In order to devote myself to blogging, I have to make sure there aren't any kids around. The last week has given me plenty of kid distractions with fake holidays like, President's Day. And then there was a sickness and a snow day. I put on Bill Evans with Jim Hall Intermodulation several times over the last week. It provided great background noise, but I just couldn't immerse myself into it like I wanted, in order to write about it. While listening to vinyl records gets my inner music snobbishness going, I am not liking the fact that I have to get back to the turntable every 10-20 minutes to flip the record over. Small price to pay, I guess, for the honor to hear these original recordings that my Dad loved so much.

I noticed some of my favorite composer's songs were on the first side. I kept waiting to hear a familiar tune. It took a few listens for me to recognize "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "My Man's Gone Now." The way these tunes were rearranged and played made them brand new songs to me. I love Porter and Gershwin so much and it was a treat to hear such imaginative interpretations.

The girls liked Intermodulation and immediately asked me if it was samba music. It's funny to get 10-year old's reaction to jazz on top of my journey. Based on my limited ear for samba, my immediate answer was that this was not samba. Then I saw that one of the songs was called "Jazz Samba." I checked my Stan Getz records and the album, Jazz Samba does not include a song of the same title. I was hoping to hear the same song by two different artists playing completely different instruments. This hasn't happened yet, but I'll be strangely thrilled when it does. I hear the samba time on "Jazz Samba." But my dog did not get up and dance with me. Wonder if he is just a Getz fan instead of a samba fan? This samba was faster and pointier than Getz's delicate samba.

I am the daughter of a pretty fabulous piano playing mom who tried to pass her talent on to me as much as she could. Mom plays amazing by ear. I'm more of a sight reader which is probably why the idea of improvisation amazes me so much. From what I can tell, Evans is a genius and probably born with a prodigy gene. I believe this even more after doing my google search to learn more about his drug use and personal problems. He put the piano in the jazz spotlight and was the first in jazz to overdub himself. I can imagine how ballsy that was, back in the 1960's. Artists still get criticized for overdubbing today, although I just see it as a way to make your art bigger.

I appreciate the duo of Evans and Hall just doing their thing with a piano and a guitar. That's all, there are no other instruments on Intermodulation or Undercurrent. How incredible is the cover of  Undercurrent? Plus the jacket is so thick, it looks almost brand new after over 50 years! I didn't know I was going backwards on the Evans and Hall timeline, but I figured this record must have been newer than the first. The music is striking many of the same emotions and so I finally got a chance away from the kids to jump in. I have found the best way to do this is to read the liner notes. Holy bejezabub! What the? What were they smoking? Wait Quickly by Barry J. Titus after Jim Hall and Bill Evans:
                  "Rimmed iron wheels chew candy between tracks window smithers. Xmas tree window silver money fleeing blank wall perspires omens heads nodding close gaped lips seen stick stuck taxi sign disrobes May 15th, 1959, hanging about her knees mail bundle wheeled cripple clutches Read Wall Street clock white sun monocle IIV or VII long blink see eyes time?"

And it just goes on and on. That's some messed up people right there. I believe if I had the right drugs, it would all make sense. How was that allowed to be published on this United Artists record? I wish I'd lived in the 60's. Whoo-hoo!

I can't leave out Bill Evans at Shelly's Manne Hole. I am reminded of my first thought when I started listening to Bill Evans. Is this the guy who played piano on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood? Googling . . . . and funny story. I knew my Dad worked in television. His name was Roger. For a brief moment at the youngest of age, I may have thought that my Dad was Mr. Rogers. He did kind of look like him too . . . Anyway, it was piano virtuoso John "Johnny" Costa who played on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. But you have to admit that there was a Bill Evans influence! But I like Bill Evans with the orchestra just as much as with only Jim Hall. All of it is so natural sounding and these classic songs are once again made new.

I looked to see if Evans will be on any of Dad's Miles Davis records. I don't find him on any of them, but I know they played together for several years. I'm interested to hear Miles with Evans in the future. I feel compelled to look for Jim Hall in other places too. One of the things I hope to accomplish on this jazz journey is to meet the players and know their families. What fun!