This is the third part of a five part "Music is Music" series celebrating diversity in music. In the first part we discussed interpretations of two standards; the second part analyzed three versions of an Afro-American Gospel classic. Before turning to a classical piece, we will now present interpretations of a wonderful song written by the outstanding jazz vocalist, Abbey Lincoln. The name of the song is "Throw It Away!"
THROW IT AWAY!
Every summer a series of jazz concerts is given in the sculpture garden of the Baltimore Museum of Art. The performances are nearly always first-rate and present a wide variety of jazz musicians; my wife and I rarely miss the chance to sit by a reflection pool in the garden while listening to cool sounds on a warm evening.
On August 11, 2011, we attended a performance by the renowned jazz singer, Jackie Ryan. One of the songs she sang touched me to the quick. It has been part of my inner repertoire ever since. The song was written by Abbey Lincoln. We will discuss in turn Ms. Lincoln's and Ms. Ryan's interpretations of this song. First let's turn our attention to the lyrics.
Throw It Away
I think about the life I live
A figure made of clay
And think about the things I lost
The things I gave away
And when I'm in a certain mood
I search the halls and look
One night I found these magic words
In a magic book:
Throw it away
Throw it away
Give your love, live your life
Each and every day
And keep your hand wide open
Let the sun shine through
'Cause you can never lose a thing
If it belongs to you
There's a hand to rock the cradle
And a hand to help us stand
With a gentle kind of motion
As it moves across the land
And the hand's unclenched and open
Gifts of life and love it brings
So keep your hands wide open
If you're needing anything
Throw it away
Throw it away
Give your love, live your life
Each and every day
And keep your hand wide open
Let the sun shine through
'Cause you can never lose a thing
If it belongs to you
Well, this isn't Shakespeare. I find the image of a disembodied hand moving across the land rather creepy. In addition: if the hand's unclenched and open, it would be rather inefficient at rocking a cradle or in helping one stand. "...(T)hese magic words/In a magic book" is a rather facile and unmagical group of words. I have noticed that when I sing this wonderful song to myself, I automatically change the lyrics, for example:
I think about the life I live
A figure made of clay
I think of all the things I lost
The things that slipped away
That puts me in a certain mood
To search the halls and look
One night I found these magic words
In an ancient book
etc.
But when one considers the powerful effect of this song, such criticism proves to be mere nit-picking. Although there is a good deal less wit in the lyrics of this piece than in any by Cole Porter, the words are very effective nevertheless--a beautiful face with a few blemishes is still a beautiful face. In this song, the meaning of the words is most important--it contains an essential lesson in life; it is presented in an understated way and is thus all the more aesthetically effective. Throw all your vanity away, the song tells us, vanity being a way of life that makes one "a figure made of clay." The truly lovely last two lines of the chorus--which are indeed worthy of Cole Porter, except for the fact that there is not a touch of irony--provide more than a touch of sagacity: "For you can never lose a thing/ if it belongs to you." This comes as a surprise, a paradox, which forces us to dig deeper. How can one never lose a thing by giving things away? In my interpretation, we are talking about two selves here. The vain self accumulates things, thus diminishing one's Self. This self-effacing Self becomes more manifest the more generous the self is. By throwing it--the false self--away, you become open to the universe--(keep your hands wide open/ In everything you do), thus helping to bring about
the deepest happiness possible, the living presence of one's real Self, which is usually kept buried under a mountain of things. Thus the song provides a valid path for getting to the precious diamond within, which is accessible to everyone, albeit with considerable effort.
Many of us are trying to find happiness in a way that turns us into figures made of clay. Throw it away! Excellent advice.
FIRST INTERPRETATION: ABBEY LINCOLN
Abbey Lincoln (1930-2010) received in 2003 a well-deserved Jazz Master award from the National Endowment of the Arts. She composed many of the songs, including Throw It Away, which she recorded and performed many times during her long career. From the 1990s until her death, she fulfilled a ten album contract with Verve records--these albums are her crowning achievements and have received great critical acclaim. (All this was done, mind you, after the age of 60.)
We will listen now to a recording of Throw It Away from the 1994 album, A Turtle's Dream. (She had composed the song many years before this recording was made.)
This is indeed a beautiful recording. Abbey Lincoln was 63 or 64 when she made it; her voice is undiminished. She obviously learned a lot from Billie Holiday, who was her role model. The timbre of the voice is unforgettable. Her phrasing is exquisite, as one would expect from an ardent admirer of Billie Holiday. Note the different ways she sings "Throw It Away!" throughout the song. It all sounds as if she is giving wise and gentle advice, which of course is exactly what she is doing. Sometimes she extends the phrase for emphasis; at other times she syncopates it as if to say, "Just do it, it's not that hard." Notice also her jazzy inflection of "you can never lose a thing:" for YOU can NE ver LOSE a THING is how she sings it, utilizing the low repeated note as a pedal tone as the melody descends from the minor sixth above it down to the major third. This type of playing with the notes produces a very jazz-like effect.
