From Jazz to the Origins of Rock and Roll

I've been playing a lot of jazz lately and really getting back into some classic and amazing acts of the mid 20th century.

What is jazz? Jazz has its origins all over, from New Orleans Jazz in the early part of the 20th century, and incorporating blues and soul, ragtime, swing, and African influences among scores of others. Jazz hit high notes during the prohibition era when speakeasies would recruit jazz musicians to liven up the joints. Long before rock and roll in the 50's and heavy metal and Miley Cyrus came along threatening to corrupt youth, jazz was considered immoral and threatening old values in America; strange how times have changed.

My own introduction to jazz probably came early from listening to my parent's playing NPR radio, where jazz lives.

Ghoulish Halloween music galore!

In case you hadn't noticed, and I'm sure you have, the stores are stocked full of Halloween goodies (and Christmas items, too!). Which means one thing: it's time to break out the Halloween music. And where better to start than your local Pima County Public Library, where we have some of the best ghoulish tunes to send shivers up and down your spine.

If you look for these in some branches, be aware they may be on display shelves and not in the CD section. Click on the titles in quotations to follow the link.

Looking for the perfect Halloween party mix, featuring standard favorites like The Twilight Zone theme song, Alice Cooper, and Werewolves of London? Then look no further than "Halloween Party Hits" and crank that party to 11.

Enjoy some "Halloween Fright Night" performed by the 101 Strings Orchestra. Nightmare on Elm Street? The Shining? Frankenstein? Night of the Living Dead? Yes, they're all done in classical form on strings here. Genius.

David Bowie Returns

David Bowie is back. The legendary innovative British musician and actor has a new album and it is available now from the library. It has been nearly impossible to avoid David Bowie's presence as an iconic artist for the past 40+ years- he has been on the radio, on music videos, in movies and in 1995 to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Bowie's new album is "The Next Day" and will only add to the some 140 million albums he has already sold

Return of LET'S GO RETRO

Retro: Definition: denoting something associated with or revived from the past: retro dressing ; retro fashion

Prepare to travel back in time with a few modern musicians. I'm looking for artists who embody and sing and play music in the spirit of yesteryear- from crooning lounge singers, jazz singers to rockabilly bop of the 50s.
Put on your poodle skirt and dust off your blue suede shoes!

Diana Krall recorded a Nat King Cole tribute album and records jazz music with the spirit of Tony Bennett and Ella Fitzgerald in her soulful songs. She recently released the album "Glad Rag Doll" and has a large selection of music that will transport you back into time, in another era. Her popularity is recognized- two Grammy awards and 6 million albums sold. Her music sounds like you have walked into a lounge in the 1940's- at least, how I imagine it, or have seen it in movies and standard albums of yesteryear.

Main instruments: Piano. 

Let's go RETRO!

The retro sound of music is making the rounds of modern day music, with an assortment of musicians striving for a sound that takes listeners back to an era of yesteryear. I sought out to find some names and albums that might give you a trip to the past and for melodies and sounds unique and possibly familiar. Many of these albums and songs are available through the Pima County Library website as well as through our free music downloading site, Freegal.

Please feel welcome to add your own contributions to the comments section, I would like to hear about more. The retro sound is a refreshing trip back to sounds of the Rat Pack in Vegas, of Burt Bacharach, Judy Garland, Nancy Sinatra, and beyond. Now, back to the future...

Nightmares before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, and not a creature was stirring, except perhaps Rod Stewart, or Olivia Newton-John. And Ringo Starr, and even Toby Keith.

It is a time honored tradition that every year brings new albums of Yuletide joy from your favorite artist or washed-up musician. To honor these albums, we look at the delightful.. and the not so delightful.

And best of all, these albums are available for checkout from your Pima County Public Library.

For 2012, you can ring in Christmas with a duo familiar to each other: John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John have re-teamed for "This Christmas." Fans of this duo will of course remember them from the movie soundtrack of Grease and Travolta from dozens of movies you probably can't remember the name of.