The Music Thread.

[Mack The Knife]

I see this quite often on some forums but don't believe I have seen one here.

Helps expand our horizons if one has an open mind, though I seem to fail when it comes to a lot of the modern stuff.

However, go ahead and post a link to whatever you like.

I'll start with two of my favourite female pianists:

Hiromi Uehara -

and

Martha Argerich -

[Mack The Knife]

Mission Impossible:

For the Star War fans:

This one's for Vikram: Pretty crappy.

[Mack The Knife]

Perfidia:

Still have the LP but would love to get the CD version and more of Pepe's music, if anyone knows where.

[Vikram]

Excellent thread,Mack.

[essdee1972]

Thanks, Mack. Nice music! Unfortunately, I am not into youtube for music. More of a "beg, borrow, steal" guy!

[brihacharan]

If Music be the Food for the Soul - Then Play On

Thanks Mack
Briha

[Mack The Knife]

Cheers fellas! Did not realise anyone had posted.

Just saw this military tattoo featuring the Gurkhas and probably my favourite tune as a wee tot - Zorba The Greek. It comes at the end.

[Mack The Knife]

Summertime.

[Mack The Knife]

Clapton's 'Layla', with a twist.

[dev]

Hi Mack,

Thanks for the Star wars theme. Here is one from me...a movie that you starred in .

[Mack The Knife]

That's a welcome change! I was expecting The Adventures of Robin Hood.....

That video is reputed to have a virus, hence, I have editted the link. However, if someone still wants to see it, add ' -s ' at the end of the link.

[timmy]

Rusty, I thought that the Lalo Schifrin Mission Impossible theme was incredible!

The Gurkhas: Their perfection and the impression I got from their performance, was, I thought, quite wonderful.

Clapton's Layla was superb - I have heard other jazz versions, but this one was quite nice.

A bit of an opinion: When I hear young people talk about Clapton, it seems often to be an obligatory obeisance with little or no true appreciation for him. Very few seem to understand that the group Cream included two other musicians with talents worthy of the same respect: Jack Bruce on bass is one of the very finest ever, in the ranks (in my opinion, of course) as such luminaries as Jack Casady and John Entwistle. Ginger Baker is a drummer with incredible talent, which is recognized by many other fine musicians. Now, I hear a lot of Clapton this and Clapton that, but I seldom get a sense of real appreciation when I hear it -- it's almost as if people are only parroting what is expected of them.

Thanks for sharing these. I'd like to add a couple of my very favorites.

[timmy]

First, there's Ignacy Jan Paderewski playing Chopin's Nocturne in E flat Major Opus 9 No. 2.

Paderewski was a man whose life was beset by tragedy, losing his young wife at the birth of his son and then, his son as a young man to polio. He is said to be the first "superstar," touring and performing alone when it was the custom for two or three virtuosos to perform together on a program. He became fantastically wealthy, playing for the likes of Queen Victoria and President Teddy Roosevelt, and gave most of his fortune away to hospitals, orphanages, and the cause of Polish Independence.

I often listen to this when I'm in a poor frame of mind, as I find it imparts a sense of peace, and then confident strength.

[youtube][/youtube]

Then, I love this traditional Mexican song by Selena. It is said that African American performers have "soul" a certain unique quality and feel to their music. Hispanic performers have something like that, and although I don't have a name for it, Selena gets that feeling across very strongly in this song, Tu, Solo Tu. When I listen to this, I get the strong feeling of being in a smokey cantina, listening to the cry of a Mexicana pouring out her wounded heart.

Selena was a most remarkable young woman. She began to perform at 9 years old, in local restaurants, with her brother and sister. She was English speaking, and learned Spanish to sing these songs. It is common for Mexicans to look down on Mexican Americans who moved away, but Selena was a real phenomenon, as she had a tremendous following on both sides of the border. Before she was killed, she started her own line of fashion,, and she was a huge influence on many young girls who benefit from her example. So she, too, is a hero of mine.

The great Linda Ronstadt did a version of this same song; it sounds very staid and tame compared to the raw emotion Selena's.

[youtube][/youtube]

[Mack The Knife]

Timmy, you are right about 'names' often overshadowing colleagues. I may just have a couple of Claptons at home. On a recent weekend visit to Chennai, my sons surprised me by playing a couple of tunes within a few hours of getting their hands on my friend's son's guitar. Clapton was self taught if I recall correctly.

I will look up some more of Selena's music. This being the first time I have heard her. Thanks.

That was a wonderful version of Chopin's Nocturne. Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, especially the first movement, has the same soothing and uplifting effect as Chopin's Nocturn.

Here's a talented young lady playing the same

Debussy's Clair de Lune is another piece that calms me down.

Then there is Fur Elise , Greensleeves, Ave Maria (any of the three versions), Abide With Me and on and on. Wonderful stuff!

Incidentally, Abide With Me was one of Mahatma Gandhi's favourites and even today it is played at the end of Beating The Retreat. Never fails to choke me up. You can watch the entire ceremony here - , , ,

[Mack The Knife]

Abide With Me, with lyrics.