April 10 - Claude Bolling (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous postings for April 10th may be found here: Claude Bolling (2019), Eugen d'Albert (2020), Charles Swinnerton Heap (2021), Jorge Mester (2022), Marilyn Maye (2023), and Eugen d'Albert (2024)

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Claude Bolling (10 April 1930 – 29 December 2020) was a jazz pianist  and composer who became extremely popular in the 1970s due to a several crossover recordings made with well-known classical artists, including Jean-Pierre Rampal, Yo-Yo Ma, Pinchas Zukerman, and others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cross Over Crossover

Although the [crossover album with Rampal] drew criticism from both classical and jazz purists as, in the words of one article, “watered-down jazz with a thin classical veneer,” the listening public loved it. – Neil Genzlinger, "Claude Bolling, Jazzman With Crossover Appeal, Dies at 90" (www.nytimes.com)

According to our recent polling,

Neither pressure nor cajoling

Could keep a connoisseur from scrolling

Past a birthday verse extolling

Music by the late Claude Bolling

(Unless they stopped to do some trolling).

 

 

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April 9 - Johann Caspar Kerll; Seaborn McDaniel Denson (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for April 9th may be found here: Giuseppe Tartini (2019), Julian Lennon; Peggy Lennon (2020), Florence Price; Paul Robeson; Lil Nas X (2021), Paolo Tosti (2022), Paolo Tosti (2023), and Florence Price (2024)

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Johann Caspar Kerll (9 April 1627 – 13 February 1693) was a German composer and organist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hair Story

 

Handel frequently borrowed themes and fragments of music from Kerll's works, and Bach arranged the Sanctus movement from Kerll's Missa superba as BWV 241, Sanctus in D major.  -- Wikipedia 

Johann Casper Kerll, whose wig

Was very, very, very big,

Was famous in his time and place,

And then became a model case

Of posthumous descent from grace,

And left behind the merest trace.

We know his work was up to snuff

Since Bach and Handel used his stuff.

The situation seems unfair

To Johann Kasper and his hair.

♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ 

Seaborn McDaniel Denson (9 April 1854 – 18 April 936) was an American musician and singing school teacher within the Sacred Harp tradition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Added Material

 

S. M. Denson wrote most of the alto lines that were added to the 1911 Original Sacred Harp. -- Wikipedia 

Seaborn McDaniel Denson had

A most ambitious plan to add

New alto parts to sharp note songs

For use in shape note singalongs.

When changing three parts into four,

Did Denson find the chore a bore?

Or did it keep old Seaborn sharp

To fiddle with The Sacred Harp?

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Takes: Great Art Repurposed.] 

April 8 - Fred Ebb (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for April 8th may be found here: Giuseppe Tartini (2019), Julian Lennon; Peggy Lennon (2020), Jacques Brel; Franco Corelli (2021), Yip Harburg (2022), Jacques Brel (2023), and Victor Schertzinger (2024)

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Fred Ebb (8 April 1928 – 11 September 2004) was an American musical theater lyricist who had many successful collaborations with composer John Kander.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capitalism 101

When Fred Ebb's lyrics say

That life's a cabaret,

   It may describe the case

   For some.

And yet for more by far

Their life's a corner bar…

   If that's the choice we face,

   How come?

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Takes: Great Art Repurposed.] 

 

April 7 - Percy Faith (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for April 7th may be found here: Charles Burney (2019),  Percy Faith (2020), Billie Holiday (2021), Domenico Dragonetti (2022), and Ravi Shankar (2023)

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Percy Faith (7 April 1908 – 9 February 1976) was a Canadian bandleader, orchestrator, composer, and conductor. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take It on Faith 

Percy Faith wrote loads of lush

  Arrangements meant to calm the mood,

On albums full of tasteful gush,

  But never vulgar, crass, or crude,

Helping folks survive the crush

  When Cold War apprehensions brewed.

 

 

 

(If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.

 [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Tales: Great Art Repurposed.] 

 

 

April 6 - Leo Robin; Alessandro Rolla (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for April 6th may be found here: André Previn (2019), Gheorghe Zamfir (2020), Johann Kuhnau (2021), John Pizzarelli (2022), Johann Kuhnau (2023), and Johann Kuhnau (2024)

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Leo Robin (6 April 1895 – 29 December 1984) was an American lyricist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not a Kiss on the Hand

His many popular standards include "Prisoner of Love," "Louise," "Beyond the Blue Horizon," "Thanks for the Memory," "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," and "A Little Girl from Little Rock."

That diamonds are a girl's best friend

Is not a truth I would defend,

And yet, although the moral's wrong,

The lyrics make a lively song.

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Alessandro Rolla (6 April 1757 [thus in Baker's Biographical dictionary of Musicians, 8th ed.; Wikipedia has 23 April, while Italian Wikipedia has 22 December] – 14 September 1841) was an Italian viola and violin virtuoso, composer, conductor, and teacher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rolla Coaster

This intense virtuosity was a new innovation for viola technique, practically unheard of in previous times. Bertini, a historian of his time, reported that Rolla was prohibited from playing in public because women could not hear him without fainting or suffering attacks of nerves. – Wikipedia

Alessandro Rolla,

Who played the viola,

  Exploited technique to the max;

The way that he'd play

In salons of the day

  Was not a good way to relax.

Excitement descended

On those that attended,

  Resulting in nervous attacks.

 

 

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Takes: Great Art Repurposed.]