#YUSEF ╚ musings. ╝

[manufactoredxbyxdesign]

FIVE SONGS for your muse.

i.  HateFxxk - The Bravery : And there will be no tenderness, no tenderness. There will be no tenderness, no tenderness. I will show no mercy for you, you had no mercy for me. The only thing that I ask, love me mercilessly

ii. The Hand That Feeds - Nine Inch Nails Just how deep do you believe? Will you bite the hand that feeds? Will you chew until it bleeds? Can you get up off your knees?

iii. Time is Running Out -Muse: I wanted freedom. Bound and restricted. I tried to give you up. But I'm addicted. Now that you know I'm trapped. Sense of elation. You'd never dream of breaking this fixation

iv. Tear You Apart - She wants Revenge: I want to hold you close. Soft breasts, beating heart. As I whisper in your ear. I want to fucking tear you apart.

v. They're Calling my Flight - Contagion Soundtrack: [It has no lyrics but listen to it and tell me it's not giving Wesker vibes.]

...

FIVE QUOTES for your muse.

― Tahereh Mafi, Shatter Me

― William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Dante and Virgil in Hell (painting)

― Micah Nemerever, These Violent Delights

―Yusef Komunyakaa, The Thorn Merchant

― Zora Neale Hurtson, Their Eyes Were Watching God

― Molly McCully Brown, from Places I've Taken my Body

Tagged by: @taliaromanova

Tagging: @fiercehearts @corvidamned @shilohgreen @gotaletter @Anyone else who wants to.

[projazznet]

Willis Jackson With Pat Martino – Single Action

Single Action is an album by saxophonist Willis Jackson with guitarist Pat Martino which was recorded in 1978 and first released on the Muse label.

Willis Jackson – tenor saxophone Pat Martino – guitar Carl Wilson – organ Jimmy Lewis – bass Yusef Ali – drums Buddy Caldwell – congas

[rustbeltjessie]

The Heart's Graveyard Shift

I lose faith in my left hand not because my dog Echo's eloped with ignis fatuus into pinewoods or that my limp's unhealed after 13 years. What can go wrong goes wrong, & between loves an empty space defines itself like a stone's weight helps it to sink into earth. My devil-may-care attitude returns overnight, the bagwoman outside the 42nd Street Automat is now my muse. I should know by heart the schema, routes A & B, points where we flip coins, heads or tails, to stay alive. Between loves I crave danger; the assassin's cross hairs underline my point of view.

                                            Between loves, with a pinch of madness tucked under the tongue, a man might fly off the handle & kill his best friend over a penny. His voice can break into butterflies just as the eight ball cracks across deep-green felt, growing silent with something unsaid like a mouth stuffed with nails. He can go off his rocker, sell the family business for a dollar, next morning pull a Brink's job & hijack a 747. He can hook up with a woman in silver spike heels who carries a metallic blue guitar or he can get right with Jesus through phenobarbital.

                                           Between loves I sing all night with the jukebox: "Every man's gotta cry for himself." I play chicken with the Midnight Special rounding Dead Man's Curve, enthralled by the northern lights & machinery of falling stars. Internal solstice, my body, a poorly rigged by-pass along Desperado Ave., taking me away from myself. Equilibrium's whorehouses. Arcades scattered along the eastern seaboard. I search dead-colored shells for clues, visions, for a thread of meat, untelling interior landscapes. A scarecrow dances away with my shadow. Between loves I could stand all day at a window watching honeysuckle open as I make love to the ghosts smuggled inside my head.

—Yusef Komunyakaa, from Neon Vernacular (Wesleyan University Press, 1993)

[kilmerhq]

JACK RENWICK is looking for their COUSIN they are said to be around 32-40 and look like UTP. you CAN, BUT DON'T HAVE TO contact them @rcnwicks to apply for this connection. more info under the cut.

muse name : jack renwick. type of connection : familial. suggested age range : 32-40. suggested faceclaims : yusef gatewood, winston duke, nathan stewart-jarrett, alfie enoch, anna diop, gugu mbatha-raw, teyonah parris, gabourey sidibe, utp ! contact ? can, but don’t have to supplemental info : cousin(s) of the renwick family, i imagine they would also have the surname renwick but it isn’t a Must. their parent(s) would still be citizens of kilmer’s cove but they could’ve moved away - honestly this is a pretty open connection other than them being jack’s cousin and their mother being biologically a renwick !

[sheetmusiclibrarypdf]

Kenny Barron - Calypso (sheet music transcription from "Kenny Barron at the Piano" Noten, partition)

Kenny Barron - Calypso (sheet music transcription from "Kenny Barron at the Piano" Noten, partition)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTSdF1s-uoQ

