This Day in Music Happy Birthday to Austria’s “Chet Baker” Michaela Rabitsch!!
Today March 8th Austria’s only and top female jazz trumpet player Michaela Rabitsch celebrates her ?????? birthday, Michaela is a singer, composer and is called a modern-day female Chet Baker by the US magazine Jazzscene!! She calls Weyer, Oberosterreich, Austria her hometown and currently Vienna is home. She has started her musical journey at 7 studying classical violin, at 14 she moved to Vienna to continue her studies. She switched to trumpet and studies for jazz- and popular music at the Bruckner conservatory Linz (now Anton Bruckner private University) with Ingrid Jensen, Peter Tuscher and classical trumpet with Fritz Handlbaue. Over the years she has played in a variety of groups and individuals. Most recently she has concentrated on her own compositions played together in quartet or duo with Robert Pawlik. They have released to CDs as a duo Moods and their latest release Voyages. This afternoon I downloaded Voyages and gave it a listen – this is one terrific duo! According to their website:
An Eclectic Morning PLaylist ends with Paul Thorn’s “Honky Tonk Neanderthal”! (Video)
This Day in Music – March 5, 1951 – The First Rock"n" Roll Recording?? – "Rocket 88"
So on this date March 5, 1951 several months before I was born, Ike Turner recorded the song “Rocket 88″ a song that many musicologists regard as the first rock”n” roll record!! The song was recorded for Sam Phillips at his Memphis Recording Service, which would later become Sun Records, in Memphis , Tennessee. The record was credited to Jackie Brenston and his Kings of Rhythm but that band did not actually exist! The song had been put together by Ike Turner… From Wikipedia:
This Day in Music – March 5, 1951 – The First Rock”n” Roll Recording?? – “Rocket 88”
So on this date March 5, 1951 several months before I was born, Ike Turner recorded the song “Rocket 88″ a song that many musicologists regard as the first rock”n” roll record!! The song was recorded for Sam Phillips at his Memphis Recording Service, which would later become Sun Records, in Memphis , Tennessee. The record was credited to Jackie Brenston and his Kings of Rhythm but that band did not actually exist! The song had been put together by Ike Turner… From Wikipedia:
The Safari Discovers More Ethiopian Music from the Addis Acoustic Project – Tewesta!!
If
you’re like me and long for Ethiopian music to be like it was in my childhood in the 1950s and 60s, back when Ethiopia’s pop music of this era predominantly featured acoustic instruments such as the mandolin, accordion, clarinet, and double bass, played along with traditional instruments such as the “Kirar”, “Kebero”, “Washint” and”Massinko”. Then you’ll love the new album from the Addis Acoustic Project, Tewesta (Remembrance)!! The album brings back that old music but in a new light! Of course I am kidding – but I have listened to the album a couple of times and I must say that I like it!!
Jason Marsalis – Vibes the Marsalis Way!!
Instrument:Vibraphone Born: March 4, 1977
So a while back I came across the album In a World of Mallets by Jason Marsalis. I listened to the album because the lead instrument was a vibraphone and not because of the name Marsalis. In fact I didn’t even make the connection until today, when I was reading about Jason, who is celebrating birthday thirty-seven (37) Soon when I read that Jason was in fact the youngest of the famous Marsalis family led by father Ellis and includes brothers Wynton, Bradford and Delfeayo! I felt a little better when I read at All About Jazz that…..
New Jazz from Saxophonist Vincent Herring – The Uptown Shuffle!!
Vincent Herring – The Uptown Shuffle
So the other day I wrote about the great Dexter Gordon, today I’ll move to a contemporary saxophonist, but still a great one – Vincent Herring. I’ve been listening to Herring’s latest release The Uptown Shuffle for a couple of weeks now and I think I like it more and more each time I listen.
100% Foot Stompin’ Cigar Box Rock n’ Roll from Laguna Beach’s – The Budrows!
So I like musicians like Seasick Steve and Ben Prestage and others, who make music on handmade instruments. Now you can add the name Jason Farthing to that list. Jason is one-third of the band The Budrows, who classify their music as “Home Made Cigar Box Swamp Rock and Roll” or “100% Foot Stompin’ Cigar Box Rock n’ Roll”. Farthing set out to build his first cigar-box guitar after seeing a picture of one in an antiques magazine. First he got a cigar box from a friend and then he gathered what he thought he needed and set about making one – instructions were not included! He was surprised, when the first one worked, and soon he was making another and perfecting his craft! After making a few guitars, the Drawing and Graphic Design student (at Colorado State University) came out in him, and he realized, that he could use the box top as a canvas and create playable art and that’s just what he did!! Here’s an example of his work!! You can see more here at soundboxguitars.com
