Random Music Thoughts

warren zevon.jpg

ON THIS DATE (20 YEARS AGO)
September 7, 2003 - Warren Zevon (b. January 24, 1947) died of peritoneal mesothelioma (a form of cancer associated with exposure to asbestos) at the age of 56.

Warren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his sometimes-sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical themes.
Zevon's work has often been praised by well-known musicians, including Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Neil Young. His best-known compositions include "Werewolves of London", "Lawyers, Guns and Money", "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" and "Johnny Strikes Up The Band", all of which are featured on his third album, Excitable Boy (1978). Other well-known songs written by Zevon have been recorded by other artists, including "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" (a top 40 hit by Linda Ronstadt), "Accidentally Like a Martyr", "Mohammed's Radio", "Carmelita", and "Hasten Down the Wind".

Along with his own compositions, Zevon recorded or performed occasional covers, including Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" and Leonard Cohen's "First We Take Manhattan". He was a frequent guest on Late Night with David Letterman and the Late Show with David Letterman. Letterman later performed guest vocals on "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)" with Paul Shaffer and members of the CBS Orchestra on Warren Zevon's My Ride's Here album.

DEATH
In interviews, Zevon described a lifelong phobia of doctors and said he seldom received medical assessment. Shortly before playing at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival in 2002, he started feeling dizzy and developed a chronic cough. After a period of suffering with pain and shortness of breath, Zevon was encouraged by his dentist to see a physician; he was diagnosed with inoperable peritoneal mesothelioma (a form of cancer associated with exposure to asbestos). Refusing treatments he believed might incapacitate him, Zevon instead began recording his final album, The Wind, which includes guest appearances by close friends including Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley, Jackson Browne, Timothy B. Schmit, Joe Walsh, David Lindley, Billy Bob Thornton, Emmylou Harris, Tom Petty, Dwight Yoakam, and others. It has been said that the decision to include "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" was his, much to the dismay of the others in the project. At the request of the music television channel VH1, documentarian Nick Read was given access to the sessions; his cameras documented a man who retained his mordant sense of humor, even as his health was deteriorating over time.

On October 30, 2002, Zevon was featured on the Late Show with David Letterman as the only guest for the entire hour. The band played "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" as his introduction. Zevon performed several songs and spoke at length about his illness. Zevon was a frequent guest and occasional substitute bandleader on Letterman's television shows since Late Night was first broadcast in 1982. He noted, "I might have made a tactical error in not going to a physician for 20 years." It was during this broadcast that, when asked by Letterman if he knew something more about life and death now, he first offered his oft-quoted insight on dying: "Enjoy every sandwich." He also took time to thank Letterman for his years of support, calling him "the best friend my music's ever had". For his final song of the evening, and his final public performance, Zevon performed "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" at Letterman's request. In the green room after the show, Zevon presented Letterman with the guitar that he always used on the show, with a single request: "Here, I want you to have this, take good care of it." The day after Zevon's death, Letterman paid tribute to Zevon by replaying his performance of Mutineer from his last appearance. The Late Show band played Zevon's songs throughout the night.

Zevon stated previously that his illness was expected to be terminal within months after the diagnosis in the fall of 2002; however, he lived to see the birth of twin grandsons in June 2003 and the release of The Wind on August 26, 2003. Owing in part to the first VH1 broadcasts of Nick Read's documentary Warren Zevon: Keep Me In Your Heart, the album reached number 16 on the US charts, Zevon's highest placement since Excitable Boy. When his diagnosis became public, Zevon told the media that he just hoped to live long enough to see the next James Bond movie, a goal he accomplished. Coincidentally, the film was titled Die Another Day.

Warren Zevon died on September 7, 2003, aged 56, at his home in Los Angeles, California. The Wind was certified gold by the RIAA in December 2003 and Zevon received five posthumous Grammy nominations, including Song of the Year for the ballad "Keep Me In Your Heart". The Wind won two Grammys, with the album itself receiving the award for Best Contemporary Folk Album, while "Disorder in the House", Zevon's duet with Bruce Springsteen, was awarded Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal. These posthumous awards were the first Grammys of Zevon's thirty-plus year career. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered into the Pacific Ocean near Los Angeles.
 
axolotl said:
View attachment 10220

ON THIS DATE (20 YEARS AGO)
September 7, 2003 - Warren Zevon (b. January 24, 1947) died of peritoneal mesothelioma (a form of cancer associated with exposure to asbestos) at the age of 56.