Kenny Barron

“Every time I sit down to play, I try to challenge myself to see if I can come up with something new. If it doesn't happen, fine, but it's the goal I always try to achieve.' Kenny Barron Honored by The National Endowment for the Arts as a 2010 Jazz Master, Kenny Barron has an unmatched ability to mesmerize audiences with his elegant playing, sensitive melodies and infectious rhythms. The Los Angeles Times named him “one of the top jazz pianists in the world” and Jazz Weekly calls him “The most lyrical piano player of our time.” Philadelphia is the birthplace of many great musicians, including one of the undisputed masters of the jazz piano: Kenny Barron. Kenny was born in 1943 and, while a teenager, started playing professionally with Mel Melvin’s orchestra. This local band also featured Barron’s brother Bill, the late tenor saxophonist. While still in high school. Kenny worked with drummer Philly Joe Jones and at age 19, he moved to New York City and freelanced with Roy Haynes, Lee Morgan and James Moody, after the tenor saxophonist heard him play at the Five Spot. Upon Moody’s recommendation, Dizzy Gillespie hired Barron in 1962 without even hearing him play a note. It was in Dizzy’s band where Kenny developed an appreciation for Latin and Caribbean rhythms. After five years with Dizzy, Barron played with Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, Milt Jackson, and Buddy Rich. The early seventies found Kenny working with Yusef Lateef, who Kenny credits as a key influence in his improvisation art. Encouraged by Lateef, to pursue a college education, Barron balanced touring with studies and earned his B.A. in Music from Empire State College, By 1973, Kenny joined the faculty at Rutgers University as professor of music. He held this tenure until 2000, mentoring many of today’s young talents including David Sanchez, Terence Blanchard and Regina Bell. In 1974 Kenny recorded his first album as a leader for the Muse label, entitled “Sunset To Dawn.” This was to be the first of over 40 recordings (and still counting!) as a leader. Following stints with Ron Carter in the late seventies, Kenny formed a trio with Buster Williams and Ben Riley which also worked alongside of Eddie Lockjaw” Davis, Eddie Harris, Sonny Stitt and Harry “Sweets” Edison. Throughout the 80s Barron collaborated with the great tenor saxophonist Stan Getz, touring with his quartet and recording several legendary albums including “Anniversary”, “Serenity” and the Grammy nominated “People Time” Also during the 80s, he co-founded the quartet “Sphere,” along with Buster Williams, Ben Riley and Charlie Rouse. This band focused on the music of Thelonious Monk and original compositions inspired by him. Sphere recorded several outstanding projects for the Polygram label, among them “Four For All” and “Bird Songs.” After the death of Charlie Rouse, the band took a 15-year hiatus and reunited, replacing Rouse with alto saxophonist Gary Bartz. This reunion made its debut recording for Verve Records in 1998. Kenny Barron’s own recordings for Verve have earned him nine Grammy nominations beginning in 1992 with “People Time” an outstanding duet with Stan Getz followed by the Brazilian influenced “Sambao and most recently for “Freefall” in 2002. Other Grammy nominations went to “Spirit Song”, “Night and the City” (a duet recording with Charlie Haden) and “Wanton Spirit” a trio recording with Roy Haynes and Haden. It is important to note that these three recordings each received double-Grammy nominations (for album and solo performance.) His CD, “Canta Brasil” (Universal France) linked Barron with Trio de Paz in a fest of original Brazilian jazz, and was named Critics Choice Top Ten CDs of 2003 by JazzIz Magazine. His 2004 release, Images (Universal France) was inspired by a suite originally commissioned by The Wharton Center at Michigan State University and features multi-Grammy nominated vibraphonist Stefon Harris. The long awaited trio sequel featuring Ray Drummond and Ben Riley, The Perfect Set, Live At Bradley’s, Part Two (Universal France/Sunnyside) was released October 2005. In Spring 2008 Mr. Barron released The Traveler (Universal France), an intoxicating mix of favorite Barron tunes set to lyrics and newly penned compositions. For his first vocal based recording, Barron invited Grady Tate (who sheds his drumsticks for this special appearance), Tony award winner Ann Hampton Calloway and the young phenom Gretchen Parlato, winner of the Thelonious Monk International Competition for Jazz. On “Um Beijo”, Mr. Tate’s warm, leathery voice balanced by Mr. Barron’s poignant touch make for a beautifully textured conversation, underscoring their longtime onboard collaboration. Another Barron original, “Clouds” is a lush vehicle for Ann Hampton Calloway’s romantic pitch-perfect yearnings matched with Barron’s trademark mastery of subtlety. The dramatic “Phantoms” intertwines Parlato’s ephemeral intimacy and syncopatic rhythms in an emotional escapade between Barron’s haunting notes, the West African stylings of guitarist Lionel Loueké, drummer Francisco Mela (who also adds a Cuban flavor to the vocals) and the driving bass of Kiyoshi Kitagawa. The journey continues with the aptly named “Duet” an improvisation with Benin-born Loueké who also joins the trio for a rousing version of Barron’s “Calypso”. A composer who relishes at the moment, Barron’s modern approach is highlighted by alto saxophonist Steve Wilson’s open musings on “Illusion” and “The Traveler” who also brings an urgency to the fun-paced “Speed Trap”. After a successful musical meeting of the minds with bassist Dave Holland, the two masters decided to collaborate on a duet project to be released on Impulse/Universal records in 2014 followed by a tour. Barron consistently wins the jazz critics and readers polls, including Downbeat, Jazz Times and Jazziz magazines. The famed Spanish ceramist Lladro honored Mr. Barron with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, and he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from his alma mater SUNY Empire State in 2013 and from Berklee College of Music in 2011. In 2009, he received the Living Legacy Award from Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation and was inducted into the American Jazz Hall of Fame and won a MAC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. He is a six-time recipient of Best Pianist by the Jazz Journalists Association. Whether he is playing solo, trio or quintet, Kenny Barron is recognized the world over as a master of performance and composition. Read the full article

[ceraunos]

everyone else after watching the old guard: found family found family happy nice gentle times!!

me after watching the old guard: *plans the darkest fic I’ve ever written, gets in real deep about how living for centuries and knowing everything about how it feels to die and the raw brutal deal of seeing every possible side of humanity will Fuck You Up*

[irxnlegacy]

Comic and MCU Ironheart from Marvel's Iron-Man - penned by Jasmine

RULES. BIO. VERSES  ||  INTEREST CHECKER  || OPEN STARTERS ||  WISHLIST

EST 2016 🛠️ BETA EDITOR 🛠️ LOW ACTIVITY. 🛠️ PROMO

Name: Adrienna Keleece "Riri" Williams

Age: 15-18.

Height: 5"2.

Nationality: Trinidadian American.

Born: Chicago (currently living in New York).

Skills: Engineering, mechanizing, computer coding

Warning: THIS IRON-MAN IS CANONICALLY A BLACK GIRL. She did not replace Tony Stark and they co-exist in the comics with Pepper, Rhodey, and the other Iron-Men. Do not follow me if this upset you. Any hate towards my muse or myself will be removed and the harassers will be blocked.

I only accept raceswapped muses who's stories are not connected to their race. So no white versions of characters of color just as Black Panther, Storm, Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan, or Spider-Man/Miles Morales.

Multiverse: I have a comic (Earth 616), MCU verse (anti-Endgame), and fantasy verse based on Marvel's Champions: WeirdWorld (with World of Warcraft influence)

Relationships: My main ships are VivHeart, Kon x Riri, and Azari x Riri. My muse is bisexual so all genders are welcome. No adult muses or young versions of Tony, Pepper, or Rhodey.

I also accept other children of Riri; OCs please have an about page.

WISHLIST

Marvel: (comic, Sony, or MCU) Ronnie or Demetrius Williams, Midnighter, Anthony Ramos/The Hood, Natalie, T'Challa, Rhodey, Pepper, Nate Richards/Iron-Lad, Superior!Iron-Man, T'Chaka, Ramonda, Okoye, M'Baku, Killmonger, Jefferson and Rio Morales, Earth-42 Miles (to ship), Yusef or Muneeba Khan, Patvitr Prabhakar, Spider-Byte, Jessica Drew.

DC: (comic, DCAU or DCEU) Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Johnathan and Martha Kent, Jon Kent (pre-age up), Kara Danver/Kent/Zor-El, Lex Luthor, Natasha and John Henry Irons, Cyborg Superman, Eradicator and Krypto the Superdog

⚙️ Mun is a 33-year-old freelance graphic designer with anxiety. So please be patient with me. My other RP blogs are @swordsxandxsakuras @aranaboricua and @seafoamseashells. My Discord is Eniygma#3081 have if you wish to RP privately. ⚙️

© Art by Marvel & Disney

[dadvans]

the old guard musings

talk 2 me about how nicky is always the little spoon and loves 2 be wrapped up in his man’s arms at all times like even though he’s immortal he still seeks the illusion of safety and comfort in joe

talk 2 me about how the first time nicky shaved his beard joe was like “since when do u have a mole here?” thumb on nicky’s face and nicky was like “since always” and joe was like “and you have a jawline? what the fuck?” and couldn’t stop touching nicky and that’s why nicky has been clean shaven despite the coming and going of trends for 800 years and maybe sometimes he sits on the lip of the bath and lets joe carefully shave his face for him

talk 2 me about nicky taking a vow of celibacy as a priest and letting joe take that from him because that’s who his soul belongs to now 

talk 2 me about how “yusef” became “joe” because one time during a fight nicky very seriously called him “joseph” and it made them both laugh for so long that they stopped fighting and it stuck

talk 2 me about them being extra AF for birthdays, anniversaries, whatever; “hey i found this old daguerrotype of you at an auction happy birthday” “hey i found this tacky ring you used to wear in the 1780s happy anniversary” “hey the house stinks because i decided to try and make murri because i miss when we used to live in casablanca back when it was anfa and you would feed it to me on toast in the mornings” 

[bulletballet-arch]

REALLY LONG  CHARACTER  SURVEY. RULES. repost ,   don’t  reblog !    tag 10 ! good  luck ! TAGGED. I took this from Minnie’s archived Bioshock blog. I’ve been looking for this meme all this month. TAGGING. @hammurabicomplex. @bluuxriising. @ Me - for Sal on @bulletsoverbensonhurst​. @immaterialed (charlie) @soypeor (bella) @svmmercmance​. @mrflayed. and you!

