and StylesExaltation de la Fleur, 470 - 460, now in the LouvreGreek Art Survey Geometric period 9th – 7th century BCE For several hundred years in Greece, between around 1100 to around 800 BCE (the so-called “Dark Ages”) few or no sculptures are made, and decoration on pottery is purely geometric with no figural representations, even of animals. The earliest pieces of sculpture in the round are quite Ken Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-81649902971936567692007-12-30T08:14:00.001-06:002010-01-15T07:45:18.627-06:00Thinking about Greek ArtReconstruction of Athena and Marsyas, Myron, Classical Period GroupGreek art makes use of and derives from mythic materials – many pieces created by artists are votive objects intended as gifts for the gods in exchange for some sort of patronage. It is therefore important in beginning a study of Greek art to help identify the subject matter, which often concerns the Greek gods and heroes of myth Ken Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-50849393091522718112007-09-21T13:50:00.000-05:002008-12-11T22:39:50.899-06:00Preaching Blues - Robert JohnsonPreaching Blues (1936) by Robert Johnson Robert Johnson (1911 - 1938) is generally acknowledged to be one of the most influential, personal, and creative of the country blues singers. He has plenty of competition in this, including from Charley Patton, Blind Willie McTell, Bukka White, Skip James, Son House, and Sonny Boy Williamson.But still... Johnson is the true legendary bluesman of the Ken Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-2460318456172924992007-09-21T07:00:00.000-05:002008-12-11T22:39:51.176-06:00One O'Clock Jump - Count Basie...one can jump to a stomp and swing; stomp to a jump and swing; or swing to a jump and a stomp. - Albert MurrayCount Basie and His Orchestra: Buck Clayton, Ed Lewis, Bobby Moore, trumpetsGeorge Hunt, Dan Minor, trombonesCaughey Roberts, alto sax,Jack Washington, alto and baritone saxLester Young, Herschel Evans, tenor sax, clarinetsCount Basie, piano, orchestra leaderFreddie Green, guitarWalter Ken Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-62909857833984696752007-07-10T16:22:00.000-05:002008-12-11T22:39:51.397-06:00The Francois VaseThe Francois Vase, made by Ergotimos, painted by Kleitias, 570 BCE,As you can see, this large volute krater has been reconstructed. It may perhaps have been smashed by thieves looking for gold or silver, thus leaving this exceedingly fine piece in ruins. It was discovered in the 19th century in pieces, painstakingly put back together by archaeologists, only to be smashed again by some peevish Ken Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-42203918853827944102007-06-26T16:54:00.001-05:002008-12-11T22:39:51.703-06:00When You're Smiling, Billie Holiday and Lester YoungWhen You're Smiling, Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra, January 6, 1938Song by Fisher/Goodwin/ShayBuck Clayton, trumpetBenny Morton, tromboneLester Young, tenor saxTeddy Wilson, pianoFreddy Green, guitarWalter Page, bassJo Jones, drumsBillie Holiday, vocalBillie Holiday was a singer for the Basie Orchestra, but as luck would have it, they made no recordings. This is a sad poverty, because in spite Ken Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-31804359894267816502007-06-26T11:00:00.000-05:002008-12-11T22:39:52.193-06:00This Year's Kisses, Billie Holiday and Lester YoungThis Year’s Kisses, Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra, January 25, 1937 Song by Irving Berlin Buck Clayton, trumpet Benny Goodman, clarinet Lester Young, tenor saxophone Teddy Wilson, piano Freddy Green, guitar Walter Page, bass Jo Jones, drums Billie Holiday, vocal This is perfection. The composer is America's premier songwriter of the 20th century. The performers, many from the wonderfulKen Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-55134963825977838932007-06-26T10:22:00.000-05:002008-12-11T22:39:52.279-06:00Billie's Blues, Billie HolidayBillie’s Blues, Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra, July 10, 1936 Bunny Berigan, trumpet Artie Shaw, clarinet Joe Bushkin, piano Dick McDonough, guitar Pete Peterson, bass Cozy Cole, drums Billie Holiday, vocal This is a good song to listen to for getting the jazz blues idiom into our ears. When we can identify a chorus structure we can consider a song by its