The Music Court is expanding. Last year I introduced you all to Jamie Waller, the UK Music Court correspondent, and I know you have all enjoyed his excellent posts. The new year begins with the introduction of Mimi Hong, the new Music Court photographer. Mimi will be snapping concert shots at a variety of New York shows. Look out for her pictures in the new Music Court category “Stage Light Left.” Let’s hear from Mimi.
“My name is Mimi Hong, and I am a photographer originally from the state of Maryland. During the academic year I live in New York City, attending school at New York University. My love of concert photography stemmed from my love of music, and I listen to a broad range of genres, from post progressive, to pop punk, to indie. I am thrilled to be a part of The Music Court, and can’t wait to share my photos!”
Ian McDonald is one of those tremendously talented musicians who has flown under the radar for far too long. Some musicians need the spotlight. Others create music solely for the music. It may seem like a foreign concept to some, but those who master it are true musical kings. McDonald is also…diverse. Yes, that is the correct word. He is a multi-instrumentalist, proficient with the sax, flute, vibraphone, keyboard, and guitar, with a penchant for classical composition. It is this range of musical interests that allowed him to share his talents with several acts, no matter how different they may have been. Thus, McDonald is the subject of today’s “Same Artist, Different Place.” In under a decade, McDonald created two completely different works with two completely different bands.
Let’s start with one of my favorite bands, King Crimson. Despite their short existence, the band created one of the most inventive progressive rock compositions of all time – In The Court of the Crimson King. McDonald served as the main composer for this album, and he also suggested the purchase of a Mellotron which made a triumphant appearance on the album.
Here’s “I Talk to the Wind,” the second track on In The Court of the Crimson King. McDonald’s flute work is most prevalent in this piece. It is a soothing lullaby that features pleasant harmonies and elegant percussion. Listen for McDonald’s classically inspired flute solo at around the 3:00 minute mark. It is a Moody Blues inspired piece, focusing much of its attention on composition and instrumentation – a staple for an expanded progressive rock movement that bands like King Crimson founded. Now, with that fresh in your mind, here is…
Why? Well, Ian McDonald was one of the founding members of the New York City rock band Foreigner. “Feels Like the First Time,” which appears on Foreigner’s eponymous debut album, was released in 1977, eight years after “I Talk to the Wind” appeared on King Crimson’s debut. McDonald played guitar, woodwinds and keyboards in Foreigner. He also provided work on the drums, horns, and vocals on the album. Face it, the man is a musical jack-of-all-trades.
Oh, one more thing, you know the saxophone in T.Rex’s “Get it On (Bang a Gong)?” Yup, Ian McDonald.
This past Sunday night I was in Manhattan seeing a small show featuring two incredibly talented artists. The headliner was Clark, whom I have written about before. He put on one hell of a dance party, showcasing pretty much every single style of electronic known to man. But he is not who I want to talk about. Rather, I would like to focus the spotlight on the artist who opened, named Shigeto.
Shigeto, is a young artist from Michigan, the name being his Japanese middle name. He gained popularity by making bizarre and interesting beats. Here are two of his more popular ones.
The concert started out with him playing his beats for us in good old electronic fashion. He had a small controller which he used to play this one particular high-hat sound. But what really astounded me is when he about 20 minutes into his set sat down at the drum set placed on the stage and began displaying his ridiculous abilities as a jazz-drummer.
I’m pretty sure everyone in the audience including myself was left speechless, managing only maybe the sounds of awe. I was remembering what my friend had said about Shigeto taking Jazz classes. They surely paid off. Only those lucky enough to go out on a Sunday night would know the glory. Even Clark seemed slightly intimidated as it most definitely was a tough act to follow.
Be sure to look out for this aspiring artist in the future, and if he just so happens to be playing a show in your area, I recommend ditching all responsibilities to see it. You won’t regret it.
-oko
&)
P.S. I found a video of him performing live. Enjoy this awesomeness.
Sorry about my sudden disappearance. I just recently graduated, which means that there is this entire transitional phase nonsense I have going on. It still isn’t completely finished, but I definitely have a good sense of what I want to do in life. Astronaut. I also spent this last semester broing out to an unprecedented level. All the smash bros time did not allow for any blogging time, so again I apologize. This band I’ve got here though will hopefully make up for it. ❤
Andrew Jackson Jihad is a folk-punk band from Phoenix Arizona. Their music consists of fast paced sing-along folk songs with over the top depressing and politically incorrect lyrics, which easily get a crowd dancing and excited. I personally think that they are brilliant and that words cannot describe it. I’ll just dump a few youtube videos of their songs and you can see for yourself.
This is one is my personal favorite.
I feel like there is something everyone can enjoy in this man’s clear words and the message that they instill. Music is above all else about the feeling. While they may have political overtones if you really drill down, the words are there mainly to sound nice and to remind you that you’re not the only one with these crazy ideas in your head. Music is about sharing.
Great guitar riffs usually sponsor succesful songs. An excellent guitar riff has the ability to latch on to a listener and make said listener hum it for days. Then, after enough listens (maybe even one), it becomes forever engrained in their minds. So when someone mentions “Smoke on the Water” or “Satisfaction” the mind immediately goes to that hard-hitting electric guitar and that incredible riff. Understandably, some of the most well-known guitarists are responsible for the greatest riffs. Among them are Ritchie Blackmore, who smoked on the water with Deep Purple, and Keith Richards, who could not get any satisfaction with the Rolling Stones. There are many more known guitarists who created timeless riffs. But then there is a certain riff that wasn’t created by a world-famous guitarist, but rather a singer-songwriter whose riff was covered by a British band called The Troggs. The song promptly exploded. It, of course, is “Wild Thing.”
Yes, Chip Taylor is Mr “Wild Thing.” He is also Jon Voight’s brother and, therefore, Angelina Jolie’s uncle. The riff is actually a chord progression and it follows a simple A Major pattern of I, IV, V, IV – or in lettered chord names, A, D, E, D. Most great guitar riffs tend to be easy to play. Remember, it is important to get something recorded that others will want to listen to over and over again. Simplicity is key.
“Wild Thing” was first recorded by Jordan Christopher & The Wild Ones in 1965, but The Troggs absolutely knocked it out of the park with their version. Then, Jimi Hendrix burned the stage, literally, after performing “Wild Thing” and famously setting his guitar on fire at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. “Wild Thing” was also used in the movie “Major League” as the theme song for Charlie Sheen’s character Rick Vaughn.
The riff is unmistakable and mostly no one can tell you who originated it. Now you know. It is Chip Taylor. So the next time you see someone rocking out to the chord progression you can let them know that Angelina Jolie’s uncle is the man behind the song!
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