Exam 2
Janis Joplin (Big Brother and the Holding Company)
-"Rock's original blues diva" -Most prominent woman in SF besides Grace Slick -Came from Texas and music was her outlet -Very raw sound and very exuberant performing style reminiscent of male blues singers -Most of her songs were in fact not blues, but the spirit and emotion of blues was always present in her songs -While Slick was pretty and classy, she was not: she matched white and black men in their power and presence, paved the way for a larger role in rock for women -"Piece of My Heart"- blues influenced acid rock, passionate singing, rock that is real
Aretha Franklin
-"The Queen of Soul" -Grew up in the church (gospel) -Jerry Wexler started her off in 1967 at Atlantic records, amazing voice -She sang fast about soul, which was predominantly male -While men sang about their sexual prowess, she sang about gaining "Respect", a call to arms of sorts -Song became an anthem for the growing women's movement -Her music was universal and subjective at the same time, ecstasy and empathy- you dance while she sings about tough love -"Respect"- women's point of view, southern soul backup vocals (call and response) add to impact of song, extremely talented
James Brown
-"The Soul Man" -"Soul Brother #1" -"Godfather of Soul" -Most important male soul artist of the 60s -Developed unique rhythm due to unusually big backup band (had full horn section) and his unusually less vocal and instrumentation from the non-horns -More emphasis on rhythm as opposed to harmony or melody- very African roots -Would be the blueprint for funk and rap -"Papas Got a Brand New Bag"- emphasis on rhythm, percussive sounds, teamwork among the instruments, very open sound
Leiber and Stoller
-"We don't write songs, we write records" -Were first to make the music producer important -A song was not just a melody which singers could perform "their way", but the entire sound world captured on disc -They crafted the entire song, lyrics music instrumentation -They produced songs for everyone big in the late 50s (Elvis, Coasters, Drifters) elevated record production to an art -Meticulously making sure the recording was perfect -Among their first hits was "Hound Dog" -Laid the groundwork for subsequent generations of producers -They stand apart from other producers because they wrote so many of the songs their acts recorded and in general exerted more control over the final product -They left their imprint most strongly on the recordings of Coasters and the Drifters -They were among the first to elevate record production to an art
Elvis Presley
-"White man with the Negro feel" -"King of Rock and Roll" -"R&R's lightning rod" -Grittier rockabilly -Early career covered a lot of songs at Sun Records -Brighter tempo, incorporated all musical genres while still sounding like himself -Projected the rebellious R&R attitude that teens loved, was hated by those who hated R&R but never toned it down and thus set the style of R&R as distinct from other genres -His peak was in the late 50s before he joined the army in 1958 -He dominated the pop charts as the only significant R&R act by far -While he did summarize many musical genres into rock and defined the look and attitude of rock, he didn't write any of his songs and didn't use the rock beat like the rest of the early R&R bands -Fast tempo with a modified two beat rhythm, soulful singing and unique sound, modified version of blues progression
Temptations
-An American vocal group known for their success with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s -Known for their choreography, distinct harmonies, and flashy wardrobe, the group has been said to be as influential to R&B and soul as The Beatles are to pop and rock
Rolling Stones
-"World's greatest rock band" -Very heavily influenced by blues, started writing original songs after seeing the success of Lennon/McCartney -Their perception of rock was all about the attitude- sexually charged, down and dirty, swaggering, real -Very bluesman attitude, but the _________ formed their own identity around it -Two main qualities to their music: rhythmic groove and the dark nasty sound -They were different from the rest of rock: edgy, dangerous, forbidden fruit to listen to -Attracted younger generation tired of teen rock from The Beatles and the Beach Boys -"In the work of the __________, blues became part of the sound of rock"
Cream
-A 1960s British rock super group power trio -Their sound was characterized by a hybrid of blues rock, hard rock, and psychedelic rock
Paul Anka
