Poagao's Journal

Absolutely Not Your Monkey

Jul 01 2022

George’s Folia

I get earworms sometimes. They seem more common in this Spotify-driven era, or perhaps it’s just brain chemistry. Regardless, like most people with earworm tendencies, I have a method of removing them. Some people swear by the “By Mennen” jingle as a definitive way to end the constant cycle. I’ve found that putting the opening to one of the many versions of the authorless renaissance tune La Folia on the record player in my head, I could reset my mental song palate, to mix a few metaphors.

One night as I was attempting to get a certain song out of my head (probably something like Lil Nas X as that man can make a catchy tune), I put on La Folia, but somehow in my mind it morphed into the 1955 recording of George’s Dilemma by trumpet legend Clifford Brown. I tried to wrest it back, but even though one is in D and the other in C# minor, the two overlaid each other until I realized that one of the reasons I love George’s Dilemma so much is that is seems to follow closely the chord progression of La Folia. When I looked up the roots of the song, Caribbean roots are mentioned, but not La Folia. I suppose the two are not exclusive, as La Folia is such an old tune that has been incorporated into many other forms of music.

I’ve always loved La Folia and often wondered if one could do a true jazz version that would lend itself to an improvisational style. Brown’s composition seems to be just that, and you can tell from his solo, which pounces on the notes that are at once the least expected and the most satisfying. Harold Land follows with a rather standard sax solo that does the job but doesn’t explore out the possibilities of the tune. Then Richie Powell constructs a delightfully exotic and evocative piano solo before the instruments come back in for the ending, which is a reprise of the beginning, all underlied by George Morrow’s bassline and Max Roach’s percussion. I would have loved to have heard another sax player take on that piece, Coltrane or even Parker, who died the year the song was recorded. Sometimes I take out my horn and try to follow Brown through the song, getting little hits of satisfaction on the few bits I can keep up with, but it’s a difficult key for trumpet, and all I can say is that Brown must have loved the workout his fingers got from it.

I’d still be interested in hearing more jazz adaptations of La Folia, particularly as I can imagine renaissance musicians in some small Spanish village getting together, eating, drinking, smoking and jamming to it all night, resulting in the tune becoming stuck firmly in their ears the next day.

posted by Poagao at 8:41 pm  
Jan 30 2008

逃避的計劃

travel為了逃避碧潭每年過年二十四個小時習慣放川流不息的炮引起的的夜未

posted by Poagao at 11:56 am  
Nov 16 2007

回來水簾洞

組我房子的朋友前一陣子透過網路認識到了一位 ‘一鍵鐘情’ 的男朋友, 后來決定搬回去美國, 不住我的房子。 所以我從那間又大又亮的房間搬回來我小小的’水簾洞’。我搬回來之前利用空房的時間好好的從新刷漆, 把地毯拿出去洗, 窗簾換新的。 今天可以說差不多終于弄好了, 但是還有一些東西還需要丟掉。

我這間房子的環繞聲音還沒從新習慣。 包含隔壁的電梯開開關關的聲音, 樓上 (還是樓下?) 的洗衣機的聲音, 附近白癡養的小狗一直放在家里不管而哭泣的聲音…可能再過一陣子會變成下意識里面的東西。 至少希望如此。

我們樂團終于出唱片了! 上上禮拜在華山文化中心有開唱片的派對和表演, 幾百個觀眾由來參

posted by Poagao at 1:34 am  
Jul 30 2007

海洋音樂祭

我在電視上!前一陣子有去海洋音樂祭跟查勞與巴西瓦里一起表演。 那天從一大早一直玩到半夜, 感覺

posted by Poagao at 11:52 am  
Jun 05 2007

梅雨季

最近每天下大雨。 我依然忙著一些關于創

posted by Poagao at 11:47 pm  
Aug 02 2005

一首爵士藍調的歌

最近買了一個又小又便宜的麥克風, 然後在家裡錄一首爵士藍調的歌. 這首歌是我跟我們’泥土盆地漫步者‘樂團算最喜歡的歌, 所以我在家裡想試試麥克風,就用那首歌. 有四個軌道, 一個小喇叭, 一個低音盆, 一個小吉他和我自己唱歌的聲音. 結果還好, 不會太難聽, 但是以後可能要先稍微練習一下才開始錄音吧.

近天晚上差不多七點要去

posted by Poagao at 3:17 am  
Jun 10 2005

樂團

我們的樂團, ‘泥土盆地漫步者’, 明後天晚上要跟生祥與瓦窯坑3遺棄表演.
禮拜六晚上在小客廳, 然後禮拜天在一家藍調吧, 叫做’blue note’. 上一次一起表演在巫婆屋滿不錯. 今天晚上要去淡水跟他們一起玩.

posted by Poagao at 8:49 am  
Apr 09 2005

表演一下

今天晚上大約九點左右, 我們的爵士藍調樂團, 泥土盆地漫步者, 要在小客廳 那邊表演一下. 有一陣子沒有一起練團, 但至少可以跟我們最新的團員, DANA, 告別一聲.

上個禮拜得了重感冒, 到現在還在每天四次把一大包藥物拿出來吃. 幾乎每年春天一到, 自然會如此過.

房子的停車位還沒有組出去, 希望可以趕快組調, 這樣我每個月的經濟

posted by Poagao at 3:37 am  
Jan 15 2004

中文歌

網路上哪個網站可以找中文歌mp3呢. 我發現我舊錄影帶上又好幾首喜歡的歌, cd也找不到啦. ‘馬屁王朝’, ‘是

posted by Poagao at 5:38 pm