I had the pleasure of attending a Goran Bregovic concert this past week. It was one of the best concerts I’ve been to in a while! The music is so freakin’ happy, you can’t help but dance. The slower, poignant songs allowed us a moment to catch our breaths. From the Bass Concert Hall website description of the concert:

Balkan music icon and acclaimed film composer Goran Bregovic celebrates the music of Europe’s Gypsy tradition. Goran brings his 20-piece Wedding and Funeral Orchestra to the Bass Concert Hall stage on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 for one of a handful of concerts in the United States this year. This spectacular Orchestra includes a Serbian brass band, string ensemble, and choir. This is certain to be one of the most talked about world music events for years to come!

I don’t even think this video does them justice. If you see the concert near you, GO! You will have a fantastic time!

It’s time for me to get to my 2-Year Meme! Juliet recommended Melody Gardot’s album Worrisom Heart. She’s a fellow Jersey girl and like me, she bears little resemblance to the stereotype. After a serious accident, Gardot picked up a guitar, using music to aid in her therapy. The Washington Post review describes her as from a “generation of young women who are combining the elastic phrasing and harmonic sophistication of jazz with the personal lyrics of singer-songwriter folk.” If you enjoy kicking back on a comfy couch with a glass of wine and a fire to listen to the silky stylings of Ella Fitzgerald or Louis Armstrong, you will enjoy Gardot.

My idea with this meme was to identify some of the art that readers of this blog are interested in; art that transcends genre was my highest hope. I enjoyed listening to Gardot, but I have to admit to having no connection to jazz. I’ve tried and tried, but it doesn’t speak to me. 

I’m sitting here watching Lou Reed’s Berlin by Julian Schnabel and wrestling with it a bit. My own reaction is that I’m loving what Schnabel is doing cinematically. He draws us into a story via a concert enactment of a concept album by Lou Reed, of The Velvet Underground fame, called Berlin. Berlin, the album on which this performance is based, was panned critically when it came out in 1973 (according to the film’s opening titles). As I attempted to delve into the emotional landscape of the music, I understand why the critics panned the album. It’s tough. I’m not connecting. There is very little that is traditionally pleasing to the music; the “junkie lover” scenario is a bit of a stretch for us Y2K suburban honkies; and even with the “explanation” of Schnabel’s visuals, the whole of it isn’t very likable.

But I’m ahead of myself. The film chronicles a performance by Lou Reed of an album he released in 1973. It is what you might call a rock opera, and what Schnabel’s film attempts to do, is to fill in any holes left within musical and lyrical journey. This addition of a visual journey should help us to better appreciate the music via what is a largely performance-based film, but I’m sorry to say it isn’t working for me.

I had to stop by Warren’s review to see what he thought before writing my own post, and I see he had the exact opposite experience. The film gave him a new and profound appreciation for the music. I wish that were the case for me, as I love finding new ways to appreciate music, but it’s just not working for me here, though it is because of the music, not the film. Maybe the middle position is this… if you are drawn into the film right away, you will be able to follow the journey and perhaps have new appreciation for an artist with a mutifaceted musical persona. If you aren’t feelin’ it in the first 10 minutes, it ain’t gonna get any better.

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