Composer
Ancient And Modern
Always the eclectic artist, Anne Dudley is one of the few film composers who has released numerous works outside of film music, and is still doing so. This year, Dudley wrote and produced not one, but two albums outside of film: The Seduction of Claude Debussy, a result from the regrouping of The Art of Noise for the first time in 10 years, and Ancient and Modern, a contemporary artistic celebration of olden melodies.
This latest album Ancient and Modern is actually a follow-up of her first critically acclaimed solo album, which was also entitled Ancient and Modern, released by Echo Records. Although I haven’t heard the first album, I suspect that this release benefits from the years of experience in between. It certainly resounds with delicate maturity and sophistication. Read the rest of this entry »
Forces of Nature
As hard as it may be to believe, Forces of Nature is proof that there is room, even today, for striking originality and unconventional artistry in film music. John Powell wrote a tantalizing collage of colorful jazz, soft 70 funk, sultry R&B (think Barry White), orchestral romance, vocal intimacy, and abstract electronic effects. The eclecticism of the score is its defining personality, a picture of a spirited dilettante. Like Sandra Bullock’s character, the mood is lively, offbeat, and strangely fascinating.
A large portion of this score is a singular 70’s jazz/funk/R&B blend. There is a lot of rhythm in most of the album. The score’s secondary theme fits into this artistic jazz mode, presenting a penetrating contrast between string flairs, electronic loops, and 70’s funk. The use of those piercing strings cues brings out the best in these cues. I am usually not a fan of funky jazz, but Powell’s jazz is deliberately quirky, and shines with aesthetic appeal. Moreover there is a carefree lightness, a sense of deliberate fun, that draws the listener into its world. Read the rest of this entry »
John Lennon
Pop star, composer, songwriter, and recording artist. John Winston Lennon was born October 9, 1940, in Liverpool, Merseyside, NW England, UK, during a German air raid in World War II.
When he was four years old, Lennon’s parents separated and he ended up living with his Aunt Mimi. John’s father was a merchant seaman. He was [...]
Charlie Chaplin
[Charlie Chaplin is] the single most important artist produced by the cinema, certainly its most extraordinary performer, and probably still its most univeral icon.
— Andrew Sarris, critic
INCONTESTABLY the king of silent screen comedies, Charlie Chaplin achieved international stardom with his utterly captivating portrayal of “The Little Tramp” in such classic films as The Kid (1920), [...]
Clint Eastwood
Go ahead, make my day.
— Clint Eastwood
LIKE most superstars, Clint Eastwood’s success can be attributed to equal parts good fortune, tenacity, and talent. On leave as a G.I., his plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean: he swam three miles to shore, was made boot camp swimming instructor, and missed out on action in Korea. Encouraged [...]
Tom Waits
The piano has been drinking, not me.
— Tom Waits
A SUCCESSFUL musician, movie star, and film composer, Tom Waits has never had a commercial hit; some of his songs are best-known for being covered by other people. He has a huge fan base, but doesn’t tour. His razor-sharp wit and lyrical prowess have put him in [...]
Pete Townshend
I wrote the lines of “My Generation” without thinking, hurrying them–scribbling on a piece of paper in the back of a car. For years I’ve had to live by them, waiting for the day when someone says, “I thought you said you hoped you’d die when you got old. Well, now you [...]
