Jubilance and Janis #AtoZChallenge2021

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, 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 jubilant "balm for the soul."

Research for my first novel included immersion in audio/visual material on the life and music of Janis Joplin. The time was well spent although only a short scene survived the final draft which refers to "Four gentlemen and one great girl: Big Brother and The Holding Company.” In the scene, the one great girl, Janis Joplin, dominates the vocals on her inimitable rendition of Piece of My Heart.

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 record 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. Yes, "balm for the soul."

(644) Piece of My Heart (Official Audio) - YouTube

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JANIS JOPLIN - PIECE OF MY HEART #ResearchingANovel

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.

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

  
Faith Hill (think "Breathe" and Tim McGraw):
http://www.faithhill.com/timeline.php

Erma Franklin (not just Aretha's sister!):
http://alfarchivesmi.tripod.com/

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

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

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M is for MONROE, MARSALIS, and MY WAY AtoZChallenge

The theme of my 2014 A-to-Z Blog Challenge is BLUES, PUPUS, and REVIEWS.

Tuesday & Friday - BLUES: Art, Movies, Music, & Police

 

MONROE, MARSALIS, and MY WAY

Father of BLUEgrass Music;

Jazz in the Bittersweet BLUES W. MARSALIS;

and Ol’ BLUE Eyes

 

Sometimes the music is just too big to write about. It’s that way with Bill Monroe, considered the Father of Bluegrass music; and Wynton Marsalis with his Jazz in the Bittersweet Blues; and Ol’ Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra, doing things “My Way.” 

It was always entertaining to watch shows with Frank Sinatra on stage joking around with his buddies, Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin. Imagine Ol’ Blue Eyes teaming up with Wynton and Bill to sing a medley of tunes, the three of them bobbing and weaving through the rhythms of bluegrass, crooning nightclub melodies, and hitting the high notes of sweet jazz. 

 

Frank gets the red ribbon for his live performance in Australia with the Red Norvo Quintet in 1959 and for his rendition of Red Roses (for a Blue Lady.)

 

 

Wynton earns the white ribbon for opening the White House Music Series hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama.

 

 

But Bill wins the blue ribbon. He is the Father of Bluegrass; his band was named the Blue Grass Boys; his record label was Bluebird; and he sang such songs as Mule Skinner Blues, Blue Grass Breakdown, and Blue Moon Over Kentucky. He even founded the Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival. When it came to doing things “My Way” Frank Sinatra had nothing over Bill Monroe.