Music And Ideas

Latest Episodes:

#16- A Guide to Tuning and Temperament Nov 17, 2020

Show notes

This week, Scott, Karl, and Trent dive into a brief introduction of tuning and temperament: The math, the musical history, and the relationship of the theoretical with the practical.

The tuning of musical instruments is as ancient as the musical scale. Together, tuning and temperament is the adjustment of one sound source, such as a voice or string, to produce a desired pitch in relation to a given pitch, and the modification of that tuning to lessen dissonance.

Scott says, "Most of our Western music is built around the idea that there is a home... going away from this home key, this tonal center, instilling more or less tension, and resolving that."

The trio also talks through the problem with equal temperament and atonal modern music. Karl says, "It's floating, unrooted, occasionally interesting, but it never gets to a tonic center."

Why should you spend time trying to tell in-tune from out-of-tune? As Trent points out, understanding these concepts is key to understanding why you like the music you like.

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#15 - That High Lonesome Sound: The Evolution of Bluegrass Nov 03, 2020

Show notes

This week Scott, Karl, and Trent examine the evolution of old country, folk, and gospel music into the distinctive, high-energy acoustic genre known as bluegrass.

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#14 - Masters of the Classical Period: The String Quartets of Haydn, Dvorak, and Beethoven Oct 22, 2020

Show notes

Scott, Karl, and Trent explore the string quartets of the Classical period, which lasted from roughly 1730 to 1820, following the Baroque period and preceding the Romantic period.

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#13- An Introduction to Metal Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, the trio is joined by special guest Riley Hambrick to discuss the birth of metal music.

Trent says, "Metal, from the beginning, is concerned with matters of the soul. There's substance to it that's just not present in rock music."

The group discusses where rock and metal diverge, metal's classical influence, and the defining attributes of metal across its many subgenres. "Heaviness is the aggregate of all of those characteristics," according to Scott.

It's not an easy sound to produce. If you admire heavy metal, you know the level of musicianship is really high.

But what about it has attracted such a tribal group of metalheads? Trent says, “It’s exploring the ugly which is a part of the human experience. Because of that, it’s able to bring that catharsis because we’re going dark, deep, and ugly so that when we do resolve and get beautiful with the music, it’s much more powerful."

Karl later adds, “If you only cultivate one side of your personality, you’re leaving a lot of your soul untouched.”

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#12- Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys Sep 22, 2020

Show notes

Known as the King of Western Swing, Wills formed several bands and played radio stations around the South and West until he formed the Texas Playboys in 1934.

The Texas Playboys' signature dance-floor style of Western swing encompassed blues, jazz, country, and pop standards. Trent adds, "This is the folk music of the European, Celtic peoples."

It's hard not to be happy when you listen to Bob Wills. Scott, Karl, and Trent dig into his early years, music style, and the influence he had on performers like Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and The Stranger.

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#11- Why Opera Doesn't Suck Sep 08, 2020

Show notes

In this much-anticipated episode, Scott, Karl, and Trent dig into what makes opera music so great, and why you should give it a chance if you haven't yet.

Whether you’re completely new to opera or just need a refresher, you're bound to learn something new.

Opera shares a root with the Latin word 'opus' meaning "to work, effort." Scott says, "It's so tortured and so far removed from reality and normal ways of being, all to prove a point about the culture." Karl adds, "It's something that you probably ought to know something about, just because it's such a peak of human artistic work."

For many people, opera represents (whether this is understood positively or negatively) the very embodiment of “high culture.” But as Trent points out, "You're taking small, pedestrian moments and we're elevating their experience to the very height and grandiosity of the human experience."

From gateway pieces to start out with as a new listener to the basic types of voices you encounter in an opera, the trio covers all the bases. Tune in for more music and ideas, brought to you by onlinegreatbooks.com.

What We Mention:

#10- Frank Sinatra: The Man, the Music, the Legend Aug 25, 2020

Show notes

Also known as “Ol’ Blue Eyes," “The Chairman of the Board,” or simply as “The Voice,” Frank Sinatra was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century.

Scott, Karl, and Trent primarily discuss three of his albums, The Voice of Frank Sinatra, Sinatra at the Sands, and Sinatra–Basie: An Historic Musical First.

Although you can see similarities in Sinatra's vocal style to his idol, Bing Crosby, Sinatra had a patented approach to his music that is hard to replicate. Scott says, "He's telling you his story every single time when he's at his best. He does it in his own way, at his own speed."

In the span of six decades and 59 albums, Sinatra raised the art of romantic singing to a new height, an art form that seems to be lost in modern pop music. Scott adds, "He represents the end of popular music being created for and marketed to adults."

Writer David Hajdu once assessed Sinatra's career memorably: "To hell with the calendar. The day Frank Sinatra dies, the 20th century is over."

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#9- The Complete Works of Led Zeppelin Aug 04, 2020

Show notes

This week, the trio discusses the work and legacy of a band you may have heard of, Led Zeppelin— one of the most popular and innovative rock bands ever.

Initially called the New Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin was formed in 1968 by English guitarist Jimmy Page before taking the United States by storm. In addition to Page, the group included vocalist Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham.

The band's blues roots frequently gave way to heavy folk, psychedelic rock, and orchestral detours— a testament to the group's versatility and willingness to push sonic boundaries. Scott says, "It's less about the technical difficulty and more about the aesthetic."

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#8- The Best of Hard Bop: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers Jul 24, 2020

Show notes

This week, Scott, Karl, and Trent listen to Art Blakely and the Jazz Messengers' most archetypal and popular album release, Moanin’.

Recorded in 1958 for the Blue Note label and released the following year, the LP was originally self-titled, but the instant popularity of the opening track "Moanin'" (by pianist Bobby Timmons) led to its becoming known by that title.

As some of hard bop’s signature tunes, expect to hear 40 minutes of improvisation, swinging rhythms, and an aggressive, driving rhythm section in the album.

Known for more than just his impressive drumming skills, Blakey was a mentor and talent scout for over 20 years. Scott says, “Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers was an important finishing school for jazz musicians.”

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#7- Jazz Icon Miles Davis: Kind of Blue Jun 30, 2020

Show notes

This week, Scott and Karl are joined by Producer Trent Jones to discuss the best-selling jazz record of all time, Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. Recorded in 1959 at Columbia's 30th Street Studio in New York City, this album brings together six other now-legendary musicians in the prime of their careers: tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, alto saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, pianists Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Jimmy Cobb.

As a trumpeter, Davis is known for experimenting with "modal jazz" instead of the usual harmonic foundation of jazz. As Scott puts it, "he is deconstructing the art to seek some expression." Trent continues, "Structured music can push you to feel a certain thing whereas here, we are exploring. It's free-form. It's more in tune with the raw emotions and thought that is happening."

Kind of Blue has been regarded by many critics as the greatest jazz record, Davis's personal masterpiece, even one of the best albums of all time. If something gets the moniker of 'the best ever,' you have to wonder: is it famous for just being famous? As a Davis fan, Karl says, "It's a different type of jazz. It's been influential in all sorts of atmospheric kinds of music that floats around you."

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