CD vs Digital: It's (probably) not what you think

I've always believed that part of the power of music to communicate its message is rooted in its tangibility. We not only hear music, we - literally - 'feel' it. Part of the sensation of 'feeling' in wrapped up in touch: when we are moved by something, for instance, we say that we are 'touched'. To be 'moved' by something is to be 'touched' by it.

Paul Resnikoff's article '40 Years of Music Industry Change, In 40 Seconds or Less...' is a must-read. I was stunned while watching the featured & fascinating time-lapse pie chart showing the fluctuation in CD sales since 1973. 

That CDs are still enjoying healthy sales will no doubt come as a surprise to most. This graph demonstrates that it's not a 'this OR that' scenario for listeners; it's more about choosing this AND that. With multiple options, listeners do not have to choose sides.

While Vinyl still offers the best option in terms of audio quality and album art, as well as a physical immediacy which embodies a more direct connection to the artist, the portability, fuller sonic range and durability of the CD offers the next best thing. Digital downloads offer convenience, economy and speed, 3 essential considerations.

Black & White scenarios make good headlines, but the truth lies somewhere in those intermediate realms which often belie our beliefs. Sometimes, it's worth stopping to consider that our commonly held assumptions are likely to be disrupted by one individual with the imagination and tools to question it.  

I say, Cheers to that!

~ V

Nature is a Dirty Word: The Limits of Language

 

Each of us has a unique perspective and angle, a distinct lens through which we view the world. It's not possible for two people see a thing exactly as another sees it.  While everything is relative, there are certain modes, manners and memes which we adopt, often without question.

 My work has a lot to do with language, how we attempt to approximate how we feel through the words we use, always coming close, but seldom communicating the full range of our emotions.  I'm equally interested in the words we don't use.

Today is Mother Earth Day, and while the idea in principle is a supremely noble one, it's important to remember that Nature has a right to exist separate and apart from ourselves: it has become out moded, out dated, and seemingly, nearly obsolete. While the words 'Environment', 'World', and 'Earth' are commonly used, the word 'Nature', it seems, is a dirty word.

The persistent use of a certain word in favor of another, over time, will often replace it completely. As a result, what is lost is not only the word itself, but the attendant emotional connection previously associated with it. Let us, through language and song, celebrate Nature as much and as often as we do the Earth, the Environment, and the World.

XV  
 

IN PERFORMANCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE | Jack White "Mother Nature's Son" | PBS

 

Happy [Post] B-Day Billie Holiday!

"[April 7th] would have marked the 98th birthday of Elanora Fagan aka Billie Holiday. Perhaps no single Jazz vocalist has had the impact on the genre of Jazz music then she did. From her humble beginnings of singing along to Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith records as a child to her untimely death at age 44 and the success and hardships she had in between, there is no question that Holiday was (and still is) one of the most well known Jazz performers." Flea Market Funk

Billie Holiday co-wrote few songs, but those she had a hand in penning are amongst the greats:

"Critic John Bush wrote that Holiday "changed the art of American pop vocals forever."[5] She co-wrote only a few songs, but several of them have become jazz standards, notably "God Bless the Child", "Don't Explain", "Fine and Mellow", and "Lady Sings the Blues"." Wikipedia

Of the 2 songs I've covered, one was Billie Holiday's 'Don't Explain' on 'Slow to Burn'. Stream it on Soundcloud:

https://soundcloud.com/vanessadaou/dont-explain

Its terse language and melodic highs and lows communicate its message succinctly & beautifully. Trademarks of a great song......

My acrylic portrait of Billie accompanied 'Don't Explian':

 

Billie not only sang The Blues, she transformed its message - Her singing of 'Strange Fruit' was a socially transformative and immensely radical act ::::

I count Billie the first amongst my earliest influences. My father had a small but selective collection of Jazz records. What were his Billie Holiday LPs soon became mine. The sound of her voice, her intonations, timbre and phrasings were soon embedded in my heart, soul & mind, and have never left:

"Built on piano, synthesizers and Daou's mesmerizing, Billie Holiday-like vocals, Zipless strikes an exquisite balance between pop and jazz by weaving together the strengths of both styles." TIME

Happy B-Day Billie! Here's to your eternal Spirit & infinite Artistry ......