Some Words from the Bird

 Let's step away from the mainstream for a moment. Enough Beatles and Bob Dylan. We are headed back into the realm of jazz. I am still hung up on the Ornette Coleman experience, but this album is far more accessible to the jazz neophyte. It is quite a nice listen, with lots of different facets to the music for the listener to enjoy. The album consists of three tracks for a total run time of thirty three minutes.  First up is "Acknowledgement". It starts off with some fluttering saxophone that gives way to the drums and piano. It returns with the main melody line, and the busy chord structure underneath. He noodles around and the changes seem erratic, but the whole thing melds together into a nice sound, with each element distinct and remarkable in it's own right. The sax is quite busy at times, but rarely shrill, making it easy on the ears. The piano chord changes seem to pick up when the sax melody simplifies, keeping the complexity of the track alive. Then sudden...

 Here we go again. The project has been sidelined by Bob Dylan. I am finding it hard to be enthusiastic about this album, so it has taken a while to sit down and start typing. There are eleven songs and the album runs for forty seven minutes and change. I am finding that I am listening to the first three songs and then my attention is diverting to anything else that is available. As I mentioned before, this guy just doesn't do it for me. But that is part of the fun, right? Here we go...  I knew the title "Subterranean Homesick Blues" before putting on the record, and recognized it instantly. The lyrics seem to be stream of consciousness, phrases that rhyme together, sang in a monotone, with the band chugging along behind. I have no inclination to spend any time at all figuring out what the hell he is talking about. The song is relatively inoffensive, but I'm in no rush to hear it again. Actually, I take that back. I just looked up the lyrics and I get what he's...

 Back again with another album from the Fab Four. The first thing that I have noticed about this album is the use of different sounds and textures than in the earlier Beatles albums. It is apparent that they are maturing as musicians and honing the art of songwriting to a fine point, and also embracing the effects that the studio can deliver in a recording. This is a good album. The songs are short, and the total listening time is just over thirty five minutes.  It starts off with "Drive My Car". The standout feature on this one is the bassline. It is a catchy tune, with nice harmonies and nice lead guitar playing. But the bass sliding around in the background is what grabs my attention. You really get a sense that they are understanding that they can do what they want in the studio, and not adhere to the previous recording standards. Evolution.  Next up is "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown). This song has always intrigued me. The lyrics conjure up a late night, p...

 With trepidation, I press play. I have nine Bob Dylan songs, fifty one minutes of listening, coming my way.  The opening track is familiar; "Like A Rolling Stone" is a pretty good song; so far so good. In fact, Rolling Stone magazine picked this track as number one on their compilation of the Greatest 500 Songs of All Time. I don't necessarily agree with that. But I am listening to it out of context many years later. Undeniably, it had an impact and was instrumental into propelling Dylan to icon status, and apparently was the impetus for a new direction in music, opening doors to new possibilities for following artists. So lets just say the album is off to a pretty good start.    "Tombstone Blues" has some wicked guitar licks, it rambles along like a train barreling down the track. I like this one. The guitarist is Mike Bloomfield, and you can tell he did his time in the blues clubs of South Side Chicago. I was checking out "I'm Not There", ...