How warm and gentle and full her voice is!
As is the custom in jazz, the guitarist gets his chance to riff between the vocal parts. I love the way the cellos take up the melody in the background. The guitarist is excellent; whether the instrumental part goes on too long, thus detracting from the impact of the words, is a matter of taste.
SECOND INTERPRETATION: ABBEY LINCOLN
This is from her 2007 album, "Abbey Sings Abbey." It dates from 2007, which means Abbey was about 77 years old at the time of the recording. The voice has considerably aged since the time of the previous recording. It is raspy at times and no longer has the power it had before. Since her voice has lost much of its force, she "speak-sings" some of the words. Nevertheless, I love this recording and prefer it to the previous one. This song, as we have seen, contains great wisdom; it is all the more effective when sung by an older person. Gone are the ability and desire to dazzle; what come across, however, perhaps better than ever before, are Ms. Lincoln's understanding and mastery of communicating the words which she had written decades earlier. It is the voice of a wise grandmother giving a beautiful lesson in wisdom to the young--just what experts have said the evolutionary purpose of grandparents are. She seems to be saying, "Vanity is very important to you, but there is much more to life: throw the vanity away! You will be much happier if you do." The voice is so much more gentle now. Notice the phrasing with the pedal tones which I discussed in the previous recording: it's still present in this one, but it is very much toned down. Vocalism isn't what's important here; humanity takes precedence. The performance is, however, aesthetically even more stunning: the phrasing is perfect.
The talented Gill Goldstein provides a largely contemplative, and thus largely appropriate, accompaniment.
THIRD INTERPRETATION: JACKIE RYAN
On the night of the concert at the Baltimore Museum of Art, during which Jackie Ryan sang this song, I didn't know what to expect, having previously neither heard of her nor of Abbey Lincoln--what ignorance! Ms. Ryan has a beautiful voice; I was intrigued. But when she sang this song, I was transfixed and probably had my mouth open in amazement the whole time.
Three years later, I attended a performance of Ms. Ryan's, again at the Baltimore Museum of Art. As she signed the CD that, I was pleased to find out, included this song, I told her how much it means to me. She informed me that Abbey Lincoln had passed away the day before she sang that song in 2010. No doubt this added to the emotional depth of Ryan's performance that evening. She told me that she found the lyrics somewhat enigmatic, but found the song very powerful nevertheless. I gave her my interpretation of the lyrics, which she found convincing.
Ms. Ryan has received great critical acclaim. "One of the outstanding jazz vocalists of her generation, and quite possibly, of all time.." wrote Christopher Louden in Jazztimes. "Amazing vocal powers...Jackie Ryan's chemistry of passion is truly sensational," wrote John Fordham in The Guardian. These are not exaggerations.
She certainly has a lovely voice, but her greatest gift is the ability to convey deep, but never excessive, emotion. She keeps the musical line flowing without ever dragging it down by an exaggerated display of feeling--thus making the emotional delivery all the more effective. Her interpretation gives one the conviction that the singer has indeed thrown away what needs to be thrown away and that which is left are those "things" which transform, namely, love and compassion. There is not a hint of preachiness--Ms. Ryan is far too musical for that. She has slowed the tempo down in comparison to Abbey Lincoln's version, in line with the contemplative nature of the piece. The pedal-tone rhythm is used here also, but in an even more understated way. The more unobtrusive rhythms of her interpretation indicate that Ms. Ryan doesn't want to get lost in the music here as much as she wants to present an impressive fusion of words and music, which she accomplishes brilliantly. The inflections are extremely subtle. She phrases "Throw it Away" on one occasion in such as way as to covey--with love--this message: Stop all nonsense and act according to the real you, which is a "thing" of wonder! (Just like mine or anyone else's.)
She has chosen very good musicians. The accompaniments in Lincoln's recordings are a bit too busy at times; the pianist here is first-rate, but, instead of attempting to dazzle, he or she provides exactly what is needed and perfectly serves the meaning of the song. No "Look at me!" here; its message is rather, "Look within!" The length of the instrumental solo is shorter than in the other two versions, which in my opinion, makes its inwardness all the more effective.
This is a very inward piece indeed. The ending, in which Jackie Ryan whispers Throw it Away, reminds me of the voice of conscience, one's inner voice; it's as if the whole song is an inner exhortation of the need to throw away excess psychological baggage which weighs one down. What remains after that is done is evident in every note Jackie Ryan sings.
