Let's get the dinner party conversation started! There are so many monumental works of art and culture from the 1920s I could choose, but I'm going to just choose one. And there's one collection of work that is definitely one of my favorite things from this decade: Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven Sessions (recorded between 1925 and 1928). These sessions literally transformed music worldwide. I daresay they're probably the most influential group of musical recordings ever made. And they still sound amazing! More info here:
Like Ryan said, I can think of sooooo many things I worship from the 20s. That said, one of the films that really epitomizes the era for me is the incomparable Fritz Lang film, Metropolis. It never ceases to amaze me.
Great choice! Metropolis is a classic. And Fritz Lang is another one of the great directors. Did you know David Bowie almost won the rights to create the soundtrack for the 1984 restoration of the film, but he was out-bid by Giorgio Moroder? I can only imagine what kind of score Bowie would have composed.
He apparently didn't have much luck getting the rights to the properties he wanted. But then again, if the Orwell estate (specifically, Orwell's widow) hadn't squashed his attempts to stage a theatrical adaptation of 1984, then we probably wouldn't have gotten the perfect album that is Diamond Dogs (aka one of Bowie's greatest albums and one of my favorite albums of all time).
If I could go back in time, I would choose 1920's Paris. One of my favorite things of that time was the fashion liberation for women. No more torturous, movement restrictive corsets. Dress silhouette was looser, skirts were shorter and even wearing trousers, shockingly, became more acceptable (thank you Coco Chanel). From everyday wear to fantasy evening wear by such designers as Erte, fashion expressed freedom for women.
I almost chose the Maison Schiaparelli, founded in 1927, for the exact same reason. The fashion for women was definitely at an all-time high, liberated and, as you said, everything from fantasy evening wear to everyday wear! Amazing choice, thank you!!!
Love this choice! I absolutely adore 1920s fashion, especially in Paris. One of my favorites things about movies from (or period pieces set during) the roaring 1920s is the always the fabulous costumes.
As always, your enthusiasm for everything is so Infectious. Thank you for covering Joni Mitchell! She is one of my very favorite singer songwriters ever! I think I’ve listened to more of Joni Mitchell’s music than any other artist.
This Thursday last, before a mixing sesh, I was listening to the Court & Spark album. What a coincidence. Touching on the 20's, my first voice that comes to mind is Bessie Smith. Back then, there was a vulgar aspect of jazz that was perceived as counter-cultural, but like many people who were openly against listing to it, they secretly had listening sessions and snuck off to jazz joints.
The music hits on times in my life when the weather was oppressively hot and humid in California. Sipping a gin-laced lemonade while listening to Smith, Armstrong, to name a couple in Jazz & Blues was like sitting on a swing with folding hand fan & dragonflies as the day creeps on into dusk.
Speakeasies, cocaine, whore houses and Lon Chaney Sr.
So . . I used to live next door to Les McCann in an apartment complex in Van Nuys, sharing a common wall. It was in 1996 - '97. I moved there from Sherman Oaks. I was really into jazz, French jazz, American Jazz, mostly. One album that I had was Swiss Movement- Les McCann. On this album was a song recorded by Roberta Flack, "Compared to What?" that McCann had recorded live for the album and I played the hell out of it, especially at home, on a huge stereo system with huge speakers. Occasionally, I could hear keyboards and some humming on the other side of my wall. I thought that it was some novice practicing. When leaving my apartment, I encountered a putrid odor a LOT of Mary Jane. It literally cause me to wretch and move quickly down the long hallway to the exit to the parking area. I had no idea that this was McCann's door. That all this time I had been SINGING! dancing, and playing his version of "Compared to What?" not knowing that it was he who was the artist on the other side of this wall. Then one time while leaving I turned my head casually to see inside the apartment while I brisked by and caught a Rhodes electric piano and a cleaning lady. The managers at the complex were having a Christmas party and invited me. One of the things they mentioned was McCann's name, then upon my confirmation of the "who" was when they confirmed the "where" of his apartment right next door to mine.
