Jazz your Lifes

Archive for the ‘Music’ Category

Jazz Improvisation Transports the Human Brain to a Different Realtiy
New research by John Hopkins University and National Institute of Health scientists found that the brains of improvising jazz musicians operate in a fundamentally different way than those of musicians playing a memorized, composed melody. .
The study was under the direction of Charles Limb, a hearing specialist at Johns Hopkins Hospital and teacher at the University, lecturer on the neuroscience of music and music perception at Peabody Conservatory of Music, is also a jazz saxophonist.
Jazz and the Brain Research Methods
Designing effective equipment for watching the brain at work is difficult. Limb and Allen Braun, who co-authored the paper published in the journal PLoS One, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to look into their subject brains. The device emits a strong magnetic field, which creates images based on the movement of blood through the brain. Interpreting the images is based on the idea that blood flows in larger amounts to active areas of the brain.
A Jazz Instrument that would Work inside a Scanner
The researchers created a keyboard with no magnetic parts that could be linked to a computer outside the scanner. It plays like a piano, but when someone presses a key, it actually sends a signal to a computer, which then sends a sound sample from a real piano into a set of headphones worn by the musician in the scanner. Read the rest of this entry »

Clint Eastwood and Jazz Go Hand in Hand
Jazz – that true American form of music that can be sultry, soulful, swingy, or smooth. Clint Eastwood – director and star of films like Dirty Harry and The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly. Add the two together and you get Eastwood After Hours.
Jazz Concert for Clint Eastwood
Eastwood After Hours is a jazz concert recorded live at Carnegie Hall, celebrating the actor and his contribution to the jazz music industry. This is a disk both jazz and Eastwood fans will enjoy listening to as well as watching.
There are over twenty-five songs performed by some of the top jazz musicians in the country and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band. Most of the songs are from Eastwood’s movies, including Play Misty for Me, Honkytonk Man, Unforgiven, The Bridges of Madison County, White Hunter, Black Heart, Bird, and more. Because of his love of the music, Eastwood purposely includes a lot of jazz in his films. How about the training, I guess he practice it on his apartment, how about you? you could start it with kharkov apartments for rent.

Using Jazz in Eastwood Movies
During much of the concert images from the films as well as pictures of musicians past and present are shown on the screen. Between songs Mr. Eastwood explains a little about his love of jazz and recounts stories like the time he heard Roberta Flack singing “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” He instantly knew he wanted that song in the movie Play Misty for Me, so he contacted the record company and made a deal.
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Classical Music as Vocal Performance
Singing concertos, symphonies, and other instrumental music might seem at first like a gimmick, but this vocal ensemble provides both an enjoyable and light-hearted approach to old standards in the classical music repertoire. In fact, the unusual “instrumentation” causes the listener to pick out nuances that familiarity with the works may have downplayed before.
Imitating instruments with the voices is certainly not a new thing: when the American Federation of Musicians went on strike in 1942-1944, singers (and other “non-musicians”) were recruited to fill in the gap. From imitating instruments to providing vocal back-up, singers enabled record producers to keep turning out more music. Quite possibly this switch to instrumental imitation was aided by the earlier development of scat singing, a technique of wordless singing made famous by jazz musician Louis Armstrong. In classical music, wordless vocals emphasize long vowel sounds, but in scat singing, the syllables are full of soft consonants (such as “b” and “d”), imitating the up-tempo rhythms and slightly percussive timbre of the jazz band. Read the rest of this entry »

Create a Relaxed Atmosphere With Soft Song Styles
In today’s fast-paced world, easy listening music can be a source of relaxation. After a long, stressful day, a ballad or a soft jazzy song may help you unwind. The music of easy listening artists can also be used to create a romantic backdrop. Here are some ideas of performers, past and present, whose musical style will entertain, soothe and inspire.
The Crooner
Many male performers of the 1930s, 40s and 50s are often described as crooners. These artists were known for their rich tones and the ability to weave a spell with a romantic ballad or classic melody. Many crooners performed songs influenced by jazz, big band and swing music. Although crooning may not be one of the most popular styles of singing these days, there are some present-day artists who are doing their part to carry on the tradition.
Some famous crooners include:
• Frank Sinatra. The smooth sound of an Ol’ Blue Eyes tune is the perfect backdrop for a romantic evening. Sinatra first gained success in the 1940s during the swing era. He is known for ballads such as Strangers in the Night and standards such as I’ve Got You Under My Skin. Read the rest of this entry »