Nerd Pride Radio

Sarah Vaughn?

Oooh, that's definitely a blind spot for me! Yes, please.

Ella Fitgerald
Here's NPR's list of Ella articles for this week:
https://www.npr.org/series/747573488/el ... the-tables
My previous knowledge: Johnny Mercer songbook, some of her work with Louis Armstrong, the Tisket song, and other american songbook classics.

There's a debate between my wife and I over if our first song at our wedding was to "Cheek to Cheek" or "Our Love is Here to Stay" but we are pretty sure it was Ella and Louis.

Goal: Listen to a good greatest hits album and probably fully listen to her Louis collabs.

Awesome! I haven't seen these yet at NPR, looks really interesting.

I added links above to the previous weeks articles and playlists. I've successfully listened repeatedly to some Bessie Smith and Carter Family but have trailed off on the other two and need to catch up.

There's a peculiar wonderfulness of the Ella & Louis collabs, with her warm and perfect voice and his weird raspy and bluesy voice, is facinating when it works and even when it doesn't.

This good read on their collaboration calls it...
https://longreads.com/2016/11/07/the-st ... ars-later/

"Whipped Cream and Sandpaper"

Going through potential Ella albums is exhausting, because there's some, just based on the image alone, wouldn't be worth investigating.

You got the rights to Ella's songs but can't put in an extra few bucks to get an actual photo of Ella? Lame.

But then I came across a friendly view. "The Chronological" is not interested in greatest hits, but giving you their entire output for a time period, prior to the advent of the album, and that's exactly what I want.
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list ... piK1wGrrPE
This is as close as we get to what a Ella album from 1947 would sound like. I have listened to similar ones with Duke Ellington and was happy with the results here too.

There's a really good one with Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass, showcases another side of both their talents!

Will check that out -- looks like they have few albums to choose from.

LOVE THIS

I've found places (including above) where it says the "Ray Charles Singers" are playing with them. That makes me really excited to hear who might be playing the nice piano or the BLISTERING organ on this. Investigating... I want to know the story of this song.

Update 1: dangnabit, wrong Ray Charles.


Update 2:
"He self-deprecatingly billed himself as "the other Ray Charles" in a humorous tribute to the blues singer with whom he worked on several occasions." OK he's won me back. Also wikipedia says he recommended Ray sing "America the Beautiful" which is a huge legacy if true.

Update 3:
Bill Doggett was on organ. Oooh worked with The Ink Spots and Louis Jordan and may have written/cowritten "Saturday Night Fish Fry", one of the best jump blues (early rock) songs.

ahhhhhh I LOVE her and can't wait to see which ones you go through! My first big exposure to her was in 2011 when I sat through the whole Ken Burns jazz series while nursing a baby, and would play various selections mentioned along the way. Then I started researching her life story and she's just amazing.

Oooh, any recommendations thank you

I did watch Jazz so I must've heard her music. I mostly remember Louis Armstrong, Winton's commentary, more Louis, Benny Goodman's anger stare, more Louis, Louis Jordan singing Caledonia...

Been busy week and missed out on really deep diving into Mary Lou Williams, but I did like what I heard. Ah well, but this happens, and will happen.

Onward to Celia Cruz, who is amazing.



Meanwhile, the Ella album in the car is a hit with the kids, with my three year old happily singing "A Tisket A Tasket" around the house and asking me 'what do the guys sing'? (The answer: "So do we! So do we! So do we! So do we!")

Running a bit behind on these weeks, so I'm only now onto Sister Rosetta, and she's lots of fun.


https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=hwGsf ... ture=share

This is a good mix of the two styles of music if heard from her, gospel blues and jump blues. Has the benefit of some hi fidelity, some fun call and response, and her ace guitar work.

When you take jump blues, strip away the brass, and let the guitar lead, like Rosetta does here in 1944(!!) what you invent is so obviously Rock n Roll.



Next week: anticipating their possible Rock Hall nomination this Tuesday, going full on-in with The Go-Gos Week, will be listening to their entire discography as well some Belinda and Jane's solo stuff.

Surprised how pop Jane Weidlen's stuff is, given I always figured her to be the more punk of the group. Was thinking I'd here more power pop or punk pop, but instead it's mostly... pop!

Sometimes the pop is undeniably great, like "Rush Hour" but most are just fine.


Here's a rare one that sounds like what I expected from her. Pop, but with a noticable post-punk and jangly REM alternative feel that I really like from the GoGos. Just jangle that guitar, and I'm in.



I was led to believe that Beauty and the Beat was the best GoGos, but I am really digging Talk Show and there's much of Vacation I really like too. It's almost like any band with this influence, this attitude, and this high quality catalog would be a shoo-in at the Rock Hall...

Right? She had the formula, all it had to be was secularized and then for white people to play it and years later there's buildings for the best people who have ever played it and she didn't get in until two years ago.

Talk Show track by track
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list ... VG0ToCBsNk

Head Over Heals - joyous (even though the lyrics aren't), one of their best.
Turn to You - Brandi has her vocals down here, might be one of her best performances. Reminds me a lot of their successors The Bangles with their ace songcrafting but still has a bit of punk in there still. Another great.
You Thought - a very silly keyboard riff that I kinda wish was a guitar riff starts this one off, but once it is shed, it's very good. The bass is great in this one.
Beneath the Blue Sky - want to say "good but forgettable" but I feel forgettable is a poor review for songs, which are meant to be played repeatedly. If I forget it after the 10th listen, then we have a problem.
Forget That Day - I love when they build moody songs in their punky way. Dunno if all the parts go together, but all the parts of this song are good.
I'm the Only One - sounds like it's hella-fun in a live setting, and given I've listen to a bunch of live GoGos, I may have already heard this live and loved it.
Yes Or No - Well this just pretty much defines pop rock. I don't know how they turned such distorted crunches into confectionary, but they did, and good for them!
Capture the Light - A bit harder (more growling and screaming from Brandi!) in the verses, and then pop hooks through the chorus. Surprised this wasn't a single (though maybe it would have been given they broke up during the promotion for Talk Show).



I'm With You - sounds exactly like a song that appears near the end of an album. Again, won't say forgettable out of respect.
Mercenary - That's how you break up the GoGos, great final song. Try something a bit different that still stays true to your MO. Sounds equal parts classic rock and something light-alternative 10,000 Maniacs would have recorded. (immediately searches to see if 10,000 Maniacs covered this -- nope -- though they did sing the word "mercenary" in one of their songs, which I think is close enough to prove my point).

Squeeeeeeee I'm so excited for Chaka Khan week! Ask Rufus, full album? I don't know if that's the best in terms of "hits" like "Ain't Nobody" or "Do You Love What You Feel", but it's such a mellow album, such an interesting mix of styles.

Chaka Khan also has some unusual gems like this one with all-star backing vocals:



It's like, bathtub music, that you would either listen to in the bath, that would make you want to take a relaxing bath, or that makes you feel that you currently are bathing with some kind of frothing lavender bomb even if you're actually wiping up the kitchen floor, ugh.

Her voice on this version gives out those goosebumps: