He caught a train from Alexandria Just a broken man in flight Running scared with all his devils Saying prayers all through the night But mercy can't find him Not in the shadows where he calls Forsaking all his better angels That's how every empire falls
The bells ring out on Sunday morning Like echoes from another time All our innocence and yearning And sense of wonder left behind Oh, gentle hearts remember What was that story? Is it lost? For when religion loses vision That's how every empire falls
He toasts his wife and all his family The providence he brought to bear They raise their glasses in his honor Although, this union they don't share A man who lives among them Was still a stranger to them all For when the heart is never open That's how every empire falls
Padlock the door and board the windows Put the people in the street "It's just my job, " he says "I'm sorry." And draws a check, goes home to eat But at night he tells his woman "I know I hide behind the laws." She says, "You're only taking orders." That's how every empire falls
A bitter wind blows through the country A hard rain falls on the sea If terror comes without a warning There must be something we don't see What fire begets this fire? Like torches thrown into the straw If no one asks, then no one answers That's how every empire falls
This song was released in 2005.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
12-bar minor Blues is a can't-miss. The chord progression tells a tale-from start to finish, with an economy of movement.
I liked JB's solo on this joint, except for one thing: The perfect solo lets the phrasing breathe. Bonamassa never stopped talking throughout his solo. A good delivery allows for the speaker to take a breath. And sometimes, saying nothing for a few seconds makes the next statement more meaningful. The best Jazz soloists know this- a great solo is crafted with an architectural component: start small, build to a climax, relax... and hand off the spotlight to the next soloist. Joe takes two choruses for his solo- more than enough time to craft a melodic arc that told a story.
I've always been impressed with JB's prowess as a player. My jury's still out considering him a great soloist.
One musicsnob's ("humble") opinion, clem.
p.s. The young Asian musician playing the Erhu? That's Tina Guo.. Trained on cello in the traditional pipeline, she bounced to Pop/crossover early in her 20s, and has made a place for herself in the Hans Zimmer world.
This is what I had in mind, when I described a well-crafted solo.
Check out Roy Hargrove's trumpet solo, at 2:27 in this tune. He manages to tell an entire story within one chorus- just before he gently hands the reigns back to Ms. Lincoln:
Roy chooses his statements. He creates a narrative. He sculpts an architecture to fit not just the form of the chord structure, but also the mood of the piece. His narrative forms a rise/apex/decline form. It's soloing with a composer's mind set. IMHO, there is no higher expression of performative musical art than this. And it's all happening- in real time. Astounding.
Jazz musicians create music that most closely imitates human speech. That is their super power. They don't play "patterns over changes."
They seek to play each solo as if it's the last statement people will ever hear from them.