-A Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor -Became famous in the late 1950s, 60s, and 70s -He wrote such well-known music as the theme for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and one of Tom Jones' biggest hits, "She's a Lady", as well as the English lyrics for Frank Sinatra's signature song, "My Way"
Ritchie Valens
-A R&R pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement - his recording career lasted only 8 months -During this time, however, he scored several hits, most notably "La Bamba", which was originally a Mexican folk song that he transformed with a rock rhythm and beat that became a hit in 1958, making Valens a pioneer of the Spanish-speaking R&R movement
Boogie-Woogie
-A blues piano style characterized by repetitive bass figures, usually in a shuffle rhythm
T-Bone Walker
-A critically acclaimed American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist -He was one of the most influential pioneers and innovators of the jump blues and electric blues sound -Flamboyant black performer whose stage antics included playing his guitar behind his head while doing the splits
Live Performance
-A performance (typically of music, although comedians, politicians, etc. may also appear live) before an audience -The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band
Doo-Wop (Gospel Roots)
-A pop-oriented R&B genre that typically featured remakes of popular standards or pop-style originals sung by black vocal groups -died out in the early 1960s with the rise of the girl groups in Motown
8-to-the-bar
-A studio album released by Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons in 1941 -It was recorded in two sessions, May 7 and June 17, 1941 -It was reissued by RCA Victor in 1952 as a 10 inch LP record as LPT-9 -In the UK this LP was released by the Gramophone Company as HMV DLP 101 -The first four bars describe a scene and the last 8 repeat the same words and melody
Country-Influenced Rock
-A subgenre of country music, formed from the fusion of rock with country -The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds -Reached its greatest popularity in the 1970s with artists like Emmylou Harris and the Eagles
Race Records
-A term that came into use in the early 1920s to describe recordings by African American artists intended for sale primarily in the African American community
Electric Blues
-A type of blues music distinguished by the amplification of the guitar, bass guitar, drums, and often the harmonica -Pioneered in the 1930s, it emerged as a genre in the 1940s, came to prominence in the 50s -Regular blues form, rough-edged vocals, vocal-like responses and solos from the lead guitar or harmonica, a dense texture with several instruments playing melody-like lines behind the singer, and a rhythm section laying down a strong beat usually some from the shuffle rhythm popularized in 40s R&B
Rockabilly
-According to Carl Perkins, "a country take on R&B, performed mainly by white southerners, that combined elements of country music with R&R -Most popular in mid 50s in Memphis -Put some speed into some slow blues licks -Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" was the first big hit associated with R&R
Grateful Dead
-Acid rock band -Started out as a drug band, embraced much more than drug culture -Had a large cult following
Rock & Roll
-After WWII, people had more money to spend, this trickled down to teenagers who started to be appealed by rebellious themes- __________________ epitomized this sentiment -Was born out of R&B, and started becoming a distinct genre around 1955 -"All of it- the music, the lyrics, the look- horrified teens' parents; that was part of the appeal"
Alan Freed
-An American DJ -Became internationally known for promoting the mix of blues, country, and R&B music on the radio in the United States and Europe under the name of R&R -Part of payola scandal
Muddy Waters
-An American blues musician who is considered the "father of modern Chicago blues" -He was a major inspiration for the British blues explosion in the 1960s -He added the power of amplification and a full rhythm section during his first years in Chicago
Supremes
-An American female singing group and the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s -Originally founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan in 1959, the ____________ were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts -They are, to date, America's most successful vocal group
Kingston Trio
-An American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s and 60s
Jerry Lee Lewis
-An American rock and roll and country music singer, songwriter, and pianist -An early pioneer of R&R music, _________'s career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music -He is known by the nickname "The Killer" -Famous single "Great Balls of Fire"