BASICS. FULL  NAME :  Eve Delores Littlejohn NICKNAME : Evie, Little Evie (by her maternal side of the family), Delores, Didi NAME  MEANING / S  Eve is from the ancient Hebrew name  חַוָּה (Chawwah), which was derived from the Hebrew word חָוָה (chawah) meaning "to breathe" or the related word חָיָה (chayah) meaning "to live". Delores is a variant of Dolores, meaning "sorrows", taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin Mary María de los Dolores, meaning "Mary of Sorrows." Littlejohn is a surname that has historically been found in England and Scotland. With potential origins being either ‘to distinguish a beloved child that was not the eldest.’ Or, ‘a contradictory nickname for a large man.’ HISTORICAL  CONNECTION? : She’s named after her grandmother, Evelyn Hollins.

AGE : 42 BIRTHDAY :  June 2 ETHNIC  GROUP : Black-American. Meaning she’s mixed with a lot (Some of her relatives are respectively Creole and Italian) but uses Black as a catch-all term. NATIONALITY :  American LANGUAGE / S : English, Italian, Spanish, Latin, some French SEXUAL  ORIENTATION :   Bisexual ROMANTIC  ORIENTATION :  Biromantic RELATIONSHIP  STATUS : Verse dependent, usually married -or connected- to Salvatore Scozzari in some way. CLASS : Upper-Class HOME  TOWN / AREA :   Brooklyn. Spent time between Bedford-Stuyvesant - with her paternal grandfather and Park Slope - with her maternal grandparents.  CURRENT  HOME : In her childhood home in Bedford-Stuyvesant. PROFESSION : Ballet Instructor. Former Professional Ballerina. ( Other verses see her as a professional thief. )

PHYSICAL. HAIR : Black. In terms of her natural hair, Eve has springy, 3C hair she seldom shows off because she was raised in a family where straightened hair was deemed presentable and professional.  EYES : Thin almond eyes. Dark brown. NOSE : Straight and small. FACE :  She has a prominent, high forehead, that’s accented with high cheekbones and a pointy chin. LIPS :  Full. COMPLEXION : She has a light brown (tawny) complexion.  SCARS : None major. TATTOOS : None. HEIGHT : 5′4″ BUILD : Eve has a slender build. One of those people who have been small and petite since childhood. Despite this, she also stays skinny because she is obsessively conscious of the food she consumes. The older she gets the more she weighs, however. USUAL HAIR STYLE :  Her hair is cut short. Reaching her shoulders in a neat, even bob. She either curls it in a retro fashion or curls the tips. For work she wears it in a traditional, pinned bun. USUAL FACE LOOK : In public, she appears stoic for the most part. Any emotion shown (such as the length of a smile) is carefully calculated. She has to seem perfect.  USUAL  CLOTHING : Form fitting dresses. Incredibly chic and fashionable for the time. Shoes include heels - never open-toed, unless she has on stockings. Extravagant earrings. Jewelry that can include either necklaces, crosses, pearls, or dainty rings. Prone to wearing black sunglasses in public.

PSYCHOLOGY. FEAR / S : Thunderstorms, airplanes, creatures like weasels, snakes and ferrets, break-ins, men she doesn’t know, harm coming to her children ASPIRATION / S :  Formerly wanted to become a major [black] ballerina in the elite world of ballet, now she just wants to expose more [inner city children] to dance through her job. Personally, she wants her children to change the world in some form or fashion, too. Eve also has good ideas on improving the community, but at the moment has no idea how to go about these ideas. POSITIVE  TRAITS :  Generous, compassionate, patient, protective NEGATIVE  TRAITS : Strict, sullen, hard to read, represses her emotions, secretive MBTI :  Advocate - INFJ-T ZODIAC :  Cancer TEMPERAMENT :  Melancholic ANIMALS :  Lioness VICE / S :  Pride & Lust FAITH : Christian. Grew up Baptist, but Catholic influences have been around her since childhood. Attended a Catholic High School in Park Slope, her grandmother Evelyn was also a practicing Catholic.  GHOSTS ? : Yes and no. She feels that objects formerly owned by the deceased posses the essence of their previous owners and that they essentially live on through these pieces of property. AFTERLIFE ? : Yes. REINCARNATION ? :  No, but it’s a romantic concept. ALIENS ? : No. POLITICAL  ALIGNMENT :  Democratic ECONOMIC  PREFERENCE :  She likes being where she’s at now. But honestly, being upper class is all she’s ever known. SOCIOPOLITICAL  POSITION : Bourgeoisie, basically. The Littlejohn’s represent The Historical Black Elite.  EDUCATION  LEVEL : College level. FAMILY.

FATHER :  William ‘Bill’ Littlejohn MOTHER : Linda Littlejohn ( nee Hollins ) SIBLINGS : None EXTENDED  FAMILY : Amos Littlejohn (paternal grandfather) Liza Littlejohn (paternal grandmother) Evelyn Hollins (maternal grandmother) Giuseppe D’Aietti (maternal grandfather) and a wide host of cousins, aunts and uncles.

FAVOURITES. BOOK :  Night Song by Beverly Jenkins. The Color Purple by Alice Walker. Some sort of old, French erotic novel that was published before she was born. MOVIE : Eve watches films along the lines of...Waiting to Exhale, Beaches, The First Wives Club and Fatal Attraction. She loves Made-For-TV movies from the time period. In regards to plays, her favorite one is Sunday In The Park With George. 5  SONGS :  Meet Me On The Moon / Essence of Sapphire / No One In The World / People / The First Time I Saw Your Face  DEITY :  Persephone  HOLIDAY : New Years Eve, Christmas, Thanksgiving. Major holidays during the colder season. MONTH :  October SEASON :  Autumn PLACE :  The dance studio she works at. WEATHER : Sunny, but cool. SOUND : The voices of Anita Baker and Sarah Vaughn. A skilled hand running over piano keys. Soft trumpets. Running water. Cats making chipper little meows. SCENT / S :  Perfume, floral scented lotions, her partner’s cologne TASTE / S :  Caramel, the tang of dark chocolate, strawberries coated with either chocolate, or sprinkles of white sugar. Light Vinegar.  FEEL / S : Performing in front of an audience. Hot water engulfing your skin after a long day. Satin - whether it be the fabric of her clothes or sheets, your fingers tightly intertwined with another’s, feeling your significant other’s chest raise and lower against your skin with each breath they take. ANIMAL / S : Cocker Spaniels, Afghan Hounds, Cats, Birds - she loves all ( well, a majority ) of animals. NUMBER :  Doesn’t have one. COLOR :  White, Pink, Gold.

EXTRA. TALENTS :  Dance, Eve is trained in ballet when it comes to her main verse. She has attended ballet classes since the age of eight and ever since then she placed all of her focus into it. Similarly, Eve has always had the makings of a good artist - as a child she enjoyed drawing and had informal art lessons with a man who lived in the basement of her grandfather’s brownstone, but she never invested into that half of her. BAD AT : Singing, Being interviewed, Public Speaking (as in Speech Giving), Decision Making TURN  ONS :  Charisma, Leadership Skills, Temperature Play, Phone Sex, Heavy Kissing, Light Roleplay TURN  OFFS :  Public Sex, Tearing [ Her ] Clothes, Threesomes, Cruelty, Senseless Violence HOBBIES :  viewing plays & some musicals, reading romance novels, shopping, working out (she was into the whole celebrity VHS tape exercise trend), playing tennis, decorating AESTHETIC :  Vintage Black Glamour, Black Ballerinas, Champagne and Wine Glasses, Paintings by Melinda Byers and Edward 'Clay' Wright QUOTES :  "I'm bad with words, I hope you're good in reading eyes." / "There are truths I haven't even told God. And not even myself. I am a secret under the lock of seven keys."

