Bossa Nova

Bossa Nova is a beautiful variation of Jazz originating in Brazil. It usually features the guitar very heavily as opposed to other forms of jazz and it is amazingly calming music yet upbeat. The Brazilian slant on the music very obvious, I'm not musical enough to know exactly how that is created but it is definitely there. I would think it's something to do with the arrangement of the music and the new instruments introduced in the background like the prominent percussion. Also perhaps something to do with the role of double bass being replaced by the guitar.
All in all it is a very lively and warm  form of jazz, most definitely rooted in the Brazilian vibrant form of life. After big band jazz I would most definitely say it was one of my favourites.


The most famous musicians who have promoted this type of Jazz include:
Stan Getz (an American saxophonist) and Joao Gilberto (a Brazilian guitarist). Arguably these two popularised Bossa Nova.
They released a self- titled album that is incredibly yummy to the ear:
 
One of the most famous songs from the album is 'The Girl from Ipanema' which is in the album cover above. Lovely song with sublime lyrics that are sung in both Portuguese and English; the words are just as mollifying as the music that accompanies it. This is obviously a must listen from the album along with 'Doralice' and 'So Danca Samba' (vai vai vai vai vai vai!- for anyone who knows the song already)
Here is a sample of Bossa Nova:



The album features another artist also known for his instrumental role in creating and promoting Bossa Nova and that is Antonio Carlos Jobim (also known as Tom Jobim). His two albums that I am familiar with are 'Stone Flower' and 'Wave.' They are the type of albums that are so comely you could leave them playing on loop and blast them out of your house out into the garden during summer. Invariably the music creates a serene atmosphere. They were also actually of great use to me while I was studying (just so calming.)
My personal favourite of Jobim is 'Brazil' from 'Stone Flower'



Here is a clip of Antonio Carlos Jobim and Gilberto playing 'Girl from Ipanema'





One last Bossa Nova album that I am familiar with and I would most definetly recommend is Jack Wilson's 'Brazilian Mancini.' Gorgeous arrangement and a great mix of songs that simply flow into one another. LISTEN TO IT! 

Esperenza Spalding

A few months ago, I was watching the 2011 grammy's, they stepped up to announce the winner of best new artist; nominees included Justin Bieber and Drake. My friends and I sat braced, finger crossed for drake. The announcers opened the envelope and read out the name Esperenza Spalding and an unassuming small lady with a kinky afro who I had never heard of or seen in my life walked  up to collect her award. 'Esperenza who!?' 


Slightly enraged by the fact that Drake hadn't won the award I went off to google this woman, my discoveries shocked, appalled and stunned me to say the least.
Esperenza is a phenomenal jazz double bassist who sings and plays her bass like it's all she has left in this world. Yes, I became obsessed, her music is JUST DIVINE and I honestly cannot get enough. (It really doesn't help that I love the double bass and one of my deepest regrets is not learning to play it) 


Someone on YouTube summed up her history excellently:
''Esperanza spalding grew up with a single parent in the ghetto, taught herself violin at 5, and various other instruments, attended jazz college with her mom at 8 and would play songs the teacher taught her mom by herself, at 16 went to college at portland university on a scholarship, then attended berkely school of music on a scholarship, almost had to stop her music career because of lack of money, if you ask me, this girl deserved the grammy 10 times over a pop star found on youtube''


From her beautifully husky but toned voice to her passionate plucking of the bass to her excellent compositions; her music is simply just some of the best I have come across in this contemporary age. Perhaps it is the drive and determination with which she elevated herself from the ghetto that creates the passion in her music, whatever it it, it is inescapable.You connect with the emotion in her voice and many her time her music has made me well up with tears.
I wish I had enough words to express my love of her music, but I just do not. YES she deserved that grammy, 10 times over and I am so glad I discovered her. She does contemporary Jazz music proud.


It gets better; this woman is just so amazing... she began teaching at Berkley at the age of 20! (making her one of the youngest ever professors of music at the university. Pure unadulterated talent. She is an inspiration to us all. 
Perhaps she will be the one to make Jazz commercial once again.


Please if you love jazz listen to her music you will NOT regret it , She has two main albums, 'Chamber music society'- 2010 ,' Esperenza'- 2008
And listen to these YouTube videos for a flavour, just a flavour however: 

The oldies

Duke Ellington 

An absolute giant, a musical genius, a pioneer and just an all round amazement.  He bursts onto the scene with his jazz orchestra, a daring steal from the classical music style. Many accredited him with raising the perception of jazz from a base form of music to being on par with other reputed genres.


In a sense he made jazz classical, he gave it a finesse, a classiness that has become so synonymous with it's perception. I am also told that he was a phenomenal composer, perhaps the best ever of his genre. So hats off to this man for being partly responsible for making jazz so sophisticated.

Here is his Satin Doll:

Yes that lovely sound of the big band playing in unison is in part his invention. Many trumpets, Many saxophones, the background persistent low plucking of the double bass double bass, all being lead by the genius on the piano; together producing an utterly transcendental sound. So rich, so much texture and yet so classy. (Stevie Wonder's 'Sir Duke' is a tribute to him)

Admittedly I  haven't yet listened to much of his music (and I definitely must), but another jazz genius who followed in his footsteps and whose music I am familiar with is Count Basie. The YouYube clip below shows a slightly bigger Jazz band:



Count Basie is famous for his very well known songs such as 'One'o'clock jump' 'lullaby of birdland' and 'Jumpin' at the Woodside' all of which I know and love so much!


For me there is something so powerful and sublime about the jazz band, I could honestly just set up home in front of a jazz big band concert and just spend my days listening to them play. I wish I could go back in time just to be in one of the Duke, or the Count's concerts and feel the energy exuded from every one of those instruments and the experience the virtuoso live.


I wish more contemporary artists (especially RnB) took risks and performed with orchestras and I wish more people appreciated this kind of music.
Janelle Monae is the only artist that I know of that has dared to take her RnB and turn it classical by performing with an orchestra. She has simply offered a classical interpretation of her music.Yes she is utterly mad, but there is something so refreshing about her originality and her defiance against the norms and conventions of contemporary chart music.


In this sense she follows in the footsteps of the great Duke and the Count and I really hope she is appreciated for this.
Her music is beautiful:

Jazz and Me

I remember vividly the first time jazz caught my attention of my ears. It was in a random clintons store at the age of about 8. The strangely lovely, yet archaic and unforgettably melancholy voice of Billie Holiday came floating from the overhead speakers. I stopped and stood, utterly mesmerised by the sound of her voice and the instruments that accompanied.
'My Funny Valentine' was the name of the song, I would later learn and it has become my all time favourite Jazz song (some renditions nicer than others) Billie Holiday was accompanied by another Jazz artist I grew to love Miles Davis on the trumpet.

The first thing I ever wrote in an attempt to describe jazz was,
'Those mellow yet tangy sounds. That have the habit of tenderly caressing the eardrums. While the plucking of those bass strings somehow evoke an indescribable ecstasy that radiates from within.' - Circa 2006

From then till now and forever Jazz remains the most amazing genre of music to me, satisfaction and escapism.



Here's a beautiful rendition by Sarah Vaughan