Sly and the Family Stone
-An American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco -Active from 1967 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music -Headed by singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist _____________, and containing several of his family members and friends, the band was the first major American rock band to have an "integrated, multi-gender" lineup
Four Tops
-An American vocal quartet, whose repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, and show tunes -Remained together for over 4 decades, having gone from 1953 until 1997 without a single change in personnel
The Who
-An English rock band formed in 1964 -Became known for energetic live performances, which often included instrument destruction -sold about 100 million records, and have charted 27 top 40 singles in the US and UK -They were a major contributor to the British invasion
Kinks
-An English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964 -Categorized in the United States as a British Invasion band, __________ are recognized as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era -Their music was influenced by a wide range of genres, including R&B, British music hall, folk, and country
Led Zeppelin
-An English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 70s -Formed in 1968 -With their heavy, guitar driven blues rock sound, they are regularly cited as one of the progenitors of heavy metal and hard rock even though the bands individualistic style drew from many sources and transcends any single music genre -didn't release songs from their albums as singles in the UK, as they preferred to establish the concept of album-oriented rock
Concept Album
-An album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical" -Commonly, these albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing to a single overall theme or unified story -This is in contrast to the practice of an artist or group releasing an album consisting of a number of unconnected (lyrically or otherwise) songs performed by the artist
Sh'Boom
-An early doo-wop song -It was written by James Keyes, Claude Feaster, Carl Feaster, Floyd F. McRae, and James Edwards, members of the R&B vocal group The Chords and published in 1954 -It was a US top 10 hit that year for both The Chords (who first recorded the song) and The Crew-Cuts
Producer
-An individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music -A producer has many roles that may include gathering ideas for the project, selecting songs and/or musicians, coaching the artist and musicians in the studio, controlling the recording sessions, and supervising the entire process through mixing and mastering -Producers also often take on a wider entrepreneurial role, with responsibility for the budget, schedules, and negotiations
Jump Blues
-An up-tempo blues usually played by small groups and featuring horns -It was very popular in the 1940s, and the movement was a precursor to the arrival of R&B and blues and R&R. -More recently, there was renewed interest in jump blues in the 1990s as part of the swing revival -Artists: Louis Jordan and Big Joe Turner
Power Trio
-Band consists of just 3 instruments- guitar, bass, drums -The point of the band was to highlight the lead guitarist (Clapton and Hendrix)
Jimi Hendrix
-Black guitarist that came from a very blues background -Greatly increased the range, volume, and variety of sounds of electric blues into rock -Pioneered the use of the instrument as an electric sound source, using feedback and distortion as part of the sound -Died of drug-alcohol interaction in 1970 -His music is extremely influential, can be seen in hard rock in the 70s and 80s
Santana
-Blues styled guitarist -Connected Afro-Cuban music with rock into a one band rock substyle -"Oye Como Va"
Teen Pop Idols
-Celebrity who is widely fanatisized by teenagers -He or she is often young but not necessarily a teenager -are actors or musicians but some sports figures also have an appeal to teenagers -began their careers as child actors -popularity may be limited to teens, or may extend to all age groups -targeted for adults for nostalgia purposes -Chuck Berry and Elvis
Bill Haley
-Country western singer who incorporated blues into his songs and wrote and played songs with teen appeal, "Rock Around the Clock"- first big hit associated with R&R, top of the charts -New type of sound a happier blues infused country song, closer to rockabilly than to later R&R -Light hearted lyrics and music, quintessential sound of rockabilly
Berry Gordy Jr.