FC INFO. MAIN  FC / S : Lynn Whitfield ( A Thin Line Between Love & Hate ) ALT  FC / S : Kylie Bunbury ( Twisted ) OLDER  FC / S :  Lynn Whitfield ( Greenleaf ) YOUNGER  FC / S : N/A VOICE  CLAIM / S : Lynn Whitfield

MUN QUESTIONS.

Q1 :   if  you  could  write  your  character  your  way  in  their  own  movie ,   what  would  it  be  called ,  what  style  would  it  be  filmed  in ,  and  what  would  it  be  about ?       A1 : Recently I decided that if/when I try to write anything serious about Eve again, it’ll center on her being a jewel thief because it presents me more fun, and emotionally diverse, opportunities. That and I have a very specific cover image in my mind. Ideally, her adventures would be a series of books. I have no title in mind, no idea about how ‘it would be filmed’ ( although a style replicating 90s films would be excellent, film grain and all. ) but, I do have a bunch of plots in mind that I really don’t feel like typing out here.  

Q2 :   what  would  their  soundtrack / score  sound  like ?         A2 :  Her score would have a vintage sound (or a jazzy Spike Lee sound, if you will) with instrumentals by Dorothy Ashby (a Jazz Harpist) the Ahmad Jamal Trio, Pharaoh Sanders, Yusef Lateef and Tarika Blue. For music with lyrics, the soundtrack would include the likes of Julie London, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dionne Warwick.

Q3 :   why  did  you  start  writing  this  character ?   + Q4 :   what  first  attracted  you  to  this  character ? A3 :  Whenever I make NPCs for my character’s lives I actually can’t just let them just be NPCs. I start thinking about them too much. Developing them too much. And then I’m like, ‘wow! I really like this character!’ Eve was a different character when I began writing her, and likely wouldn’t be considered the same character as she was previously, if I told someone in real life who knows about my writing (like my grandma) about all the changes she has undergone. Originally Delores was a university professor, because I thought it could lead to interesting interactions with college-age muses. And her previous history with the mafia was also something interesting to tap in. But then I started thinking about what was realistic, what wasn’t realistic, what did I feel comfortable/interested writing? What didn’t I feel comfortable/interested in writing?  So as time went on, things would alter about this character. And the new things I came up with attracted me more. 

Q5 :   describe  the  biggest  thing  you  dislike  about  your  muse.         A5 :  I have a love/hate relationship with Eve’s quiet demeanor. On one hand, I think quieter characters need love and the ability to be fully dimensional but on the other hand, writing louder characters has always been more fun for me. But really, Eve’s guarded behavior makes writing her stressful in some cases with others because sometimes...if I’m going to be honest...people don’t know how to carry a thread and interact with someone of her demeanor effectively. 

Q6 :   what  do  you  have  in  common  with  your  muse ?       A6 : We’re both black, we’re both into art (although our exact interests and aesthetics with art differ)

Q7 :   how  does  your  muse  feel  about  you ?         A7 : Realistically she would think I need to take better care of myself.

Q8 :   what  characters  does  your  muse  have  interesting  interactions with ?   A8 :  We skippin’ this question.

Q9 :   what  gives  you  inspiration  to  write  your  muse ?       A9 : Films such as, “Waiting to Exhale,” “The Kitchen” and “Widows.” Books by Alice Walker, like “The Third Life of Grange Copeland” as well as her short story, “Roselily.” The historical mob figure Stephanie St. Clair.

Q10 :   how  long  did  this  take  you  to  complete ?       A10 : A few hours.

[friskafriskito]

Music Ask Part I

@stephanie568​ asked:

For the music ask, 2, 20, 27, 33, 46 and 50 :D

2.  what are your favorite singers?

ERROR: TOO MANY VARIABLES

Listed: The Oh Hellos, Danny Elfman, The Clockwork Quartet, Elton John, Dream Theatre, Muse, IDHBTFM, Woodkid, The Beatles, Avenged Sevenfold, Terrance Zdunich, The Family Crest, Panic! At the Disco, Steam Powered Giraffe, Coldplay, Shinedown, Regina Spektor, Stormae, Dalida, Dr. Steel, Darren Korb, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Fallout Boy, Voltaire, Les Friction, Alaa Wardi, Tim Curry (as villains), Nightwish (and there’s probably a bunch that should be there as well but can’t think of. Like the Muppets—).

20. what was your first concert? if you haven’t been to one, what do you want your first concert to be?

My first concert was when my cousin took us to see Sami Yusef live! I guess his music is best described as Muslim pop? He sings mostly in English with some Arabic words. It’s a little strange hearing songs about faith and spirituality as pop songs but his voice is amazing,

27. which instruments do you know how to play? what’s your skill level?

“You do not realise what you have unleashed.”

Wind: Recorder (both alto and soprano), kazoo??, flute (originally my cousin’s), harmonica, melodica. Percussion: Keyboard, glockenspiel, kalimba. String: Tenor ukulele.

I play all of these well enough to make song covers and compose small stuff, but have mastered none. Also, I play a lot of these by ear since I don’t know how to read the left hand or notes that are faster than quarter notes. >u>”

33. do you have any favorite composers, including classical ones?

Tchaikovsky, James Horner, Fouad & Mounib, and Yuki Kajiura. Also, but not depicted: Danny Elfman, Darren Korb, Omar Khairat, Joe Hisaishi.

YOU LIKE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC THAT SOUNDS LIKE FINAL FANTASY BUT WITH ARABIC HINTS? GO LISTEN TO FOUAD & MOUNIB.

46. look at your country’s song charts, listen to the first unfamiliar song you can find, and share your opinion on it.

Hetta Tanya (Another Piece), by Ruby "I guess I like her voice?? Not my kind of music but I’m glad she’s making a comeback. :D”

50. any cover versions that you think are better than the original?

Just One Person, As covered by The Muppets and Bernadette Peters (originally from Snoopy!!! The Musical).

I had no idea this was originally from Snoopy, I grew up thinking it was a Muppet song! I still like this version more.

[fredseibertdotcom]

Willis Jackson > Single Action

Click here for more posts about music and producing records.

Willis Jackson with Pat Martino Single Action

Produced by Fred Seibert

Willis Jackson: tenor saxophone

Pat Martino: guitar Carl Wilson: organ Jimmy Lewis: bass Yusef Ali: drums Ralph Dorsey: percussion

Willis Jackson single handedly pulled me away from the avant garde and towards the soulful, bluesy expression of jazz that was popular in the African American neighborhoods of mid-century America. He didn’t mean to, he didn’t want to, it was just that he was so damn good.

Less a producer than actually a recording supervisor (my credit on this album) I arrived at our first session together (Muse’s In the Alley) with virtually no information on what we were recording or who was playing. Willis was tough and a little paranoid so this situation played out during the three or four sessions we did together. I’d never heard any of his music (it wasn’t cool enough within the jazzbo circles I traveled in) and when I looked into the studio I thought I’d been time warped into the 1950s: five African Americans 20 years older than me in conked processes and starched white shirts and ties. They hit the first tune and didn’t stop until Willis looked up at me and asked if they had enough to fill the record. When informed they were eight minutes short he revved up a blues and kept it going until I faded it to make the length.

