donaldfagen.com has been updated with a pic. Just go to the front page and then click the NEW! MAGICAL THINKERS by George Townes-link.Once you've pondered the wildlife on that pic, feel free to click this link to see what world famous composer in a brand new interview says the following about a career miss/slump/backlash in the 70's:
"I just took off for a year to live by the beach. I played tennis and did nothing. It was very hard to re-enter. I got strength from listening to Brazilian music and Steely Dan songs."
very funny! the moose reference is also nice, a little bit Swedish too huh?
ReplyDeleteand re: Bacharach, i have always liked his music and played his songs on the piano as a 12 year old and such, but i seriously wondered whether he was suffering of dementia when he applauded the Dutch singer Trijntje Oosterhuis and her renditions of his compositions, released on the Blue Note label. She's accompanied by the Metropole Orchestra who do a really good job as usual, but she just butchers the songs, she really does. I don't really get why so many praise her vocal abilities, she lacks genuine emotion in my book but many think the world of her. she's like a whitney houston or mariah carey, quite a range and she can scream her lungs out, but i have also heard some real mishaps when she sang live, anyway, better stop ranting on such a beautiful saturday morning :-)
Extra special price to Gina for catching the moose/Swedish connection!
ReplyDeleteNot sure I should listen to Trijntje after your description. I hvae tried but still find it hard to get used to Burt singing his own songs. I'd much rather hear the classic versions from Dionne et al.
And it's a whole lot of s-e-r-i-o-u-s-l-y good songs he and Hal David wrote!