-Created Motown record label
Motown
-Created by Berry Gordy Jr. in the 60s -The organizational structure was a pyramid: he was at the top, then the songwriters and producers, the house musicians, and then the acts themselves -Goal: black pop that would gain the widest appeal
Coasters
-Doo-wop group from the west coast -Worked with L&S and became famous with them producing their songs, black sound, themes were universal to teens of all races related to their songs, sound was slick but not sweet- darkly humorous and not sentimental -"Young Blood" wry tone of lyrics, distinctive shuffle rhythm, showcased all their voices, producer's impact -By the early 1960s, R&R matures through their music, audience, use of electric bass and liberation of bass line, and collective conception of the rock rhythm
Latin Rock
-During the 50s and 60s, ______ influences on rock were marginal at best -However, starting with Santana in 1969, it would form a distinct musical genre -Santana was a blues styled guitarist- connected to Afro-Cuban music with rock into a one band rock substyle -While some bands tried to emulate Santana's success, few came close and the _______ rock faded away -"Oye Como Va"- instrumentation included classic rock and Afro-Cuban instruments, clave like rhythm with rock based guitar and organ solos
Bob Dylan (Style evolution: music and lyrics)
-Early stuff was very similar to Woody Guthrie -As the decade wore on his lyrics and music got more surreal and added rock instruments to his music -"Bringing It All Back Home"- one side acoustic, one side rock -Folk people thought he was a traitor, but this was the start of the rock side -His music was meaningful and challenged listeners to become engaged -One can be sophisticated without being "sophisticated"- new mode of artiness in pop music -Confrontational tone, serious musical statement without classical sound, fused blues country and rock, rock attitude
Studio Recording
-Electrical recording was common by the early 1930s, and mastering lathes were now electrically powered, but master recordings still had to be cut direct-to-disc -In line with the prevailing musical trends, studios in this period were primarily designed for the live recording of symphony orchestras and other large instrumental ensembles -Engineers soon found that large, reverberant spaces like concert halls created a vibrant acoustic signature that greatly enhanced the sound of the recording, and in this period large, acoustically "live" halls were favored, rather than the acoustically "dead" booths and studio rooms that became common after the 1960s
Guitar Gods
-Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Jimmie Page -The bands they played in were bare bone bands- guitar, bass, and drums- all to highlight the lead guitarist -Introduced new element into rock: virtuosic soloing -Solid Body Electric Guitar: Les Paul experimented with it to reduce feedback, amplification of 60s made instrument more powerful and sound modifiers (wah-wah pedal) made it more versatile -Clapton and Hendrix- heavily influenced by guitar bluesman and made the electric guitar the solo instrument of rock
Shirelles
-Female quartet, first successful girl group -Appealed to teens and crossed racial lines, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" vulnerable lyrics, dressed up classily, simple rock rhythm, teen themed song, black vocal style, pop-like strings -The different components of their songs send different messages, part of their appeal
Jefferson Airplane
-First band to spotlight acid rock in San Francisco, Grace Slick (lead singer) was a woman -"White Rabbit"- song about Alice in Wonderland scene where the caterpillar is smoking opium -Lyrics and way they are sung (slow, trippy) are most important aspect of song -Spanish flavor -Big crescendo message to do acid -"Slick took her audience into a fantasy world"
Surf Rock
-First of post 1959 rock styles to add significantly to rock's sound world -Introduced array of new guitar sounds -Created the idea of regional rock
Goffin and King
-Husband and wife -Songwriters, wrote "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"
Soul
-In the 60s, this genre was the term for popular black music, but more specifically "the emotionally charged black music of the 60s that draws deeply on gospel and the blues" -Also was reminiscent of the emerging black pride in the 60s -Different from white music in 3 respects: black had strong gospel tradition, growing division b/w R&R and R&B (R&B needed a horn section where R&R didn't), artistic control of a couple soul music producers -Big in Memphis and Muscle Shoals -Very emotional and heavy on the horns and bass rather than the guitar -Lasted less than a decade, started declining at the assassination of MLK
Horns/Sax/Guitar
-Instruments used throughout the 50s
Little Richard
-Invented the clear locked in rhythm (a steady rhythm moving twice as fast as the beat with a strong backbeat perfectly in sync with the rest of the band) -Known for crazy performances, was responsible for the new beat of R&R on a piano -"Tutti Frutti"