By the end of the five hour session I’d stopped making fun (in my head) of the tenor saxophone/organ based soul jazz, and realized why it spoke to so many millions of people. It wasn’t an intellectual exercise but a human one. They were playing songs that people knew and loved, with a feeling that anyone could understand. I was late to the party, but it wouldn’t be over for me even 30 years later. ….. Credits

Muse Records MR 5179 Willis Jackson with Pat Martino Single Action

Recording supervisor: Fred Seibert Engineered by Rudy Van Gelder, Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey April 26, 1978 Cover Design by Ron Warwell/NJE Cover photo by Clarence Eastmond

LINER NOTES COMING SOON

Click here for more posts about music and producing records.

….. Copyrights and masters owned by their respective owners. I’m posting many of my out-of-print record productions from the 1970s. If any of them are re-released, or the copyright owners object, I’ll delete the posts.

[angstyachesplus]

Febuwhump Day 5: “Take Me Instead”

With Sterling still suffering physically and emotionally from her time spent in the cage, D offers to trade beds and endure a night with Aaron in her place. 

CW: lady whumpee, intimate whumper, sadistic whumper, noncon and dubcon mention, D’s hero complex backfires.

As soon as the pebbled driveway to the house was within their sights, D noticed that Sterling’s pace slowed down by a lot. At first, he thought she was being weakened by the same dehydration he could feel setting into his own body, after hours of walking in the sun without any water – despite the fact that Aaron had a big sports bottle attached to his waist. But she was actually beginning to crumple in on herself like a much older woman, letting out sighs and grunts that could only be stifled shouts of agony.

Aaron kept walking, compulsively flicking the elastic band on his wrist, but D fell into step with Sterling. Her eyes were barely open, and her camera bag was slipping from her shoulder. The whole way up and down the mountain, she’d been holding herself in awkward positions and rubbing at her back and neck.

D had no idea what Aaron had put her through, but it wasn’t good.

“Crap – here, Sterling, give me that,” he offered. What a hero, he thought, offering to take it when you’re literally twelve steps from the house.

She didn’t resist or say a thing as he took the bag from her, but her toe jabbed at the ground and made her stumble. D’s heart skipped a beat as he rushed to catch her, feeling her fingers weakly curling into his arm before shoving him away.

“Don’t fu- don’t fucking touch me,” she rasped, pressing her hands to her eyes.

“Come on, my peach,” Aaron cooed. The tone of his voice made D’s stomach turn, but not as much as it did upon seeing Sterling reach trustingly for Aaron’s hand. He led her inside the mansion. She practically doubled over as she entered the glisteningly white hallway, her free hand resting on her lower back.

“Aaron,” D growled as he shut the door and followed them across the hall to the lounge. His heart sank as he watched the two of them curl up in the armchair, Sterling slumped across Aaron’s knees with her head buried against his neck. “Aaron, she needs water, and to go to bed.”

Aaron regarded D with little expression, carding his fingers gently though Sterling’s long, dark-chocolate coloured hair. “I’ll take her to bed when I’m ready for bed.”

“This isn’t about –” D bit down on the inside of his cheek to hold the word back. This isn’t about you, he’d been about to say to Aaron, but he realised he needed to say it to himself too. “Aaron, she’s in pain. She needs her own bed.”

Sterling’s gaze twitched up slightly at that.

“My peach and I share a bed,” Aaron said plainly. The imagery behind the words was disturbingly vivid, probably because D knew first-hand that when you shared a bed with Aaron, you shared everything with him. And from the way Sterling was already passing out from agony and exhaustion, she didn’t seem like she even had much left for him to take.

“She can have my bed tonight.”

“Oh,” Aaron smirked. “Really?”

D gulped at the glint in Aaron’s eye, as though his throat could somehow retract the words from the air. Sterling hadn’t even seemed to hear him, or if she had, she hadn’t reacted; he felt a light scalding of anger at this, and then berated himself for being so desperate for credit.

“I said, let her have my bed tonight, or – or until her back feels better.”

Aaron raised his eyebrows as his fingers gently carded through Sterling’s long hair. It was the colour of rich, dark chocolate, and was woven through with the stems of flowers that Aaron had pulled for her on their walk.

“And where will you sleep, D-D?”

D tried to shrug as though the question barely touched him, despite the fear churning his gut. “I could sleep on the sofa,” he suggested, gesturing towards it weakly.

“But then I’d be lonely,” Aaron mused, as though he didn’t have a solution right on the tip of his tongue. “Wouldn’t I, D?”

D looked at the floor, clenching his fists to try to keep from screaming.

“Oh, I know,” Aaron said finally. “My little peach could take Yusef’s bed, and they can sleep with me.”

Looking up slowly, D felt a sickness in his gut even more intense than the fear he’d merely felt for himself. He, at least, knew how to deal with Aaron, and had in fact been doing so since he’d learned how to walk.

Ever since that first time that Aaron had crawled on top of him in the middle of the night, warning him that if he made any noise, he would tell his parents it was all D’s fault and make sure he was thrown out in the street.

Ever since that first time that D had learned that he could leave his body if he needed to.

“Yusef? No,” he murmured, the words weak as though they didn’t truly wish to be spoken. He knew he had to try, though; Yusef wasn’t like him. Yusef was meek, and suggestible, and felt things far too deeply. Yusef couldn’t take his place. “I meant that I would –”

“Nah.” Aaron’s gaze travelled up and down D’s body before he cocked up one side of his mouth. “I want Yusef. Go ahead and wake them up, would you, D-D? I’ll carry my little peach. Look at her; the poor thing’s already falling asleep.”

[projazznet]

Willis Jackson – In The Alley

In the Alley is an album by saxophonist Willis Jackson which was recorded in 1976 and first released on the Muse label.

Willis Jackson – tenor saxophone Sonny Phillips – piano Carl Wilson – organ Jimmy Ponder – guitar Jimmy Lewis – bass Yusef Ali – drums Buddy Caldwell – congas, percussion

[friday1econlive]

3 Principles of Economics that Tether with my Daily Life during COVID-19

Name: Yusef Mohammed Angar

ID #: 17458780

A concept map (a text-heavy one!) that is meant to be informative while introducing essential economic principles in relation to my quotidian life. NOTE: These are merely examples of transactions that I have encountered in recent memory, and there are certainly a plethora of other instances that correlate to the 3 economic principles of People facing trade-offs, Trade can make everyone better off, and The cost of something is what you give up to get it. Because there are legibility issues, I will transcribe whatever text is included on each of these individual pages.

While there are impertinent concepts mentioned near the title, including Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), Supply/Demand and Equilibrium, and productivity’s relation to standard of living, it is intended to function as a Segway toward Economics. However, Consumer and Producer Surplus play minor roles in what will be discussed shortly. The hills are representative of Standard Deviation curves, and the “Toll” sign implicitly mentions the opportunity cost of following the “Principle 2 : The Cost of something is what you give up to get it″ route relative to the other route that is primarily about “Principles 1 : People face trade-offs and 5 : Trade can make everyone better.” The individual at the bottom (an animated version of myself) states that “Man, now I want to barter the item that I originally strived to purchase!” This is indicative of the business cycle, and its never-ending existence within the realm of economics; the arrows in between the routes illustrate this trend. In other words, I won’t be satisfied in the long-run, as the likelihood of using whatever I purchase might eventually fade, and would therefore want to trade with somebody else.

Transcription: (Top Left): “START: Once the eve of the pandemic ensued, I was contemplating on how to reorient my free time; thus, I decided to pull off a beneficial transaction among myself and my sister. The Nintendo Switch, a revolutionary handheld/hybrid console that has been engineered and endearingly crafted by Nintendo’s illustrious team, appealed to my desperate disposition...

