Relaxation and Unusual Covers

On my way out to dinner this evening, I heard a couple things on the radio that made me think:

• On Marian McPartland’s always entertaining and informative Piano Jazz, McPartland was talking to her guest (don’t recall his name, but he’d taught at Julliard) about technique. He mentioned that he’d studied with someone (famous in his field, I’m sure) who emphasized the importance of relaxation. To play the piano effectively, you need to relax not only your fingers and wrists, but also your forearms, elbows, back, neck, and so on. He suggested that it is difficult to let the music “flow” if there is tension in your body. From personal experience, I’ve felt this to be true when singing or especially playing guitar. Nice to have that belief validated by an accomplished musician.
• On another station, I happened to catch Sun Kil Moon’s version of Modest Mouse’s “Ocean Breathes Salty.” The cover features a very sparse arrangement, with only vocals and acoustic guitar. Reminiscent of Nick Drake in its simplicity and power. The piece sounded so little like the original, it almost could have been a new song. As you will find out if I ever get around to publishing the finished version of “Stayin’ Alive,” I love radical reinterpretations of familiar tunes.

On this day…

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