If push came to shove and I had to name my three favourite musical instruments, I would probably plump for the vibraphone, the trumpet and the flute. It's certainly true that the guitar (in all its forms) and the cello would both be making a claim for top billing but there is just something about the sound of those other three that always gets me when played by the right hands and/or lips. In the first of a potentially 'long and drawn out' feature, I want to spend some time with each of my top three.
First up, the flute. My dad used to play the flute a little, so this may be one of the reasons I love it so much. He learned to play whilst serving in the Grenadier Guards, when, in between gigs shooting at communists in Malaya or keeping the 'peace' in Palestine/Israel, he was in his regiment's corps of drums. Many members of his family were self-taught musicians, my grandfather played the clarinet and my great uncle and great aunt both played the piano in the old picture houses. Sadly, I haven't the same level of musical dexterity as these good people but I try my pitiful best. Anyway, I digress. Other than listening to my dad, the first flute music I heard was probably Mozart's Flute and Harp Concerto (which we had on an LP, matched with his awesome Clarinet Concert) and the more populist recordings of James Galway. I don't really listen to classical flute playing nowadays but I do adore it used in a jazz or funk context. So, here's the brilliant Hubert Laws with 'I Had A Dream', which is actually to be found on his album, The Chicago Theme (1975) and not Carnegie Hall as suggested in the clip. Enjoy.
I Had A Dream (1975)
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5 comments:
Great theme for a post!
I do know what you mean about certain instruments too. If you take away the obvious one for me (also the guitar - either a fuzz-drenched lead or a nice clangy Rickenbacker bass) then it'd have to be the viola, I think. I also have a weird little thing for the penny whistle (so much so an Irish friend bought me one once, but I was crap!) And, oddly, for the banjo, which I used to hate but now, if it turns up in something a bit unexpected and edgy, it really does it for me. Most strange!
Lovely that you have such a musical heritage too - and I'm intrigued, will you tell us what you play too?
C: Ah, the old banjo - another favourite. That's a sound that is hard to resist when played bluegrass style. I tried the penny whistle once myself but didn't have the necessary patience. Which brings me to my own musical endeavours: studied piano to grade 5 but failed the exam due to nerves which led me to giving the whole thing up. I now strum and pick an acoustic guitar in a half-arsed fashion and I have a banjo I haven't touched for years, an autoharp which collects dust, some harmonicas that I can just about find the odd tune on and an electric keyboard that I mess about on which was originally bought for one of the cubs but you know what kids are like! So, all in all, I just bugger about a bit on things. Thanks for asking, though ;)
Hey SB - I thought you were also getting to grips with the yuke? I've been meaning to ask how that's been going?
Where did that 'y' come from? I meant uke of course.
Haha! I actually forgot the old uke. I haven't been playing it enough of late but initially I was making fair progress. I must make a determined effort to get to grips with it this year. All good fun.
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