It was clear to me that I would NOT be attending this party out of embarrassment.
One day, I was sitting on a bench outside near the parking area and this big black man walked out and sat down beside me. He took out a cigarette and asked me for a light. We smoked and I knew who he was. I turned to him and said, well, I suppose you know that I'm the guy who plays that damned song of yours over and over again. He didn't reply. Whoops! After an infinite few seconds he replied, yeah, I know who you are. By the way, me and some of the guys will be using the rec room for some practicing. You're free to stop by there. I did honor that. But it sure was intimidating as hell and I didn't hang around for too long.
That's amazing that you lived next to Les McCann and got to hang out with him! Such a great story - thank you so much for sharing that with us.
And yes, Bessie Smith!!! She never gets old and those recordings still feel like you're transported to another time, another era - yes, cocaine and cocktails and reefer!
Lest we forget, despite the prohibition, this was a heavy consumer era and Edward Bernays aka the father of propaganda, a word he renamed and now know as, Public Relations, came into play toward the end of the 20's with his campaign for William Morris Tobacco Industry to get women to openly smoke cigarettes! Yes, women were viewed as masculine to smoke cigarettes until Bernays used the psychology of a Dr. Brill about cigarettes and phallic symbols- to now be perceived as "Torches of Freedom," for ladies who wanted to smoke in public. The title of the campaign was mirrored by the symbology of the Statue of Liberty, thus equating her torch with the cigarettes to be lit during a parade by a group of "planted" ladies armed with their torches, perched to light up on signal!
Bernays, was the nephew of Sigmund Freud, whose model of psychoanalysis and books were popularized by Edward Bernays.
Let's get the dinner party conversation started! There are so many monumental works of art and culture from the 1920s I could choose, but I'm going to just choose one. And there's one collection of work that is definitely one of my favorite things from this decade: Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven Sessions (recorded between 1925 and 1928). These sessions literally transformed music worldwide. I daresay they're probably the most influential group of musical recordings ever made. And they still sound amazing! More info here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Armstrong_Hot_Five_and_Hot_Seven_Sessions
An absolute game-changer for music! LOVE it!
Some of the best Blues songs recorded by Satch!
Like Ryan said, I can think of sooooo many things I worship from the 20s. That said, one of the films that really epitomizes the era for me is the incomparable Fritz Lang film, Metropolis. It never ceases to amaze me.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis_(1927_film)
Great choice! Metropolis is a classic. And Fritz Lang is another one of the great directors. Did you know David Bowie almost won the rights to create the soundtrack for the 1984 restoration of the film, but he was out-bid by Giorgio Moroder? I can only imagine what kind of score Bowie would have composed.
Bowie doing the score for Metropolis would have been amazing! If only...
He apparently didn't have much luck getting the rights to the properties he wanted. But then again, if the Orwell estate (specifically, Orwell's widow) hadn't squashed his attempts to stage a theatrical adaptation of 1984, then we probably wouldn't have gotten the perfect album that is Diamond Dogs (aka one of Bowie's greatest albums and one of my favorite albums of all time).
If I could go back in time, I would choose 1920's Paris. One of my favorite things of that time was the fashion liberation for women. No more torturous, movement restrictive corsets. Dress silhouette was looser, skirts were shorter and even wearing trousers, shockingly, became more acceptable (thank you Coco Chanel). From everyday wear to fantasy evening wear by such designers as Erte, fashion expressed freedom for women.
I almost chose the Maison Schiaparelli, founded in 1927, for the exact same reason. The fashion for women was definitely at an all-time high, liberated and, as you said, everything from fantasy evening wear to everyday wear! Amazing choice, thank you!!!
Love this choice! I absolutely adore 1920s fashion, especially in Paris. One of my favorites things about movies from (or period pieces set during) the roaring 1920s is the always the fabulous costumes.
