Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Torch!

There was a time when fine hotels had bars/nightclubs attached to them. There was always a piano there, and often a lady singer, singing love songs as the pianist and perhaps a jazz backing band played.

Diana Krall brings back the sound of that long-gone era, killed decades ago by the decline of the great hotels and the commodification of music. Now only a few hotels have bars or clubs attached, and any music you find there is canned. Elegance is gone, there is only crass commerce and joyless hookups in a sterile environment that reeks of loneliness.

-- Badtux the Reminiscing Penguin

4 comments:

  1. Breathy and sweet, in an Jobimist kind of way.

    Typical jazz girl - she quotes another Jobim song (can't think of the name) in the little piano break at about 2:25.

    I the over-the shoulder view, the guitarist looks like Clapton.

    I never watch Letermsan. Is he always such a bufoon?

    Cheers!
    jXb

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yeah, Letterman is always such a buffoon. Especially when it comes to female music artists who appear on his show -- you can see them pretty much cringe away from the lecherous old fool as he approaches them, because they *know* that he's going to grope them big-time (I especially laughed at the last Cat Power appearance on Letterman, he had to actually *grab* Chan to keep her from running away from him!). But: He seems to always get some damn fine musical artists on his show despite all that. You've probably noticed that I've posted a number of acts' performances from the Letterman show over the years. I don't know how he manages to get them to keep coming on his show despite having to put up with a lecherous old fart who likes groping with them, maybe it's Paul Shaffer who handles the music booking and they're doing it out of respect for Paul...

    - Badtux the Music Penguin

    ReplyDelete
  3. Maybe they are doing it for respect of their careers.
    Lots of people have to do stuff they don't like to further their jobs/careers. I'd imagine that a spot on Letterman would have a tendency to ramp up a musical career.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Well, I would question how much it helps their career, given the limited audience of the Letterman show. But true, it certainly can't hurt their career to appear on the Letterman show. But geeze, Letterman is such a lecherous old fart...

    - Badtux the Music Penguin

    ReplyDelete

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