Eric Clapton
-Lead guitarist for Cream -Cream was known as the first of Power Trios: lead guitar, bass, and drums -the first major rock performer to play extended improvised solos, didn't even have a rhythm guitar in their performances -Their recordings, since he couldn't just solo on the radio, were psychedelic rock with a blues connection -Made the guitar an extension of himself -Their songs repeated the riff throughout the song (new) -Cream helped loosen up rock rhythm, brought the essence of blues guitar style into rock
"The Day the Music Died"
-Lyric from "American Pie" by Don Mclean -Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and JP "The Big Bopper" Richardson died in a plane crash on Feb. 3, 1959 -Was one of the series of events (Elvis being drafted into the army, Little Richard became a preacher, Chuck Berry arrested, Jerry Lee Lewis married 13 year old cousin without divorcing wife, payola scandal- DJs took bribes to play certain songs, licensing rights became an issue) that led to the belief that R&R was done as a fad by the early 60s
Jazz-Rock Fusion
-Miles Davis was one of the best jazz musicians into the 60s, pretty universally respected -However, when he realized that rock was the future he decided in 1968 to go electric and create the "best damn rock band in the world" -Move was controversial (similar to what happened when Dylan went electric) -His music was unlike anything around it -Took rock elements and freed them with jazz -"shh" fusion (term for jazz rock) -James Brown rock and improvisation from jazz, very open form, while containing elements of both, certainly not rock or jazz -New Jazz differed from 50s jazz in a number of ways- bigger and electric instrumentation, 8 or 16 beat rhythms (from rock), collective conception (rock) with everyone soloing instead of just one person (jazz), long sequential multisectional forms were the norm
Buddy Holly
-Most creative mind in R&R's second generation -He loved early R&R and his band, The Crickets, started making innovative R&R -No steady rhythm, lyrics spoke of the underdog a lot- "R&R's first everyman" -While not dance music like the other R&R songs, his music would profoundly influence 60s rock -First hit was "That'll Be the Day" -"Not Fade Away" teen lyrics with feeling, beyond dance music, rapid evolution of R&R -Norman Petty producer for him
Ray Charles
-Most important R&B singer of the late 50s -Blind piano -Responsible for synthesis of blues and gospel- the ecstatic raw energy of gospel music combined with blues -Also was the R&B link to jazz's "return to roots" movement -Embraced Latin rhythms over R&R rhythms, later country and pop -Solo artist that controlled his own music -"What'd I Say" instrumental to vocal, Americanized latin rhythm, blues gospel and jazz
Beach Boys
-Most important and innovative surf bands, early stuff took from Chuck Berry -Glorified surfer lifestyle -"I Get Around" instrumentation was unique -Performance style (high lead singing in a harmony), their music, while sounding all "fun in the sun" was highly sophisticated and produced
Chicago Blues
-Music indigenous to this midwest city -A type of urban blues -Urban blues evolved from classic blues as a result of the Great Depression -Urban blues developed in the first half of the 20th century as a result of the Great Migration, when black workers moved from the south into the industrial cities of the north such as ______________ -At first it was in predominantly black neighborhoods -Muddy Waters
Acid Rock
-Music of the counterculture, named for the music's ability to enhance or evoke a drug experience -No connection musically between any of the acid rock bands, it was LSD- just like the acid trips varied, the music varied -Very short lived, lost steam around 1970 due to most of the bands rooted musically in other genres like blues, rock, and folk
"Dark Ages"
-Music was not good from 1957-1964 -When many crucial rock and roll performers either died or left the scene, and rock and roll died
Girl Groups
-New genre of rock -"Written and performed by women, lyrics were from women's perspective on the fragility of love" -This emergence of women's influence over the music reflects the maturing and changing of racial, gender, and social attitudes of the 1960s
Chiffons
-One of the top girl groups of the early 1960s -With their trademark tight harmonies, high-stepping confidence and hit machine of Goffin and King writing songs such as "One Fine Day", the __________ made music that helped define the girl group sound of the era
Folk Revival
-Phenomenon in the United States that began during the 1940s and peaked in popularity in the mid 1960s -Its roots went earlier, and performers had enjoyed a limited general popularity in the 1930s and 40s -The revival brought forward musical styles that had, in earlier times, contributed to the development of country & western, jazz, and rock and roll music
Cover