I thought of this song as I read the following sentence in Sam Harris's excellent book, Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion: "If you are perpetually angry, depressed, confused, and unloving, or if your attention is elsewhere, it won't matter how successful you are in life--you won't enjoy any of it."
THROW IT AWAY!
THROW IT AWAY!
Every summer a series of jazz concerts is given in the sculpture garden of the Baltimore Museum of Art. The performances are nearly always first-rate and present a wide variety of jazz musicians; my wife and I rarely miss the chance to sit by a reflection pool in the garden while listening to cool sounds on a warm evening.
On August 11, 2011, we attended a performance by the renowned jazz singer, Jackie Ryan. One of the songs she sang touched me to the quick. It has been part of my inner repertoire ever since. The song was written by Abbey Lincoln. We will discuss in turn Ms. Lincoln's and Ms. Ryan's interpretations of this song. First let's turn our attention to the lyrics.
Throw It Away
I think about the life I live
A figure made of clay
And think about the things I lost
The things I gave away
And when I'm in a certain mood
I search the halls and look
One night I found these magic words
In a magic book:
Throw it away
Throw it away
Give your love, live your life
Each and every day
And keep your hand wide open
Let the sun shine through
'Cause you can never lose a thing
If it belongs to you
There's a hand to rock the cradle
And a hand to help us stand
With a gentle kind of motion
As it moves across the land
And the hand's unclenched and open
Gifts of life and love it brings
So keep your hands wide open
If you're needing anything
Throw it away
Throw it away
Give your love, live your life
Each and every day
And keep your hand wide open
Let the sun shine through
'Cause you can never lose a thing
If it belongs to you
Well, this isn't Shakespeare. I find the image of a disembodied hand moving across the land rather creepy. In addition: if the hand's unclenched and open, it would be rather inefficient at rocking a cradle or in helping one stand. "...(T)hese magic words/In a magic book" is a rather facile and unmagical group of words. I have noticed that when I sing this wonderful song to myself, I automatically change the lyrics, for example:
I think about the life I live
A figure made of clay
I think of all the things I lost
The things that slipped away
That puts me in a certain mood
To search the halls and look
One night I found these magic words
In an ancient book
etc.
But when one considers the powerful effect of this song, such criticism proves to be mere nit-picking. Although there is a good deal less wit in the lyrics of this piece than in any by Cole Porter, the words are very effective nevertheless--a beautiful face with a few blemishes is still a beautiful face. In this song, the meaning of the words is most important--it contains an essential lesson in life; it is presented in an understated way and is thus all the more aesthetically effective. Throw all your vanity away, the song tells us, vanity being a way of life that makes one "a figure made of clay." The truly lovely last two lines of the chorus--which are indeed worthy of Cole Porter, except for the fact that there is not a touch of irony--provide more than a touch of sagacity: "For you can never lose a thing/ if it belongs to you." This comes as a surprise, a paradox, which forces us to dig deeper. How can one never lose a thing by giving things away? In my interpretation, we are talking about two selves here. The vain self accumulates things, thus diminishing one's Self. This self-effacing Self becomes more manifest the more generous the self is. By throwing it--the false self--away, you become open to the universe--(keep your hands wide open/ In everything you do), thus helping to bring about
the deepest happiness possible, the living presence of one's real Self, which is usually kept buried under a mountain of things. Thus the song provides a valid path for getting to the precious diamond within, which is accessible to everyone, albeit with considerable effort.
Many of us are trying to find happiness in a way that turns us into figures made of clay. Throw it away! Excellent advice.
FIRST INTERPRETATION: ABBEY LINCOLN
Abbey Lincoln (1930-2010) received in 2003 a well-deserved Jazz Master award from the National Endowment of the Arts. She composed many of the songs, including Throw It Away, which she recorded and performed many times during her long career. From the 1990s until her death, she fulfilled a ten album contract with Verve records--these albums are her crowning achievements and have received great critical acclaim. (All this was done, mind you, after the age of 60.)
We will listen now to a recording of Throw It Away from the 1994 album, A Turtle's Dream. (She had composed the song many years before this recording was made.)
This is indeed a beautiful recording. Abbey Lincoln was 63 or 64 when she made it; her voice is undiminished. She obviously learned a lot from Billie Holiday, who was her role model. The timbre of the voice is unforgettable. Her phrasing is exquisite, as one would expect from an ardent admirer of Billie Holiday. Note the different ways she sings "Throw It Away!" throughout the song. It all sounds as if she is giving wise and gentle advice, which of course is exactly what she is doing. Sometimes she extends the phrase for emphasis; at other times she syncopates it as if to say, "Just do it, it's not that hard." Notice also her jazzy inflection of "you can never lose a thing:" for YOU can NE ver LOSE a THING is how she sings it, utilizing the low repeated note as a pedal tone as the melody descends from the minor sixth above it down to the major third. This type of playing with the notes produces a very jazz-like effect.
