Jack Nitzsche - "The Lonely Surfer" LP, Album, Stereo, 1961 (Reprise)

More likely if one has Jack Nitzsche even in the studio while one is making a recording, there is a good chance that the record will be a masterpiece. Nitzsche was a brilliant arranger, producer, and on the classic Phil Spector recordings, the producer's right-handed man. It was his arrangements of "He's A Rebel," and "Da Doo Ron Ron" that gave it such magnificent power. "The Lonely Surfer" was Jack's first solo album, of his arrangments of various songs of that time. One can imagine "The Lonely Surfer" as a surf album, but it's surf as if it was arranged by a 19-century Russian composer. The fact is, I never heard such a sad sounding instrumental album before this one. Even an up-tempo "Baja" or "Puerto Vallarta" has a depressing aspect of exotica island music. The depth of feeling is Nitzsche's genius.

His version of "Da Doo Ron Ron," and as mentioned, he made the original arrangement, but here he slows it down that it's almost not identifiable. A sharp-suited man on the album cover, yet his eyes expose a certain hesitation or maybe even fear. There is a lot to read on this album, and it is one of my favorite records in my collection. I love all of Nitzsche's solo albums (three all together, then the soundtrack recordings, and of course production/arrangement works) and he gives any work that he's involved in a broad sense of feeling, which is unusual for a pop record of the 1960s. It's almost like he's giving the record a foot-note, giving it more depth or layer of emotion that is not yet settled. A classic Wrecking Crew era record album, but also one that I think is the best of the lot - including the Phil Spector recordings. Nitzsche was the real deal.

Miles Davis - "Sketches of Spain" Vinyl, Album, Mono, LP, 1960 (Columbia)

This album was a big presence in my childhood, but not in my parent's house.  This is the one Miles album that they didn't like.  On the other hand,  the Preppy-set and architects adored Miles Davis' "Sketches of Spain."  The album feels like a mid-century home.  Hi-fi world loves "Sketches of Spain."  For a Jazzier, the idea of the string section with Jazz is a no-no.  Which in theory is totally correct.  Then there is this album, which is not really a jazz or classical album  Maybe it's the combination of the two "Classjazz."  

The album is arranged and conducted by Gil Evans, and this is very much his album as well as Miles'.   The music is based on the Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez."  I never heard the original so I can't comment on it, except that it's a score for guitar and orchestra.  Miles, of course,  removed the guitar for his trumpet.  Beyond that, it is a magnificent Gil Evans album.  In truth, both of them collaborated on the album.  Hand-in-hand they made this album.  Two sessions: first on November 20, 1959, and the other on March 10, 1960.  I wasn't kidding that this is an album made for and by the influence of mid-century design.  

The modernist approach is someone who keeps the eye on the present and stays alive for the future. The past is the past unless you can somehow control the imagery and power of the former.  Like the music of the late 1950s, "Sketches of Spain" has traces of exotica.  To my ears, it's not far off from Martin Denny's take on exotic islands.  Spain is a romantic image, especially for those who never visited that country.  "Sketches of Spain" by its very title admits that it is a work that doesn't go into Spain, but the observation of an outsider looking within a culture. 

Miles doing "Porgy and Bess" with Gil Evans was another trip through a different landscape. Most of the Miles' recordings are all placed in a location that is totally Milesville.  I think Paris, Manhattan, San Francisco as not as a foreign destination, but a home to Miles and his aesthetic. "Sketches of Spain" is a tourist visiting with a map in place, but then through the eyes of Miles/Evans, it becomes an adventure of sorts.  

The music is gorgeous and the arrangements strike me as perfection.  It's an album that is easy on the ears and the heart.  What is important to know is that once this music is done, Miles is going to travel without a map.  And that is what he did.  

Portsmouth Sinfonia - "Plays the Popular Classics" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1974 (Columbia)

I pity the poor vinyl seeker who picks up this album in the hopes that it's a typical collection of classical music pieces by some obscure Symphony.  On the other hand, it is a wonderful re-discovery of the classical pop hits, done by an orchestra that is not entirely sufficient in their instrumentation. Nevertheless part of the enjoyment of the journey I think is the motif of the Portsmouth Sinfonia.  It's not entirely off-kilter because one can recognize the works here.  

British composer Gavin Bryars started the orchestra, and not sure if it was done so for the purpose of going back to his roots, but I suspect to explore the music in a different light.  There is a Fluxus flavor to the concept of having an orchestra who can't play their instruments (properly) and performing classics by composers like Beethoven, Bach, Bizet, Holst, and others.   At first hearing, I took it as a joke, but I don't think that's the purpose here.  The selection of pieces they do on the album is very popular.  The average listener who may not know classical music, I would have imagined heard the compositions in their home or on the TV or some other medium.  The arrangements are close to the music sheet (as far as I know), but it's the skills of each musician that makes this album unique. 

In ways, an orchestra is a study of civilization at work where everyone has a role to play for the betterment of the composed work as well as the overall orchestrational sound.  The Portsmouth Sinfonia is chaos working as a group. It's a society that is struggling to make sounds that are actual music.  This is not an eccentric's work, but more of a statement on politics and culture and how one sees their role in the "orchestra."   Brian Eno produced this album and is one of the musicians in the orchestra.  He plays Clarinet, and Byars play the cello.  His original instrument I think is stand-up bass.  

Brian Eno - "The Ship" vinyl, LP, Album (Warp Records)

It seems I have spent my adult life with Brian Eno.  I have been buying albums from this artist over the years - some are masterpieces, some are OK, some are not-so-OK, and some that leave me just scratching my head.   In a nutshell, one of my favorite noisemakers.   Eno is not a genius, but he's smart, and his approach to throwing in the musical avant-garde ideas into the rock n' roll mix is brilliant.  Like any artist that has decades of work behind them, they falter here and there.  In my opinion, his recent works have regained his edge, which I thought he lost.  But alas, Eno is back!

"The Ship" is an exquisite almost ambient piece of music with vocals altered by electronics.  It's murky with the sound of a ship going down in the ocean.  It reminds me of Gavin Bryars' great piece of music "The Sinking of the Titanic" which in theory is relative to this work.  Eno was the first to record the Bryars piece for his Obscure record label.  What's interesting is that Eno mostly has made music for institutions, airports - but places that don't have a strong identity, and are neutral landscapes.  This album makes me think of location or place that is very specific in mind.  It's a ship that is sinking or lost.  You can't find this on a map, but one has a picture of it in their mind.   It's a lonely and sad album.   It ends up with some sort of light by his version of Lou Reed's (through his band The Velvet Underground) "I'm Set Free."  

The other key ingredient on the album is the use of strings.  I don't recall Eno ever using a string section, except for the b-side of his album "Discreet Music."   I would like to hear more recordings from him using orchestration. I think it's an area that he can explore more depth and sound textures.   On vinyl, it's a double album, and the essence of the work needs to be listened to from the beginning to the end.  There is a narrative that is in place, but not a story.  Just a mood that you need to experience in a format that doesn't jump around.  The emotional punch of the Lou Reed song is not strong if you don't play the other part of the recording first.  It is very much a composition.    Great.