Listen(s) of the Day

Today I spun two discs that are about as diverse as they get, yet they both share one thing in common and that is how addictive they both are. The first is the amazing soundtrack to Darren Arronofsky's THE FOUNTAIN, which is composed by Clint Mansell and is as beautiful as it is haunting. It's probably one of my most spun soundtracks with the exception of perhaps Philip Glass' THE HOURS. What I like about both of these soundtracks though is that they have a common motif, which is revisited throughout, and that makes sense as the narratives of their respective films have a theme that is coming full circle. THE HOURS of course is set during 3 different eras (1920's, 1950's, and modern day) whereas THE FOUNTAIN poses the question of what a narrative would be like if it spanned over 1000 years of time.

The second listen for today is none other than one of the all-time greatest if not THE greatest Jazz albums, Miles Davis KIND OF BLUE. What struck me about this album in my most recent listen, although i've certainly listened to this album a billion times, is that it's one of the few albums that you can listen to over and over to on repeat mode and really never get tired or uninterested in it. It can be listened to very intently or it can serve as just background noise as if you were in a true Jazz club. You can analyze it note-by-note and with the most critical ears and yet you can also allow it to lazily rest on your ears and the rawness and emotion of this album never wears off, it's just that good. No wait, it's sublime. It's the blueprint or gold standard of what any Jazz album should be and is the first album anyone who is new to Jazz should put on their list. Although, they will have a hard time finding one better as they plunge into the genre, but what a great start!