-Rock era concept -Remakes of existing songs with an understanding that the recording you're redoing is the song, not only a version of the song -Many doo-wop songs were this type of song, but white redos of black songs was big -Black groups and their songs were exploited, usually never saw the money they earned and white redos sold better in the pop market than black originals -This changed in the 60s, where white people opened themselves up to black music
Sun Records (Sam Phillips)
-Sam Phillips recording studio in Memphis -Home of rockabilly -He was a pioneer in early R&R -Looked for white men with the negro feel (Elvis was perfect) -Did many white covers of black music -Little commercial success but huge musical influence for later bands, combined with R&B and latin rhythms and instruments, provided the R&R beat (most important contribution) that would be widely used -Notable for discovering and first recording such influential musicians as Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash
Louis Jordan
-Singer in the 1940s -Hit song was "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" -Made his first big hit as a saxophonist in Chick Webb's fine swing band -He was a R&B and jump blues artist -Led a jump band in the R&B style -got a record deal with a major label, Decca, with whom he signed a contract in 1939
Ventures
-Surf rock -"Walk, Don't Run"
Beatles
-The defining band of the Rock Revolution, they expanded their music to all genres (Indian and classical strings) -3 reasons to their success: knowledge of different musical styles, melodic skill, and their sound imagination -Early 60s was very pop, , gushy teenage love songs -They experimented with weed and acid and started making very creative and experimental songs (representative of the overall evolution of rock in the 60s. In 1964, the rules were still being written, by 1969 the essence of rock had been worked out) -Made a movie called "A Hard Day's Night" in 1964 depicting a typical beatlemania day, even the movie was groundbreaking -This and the album marks the start of their maturing as a band -Transition from R&R to rock in rhythm and sound, mix of tonal pop and modal chords, pop melody with very distinctive features and elements -"A Day in the Life" exemplifies the mature Beatles -They create sound worlds that highlight the contrast between mundane life and the elevated consciousness of an acid trip -They showed where rock could go
Folk Rock
-The genre that included Bob Dylan and others -Message and spirit of ____ but in a ____ flavor
British Invasion
-The wave of British bands that came to America during the 60s -Includes The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Animals and later Cream, Led Zeppelin, and the Who -While previously America was the source of popular music, now Europe (UK) started being a main source of pop music -Fueled the rise of rock in the US -First time Americans were listening to non-American music without holding anything against them due to their nationality -Representative of the open mindedness of the 60s
Chuck Berry
-Ultimate architect of R&R -More than anyone else in the 50s he crafted the style that would soon lead to R&R, appealed to the emerging teen spirit -His songs were the most frequently covered by early 60s rock bands -Took R&B up tempos, heavy back beat, blues-based verse/chorus form and created essentially a new genre -First to overdub, the man -Many hits -Perfected the rock beat on guitar -"Johnny B. Goode", "Maybelline" Leonard chess was producer for Berry's hits -Nickname: Architect of R&R
Bo Diddley
-Used maracas -Nicknamed "The Originator" -A beat that was inspired by the clave pattern of Afro-Cuban music that Buddy Holly used
A Cappella
-Vocal music without instrumental accompaniment -Used in doo-wop
Swing Rhythm, Triplet
-rhythmic pattern that divides each beat into 3 equal parts
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
..
Protest Songs
A song that is associated with a movement for social change. It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre.
Doors
American rock band formed in 1965; unique and controversial act due to lyrics and charismatic/unpredictable stage persona; psychedelic rock. acid rock, blues rock and hard rock; Break on Through; lasted until 1973
Pink Floyd
English rock band focused on psychedelic rock; founded in 1965; very popular in late 1960s into late 1970s
Dance Fads
the songs based in R&B and rock & roll, ex. the jerk, the limbo, the mashed potatoes, The Twist
Lesley Gore
female American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist; recorded first pop hit at age 16 in 1963; worked with her brother in film industry in 1980s
Poco
first wave of West Coast country rock genre (1968); "Pickin' Up the Pieces"
Lead/Accompaniment
instrumental or vocal solo VS. art of playing along with _______
Blood, Sweat, and Tears
jazz-rock experimental group, split multiple times, short-lived fame
George Martin
producer of all The Beatles' albums except for one, ensured that recordings possessed remarkable clarity, gave them a classically trained ear to help with arrangements, had a knack for recognizing and capturing peak performances