Image description: “STOP” sign includes a Nintendo logo on top of it, which also accompanies a Nintendo Switch to the right of it. There are two flags, each attached to the left and right of the STOP sign, and they both indicate that the date is “March 2020.”

(Top center/Blue Stripes): “It was then that I tempted my sister into a deal regarding her console; however, due to the Switch’s market price being sold at $300 (with used variants selling at slightly lower prices), I certainly casted doubts on resonating alongside conventional wisdom. What I did, however, required an iota of guile...”

Image Description: Green arrow pointing along a pathway that mentions how “THE ROAD STARTS HERE!”, and a sign that states how there is “ONE WAY ONLY! DECIDE!” This therefore demonstrates a sentiment that I must be assured of; that I did want to purchase the Switch, and it was a definitive decision that I made over the course of a few months. Some supplemental additions include Mario, Legend of Zelda, and Pokémon insignias across the road, and then an arrow pointing directly to the next section.

(Center/Brown): “PLAN: Because my willingness to pay was ~ $110 (for a 2-year old Switch), it did not appear to be probable. There is a caveat; because employment opportunities were scant in the economic workspace, making money by means of toil was narrowed down to a shadow of its past self....”

Image Description: This sector was intentionally set within an area of construction, which reciprocates with building my way toward a successful barter with my sister. A blue arrow then points directly into the blue section, which is what will be transcribed in the bottom left. A sign above the blue portion of text echoes apportionment from self-elation, and how the “SPEED LIMIT = 15 mph. DON’T GET TOO EXCITED!” If I were to exceed this imaginary speed limit, then my assurance of safety would be tarnished, much like how the deal would get steamrolled! 

(Bottom Left/Blue): “My sister was not too dilatory per se, but mused on having to deposit her Switch in return for an opportunity that was of a paucity. Because she originally received it as a gift, there was no “cost of production” to consider.”

(Bottom right/Pink): “Per contra, there was a trade-off, one of the Ten Principles of Economics; because of the miniscule time she invested into her Switch, she eventually accepted $100! A casualty of this deal was a consumer surplus of $10 for me (alongside the Switch of course) and my sister receiving $100.”

Image Description: On the middle of the road, there is a “SIDE NOTE” that conspicuously conveys the following: “A positive externality for Nintendo, the pandemic caused a surge in sales experienced since March 2020.” Even though Nintendo’s flagship console was successful prior, it convincingly prolonged its success, and therefore led to stores having low stocks available. There is also font directly above the Pink section, which iterates as follows: “FROM then ON, I was able to utilize my... (traverses toward the right) FREE TIME fruitfully.” The ellipsis mirrors the conservative approach that is tacitly required during this trade-off, and how my composure has to prevail over internal apprehension (that is, whether or not the deal would triumph).

(Purple section): (font near “CONCLUSION” sign) “Because the Switch’s stock would continuously plummet, my incentive on purchasing a Switch from my sister became grander. (Speech bubble above CONCLUSION): “This mutually forged bridge between me and my sister’s economic wavelength permitted this trade to transpire, and thus left everyone better off.”

Image Description: There is an “OPPORTUNITY COST: REDUCED TOLL + TIME” sign to issue how there was time used in reading this section, alongside a more diminutive toll relative to the “TOLL” sign on the first/front page. There is also a blue-striped arrow attached to the pole of this sign, which essays to make clear that there is a “LONG WAY AHEAD! JUST 10 MONTHS LATER...” This is mentioning the date set for the following example concerning opportunity cost, and how that event occurred in January of 2021. Within the vicinity of the arrow, a “CONCLUSION” sign is slotted, which mimics the “everyone better off” conjecture (both me and my sister smiling, hence Principle 5′s significance in this interchange of commodities and money). 

Next Page:

(Top left/Orange Stripes): “JANUARY 2021: As my assortment of Switch titles implacably amplified, I faced a difficult transaction that I was willing to take. Should I get Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, or CELESTE!?!?”

Image Description: The arrows moving counterclockwise (the small black arrows moving in the orange-striped locus) function as an extrapolation of the business cycle, which was already mentioned beforehand. The animated version of myself surfaces an imperative query regarding this juxtaposition, and rose the “COSTS & BENEFITS” paradigm into full prominence. 

(COMPARISON): “Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove: PROS: Contains a multitude of titles that grace the timeless tropes of Shovel Knight, which includes: 

1) Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope *The only multiplayer game in this bundle*

2) Plague of Shadows

3) Showdown

4) Specter of Torment

5) King of Cards

CONS: COSTS $40, which fails to match my willingness to pay of ~$20 (that might be setting a relatively quixotic bar when it comes to spending, but the Nintendo eShop intermittently includes surprising deals!). 

“CELESTE: PROS: A platforming title that integrates storytelling alongside interstellar game mechanics and charming visuals --> received a 92/100 on Metacritic, and is only $20!

CONS: Unfamiliarity with developers’ previous works and only supports Single-Player Mode.

(RED-STRIPED SPEECH BUBBLE next to Shovel Knight’s enumeration): :HAS RECEIVED A 91/100 on Metacritic, hence classifying its “universal acclaim” tag.

(Bottom Left/Purple Section): “VERDICT: While both titles certainly garner captivating qualities, the opportunity cost definitely binds my decision even more! Whichever game I choose, it will likely itch my excitement and would startle it with authentic thrills; however, my cross-examination led to an intermediary decision that exploits both sets of pros simultaneously. It turns out that Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope is sold separately (move toward bottom right) and costs $15. The opportunity cost of not getting Celeste... (move to the right of the street, but below Shovel Knight’s list) and the other games bundled with Treasure Trove is still intact, but my salience instantly shifted toward Shovel of Hope.”

Image Description: Toward the bottom left and above the “VERDICT/purple section”, the “FINAL DECISION ERODED opportunity cost from my perspective” was engraved on the street heading toward the other page. The severity of one’s opportunity cost is highly dependent on one’s salience, and because I donned a negligent disposition on Celeste and the other titles listed in Treasure Trove (for now at least), my opportunity cost did not prove to be too costly. Additionally, a byproduct of this road map on purchasing Shovel of Hope meant that I wielded a consumer surplus of $5. 

Image Description: The red-striped bubble next to the Shovel Knight title meanders within the circumference of ulterior considerations, and how “I initially thought that Yacht Club Games, the developer of this title, attempted on tying Shovel of Hope with the other games.” This postulation was effectively debunked once I realized that 1) Yacht Club Games is an Indie developer, meaning their stronghold in the video game industry is miniscule; this therefore means that oligopolistic/monopolistic practices are truly improbable. As was previously stated, this was an ulterior thought, and was an economic observation that I deciphered. 

Stylistic Choice: Why did I construct a concept map that anyone can get easily lost in once they indulge themselves into reading it? This is due to the parochial vision that one asserts when committing economically-oriented decisions, and how there are implicit corollaries to account for when taking such risks. It is easy to get lost in excitement and foreseeing a favorable resultant, yet it is tumultuous to maintain a realistic perception of what might transpire. My sister could have easily rejected my offer if the climate was wholly distinctive, as she would have recouped $100 following the acceptance toward job opportunities. Had I not been explorative enough, I may have been compelled into shelling out a whopping $40 compared to $15, and would likely cogitate on purchasing Celeste instead. Economics suffers from the scourge of inconsistencies, and applying such parables into the experiences I mentioned assisted in the construction of a bridge between Economics and everyday life.

