Parsons Playlists: Serenaded by the Moon

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Xipeng (class of 2024) which can be enjoyed by moonlight.

Serenaded by the Moon

This is the one of my favorite playlists to have at midnight, either when I am with friends or just enjoy the time to be alone. Turn off the lights, and enjoy this beautiful night!

Miles Davis, John Coltrane & Bill Evans – “Stella By Starlight”

Diana Krall – “Almost Blue”

Bill Evans, Eddie Gomez & Marty Morell – “Turn Out The Stars”

Miles Davis – “Pharaoh’s Dance”

Miles Davis – “Moon Dreams”

George Michael – “Roxanne”

Gerry Mulligan Quartet with Chet Baker – “Stardust”

Chet Baker – “That Old Feeling”

Chet Baker – “My Ideal”

Ahmad Jamal – “Wave”

Julie London – “Cry Me A River”

Frank Sinatra – “Summer Wind”

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57ZezhlEHCXrPBloetPCJLJpsC

And here is a version on Spotify:

Parsons Playlists: The Ultimate Drum Playlist

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Christian (class of 2023) and features some iconic drum performances.

The Ultimate Drum Playlist

This playlist features some of the most captivating and complex drum grooves, from jazz to heavy rock.

drum kit labeled

Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Charlie”

Vulfpeck – “Adrienne & Adrianne”

The Arctic Monkeys – “Brainstorm”

Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Around the World”

Vulfpeck – “Daddy, He Got A Tesla”

The Fearless Flyers – “Introducing the Fearless Flyers”

Red Hot Chili Peppers – “We Believe”

The Arctic Monkeys – “Old Yellow Bricks”

PJ Morton – “Sticking To My Guns”

Chon – “Can’t Wait”

The Arctic Monkeys – “D Is For Dangerous”

Jimi Hendrix – “Fire”

Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Torture Me”

The Backseat Lovers – “Kilby Girl”

Franz Ferdinand – “Take Me Out”

Jaco Pastorious – “The Chicken”

Victor Wooten – “Funky D”

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57ZexHjyQgt-nruhgr2JrYwoS5

Parsons Playlists: Stan Getz

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student assistant Eli (class of 2024) and features jazz/samba music from the great saxophonist Stan Getz.

One of the greatest jazz saxophonists of all time, many know “The Sound” Stan Getz from “The Girl From Ipanema”. Here are more of his greatest works to expand your jazz and samba repertoire.

Stan Getz

“Saudade Vem Correndo” (Stan Getz, Luiz Bonfá, Maria Toledo)

“Só Danço Samba” (Stan Getz, Luiz Bonfá)

“Vivo Sonhando” (Stan Getz, João Gilberto, Antônio Carlos Jobim)

“Para Machuchar Meu Coracao” (Stan Getz, João Gilberto, Antônio Carlos Jobim)

“Corcovado” (Stan Getz, João Gilberto)

“Águas de Março” (Stan Getz, João Gilberto)

“Retrato Em Branco E Preto” (Stan Getz, João Gilberto)

“Samba da Minha Terra” (Stan Getz, João Gilberto)

“The Peacocks” – Live (Bill Evans Trio, Stan Getz)

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57ZewWYyrz6QGgmwzPw5yjl-CL

Parsons Playlists: Funky Bass Grooves

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today we’re featuring a selection of songs with Funky Bass Grooves as curated by Music Library student manager Christian (class of 2023).

Parsons Playlists: Funky Bass Grooves

A playlist of some great songs with dangerously funky bass lines.

Fender bass guitar

Marcus Miller – “Detroit”

Vulfpeck – “Lost My Treble Long Ago”

Jaco Patorius – “Chicken”

Evan Brewer – “Actualize”

Alain Caron – “Jack Cannon”

Victor Wooten – “Funky D”

Cory Wong & Tom Misch – “Cosmic Sans”

Flevans – “12 Apostles”

The Fearless Flyers – “Ace of Aces”

Vulfpeck – “Dean Town”

Herbie Hancock – “Actual Proof”

Toconoma – “N°9”

PJ Morton – “Sticking to My Guns”

Anderson .Paak – “King James”

Bruno Mars – “Treasure”

The Internet – “Roll (Burbank Funk)”

Ty Ty – “She Never Really Liked Me”

Busty and the Bass – “Up Top”

Michael Kiwanuka and Tom Misch – “Money”

And here’s a link to the full playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57Zez1Ij0tblf2GmzrPupu-jPx

Bass guitar up close

Parsons Playlists: Jazz Study Mix

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today we’re featuring a collection of feel good indie/alternative music curated by Music Library student manager Abby (class of 2021).

So here are “some relaxing jazz instrumentals for your late night study sessions” curated by Abby for you:

“Soft Like Rain” – Anita Rosswell

Anita Rosswell - Soft Like Rain

“Relentlessly Fascinating” – Western Jazz Trio

“Body & Soul” – Hudson Harris & Haim

“Old Folks” – Southside Players

“First Season” – Henry Lindon

Sixth Street Quartet - Morning Heartache

“Good Morning Heartache” – Sixth Street Quartet

“I’m Old Fashioned” – Carl Bagge Trio

“If You Could See Me Now” – Astoria Three

“My Church” – Jacky Terrasson

“Summertime” – Tall Trees Jazz

Tall Trees Jazz - Summertime

“Blue Moon” – Kendrettes

“Skating” – We Three Trio

“Maybe We’ll Meet Again” – Kuipers & Winter

“Happy Chilled Jazz” – Happy Jazz

“Birthday Song” – Trygve Seim

Kuipers and Winter - Maybe We'll Meet Again

“Club France” – Classic French Jazz

“On A Turquoise Cloud” – Echoes of Swing

“He Was Too Good To Me” – Connie Hen

“Can’t Let Go” – Triosence

“Now We Know” – Ambient Jazz Collective

Fredrik Kronkvist - Altitude

“Theme for Ernie” – Fredrik Kronkvist

“Dear Ruth” – David Hazeltine

“Little Person” – Brad Mehldau Trio

“Curves” – Tord Gustavsen Trio

“Easy Living” – Massimo Faraò

Asi Kaplan Jazz Band - In the Blue of Evening

“In The Blue Of Evening” – Asi Kaplan Jazz Band

“You Left With My Heart Still Yours” – Jaden Berry

“Waltz At Midnight” – Midtown Trio

“In A Sentimental Mood” – The Uptown Players

“The Shadow Of Your Smile” – The Blue Green

Coffee House Classics

“Bee Blues” – Brad Mehldau Trio

“Aves” – Ennio Máno

“I’ve Got You Under My Skin” – The Red Robin Quartet

“Late Nights” – Coffee House Classics

and here is a link to most of the above songs on YouTube.

Digital Resources: Qwest.TV

The Music Library has more resources available than physical items. We’re highlighting some of our digital resources, and including information about them as told by our student employees.

Today’s digital resource is:

Qwest.TV

Qwest.TV

Here’s what student manager Abby (class of 2021) had to say about this resource:

QwestTV is the first ever streaming service dedicated to Jazz, Soul, Funk & World Music. Created by Quincy Jones and curated by other music legends, this service contains hundreds of concerts, documentaries, archives, and exclusive content. And with the “My List” feature, you can keep track of all your favorites. On top of premium streaming video, QwestTV also offers articles, interviews, and album reviews written by professional journalists and renowned jazz experts. With content spanning decades, this service is a powerful research tool and just an all-around awesome resource for any music lover.”

qwesttv

Digital Resources: Grove Music Online

The Music Library has more resources available than physical items. We’re highlighting some of our digital resources, and including information about them as told by our student employees.

Today’s digital resource is:

Grove Music Online

Grove Music Online logo

Grove Music Online is an authoritative reference resource. It includes the full-texts of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, and The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, with updates and emendations.

Oxford Music online

Here is what student assistant Allison (class of 2022) had to say about Grove Music Online:

Grove Music Online is an extensive online music encyclopedia that provides detailed information on composers, their music, and other music scholarship. I like how the resource is run by an editorial board at Oxford University Press so that there isn’t much question regarding the credibility of the content. I looked up Paul Hindemith and George Gershwin and found a lot of information about each of their respective lives along with some articles about their work. Grove Music Online seems like a very valuable resource for researching composers and music in the classical/jazz field.”

George Gershwin composing at the piano. American composer,

George Gershwin (1898-1937)

Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)

Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)

Parsons Playlists: Walking Music

Although we are all socially distant at the moment, we thought it might be fun and encouraging to share playlists as a way to connect (with a tip of the hat to our friends at the Modlin Center for the Arts who started sharing playlists a couple of weeks ago).

To kick things off here’s a play list from Linda Fairtile, the Head of Parsons Music Library.

Dr. Fairtile says, “It’s a mix of jazz and classical music that I listen to on my morning walk. It makes me happy and gets my feet moving.”

Ahmad Jamal – “Poinciana (Live at the Pershing, Chicago 1958)”

Ahmad Jamal at the Pershing

Silvestre Revueltas – “Caminando” (1937)

Silvestre Revueltas

Oscar Peterson – “Night Child”

Oscar Peterson - Freedom Song: The Oscar Peterson Big 4 in Japan '82

Philip Glass – “Akhnaten (Act I, Scene I: Funeral of Amenhotep III)”

Philip Glass - Akhnaten

Stanley Turrentine – “Pieces of Dreams”

Stanley Turrentine Pieces of Dreams

Walking Music – Youtube Playlist

Arachnophonia: George Gershwin “Rhapsody in Blue”

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student worker Allison (class of 2022) and features George Gershwin‘s classic piece for orchestra and piano, Rhapsody in Blue. Thanks, Allison!

George Gershwin

Rhapsody in Blue

Gershwin Plays Rhapsody in Blue

George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue was premiered in New York on February 12, 1924 by Paul Whiteman and his orchestra, featuring Gershwin on the piano. Whiteman, conductor of the Palais Royal Orchestra, had previously talked with Gershwin about mixing classical music with jazz and decided that Gershwin would premiere a piece at his “Experiment in Modern Music” concert. Although Gershwin had not formally committed to composing a piece, it was already announced in the newspapers so he had to. In just five weeks, the piece was composed and rehearsed, with Gershwin playing the piano part. Interestingly, he left his piano part to be improvised during the world premiere.

Rhapsody in Blue autograph score excerpt

Gershwin’s autograph score to Rhapsody in Blue showing the iconic clarinet opening.
Image source: https://smtd.umich.edu/ami/gershwin/?p=213

Although somewhat common today, it was groundbreaking in that time period for an orchestra to play a jazz concerto. The premiere of Rhapsody in Blue was wildly successful and opened doors for many future composers to incorporate jazz elements into their music. In addition, by choosing to compose this piece, Gershwin opened many doors for himself as a composer. Prior to Rhapsody in Blue, Gershwin composed scores for Broadway musicals. The piece didn’t change the trajectory of his career but expanded it as he became more well known.

George Gershwin composing at the piano. American composer,

George Gershwin composing at the piano. American composer, 1898-1937. (Source: https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.A2252861)

The first Gershwin piece I heard was An American in Paris while preparing for an audition. I was very intrigued by the piece but never was able to fully appreciate it until playing it with my youth orchestra. Because I loved that piece, I was excited to receive music for another Gershwin piece this semester. Rhapsody in Blue is very different from An American in Paris but both pieces are composed in a manner that is clearly Gershwin.