Warren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his sometimes-sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical themes.
Zevon's work has often been praised by well-known musicians, including Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Neil Young. His best-known compositions include "Werewolves of London", "Lawyers, Guns and Money", "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" and "Johnny Strikes Up The Band", all of which are featured on his third album, Excitable Boy (1978). Other well-known songs written by Zevon have been recorded by other artists, including "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" (a top 40 hit by Linda Ronstadt), "Accidentally Like a Martyr", "Mohammed's Radio", "Carmelita", and "Hasten Down the Wind".

Along with his own compositions, Zevon recorded or performed occasional covers, including Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" and Leonard Cohen's "First We Take Manhattan". He was a frequent guest on Late Night with David Letterman and the Late Show with David Letterman. Letterman later performed guest vocals on "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)" with Paul Shaffer and members of the CBS Orchestra on Warren Zevon's My Ride's Here album.

DEATH
In interviews, Zevon described a lifelong phobia of doctors and said he seldom received medical assessment. Shortly before playing at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival in 2002, he started feeling dizzy and developed a chronic cough. After a period of suffering with pain and shortness of breath, Zevon was encouraged by his dentist to see a physician; he was diagnosed with inoperable peritoneal mesothelioma (a form of cancer associated with exposure to asbestos). Refusing treatments he believed might incapacitate him, Zevon instead began recording his final album, The Wind, which includes guest appearances by close friends including Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley, Jackson Browne, Timothy B. Schmit, Joe Walsh, David Lindley, Billy Bob Thornton, Emmylou Harris, Tom Petty, Dwight Yoakam, and others. It has been said that the decision to include "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" was his, much to the dismay of the others in the project. At the request of the music television channel VH1, documentarian Nick Read was given access to the sessions; his cameras documented a man who retained his mordant sense of humor, even as his health was deteriorating over time.

On October 30, 2002, Zevon was featured on the Late Show with David Letterman as the only guest for the entire hour. The band played "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" as his introduction. Zevon performed several songs and spoke at length about his illness. Zevon was a frequent guest and occasional substitute bandleader on Letterman's television shows since Late Night was first broadcast in 1982. He noted, "I might have made a tactical error in not going to a physician for 20 years." It was during this broadcast that, when asked by Letterman if he knew something more about life and death now, he first offered his oft-quoted insight on dying: "Enjoy every sandwich." He also took time to thank Letterman for his years of support, calling him "the best friend my music's ever had". For his final song of the evening, and his final public performance, Zevon performed "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" at Letterman's request. In the green room after the show, Zevon presented Letterman with the guitar that he always used on the show, with a single request: "Here, I want you to have this, take good care of it." The day after Zevon's death, Letterman paid tribute to Zevon by replaying his performance of Mutineer from his last appearance. The Late Show band played Zevon's songs throughout the night.

Zevon stated previously that his illness was expected to be terminal within months after the diagnosis in the fall of 2002; however, he lived to see the birth of twin grandsons in June 2003 and the release of The Wind on August 26, 2003. Owing in part to the first VH1 broadcasts of Nick Read's documentary Warren Zevon: Keep Me In Your Heart, the album reached number 16 on the US charts, Zevon's highest placement since Excitable Boy. When his diagnosis became public, Zevon told the media that he just hoped to live long enough to see the next James Bond movie, a goal he accomplished. Coincidentally, the film was titled Die Another Day.

Warren Zevon died on September 7, 2003, aged 56, at his home in Los Angeles, California. The Wind was certified gold by the RIAA in December 2003 and Zevon received five posthumous Grammy nominations, including Song of the Year for the ballad "Keep Me In Your Heart". The Wind won two Grammys, with the album itself receiving the award for Best Contemporary Folk Album, while "Disorder in the House", Zevon's duet with Bruce Springsteen, was awarded Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal. These posthumous awards were the first Grammys of Zevon's thirty-plus year career. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered into the Pacific Ocean near Los Angeles.
Click to expand...
Keep him alive in your heart.
 
axolotl said:
Rick, could you go into the subreddit about the spelling of Gilmour/Gilmore and actually point out to the unassembled masses (hoi polloi) that there is in fact a guitarist named David Gilmore? He plays Jazz.

