Welcome to my music blog -
The Soundtrack of My Life!
Many of you have asked me “What’s with all the music, Dr.
Weiss?” Well, as I’ve told some of you:
I personally call every surgery patient on the evening of
surgery just to make sure they are doing well and have no questions that need
answering. Occasionally, I would be at the piano and play a song that we had
listened to that day. I gradually realized that I wanted to go through all the music
that I had played during my life and at least start making a list of the songs that
I had recently played.
Well, there are now about 600 songs on the list and I realized
that it in a way it represented the ‘soundtrack of my life’! And that’s how I got
the idea to record these songs and share them with my patients, friends and family.
After I record them they will reside here, for easy access.
Music is truth. It’s honest. It’s really the first social
media, where in a way, people could share their souls directly. And isn’t that what
the purpose of social media is and why it’s so popular - trying to share who you
really are, as completely and directly as possible?
Finally, it has been (and will continue to be) a genuine
pleasure sharing these different songs with you and I really appreciate all of your
positive feedback!!
Mr. Jelly Lord (1:33) Recorded 1/21/24 Jelly Roll Morton, born October 20, 1890 in New Orleans, has been called the first great composer and piano player in jazz. Actually, Morton once confessed that his innovations resulted from his inability to remember and play ragtime pieces properly. He had to “fudge” the notes. His improvisations led him to create loose, swinging rhythms that were more informal than ragtime, and sounded a lot more fun. Morton was jazz’s first arranger, proving that a genre rooted in improvisation could retain its essential characteristics when notated. I can personally attest to that. How else would a kid from the Philadelphia suburbs be able to record this song 100 years later? His composition “Jelly Roll Blues”, published in 1915, was one of the first published jazz compositions. He also claimed to have invented jazz. I don’t know about that (Louis Armstrong and others might also take issue with that claim), but he was certainly foundational and very influential in the development of jazz from ragtime. Morton had an eye for the ladies and the charm of a snake oil salesman. To tide himself over, from time to time, he put his talents to use as a […]
Theme from Symphony in G Minor (First Movement) (1:31) “The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.” Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart This symphony is unquestionably one of Mozart’s most greatly admired works, composed in 1788 at the age of 32. (He was to die 3 years later.) The fact that we are still humming this melody is a testament to the unique nature and magic of music. Few things stand the test of time more than music: maybe because the music still lives on and is present among us. But not just any music – who besides Mozart and some other classical composers will be widely known in another 235 years? Frank Sinatra, Lennon/McCartney, Bob Dylan and possibly Stevie Wonder? Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550, is one of only two symphonies Mozart wrote in minor keys and reflects his interest in the artistic movement known as Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress), in which darker and stronger emotions were showcased. The year 1788 was a dark one for Mozart. Viennese audiences were proving less eager to hear his concerts and recitals, bills were piling up, and his infant daughter Theresia had just died. Letters to friends […]
Lush Life (3:29) by Billy Strayhorn “Lush Life” is a jazz standard that was written by Billy Strayhorn, who was born on November 29, 1915 and wrote the song when he was just a teenager! Despite being written 90 years ago, this song is ageless and has fascinated (and challenged) many jazz legends over the years. Strayhorn also composed the Duke Ellington orchestra’s signature song, “Take the ‘A’ Train.” For someone in their teens to write one of the most unique and sophisticated jazz melodies and chord changes, accompanied by such mature and world-weary lyrics, is almost unbelievable, comparable to other musical prodigies. I’m playing it with very little improvisation and many of the chords in root position. The song and the harmonics are so unique that the wandering melody almost demands that you listen to every note and chord change as written. (Also, I can’t improvise like John Coltrane!) There is a great recording by Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass in which Ella (one of the great jazz improvisers) also sings the melody almost note for note as Strayhorn intended. I agree with Jon Batiste (writing about Thelonius Monk’s ‘Introspection”, a different song but one with a similar uniqueness): “Sometimes […]
Botox Man – Weiss Music Minute Today I want to share an incredible coincidence that has linked me and Botox Cosmetic: we have the same birthday (April 15)! In fact, I was being interviewed on the radio about the product on my birthday on the very day of the FDA approval (Botox Cosmetic’s ‘birthday’.) Please enjoy this parody of Johnny Rivers song “Secret Agent Man” entitled, “Mr. Botox Man” that I wrote back in the day. We literally recorded it in a garage by the beach!
