Barry's recent posts about his long time musical love for the music of Bruce
Cockburn
really got me rollin'. First I pulled out all of my treasured Cockburn LPs that
I (sadly) had
neglected for many years. Getting reacquainted with the absolute genius that is
Cockburn
provided me with several weeks of pure pleasure. (Thanks Barry.both for
reminding me
and for turning me on to Bruce all those years ago.) Cockburn is again a
regular part of
my playlist.
For those of you who have still not come under the spell of his music, take
your earliest
opportunity and make your move. I'll let Barry report his picks on Bruce
Cockburn for
beginners but I can tell you that you are about to embark on a musical journey
you will
not regret. Personally, I've always been partial to his late 70's albums like
Dancin' In The
Dragon's Jaws, not only because they are unmitigated brilliance but also
because they were
my first exposure to the man.
The second thing that happened was that I began to pull out my two Judee Sill
records.
Those who know me, know that I am a jazz fan through and through.jazz
meaning the
likes of Miles, 'Trane, Bill Evans, Mingus, Grant Green, Wes...on and on. I'm
hopelessly
addicted to the music, going back to the late 60s when the Greenwich Village
jazz mecca
called Slugs (seating capacity maybe 60) finally broke Fillmore East's hold on
me. I recall
watching the latest British wannabe act play for 50 minutes at the Fillmore,
prancing and
preening with all the moves of the day...and making very little memorable music
in the
process. I left, grabbed a cab down to the Village and watched McCoy Tyner's
group blow
the roof off of that little joint until 4 in the morning. I was hooked for good.
Getting back to Judee Sill...Judee made two albums for the then fledgling
Asylum label (in
fact she was Asylum's first signing) in the early 70s. Today she is little
known. Judee led
what can charitably called a VERY troubled life. She had serious drug problems,
primarily
heroin.
But folks, this woman was one of the most inspired and brilliant artists I have
ever heard
in any genre. She was gifted in so many areassinger, songwriter and
arranger. I believe
that David Crosby and Graham Nash were the first to bring Judee to the
attention of music
biz honchos.
Judee wrote (and sang) amazingly complex and beautiful harmonies that will take
your
breath away. Judee was also able to do her own arranging for her music. Amazing
when
you consider that her albums (especially the second) feature lush and complex
orchestral
backing. For those unfamiliar with arranging and orchestration, it means that
you write
out the entire score for each instrument. On her second album she is shown in
the liners
conducting the orchestra. No big deal I suppose to some, but her orchestrations
are
freakin' brilliant by any measure.
It has been noted that she learned her gospel inspired piano style while in
reform school
for writing bad checks.
Judee's first album was simply called Judee Sill. She had a minor hit with a
song from the
album called Jesus Was Crossmaker. (Religion and spirituality are recurring
themes in
Sill's music.) She did some touring to support the album but her personal life
always got in
the way of any real success.
Judee's second album is called Heart Food. It is simply non-stop brilliance
from start to
finish. Listen to the second song (The Kiss) and tell that it isn't one of the
most perfectly
crafted tunes ever created. If I had to pick one LP over the other (which I
would not want to
do) I would pick Heart Food. Over the many years I've been working with
musicians
(mostly jazz and blues) I've been surprised by the number of times Judee Sill's
name has
come up as an example of now forgotten artists whose brilliance continues to
amaze those
who come into contact with the music. (Most recently, jazz guitar great Anthony
Wilson,
whose regular gig is with Diana Krall, told me of being completely blown away
by Sill's
music.)
When Heart Food failed to sell, Judee disappeared from the scene. There were
many death
rumors. Her life spiraled back into various addictions and she finally died in
1979 of
(predictably) a drug overdose.
I believe both albums are still available on CD through Rhino music. If not,
they surely are
available via MP3.
If you love musical surprises as much as I do check out Judee Sills. You will
not be
disappointed and you may well find that you are utterly enchanted and amazed.