P. S. Jazzy and I would really appreciate it. k?thx.bai.
Click to expand...
Thanx!!!!

And by the way, David GilmoRE is fantastic and on my must-see-live list.
 
I just posted about listening now to Woody Shaw and Freddie Hubbard, where I commented they were two of my all-time favorite trumpeteers. That reminded me of the other day when I saw a poll that asked for respondents' top five tenor saxophonists, with the implication being of all time. I wanted to jump right in and did, but soon drew up short.

Sure, I could choose from the old fogie list of widely accepted musicians, focusing on the ones I know and like best. Coltrane, Henderson, Rollins, Shorter, blah blah yada. But I always include musicians across the decades because I feel like a liar to omit guys like Joshua Redman who are among those I listen to most and most enjoy.

Then it becomes a number crunch trying to stop at five. Coltrane and Henderson have to make it. So do Washington Jr and Redman. And where does that leave Brecker, Shorter, Branford, McCaslin, Potter, Carter, Murray, Garrett and a dozen others?

And now I'm thinking about referring to my top5 trumpeteers and I'm at the same roadblock. Five simply doesn't do justice to the affinity I have for so many trumpeteers. Of course my list includes Hubbard and Morgan. Though I don't listen to them often enough I enjoy them immensely and have to go back and include Parker, Baker and Farmer. And there's no way I can leave off Shaw, Harrell, Hargrove and another ten musicians.

So that's my random music thought this morning. I suck at top5 lists because I don't know of a definitive way to determine who is the best in my eyes when they're all so great.
 
JazzyRandy said:
I just posted about listening now to Woody Shaw and Freddie Hubbard, where I commented they were two of my all-time favorite trumpeteers. That reminded me of the other day when I saw a poll that asked for respondents' top five tenor saxophonists, with the implication being of all time. I wanted to jump right in and did, but soon drew up short.

Sure, I could choose from the old fogie list of widely accepted musicians, focusing on the ones I know and like best. Coltrane, Henderson, Rollins, Shorter, blah blah yada. But I always include musicians across the decades because I feel like a liar to omit guys like Joshua Redman who are among those I listen to most and most enjoy.

Then it becomes a number crunch trying to stop at five. Coltrane and Henderson have to make it. So do Washington Jr and Redman. And where does that leave Brecker, Shorter, Branford, McCaslin, Potter, Carter, Murray, Garrett and a dozen others?

And now I'm thinking about referring to my top5 trumpeteers and I'm at the same roadblock. Five simply doesn't do justice to the affinity I have for so many trumpeteers. Of course my list includes Hubbard and Morgan. Though I don't listen to them often enough I enjoy them immensely and have to go back and include Parker, Baker and Farmer. And there's no way I can leave off Shaw, Harrell, Hargrove and another ten musicians.

So that's my random music thought this morning. I suck at top5 lists because I don't know of a definitive way to determine who is the best in my eyes when they're all so great.
Click to expand...
There is something that impels people to quantify the unquantifiable. Here's an article ranking the Top 10 Impressionist Painters. :meh:

impressionistarts.com

Impressionist Painters | ImpressionistArts

Every impressionist painter was unique. Though united in their aim of taking art in a new, radical direction, they each had their own…
impressionistarts.com impressionistarts.com

This is closely related to the phenomenon that occurred when our friend told Alexa the other night "play Miles Davis" for us. I genuinely appreciated his consideration (he and his partner are not really into music) . But "she" played three tracks from "Kind Of Blue", then "My Funny Valentine", thereby replicating Spotify's "most popular songs" based on their play count. I fear that the streaming revolution will leave us with more "Most Popular" lists and fewer deep dives for artists from the past.

I would find it impossible to name my top five anything musically. :confused:
 
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