Thank you, Coco!
As always, your enthusiasm for everything is so Infectious. Thank you for covering Joni Mitchell! She is one of my very favorite singer songwriters ever! I think I’ve listened to more of Joni Mitchell’s music than any other artist.
Thank you, Cheryl!!! Joni is definitely one of our all-time favorite singers as well! Icon.
This Thursday last, before a mixing sesh, I was listening to the Court & Spark album. What a coincidence. Touching on the 20's, my first voice that comes to mind is Bessie Smith. Back then, there was a vulgar aspect of jazz that was perceived as counter-cultural, but like many people who were openly against listing to it, they secretly had listening sessions and snuck off to jazz joints.
The music hits on times in my life when the weather was oppressively hot and humid in California. Sipping a gin-laced lemonade while listening to Smith, Armstrong, to name a couple in Jazz & Blues was like sitting on a swing with folding hand fan & dragonflies as the day creeps on into dusk.
Speakeasies, cocaine, whore houses and Lon Chaney Sr.
So . . I used to live next door to Les McCann in an apartment complex in Van Nuys, sharing a common wall. It was in 1996 - '97. I moved there from Sherman Oaks. I was really into jazz, French jazz, American Jazz, mostly. One album that I had was Swiss Movement- Les McCann. On this album was a song recorded by Roberta Flack, "Compared to What?" that McCann had recorded live for the album and I played the hell out of it, especially at home, on a huge stereo system with huge speakers. Occasionally, I could hear keyboards and some humming on the other side of my wall. I thought that it was some novice practicing. When leaving my apartment, I encountered a putrid odor a LOT of Mary Jane. It literally cause me to wretch and move quickly down the long hallway to the exit to the parking area. I had no idea that this was McCann's door. That all this time I had been SINGING! dancing, and playing his version of "Compared to What?" not knowing that it was he who was the artist on the other side of this wall. Then one time while leaving I turned my head casually to see inside the apartment while I brisked by and caught a Rhodes electric piano and a cleaning lady. The managers at the complex were having a Christmas party and invited me. One of the things they mentioned was McCann's name, then upon my confirmation of the "who" was when they confirmed the "where" of his apartment right next door to mine.
It was clear to me that I would NOT be attending this party out of embarrassment.
One day, I was sitting on a bench outside near the parking area and this big black man walked out and sat down beside me. He took out a cigarette and asked me for a light. We smoked and I knew who he was. I turned to him and said, well, I suppose you know that I'm the guy who plays that damned song of yours over and over again. He didn't reply. Whoops! After an infinite few seconds he replied, yeah, I know who you are. By the way, me and some of the guys will be using the rec room for some practicing. You're free to stop by there. I did honor that. But it sure was intimidating as hell and I didn't hang around for too long.
That's amazing that you lived next to Les McCann and got to hang out with him! Such a great story - thank you so much for sharing that with us.
And yes, Bessie Smith!!! She never gets old and those recordings still feel like you're transported to another time, another era - yes, cocaine and cocktails and reefer!
Lest we forget, despite the prohibition, this was a heavy consumer era and Edward Bernays aka the father of propaganda, a word he renamed and now know as, Public Relations, came into play toward the end of the 20's with his campaign for William Morris Tobacco Industry to get women to openly smoke cigarettes! Yes, women were viewed as masculine to smoke cigarettes until Bernays used the psychology of a Dr. Brill about cigarettes and phallic symbols- to now be perceived as "Torches of Freedom," for ladies who wanted to smoke in public. The title of the campaign was mirrored by the symbology of the Statue of Liberty, thus equating her torch with the cigarettes to be lit during a parade by a group of "planted" ladies armed with their torches, perched to light up on signal!
Bernays, was the nephew of Sigmund Freud, whose model of psychoanalysis and books were popularized by Edward Bernays.
https://www.historytoday.com/miscellanies/original-influencer