How warm and gentle and full her voice is!
As is the custom in jazz, the guitarist gets his chance to riff between the vocal parts. I love the way the cellos take up the melody in the background. The guitarist is excellent; whether the instrumental part goes on too long, thus detracting from the impact of the words, is a matter of taste.
SECOND INTERPRETATION: ABBEY LINCOLN
This is from her 2007 album, "Abbey Sings Abbey." It dates from 2007, which means Abbey was about 77 years old at the time of the recording. The voice has considerably aged since the time of the previous recording. It is raspy at times and no longer has the power it had before. Since her voice has lost much of its force, she "speak-sings" some of the words. Nevertheless, I love this recording and prefer it to the previous one. This song, as we have seen, contains great wisdom; it is all the more effective when sung by an older person. Gone are the ability and desire to dazzle; what come across, however, perhaps better than ever before, are Ms. Lincoln's understanding and mastery of communicating the words which she had written decades earlier. It is the voice of a wise grandmother giving a beautiful lesson in wisdom to the young--just what experts have said the evolutionary purpose of grandparents are. She seems to be saying, "Vanity is very important to you, but there is much more to life: throw the vanity away! You will be much happier if you do." The voice is so much more gentle now. Notice the phrasing with the pedal tones which I discussed in the previous recording: it's still present in this one, but it is very much toned down. Vocalism isn't what's important here; humanity takes precedence. The performance is, however, aesthetically even more stunning: the phrasing is perfect.
The talented Gill Goldstein provides a largely contemplative, and thus largely appropriate, accompaniment.
THIRD INTERPRETATION: JACKIE RYAN
On the night of the concert at the Baltimore Museum of Art, during which Jackie Ryan sang this song, I didn't know what to expect, having previously neither heard of her nor of Abbey Lincoln--what ignorance! Ms. Ryan has a beautiful voice; I was intrigued. But when she sang this song, I was transfixed and probably had my mouth open in amazement the whole time.
Three years later, I attended a performance of Ms. Ryan's, again at the Baltimore Museum of Art. As she signed the CD that, I was pleased to find out, included this song, I told her how much it means to me. She informed me that Abbey Lincoln had passed away the day before she sang that song in 2010. No doubt this added to the emotional depth of Ryan's performance that evening. She told me that she found the lyrics somewhat enigmatic, but found the song very powerful nevertheless. I gave her my interpretation of the lyrics, which she found convincing.
Ms. Ryan has received great critical acclaim. "One of the outstanding jazz vocalists of her generation, and quite possibly, of all time.." wrote Christopher Louden in Jazztimes. "Amazing vocal powers...Jackie Ryan's chemistry of passion is truly sensational," wrote John Fordham in The Guardian. These are not exaggerations.
She certainly has a lovely voice, but her greatest gift is the ability to convey deep, but never excessive, emotion. She keeps the musical line flowing without ever dragging it down by an exaggerated display of feeling--thus making the emotional delivery all the more effective. Her interpretation gives one the conviction that the singer has indeed thrown away what needs to be thrown away and that which is left are those "things" which transform, namely, love and compassion. There is not a hint of preachiness--Ms. Ryan is far too musical for that. She has slowed the tempo down in comparison to Abbey Lincoln's version, in line with the contemplative nature of the piece. The pedal-tone rhythm is used here also, but in an even more understated way. The more unobtrusive rhythms of her interpretation indicate that Ms. Ryan doesn't want to get lost in the music here as much as she wants to present an impressive fusion of words and music, which she accomplishes brilliantly. The inflections are extremely subtle. She phrases "Throw it Away" on one occasion in such as way as to covey--with love--this message: Stop all nonsense and act according to the real you, which is a "thing" of wonder! (Just like mine or anyone else's.)
She has chosen very good musicians. The accompaniments in Lincoln's recordings are a bit too busy at times; the pianist here is first-rate, but, instead of attempting to dazzle, he or she provides exactly what is needed and perfectly serves the meaning of the song. No "Look at me!" here; its message is rather, "Look within!" The length of the instrumental solo is shorter than in the other two versions, which in my opinion, makes its inwardness all the more effective.
This is a very inward piece indeed. The ending, in which Jackie Ryan whispers Throw it Away, reminds me of the voice of conscience, one's inner voice; it's as if the whole song is an inner exhortation of the need to throw away excess psychological baggage which weighs one down. What remains after that is done is evident in every note Jackie Ryan sings.
I thought of this song as I read the following sentence in Sam Harris's excellent book, Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion: "If you are perpetually angry, depressed, confused, and unloving, or if your attention is elsewhere, it won't matter how successful you are in life--you won't enjoy any of it."
THROW IT AWAY!
No comments:
Post a Comment