[sheetmusiclibrarypdf]

Kenny Barron - Calypso (sheet music transcription from "Kenny Barron at the Piano" Noten, partition)

Kenny Barron - Calypso (sheet music transcription from "Kenny Barron at the Piano" Noten, partition)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTSdF1s-uoQ

Kenny Barron

“Every time I sit down to play, I try to challenge myself to see if I can come up with something new. If it doesn't happen, fine, but it's the goal I always try to achieve.' Kenny Barron Honored by The National Endowment for the Arts as a 2010 Jazz Master, Kenny Barron has an unmatched ability to mesmerize audiences with his elegant playing, sensitive melodies and infectious rhythms. The Los Angeles Times named him “one of the top jazz pianists in the world” and Jazz Weekly calls him “The most lyrical piano player of our time.” Philadelphia is the birthplace of many great musicians, including one of the undisputed masters of the jazz piano: Kenny Barron. Kenny was born in 1943 and, while a teenager, started playing professionally with Mel Melvin’s orchestra. This local band also featured Barron’s brother Bill, the late tenor saxophonist. While still in high school. Kenny worked with drummer Philly Joe Jones and at age 19, he moved to New York City and freelanced with Roy Haynes, Lee Morgan and James Moody, after the tenor saxophonist heard him play at the Five Spot. Upon Moody’s recommendation, Dizzy Gillespie hired Barron in 1962 without even hearing him play a note. It was in Dizzy’s band where Kenny developed an appreciation for Latin and Caribbean rhythms. After five years with Dizzy, Barron played with Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, Milt Jackson, and Buddy Rich. The early seventies found Kenny working with Yusef Lateef, who Kenny credits as a key influence in his improvisation art. Encouraged by Lateef, to pursue a college education, Barron balanced touring with studies and earned his B.A. in Music from Empire State College, By 1973, Kenny joined the faculty at Rutgers University as professor of music. He held this tenure until 2000, mentoring many of today’s young talents including David Sanchez, Terence Blanchard and Regina Bell. In 1974 Kenny recorded his first album as a leader for the Muse label, entitled “Sunset To Dawn.” This was to be the first of over 40 recordings (and still counting!) as a leader. Following stints with Ron Carter in the late seventies, Kenny formed a trio with Buster Williams and Ben Riley which also worked alongside of Eddie Lockjaw” Davis, Eddie Harris, Sonny Stitt and Harry “Sweets” Edison. Throughout the 80s Barron collaborated with the great tenor saxophonist Stan Getz, touring with his quartet and recording several legendary albums including “Anniversary”, “Serenity” and the Grammy nominated “People Time” Also during the 80s, he co-founded the quartet “Sphere,” along with Buster Williams, Ben Riley and Charlie Rouse. This band focused on the music of Thelonious Monk and original compositions inspired by him. Sphere recorded several outstanding projects for the Polygram label, among them “Four For All” and “Bird Songs.” After the death of Charlie Rouse, the band took a 15-year hiatus and reunited, replacing Rouse with alto saxophonist Gary Bartz. This reunion made its debut recording for Verve Records in 1998. Kenny Barron’s own recordings for Verve have earned him nine Grammy nominations beginning in 1992 with “People Time” an outstanding duet with Stan Getz followed by the Brazilian influenced “Sambao and most recently for “Freefall” in 2002. Other Grammy nominations went to “Spirit Song”, “Night and the City” (a duet recording with Charlie Haden) and “Wanton Spirit” a trio recording with Roy Haynes and Haden. It is important to note that these three recordings each received double-Grammy nominations (for album and solo performance.) His CD, “Canta Brasil” (Universal France) linked Barron with Trio de Paz in a fest of original Brazilian jazz, and was named Critics Choice Top Ten CDs of 2003 by JazzIz Magazine. His 2004 release, Images (Universal France) was inspired by a suite originally commissioned by The Wharton Center at Michigan State University and features multi-Grammy nominated vibraphonist Stefon Harris. The long awaited trio sequel featuring Ray Drummond and Ben Riley, The Perfect Set, Live At Bradley’s, Part Two (Universal France/Sunnyside) was released October 2005. In Spring 2008 Mr. Barron released The Traveler (Universal France), an intoxicating mix of favorite Barron tunes set to lyrics and newly penned compositions. For his first vocal based recording, Barron invited Grady Tate (who sheds his drumsticks for this special appearance), Tony award winner Ann Hampton Calloway and the young phenom Gretchen Parlato, winner of the Thelonious Monk International Competition for Jazz. On “Um Beijo”, Mr. Tate’s warm, leathery voice balanced by Mr. Barron’s poignant touch make for a beautifully textured conversation, underscoring their longtime onboard collaboration. Another Barron original, “Clouds” is a lush vehicle for Ann Hampton Calloway’s romantic pitch-perfect yearnings matched with Barron’s trademark mastery of subtlety. The dramatic “Phantoms” intertwines Parlato’s ephemeral intimacy and syncopatic rhythms in an emotional escapade between Barron’s haunting notes, the West African stylings of guitarist Lionel Loueké, drummer Francisco Mela (who also adds a Cuban flavor to the vocals) and the driving bass of Kiyoshi Kitagawa. The journey continues with the aptly named “Duet” an improvisation with Benin-born Loueké who also joins the trio for a rousing version of Barron’s “Calypso”. A composer who relishes at the moment, Barron’s modern approach is highlighted by alto saxophonist Steve Wilson’s open musings on “Illusion” and “The Traveler” who also brings an urgency to the fun-paced “Speed Trap”. After a successful musical meeting of the minds with bassist Dave Holland, the two masters decided to collaborate on a duet project to be released on Impulse/Universal records in 2014 followed by a tour. Barron consistently wins the jazz critics and readers polls, including Downbeat, Jazz Times and Jazziz magazines. The famed Spanish ceramist Lladro honored Mr. Barron with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, and he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from his alma mater SUNY Empire State in 2013 and from Berklee College of Music in 2011. In 2009, he received the Living Legacy Award from Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation and was inducted into the American Jazz Hall of Fame and won a MAC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. He is a six-time recipient of Best Pianist by the Jazz Journalists Association. Whether he is playing solo, trio or quintet, Kenny Barron is recognized the world over as a master of performance and composition. Read the full article

[unicornery]

For my own amusement, I started tracking how the songs from the Billboard Hot 100 from this week in 1974 have been used in movie soundtracks. Feature Films only people! As you read, you will see the “gimmes” that made me think of the idea, but I’m putting this behind a cut because there ended up being so many which had a soundtrack match. As a reminder, you can follow along as I do the Hot 100 each week corresponding to which classic AT40 and VJ Big 40 get played on SiriusXM ‘70s on 7 and ‘80s on 8 respectively with my ever-changing Spotify playlist. 

100. “Beyond the Blue Horizon” - Lou Christie. This one is a cheat because when I looked it up on Spotify it showed up on the Rain Man soundtrack. The only song I could have told you off the top of my head was in Rain Main is the Belle Stars’ version of “Iko Iko.” Rain Man marked the first soundtrack appearance for Christie’s version. 

98. “The Air That I Breathe” - The Hollies. Very memorable appearance in The Virgin Suicides, which had the score done by, wait for it, French electronica duo Air. The song would go on to be heard in other movies. 

90. “Billy Don’t Be a Hero” - Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods. The Paper Lace version appears in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Both acts topped the charts with the song on opposite sides of the pond: Paper Lace in the UK and Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods in the US. [Update: the BD&H version may be in "To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday"] 

87. “Hollywood Swinging” - Kool & the Gang. This oft-sampled track first appeared in a feature film in the 2005 Get Shorty sequel Be Cool. 

84. “La Grange” - ZZ Top. Armageddon first, followed by others. 