shape, and by learning to payKen Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-14134614039034771402007-06-21T22:01:00.000-05:002008-12-11T22:39:52.553-06:00Miss Brown to You, Billie HolidayMiss Brown to You, Teddy Wilson and his Orchestra, July 2, 1935 Song by Leo Robin / Richard Whiting / Ralph Rainger Roy Eldridge, trumpet Benny Goodman, clarinet Ben Webster, tenor sax Teddy Wilson, piano John Truehar, guitar John Kirby, bass Cozy Cole. drums Billie Holiday, vocal Note…two clichés of the Swing era:…that the title of the song is often the final lyric of the a phrases, Ken Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-77199649803002529992007-06-20T07:14:00.000-05:002008-12-11T22:39:52.881-06:00What a Little Moonlight Can Do, Billie HolidayWhat a Little Moonlight Can Do, Teddy Wilson and his Orchestra, July 2, 1935 Song by Harry Woods Roy Eldridge, trumpetBenny Goodman, clarinetBen Webster, tenor saxTeddy Wilson, pianoJohn Truehart, guitarJohn Kirby, bassCozy Cole, drumsBillie Holiday, vocal "This one was taken at a cracking pace, as quick a beat as Billie ever sang over, but of course Goodman and Billie made it sound easy, Ken Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-61388974691472822012007-06-19T10:10:00.000-05:002008-12-11T22:39:53.391-06:00I Wished on the Moon, Billie HolidayI Wished on the Moon, Teddy Wilson and his Orchestra, July 2nd, 1935 Song by Dorothy Parker and Ralph Rainger Roy Eldridge, trumpetBenny Goodman, clarinetBen Webster, tenor saxophoneTeddy Wilson, pianoJohn Truehart, guitarJohn Kirby, bassCozy Cole, drumsBillie Holiday, vocal Donald Clarke says this: Billie clearly liked the words and the sentiment of “I Wished on the Moon.” On her very firstKen Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-68054716830725869362007-06-19T07:15:00.000-05:002008-12-11T22:39:53.593-06:00Listening to Billie HolidayBillie HolidayBillie Holiday is one of America’s great artists of the 20th century. In jazz her peers include the other jazz innovators such as Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and a small handful of others. Like them, much of her greatness stems from what she could uniquely bring to this style of music with her instrument, in this case her voice. Like them, theKen Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-73460100670942306622007-06-15T11:41:00.000-05:002008-12-11T22:39:53.811-06:00Blue Horizon, Sidney BechetBlue Horizon, Sidney Bechet and His Blue Note Jazzmen, December 30, 1944 Sidney de Paris, trumpetVic Dickenson, tromboneSidney Bechet, clarinetArt Hodes, pianoPops Foster, string bassManzie Johnson, drums Sidney Bechet is another New Orleans jazz artist; he started earlier than Louis Armstrong and also pioneered in the jazz idiom and, in particular, the jazz solo. This tour-de-force is one ofKen Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-84039039275934547122007-06-15T09:45:00.000-05:002008-12-11T22:39:54.096-06:00Dipper Mouth Blues, King Oliver's Creole Jazz BandDipper Mouth Blues, King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, April 8, 1923King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, cornetsHonore Dutrey, tromboneJohnny Dodds, clarinetLil Hardin Armstrong, pianoBill Johnson, banjoBaby Dodds, drumsJoe "King" Oliver was Louis Armstrong's mentor. He brought him into his band in New Orleans and later, after establishing his band in Chicago, sent for young Louis to join him. This Ken Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-29583373504605491342007-06-14T09:29:00.000-05:002008-12-11T22:39:54.376-06:00Reckless Blues, Bessie Smith & Louis ArmstrongReckless Blues, Bessie Smith & Louis Armstrong, January 14, 1925Bessie Smith, vocalLouis Armstrong, cornetFred Longshaw, harmoniumThis is a wonderful song, where both Louis and Bessie seem exactly in tune with each other's approach and feelings. I wonder if the shorter vocal lines give them both a little more room to be expressive without bumping up against each other. In any case, it is a Ken Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-37882892979573999332007-06-13T07:28:00.000-05:002008-12-11T22:39:54.614-06:00Listening to the Blues Part 2Listening to the blues, part 2 (in which much of what I said in another post repeats) The whole problem can be stated quite simply by asking, 'Is there a meaning to music?' My answer would be, 'Yes.' And 