Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong, "Do You Know What It Means?":
In 1947, the movie "New Orleans" featured a number of jazz greats performing songs interspersed with the rest of the plot. A few of the songs can be found on YouTube, and the best of the lot is this clip of Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong — along with several other important early jazz musicians — performing "Do You Know What It Means?" It's a short clip, under two minutes, mostly featuring Billie. Check it out:
It was also the theme for an unfortunately short-lived TV series called "Frank's Place."
What's so interesting to me about Holiday is that (a) she is so obviously great, but (b) it's actually quite difficult to explain why, in a way that actually conveys that greatness with any precision.
Interesting point. I tend to think it's because she uses her voice like an instrument, and it's a pretty interesting instrument. (No, I'm not pretending that's precise...)
And she conveys such great emotion. Ella clearly had better pipes, but her versions just sound beautiful, while Billie brought such feeling to the songs.
was the clarinetist (barney bigard maybe) creole or white? i know there were integrated groups at this time, although i was surprised to see that they were putting them in major motion pictures (if indeed the clarinetist is white)?
it's a nice song, and nice to see the two performing together, but neither was performing as the force of nature each was capable of. of course the composition didn't call for it, but i just get disappointed whenever louis doesn't get that uptempo lilt going.
on a completely unrelated note, i just watched cachet (hidden) and when i turned it off, braveheart was on the movie channel. juliet binoche stars in both - wow, what a change.
Amen. As some famous composer or classical singer (I can't remember who it was) said about gospel great Mahalia Jackson:
"She breathes in all the wrong places and it comes out perfect."
To SenatorX about not really liking jazz: I know the feeling, I guess, about certain kinds of jazz. I was in a rock band many years ago, and our guitarist described his dislike of many forms of jazz as "when I'm supposed to be enjoying music, I shouldn't have to work that hard." On the other hand, he would spend endless hours dissecting solos by Earl Klugh or George Benson, or many other jazz guitarists.
But there's nothing difficult or chaotic about Lady Day, or Satchmo. And I'm sorry about the losers you've run into that love jazz. I'm guessing there was a level of pretensiousness in those folks that you found a bit nauseating, as would I.
I think this is essentially the Soccer Problem, in a different venue.
I think you're right. Different venue, but, I'm afraid, many of the same faces....
That being said, I don't think you have to appreciate the innovativeness of modal progression to like satchmo, and if you like someone like thelonious monk, you get it on the first listen. My brother's a professional musician and i'm an ex (sorta) music critic-type, but I don't pretend to appreciate all the technical attributes of the music. That being said, like any musical genre, there's certainly a glimmer of genius there for everyone. It's just annoying when people insist on the virtue of jazz to the exclusion of other musical appreciation.
It may surprise you to know that in addition to being a "flaming liberal" I have played jazz drums since I was 12 and still play with a group today at age 78. During college I traveled to Europe with a jazz group and played for a summer at a Paris jazz club and sat in with some of the world's greatest jazz musicians. When I was young, Zutty Singleton was one of my favorites, but when Buddy Rich came along there was no one else who could touch him. I frequently heard Barney Bigard play at Nick's in New York. Those who don't love jazz don't know what they are missing!