68. “Band on the Run” - Paul McCartney and Wings.  I didn’t search for this at first because I didn’t think there would be anything, but then Jet was on the chart at #27, so I did a twofer search on imdb. Jet has not been in any films (save “One Hand Clapping, a rockumentary on Paul, which I don’t count for purposes of this discussion) but “Band on the Run” appears in The Killing Fields, in a shocking scene that contrasts the light tone of the pop song with the horrors of the Khmer Rouge’s executions of Cambodian citizens. 

66. “For the Love of Money” - The O’Jays. Has been used many times, according to IMDb the first feature film use was the Richard Pryor roman a clef (if I’m using that right, I only know it from Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man) Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling. 

59. “Rock Around the Clock” - Bill Haley and his Comets. Notably used in Blackboard Jungle, the song is on this 1974 chart for its appearance in American Graffiti. 

55. “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo” - Rick Derringer. First one that comes to mind is Dazed and Confused bc I had that soundtrack, but it has been in others.

49. “Love’s Theme” - the Love Unlimited Orchestra. The swirling strings of this song indicate that someone is indeed falling in love. That’s my way of saying, if you think you haven’t heard this, you have. Imdb has it in Mean Girls, among others. 

47. “The Way We Were” - Barbra Streisand. The titular song of the 1973 film The Way We Were, starring Barbra and Robert Redford. A little long, but worth a watch bc Barbra is amazing in it. At the 1974 Academy Awards, Marvin Hamslich won Best Original Song honors for this tune, and was awarded Best Original Dramatic Score for his other musical work on the film. I always think of Lisa Loopner’s big crush on him.  

44. “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” - Stevie Wonder. First feature film usage was the 1998 Eddie Murphy flop Holy Man, which surprised me as it’s such a good song, you’d think it would have been in something earlier. Notable given Eddie’s impression of Stevie Wonder he performed on SNL! 

42. “Rock On” - David Essex. Michael Damian’s cover (or remix as described by Patton Oswalt) was recorded for the 1989 2 Coreys classic Dream a Little Dream, and per imdb, David Essex’s original appears in the alternate-history comedy Dick, from 1999. 

37. “Oh Very Young” - Cat Stevens/Yusef Islam. Surprisingly, this sweet song appears in the gross-out bowling comedy Kingpin. 

36. “Jungle Boogie” - Kool & the Gang. This song may have been used in the most films and tv shows of any I’ve researched so far, but its first appearance was in Pulp Fiction. 

34. “The Payback - Part 1” - James Brown. First feature film appearance was in 1995′s Dead Presidents. A different James Brown track appears on the soundtrack for racist-ass Melly Gibson’s Payback from 1999. 

33. “Help Me” - Joni Mitchell.  Another why’d-it-take-ya-so-long shocker, this mellow tune first appeared in the 2018 sci-fi movie Kin, narrowly beating Welcome to Marwen from 2019. 

31. “The Entertainer” - Marvin Hamlisch. The title theme from the Redford/Newman team-up The Sting. Hamlisch won a record-tying third Academy Award in 1974 for Best Original Score for The Sting.  It seems at this time Best Original Score and Best Original Dramatic Score were separate categories. Hamlisch would win Grammys for both this and “The Way We Were,” eventually becoming an EGOT winner in 1995.

30. “Eres Tú” - Mocedades. This Spanish Eurovision entry notably appears in the buddy comedy Tommy Boy when Chris Farley and David Spade’s characters sing along with the radio. 

28. “Midnight at the Oasis” - Maria Muldaur. Catherine O’Hara and Fred Willard perform their own rendition in the Christopher Guest film Waiting for Guffman. That should be all you need, but imdb has the first film appearance for the song as 1995′s Falcon and the Snowman. 

24. “Let it Ride” - Bachman-Turner Overdrive. This lesser-known but not less great BTO jam has appeared in a handful of films, the first being Ash Wednesday, starring Elijah Wood and directed by Edward Burns and not Garry Marshall. Note: it does not seem to be in the Richard Dreyfuss gambling movie Let It Ride, a classic VHS cover of my youth. 

18. “Mockingbird” - James Taylor and Carly Simon. Memorably performed by Harry and Lloyd in the dog van in Dumb and Dumber, later joined by a Latinx family on guitar and vocals.  Before that, Beverly D’Angelo and Chevy Chase’s characters also sang it on their road trip in National Lampoon’s Vacation. I couldn’t find an instance where James and Carly’s version played in a movie but I am sayin’ there’s a chance. That it could be someday. 

16. “Tubular Bells” - Mike Oldfield. This instrumental is best known for being the theme to The Exorcist, but I was surprised to learn from the Wiki entry that it was not written for the film. Tubular Bells or something that’s meant to sound like it has been in a ton of other things, generally uncredited. Of note: Mike Oldfield would go on to do the score for The Killing Fields. 

14. “Seasons in the Sun” - Terry Jacks. Now here is the type of song that ‘70s haters point to as an example of the whiny wuss rock that they feel over-dominated the era. It’s not one of my favorites but I appreciate it for how weird it is. I suppose being translated into English from a French/Belgian poem will do that to ya. Before I did my search, I imagined I would find it in a Farrelly Brothers movie or two, possibly the Anchorman sequel. However, the only feature film match I found was the 2002 indie flick Cherish, a movie I have never seen despite being confronted by the cover many times at rental places over the years. Before today, when I watched the trailer, I would have told you it starred Jennifer Love Hewitt and was about “a band trying to make it.” It turns out I am thinking of the 1999 film The Suburbans. Anyway Cherish seems aggressively indie and very of-its-time in a way that makes me want to watch it. 

13. “Dancing Machine” - The Jackson 5. The song appears in the Blaxploitation spoof I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, as well as the movie of Starsky & Hutch.

11. “Lookin’ For A Love” - Bobby Womack. This was in the movie of The Ladies Man starring Tim Meadows as his SNL character Leon Phelps. I almost skipped this one but I’m glad I didn’t because Tim Meadows rules.

8. “The Loco-Motion” - Grand Funk Railroad (the single and album it was on are credited to Grand Funk). We have our second song from the Kirsten Dunst/Michelle Williams movie Dick. Since that was satirizing Nixon and Watergate, well done to the filmmakers for including these 1974 hits!  It appeared in one earlier film, My Girl 2. 

5. “Come and Get Your Love” - Redbone. Known to modern listeners for appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy. [Sidebar: if you can find a way to listen to the With Special Guest Lauren Lapkus episode T.G.I.G.O.T.G.OST (Thank God It’s the Guardians of the Galaxy Original Soundtrack) with Sean Clements and Hayes Davenport, do it!] The song first appeared in Dance Me Outside, a Canadian film about First Nations youth, which is a cool parallel with Redbone being composed of Native American musicians. “Come and Get Your Love” is also in Dick! 

4. “Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me” - Gladys Knight & the Pips. Another SNL feature pops up on our list, 1994′s It’s Pat: The Movie. 

3. “Hooked on a Feeling” - Blue Swede. ALSO known to modern listeners as being from the GOTG, but possibly only in the trailer? I’m fuzzy. The song ALSO also appears in Dick, and its first feature film appearance was Reservoir Dogs. 

2. “Bennie and the Jets” - Elton John. You know it, you love it, you cackle at the gag in Mystery Team. IMDb has this song down as first appearing in the low budget feature Aloha, Bobby and Rose, from 1975. It is ALSO in My Girl 2, with proper credit for Sir Elton. 

1. “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)” - MFSB featuring The Three Degrees. IMDb says this appeared in the Al Pacino film Carlito’s Way, and I have no reason to doubt them because it means we are done! Thanks for readin’ and rockin’ along.