Green Book's Dr. Don Shirley and ticklin' the ivories
This wouldn't be a pretentious blog without the mention of both movies and music. So let's hear my opinion on both, killing two birds with one stone so to say (such a dreadfully macabre idiom, though far better than that bit about skinning cats).
I am a sucker for Viggo Mortensen movies. That gaunt-jawed, tousle-haired Danish prince is a knock-out actor with an ability to shape who he is near on par with Christian Bale (that steely eyed seducer). So when my parents suggested watching Green Book, I was all ears. The movie, inspired by true events - which is cinema lingo for "we made a lot of this shit up" - tells the tale of Tony Lip, a wise-cracking and vulgar Italian-American bouncer (played by our own modern Hamlet who easily captures the almost comical Italian stereotype) escorting the esteemed Dr. Donald Shirley (played by Mahershala Ali) , an eloquent black piano virtuoso, around the American South and Bible Belt in the 1960's. Mahershala Ali plays the part with supreme grace, infusing Shirley with a profound poise that comes so naturally to him.
The movie inspired me to listen to some of the real Dr. Don Shirley's music. As an amateur jazz connoisseur and the son of real jazz connoisseur, I have explored the works of many different jazz artists. I, personally, am attracted to the classic modal jazz of Miles Davis and John Coltrane; without a doubt two of the most recognizable names in jazz, clearly showing my avant-garde, out of the box tastes. But Dr. Shirley's music is an interesting change of pace from the jazz of that era, to the point that I am reluctant to even name it jazz. His work, or at least his early works, show so clearly his classical training. A brilliant portmanteau of classical piano and jazz piano, Shirley's playing is celestial. His incorporation of bass and cello in the Don Shirley Trio add layers of sound that blend together into fantastically ardent music. Some of his later albums infuse classic African-American spirituals and gospel with his angelic piano playing talent.
There are two pieces that immediately caught my eye. First is a piece that is mentioned in the movie, Orpheus in the Underworld. Based on a 19th century French opera (a phrase that right off gives one a sense of posh intelligence), the album is a quiet, almost reserved dance around the 88 keys of his Steinway. In fact, I am listening to it as I write this all out.
The second piece I have actually yet to find a recording of. Described as a tone poem based on James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake (key at least one of my reader's ears perking up, though knowing him it may well be more than just his ears), Recorso on Finnegan's Wake is seeming to be an impossible to find piece. All of my searches have turned up nothing except a link to the Indiana University library which apparently houses the musical score. However, given my less than mediocre piano skills and unwillingness to travel to Indiana, I fear I shall only have more trouble hearing the piece played.
If you are interested in watching a heartwarming story on overcoming racism (albeit through the "white savior" trope), Green Book is a great flick. Watch Viggo Mortensen slick his hair back with Crisco and shout " ey gabagool" while Mahershala Ali invites you to begin a journey into chamber jazz. Listen to Orpheus in the Underworld for some relaxing yet complex piano, and certainly give the Don Shirley Trio's Water Boy a listen for a metaphorical El Camino of jazz and classical piano.
I am a sucker for Viggo Mortensen movies. That gaunt-jawed, tousle-haired Danish prince is a knock-out actor with an ability to shape who he is near on par with Christian Bale (that steely eyed seducer). So when my parents suggested watching Green Book, I was all ears. The movie, inspired by true events - which is cinema lingo for "we made a lot of this shit up" - tells the tale of Tony Lip, a wise-cracking and vulgar Italian-American bouncer (played by our own modern Hamlet who easily captures the almost comical Italian stereotype) escorting the esteemed Dr. Donald Shirley (played by Mahershala Ali) , an eloquent black piano virtuoso, around the American South and Bible Belt in the 1960's. Mahershala Ali plays the part with supreme grace, infusing Shirley with a profound poise that comes so naturally to him.
The movie inspired me to listen to some of the real Dr. Don Shirley's music. As an amateur jazz connoisseur and the son of real jazz connoisseur, I have explored the works of many different jazz artists. I, personally, am attracted to the classic modal jazz of Miles Davis and John Coltrane; without a doubt two of the most recognizable names in jazz, clearly showing my avant-garde, out of the box tastes. But Dr. Shirley's music is an interesting change of pace from the jazz of that era, to the point that I am reluctant to even name it jazz. His work, or at least his early works, show so clearly his classical training. A brilliant portmanteau of classical piano and jazz piano, Shirley's playing is celestial. His incorporation of bass and cello in the Don Shirley Trio add layers of sound that blend together into fantastically ardent music. Some of his later albums infuse classic African-American spirituals and gospel with his angelic piano playing talent.
There are two pieces that immediately caught my eye. First is a piece that is mentioned in the movie, Orpheus in the Underworld. Based on a 19th century French opera (a phrase that right off gives one a sense of posh intelligence), the album is a quiet, almost reserved dance around the 88 keys of his Steinway. In fact, I am listening to it as I write this all out.
The second piece I have actually yet to find a recording of. Described as a tone poem based on James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake (key at least one of my reader's ears perking up, though knowing him it may well be more than just his ears), Recorso on Finnegan's Wake is seeming to be an impossible to find piece. All of my searches have turned up nothing except a link to the Indiana University library which apparently houses the musical score. However, given my less than mediocre piano skills and unwillingness to travel to Indiana, I fear I shall only have more trouble hearing the piece played.
If you are interested in watching a heartwarming story on overcoming racism (albeit through the "white savior" trope), Green Book is a great flick. Watch Viggo Mortensen slick his hair back with Crisco and shout " ey gabagool" while Mahershala Ali invites you to begin a journey into chamber jazz. Listen to Orpheus in the Underworld for some relaxing yet complex piano, and certainly give the Don Shirley Trio's Water Boy a listen for a metaphorical El Camino of jazz and classical piano.
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