Saturday, January 26, 2008

TamTam Books' Tribute to Korla Pandit



Korla Pandit maybe a required taste type of artist, but there is something so powerful in his music and of course image. While working on my memoir I often play the album down below that just came out on El Records. It's a superb collection of his music that was recorded sometime in the early 50's.



I have a faint memory of seeing his TV show, but it must have been a dream of some sort. As a family we didn't have a TV set till the late 50's or early 60's. So I must have seen some of this footage on a TV show about early programming. I am not sure but I think the footage down below was a show only for the Los Angeles market.



The opening number to his TV show.

They said women were under his spell while watching this show. I would like to think that was true.


"Miserlou" 1951


"Kumar"

I met him briefly in the 90's Both of us were at a party for Buzz Magazine. I felt strange meeting an icon from my childhood.



Saturday, January 5, 2008

TamTam Books' Tribute to Glenn Gould




Glenn Gould is an artist that has been pretty much part of my life. I don't think I have ever lived in a household where there wasn't a Glenn Gould recording somewhere within 10 feet away from me. The intense beauty of his piano playing is hypontic as well as sensual.

As you can see in this film footage:


Young Glenn Gould Plays Bach

Gould refused to play for a live audience sometime in the late 50's. He felt the live stage wasn't the proper place to make music. Instead he focuses on making music in the recording studio (his favorite medium), radio broadcasts, and some TV work


Gould - Bach's Brandenburg Concerto

Watching Gould play Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto you can see all the passion in his face. It sort of reminds me of the famous Georges Bataille image in "Tears of Eros" of the Chinese man being tortured to death and his face has that bliss expression.




Gould has the same expression. See the film:


Glenn Gould: Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto

Glenn Gould talks about the process of the recording studio and how recordings are so different from the live perspective.



Probably one of the most interesting articles Rolling Stone published was the interview with Glenn Gould by Jonathan Cott.
Soon after the publication of the interviews in the magazine it became a book.




One of the many interesting things he brings up is his love for Tony Hatch's "Downtown" performed by Petula Clark.



It seems to be the only pop song he liked....