'Can you state in so many words what the meaning is?' My answer to that would be, 'No.' (Aaron Copland) A musical education is necessary for musical judgment. What most people enjoy is hardlyKen Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-80510366255169816542007-06-12T17:06:00.000-05:002008-12-11T22:39:54.702-06:00St. Louis Blues, Bessie Smith & Louis ArmstrongEads Bridge, St. Louis, 1905St. Louis Blues, Bessie Smith & Louis Armstrong, January 14, 1925Bessie Smith, vocalLouis Armstrong, cornetFred Longshaw, harmonium (reed organ)Here is a song that is claimed as a classic in both blues and jazz circles. The song had been written back in 1914 by W. C. Handy, the "father of the blues." It has been recorded many times; this is the classic recording. The Ken Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-52315698373774219392007-06-12T08:15:00.000-05:002008-12-11T22:39:54.866-06:00Muggles, Louis ArmstrongFrom the FBI file on Louis ArmstrongMuggles, Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five, Chicago, December 7, 1928.Louis Armstrong, trumpet, vocalFred Robinson, tromboneJimmy Strong, clarinetEarl Hines, pianoMancy Carr, banjoZutty Singleton, drums. Muggles means marijuana, which Louis smoked any time he could get his hands on some; or maybe it refers to a reefer high.First 12-bar blues chorus 0 - Ken Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-5018326508902908542007-06-12T07:51:00.001-05:002008-12-11T22:39:55.072-06:00West End Blues, Louis Armstrong West End Blues, Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five, Chicago, June 28, 1928.Louis Armstrong, trumpet, vocalFred Robinson, tromboneJimmy Strong, clarinetEarl Hines, pianoMancy Carr, banjoZutty Singleton, drums. The West End refers to a New Orleans neighborhood. Louis was born and grew up in New Orleans, much like jazz itself.You can hear a clarion call in Louis's trumpet from the very first notesKen Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-62700850635940472382007-06-11T09:20:00.000-05:002008-12-11T22:39:55.254-06:00Weather Bird, Louis ArmstrongWeather Bird, Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines, Chicago, December 5, 1928 This duet with Earl Hines is one of the high points of jazz recordings, anticipating elements of the music to come, even decades later. To understand this piece as improvised duet means to gain some awareness of how improvisation works. It is both a self-spur to greater achievement and a competition with others in the band Ken Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-48733198645979551552007-06-10T11:25:00.000-05:002008-12-11T22:39:55.827-06:00Savoy Blues, Louis ArmstrongSavoy Blues, Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five, December 13, 1927Louis Armstrong, trumpetKid Ory, tromboneJohnny Dodds, clarinetLil Hardin Armstrong, pianoJohnny St. Cyr, banjoLonnie Johnson, guitarOne of my personal favorites, this recording has hundreds of little things that set it (and me) off. It might be on in the background so I'm barely paying attention, and then something happens in the Ken Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-51009661462462413062007-06-10T09:01:00.000-05:002008-12-11T22:39:55.950-06:00I'm Not Rough, Louis ArmstrongI'm Not Rough, Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five, December 10, 1925Louis Armstrong, trumpet, vocalsKid Ory, tromboneJohnny Dodds, clarinetLil Hardin Armstrong, pianoLonnie Johnson, guitarJohnny St. Cyr, guitar - banjoThe Hot Fives and Hot Sevens are among the greatest recorded music in America. Generally, as you might expect, the Hot Fives refers to recordings made with five players and Hot SevensKen Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16271817.post-70120735661692588552007-06-08T15:55:00.000-05:002008-12-11T22:39:56.092-06:00Hotter Than That, Louis ArmstrongHotter Than That, Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five, Chicago, December 13, 1927. Louis Armstrong, trumpetKid Ory, tromboneJohnny Dodds, clarinetLil Hardin Armstrong, pianoJohnny St. Cyr, banjoLonnie Johnson, guitarIt is impossible to overstate the impact of Louis Armstrong on the art and culture of the 20th century. Although he is one of those important and innovative artists who show up once inKen Hopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12982511301292987072noreply@blogger.com