Tonight's Book: This is Your Brain on Music
by Daniel J. Levitin
"Think of a song that resonates deep down in your being. Now imagine sitting down with someone who was there when the song was recorded and can tell you how that series of sounds was committed to tape, and who can also explain why that particular combination of rhythms, timbres and pitches has lodged in your memory, making your pulse race and your heart swell every time you hear it. Remarkably, Levitin does all this and more, interrogating the basic nature of hearing and of music making (this is likely the only book whose jacket sports blurbs from both Oliver Sacks and Stevie Wonder), without losing an affectionate appreciation for the songs he's reducing to neural impulses. Levitin is the ideal guide to this material: he enjoyed a successful career as a rock musician and studio producer before turning to cognitive neuroscience, earning a Ph.D. and becoming a top researcher into how our brains interpret music. Though the book starts off a little dryly (the first chapter is a crash course in music theory), Levitin's snappy prose and relaxed style quickly win one over and will leave readers thinking about the contents of their iPods in an entirely new way."
Tonight's Playlist
Note: I - click to buy from the iTunes store (Canada) (You must have iTunes installed on your computer in order to buy tracks from the iTunes store); A - click to buy from Amazon.ca (Canada) (All subject to availability)
Theme - Oliver Nelson Big Band - "Stolen Moments" (excerpt) I A
Miles Davis and John Coltrane - "Ah-Leu-Cha" I A
Lynne Tremblay - "Just Call Me Love Bird"
Bill Evans - "In A Sentimental Mood (Live)" I A
Randy Brecker - "No Scratch" I A
Mose Allison - "Lucky So And So" I A
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown - "Honey Dew" I A
Keith Jarrett Trio - "Little Girl Blue" I A
Art Pepper - "Pepper Steak" I A
Ella Fitzgerald - "Let's Begin" I A
Jay McShann and Duke Robillard - "Moten Swing" I A
Martin Taylor - "Cherokee" A
Ralph Sutton - "You Turned The Tables On Me" A
Oscar Peterson - "Satin Doll" I A
Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Joni Mitchell - "The Man I Love" A
John McLaughlin - "Seven Sisters (live)" I A
Art Tatum - "Tenderly" I A
Sophie Milman - "Make Someone Happy" A
B Sharp Quartet - "Feelin' Monk" I A
Grant Green - "Ain't No Use" A
Mike Mainieri - "Piano Sonata (Vivace)" I A
Bill Stewart - "Rhythm-A-Ning" A
Molly Johnson - "Rain" I A
John Abercrombie - "Speak Easy" A
Clark Terry - "Swahili" I A
Dexter Gordon - "Lady Iris B" I A
Jewel King - "Don't Marry Too Soon" I A
Dick Hyman - "The Song Is You" I A
Blossom Dearie - "Some Other Time" I A
Theme - Oliver Nelson Big Band - "Stolen Moments" (excerpt) I A
Gary Burton, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny - "Tears Of Rain"
No comments:
Post a Comment