Quote:I once read or heard somewhere that Frank Sinatra had some sort of trick breathing when holding notes. It seems that he doesn't take a breath, but he actually does sneak one in. I don't know if it's the same kind of thing. I looked up circular breathing--cause I haven't heard the term. It does seem to be almost impossible--but if anyone can do it--Jacob can. He's quite remarkable.
I, too, have read that Sinatra employed circular breathing when singing. He may have had some special technique for breathing so that he could sustain notes longer or sing longer phrases without a noticeable breath, but it would not be the same technique that instrumentalists use. The reason is that the method that those who play a wind instrument requires an immobile mouth, essentially. One inhales through the nose and directing and capturing that air in the mouth, while releasing it into/through the horn. A typical sign of the use of circular breathing is puffed cheeks -- not a Dizzy Gillespie swollen look (I haven't come across anything that suggests Dizzy used this method), but somewhat puffy. A singer would often be forming words, which means the mouth has to move. (Sinatra is also known for his excellent diction, particularly his "crisp consonants.")
Thanks LauraLiz, Babbs, and Tusk for the understanding and rationales regarding my "cat got my tongue" moment. It's appreciated.
Tusk, I do remember you mentioning that it was Jacob who knew of Jazz Alley. I wasn't aware (or didn't remember) the
Jungle Book song/story, but it would suggest that young Mr. Jacob is somewhat of a walking encyclopedia of music and music related stuff plus a great networker/connector (the PMJ connection). It's always handy to have someone like that around.
Plus, he's just a nice guy.
Quote:MAE I recall long ago you commented that you found Casey too manic (I believe that was the word) in his stage presence. Has he mellowed or, perhaps, have you changed your perspective? I like Jacob's versatility on the stage.
John, I've also long thought that Taylor sort of centers Casey (to me, Taylor has a zen-like quality about him), which was one of the two reasons I hoped that Taylor would be a part of the Seattle show. (The other reason, obviously, the ridiculous amount of talent he brings to the stage.) I did not find Casey to be manic at all. Whether that was because Taylor was there or not, I can't say. I
can say that due to a comment on Haleyfans not long ago (and it may have been made by you, John), I have come to look at Casey a bit differently. The comment was, basically, that Casey is a good "entertainer." And he is. And, that's likely the way he wishes to be perceived. It's been a slow shift on my part, and I'm not completely there yet, but I am relinquishing that "music purist" vision that I've had of Casey.
When LauraLiz related her tale of shyness, she mentioned the James Taylor/Carole King Troubadour Tour. I decided to look into that a bit, and came across this article (
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/arts/m...d=all&_r=0) discussing the friendship that has lasted between the two. In reading it, it made me hope that Haley and Casey will have something as enduring 30 or 40 years from now.
An excerpt:
Quote:PERCHED on the arm of a couch in a hotel room here, James Taylor recalled the first time he heard Carole King sing “You’ve Got a Friend.”
“I stood outside a little dressing room up on the balcony,” Mr. Taylor said, referring to the Troubadour, the Los Angeles club that served as ground zero for the singer-songwriter movement in the early 1970s, “and I just had to find my guitar and figure out how that song went. I said: ‘She’s written it. That’s ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ right there.’ ”
Mr. Taylor recorded the song, and in 1971 it provided the first and only No. 1 hit of his career. That same year Ms. King included “You’ve Got a Friend” on “Tapestry,” a landmark album that established her as a superstar and went on to sell more than 10 million copies in the United States. Perhaps more important, however, is the song’s enduring theme. As the critic Jon Landau, who would go on to manage Bruce Springsteen, wrote in Rolling Stone, the album’s subject is “the search for lasting friendship, friendship that can be trusted, friendship that can be felt.”