Nobody Does It Better “Nobody Does It Better” is a power ballad and the theme song for the James Bond film ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ (1977). Composed by Marvin Hamlisch with lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager, the song was an inescapable worldwide hit performed by Carly Simon. The other night I re-watched (once again!) the James Bond film ‘Quantum of Solace’, in which the theme song was written and performed by Jack White and Alicia Keys (itself a very cool song). Since my last blog was on the 1961 movie theme “Town Without Pity – blog, song”, I thought I’d continue the trend and skip ahead 16 years to 1977, and also because today (October 14) was Roger Moore’s birthday. Even though I personally prefer Sean Connery and Daniel Craig, Roger and I did experience seven exciting cinematic adventures together (whew)- and it also fits in with my ‘On This Day’ theme. In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked it the third-greatest James Bond theme song, while Billboard ranked it the second-greatest. In 2021, USA Today crowned “Nobody Does it Better” the greatest James Bond Theme Song. In addition to Carly Simon’s unforgettable rendition, the song has also been performed live by such varied artists as […]
Town Without Pity On this day (October 10) 62 years ago, the film ‘Town Without Pity’ starring Kirk Douglas, was released in the United States. Don’t ask me how this song popped into my head the other day – I was only 8 years old at the time and I don’t believe I had ever seen the movie, but I certainly must have remembered Gene Pitney’s distinctive recording, which was nominated for an Academy Award (losing out to Henry Mancini’s ‘Moon River’!) The Film ‘Town Without Pity’ was shot in black and white in Germany and Austria less than 15 years after WWII. For me, it harkens back to film noir and even Italian Neorealism films such as Roberto Rossellini’s ‘Rome, Open City’ and ‘Germany, Year Zero’. These films, as well as Federico Fellini’s masterpiece ‘La Strada’ (starring Anthony Quinn), portray everyday life and the struggles of ordinary people, often using non-professional actors and real locations. The Music The theme song for “Town Without Pity” is characterized by its haunting, melancholic melody. Dimitri Tiomkin wrote the song and also scored the movie with an avant-garde jazz score. (Tiomkin also worked with Frank Capra, who chose him to write and perform […]
When I Paint My Masterpiece Illustration credit: Rick and Dall-E “When I Paint My Masterpiece“ is a 1971 song written by Bob Dylan. It was first released by The Band, who released it exactly 52 years ago on September 15, 1971. Dylan released his version (produced by Leon Russell) on his Greatest Hits Volume II album (highly recommended) a couple of months later. Basically, I guess I was introduced to this song from his Greatest Hits album when I was an 18-year-old sophomore at NYU. How could you not appreciate a song that began: “Oh, the streets of Rome are filled with rubble, ancient footprints are everywhere,” even if that were the only lyrics! Interesting fact about the lyric ‘When I ran on the hilltop following a pack of wild geese’: (From Wikipedia) The story is that when the Republic of Rome was under attack from the Gauls in 390BC, Rome seemed about to fall and the Romans were besieged. Despite low food supplies during the siege the Romans kept their sacred geese fed, and this turned out to be a shrewd idea, because as the Gauls attacked, the geese honked as they do, woke up the guards, who then resolutely defeated the […]
The Merry Farmer Returning From Work Listen to this short piece by Robert Schumann (Opus 69, #10)– notice that the farmer is returning more quickly as he gets closer to home! Enjoy, Dr. Weiss
Margaritaville Jimmy Buffett, who passed away today at age 77, unfailingly gave a great concert and always exuded amazing positive good-time energy, which contributed to his devoted hard-partying fans. Although I wasn’t a Buffett super-fan, I enjoyed his songs as much as anyone. Also, one of the most memorable concerts I ever attended was relatively recently (or so it seems) at a special show at the cozy venue of the Belly Up in Solana Beach. What a concert… and what a crowd! I hope you enjoy my Weiss Music Minute mini-tribute to a memorable musician. Rest in peace, Jimmy. Hope you are enjoying a ‘Cheeseburger in Paradise.’ Rick Weiss
