What is it about the measured notes of
Wynton Marsalis' trumpet,
the vibrancy of Elton John's piano keys,
and the
hip-swaying rhythm of a Hawaiian mele,
that can melt your troubles away?
Music relaxes the mind and calms the nerves.
More eloquently stated during an interview on his Christmas CD, Italy's Andrea Bocelli believes music is "a balm for the soul that should be used sparingly lest its benefits wear out."
As I listen to him sing The Lord's Prayer with The Morman Tabernacle Choir, I feel the soothing, restorative power of music - that "balm for the soul."
In an early scene of my novel, FOR EVERY ACTION, protagonist Pepper Bibeau attends a musical concert. The many hours I spent in audio/visual research of Janis Joplin's life were pleasurable, though most of the research did not survive the final draft. The telling of the concert's events covers only several lines within the novel:
The theater darkened shortly after eight o’clock. Curious whispers rippled through the audience until a single spotlight provided illumination and a male voice came over the loudspeaker system. To the heavy background sounds of tuning instruments, he announced the band, “Four gentlemen and one great girl: Big Brother and The Holding Company.” The audience exploded with applause, cheering through a prolonged set of rock music while the one great girl, Janis Joplin, dominated the vocals.
I've taken authorial license by setting this Chicago concert in August of 1968, when in fact it probably took place earlier that year. The hit song Piece Of My Heart was recorded May 20, 1968 and the record album (see footnote) that features the song was released in August of the same year.
Janis Joplin became known as the first female rock star, or as stated on the Cheap Thrills album, "the first, true female rock superstar", after Cheap Thrills by Big Brother and The Holding Company became a #1 selling album.
For some fans, myself included, the song Piece Of My Heart is synonymous with the name Janis Joplin. Though she didn't compose the lyrics and wasn't even the first artist to take it to the charts, she made it her own and proved that a twenty-four year old Caucasian female from Texas could, indeed, sing the blues.
In 1967, Erma Franklin, the sister of Aretha Franklin, was the first to record Piece Of My Heart, written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns. Piece Of My Heart has since been remade by several singers, including hit versions by Faith Hill in 1994 and Jaguar Love in 2010.
The theater darkened shortly after eight o’clock. Curious whispers rippled through the audience until a single spotlight provided illumination and a male voice came over the loudspeaker system. To the heavy background sounds of tuning instruments, he announced the band, “Four gentlemen and one great girl: Big Brother and The Holding Company.” The audience exploded with applause, cheering through a prolonged set of rock music while the one great girl, Janis Joplin, dominated the vocals.
I've taken authorial license by setting this Chicago concert in August of 1968, when in fact it probably took place earlier that year. The hit song Piece Of My Heart was recorded May 20, 1968 and the record album (see footnote) that features the song was released in August of the same year.
Janis Joplin became known as the first female rock star, or as stated on the Cheap Thrills album, "the first, true female rock superstar", after Cheap Thrills by Big Brother and The Holding Company became a #1 selling album.
For some fans, myself included, the song Piece Of My Heart is synonymous with the name Janis Joplin. Though she didn't compose the lyrics and wasn't even the first artist to take it to the charts, she made it her own and proved that a twenty-four year old Caucasian female from Texas could, indeed, sing the blues.
In 1967, Erma Franklin, the sister of Aretha Franklin, was the first to record Piece Of My Heart, written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns. Piece Of My Heart has since been remade by several singers, including hit versions by Faith Hill in 1994 and Jaguar Love in 2010.
 |
| Record player with revolving table and metal arm containing a needle |
FOOTNOTE: Record album: circular, black-in-color, vinyl disk with sound-embedded grooves; the disk is placed on a revolving table and a metal arm containing a needle is set into the grooves to transfer the sound through attached speakers. No resemblance to an iPod.
Links to learn more about these performers:
Janis Joplin lived the life of a rockstar to the fullest:
http://www.hotshotdigital.com/WellAlwaysRemember.2/JanisJoplin.html
Janis Joplin lived the life of a rockstar to the fullest:
http://www.hotshotdigital.com/WellAlwaysRemember.2/JanisJoplin.html
Johnny Whitney and Cody Votolato of Portland, Oregon (who, together, are Jaguar Love):
http://wearejaguarlove.com/
Andrea Bocelli singing The Lord's Prayer with the Morman Tabernacle Choir
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEplqV0scyo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEplqV0scyo
FOR EVERY ACTION There Are Consequences, Book 1 in the Pepper Bibeau mystery series, is available at Amazon.com for $0.99 or free with Kindle Unlimited.
https://amzn.to/2YENOcS
*****
Does anyone still have a record player, or even a Victrola?
ReplyDeleteMy last record player finally pooped out in the mid 1990s, but I still have all of my vinyl 33s as well as my mom's 33s and 45s! :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd it appears that the love for writing runs in the family!
Bryan, I even have some of my folks 78s (somewhere!) You said writing runs in the family, what are you writing? And do you have a website/blog?
ReplyDeleteTheres a biography of Janis Joplin on Netflix I've been meaning to check out. I also love White Rabbit.
ReplyDelete