(Bandleader, vocals, entertainer, 1907–94) Cabell Calloway’s orchestra was one of the most successful black bands of the 1930s and by the end of the decade it was home to some of the finest jazz soloists. He arrived in Chicago in the late 1920s and found his niche as a singer, then went to New York, where ...
(An-ton’-yo da Ka-ba-thon’) 1510–66 Spanish keyboard composer and player Blind from birth, Cabezón learnt the organ from an early age and became one of the great keyboard players of his day. He began his career as organist to Queen Isabella. After her death he worked for her children, later attaching himself solely to the future king, Philip II. Cabezón’s ...
Cabaret thrived on sensuality, wit and an intimacy between performer and audience. Its essence lies in intimate, escapist venues, where charismatic artists perform with ad-hoc backing from piano, brass and bass. Unlike the popularist music hall, cabaret was born from experimentation and a desire to explore the space between mass entertainment and the avant-garde. A French ...
(Piano, keyboards, b. 1963) A pianist with Romantic sensibilities, Rubalcaba is from a revered musical family and studied at Havana’s Amadeo Roldan Conservatory. He led an electric Grupo Proyecto on tours of Europe and Asia in the 1980s, representing triumphs of Castro-era Cuba, but the US denied him entry until 1993. Bassist Charlie Haden sponsored his ...
The cabaletta or cavaletta came from the Italian word for ‘grasshopper’. Originally, the cabaletta was a short popular aria with a simple, repetitive rhythm. However, by the nineteenth century the cabaletta had a more specialized meaning; now, it described the final, lively section of an aria or a duet, which followed a ‘smoothly sung’ cantabile ...
b. 1933, Spanish This soprano’s melting pianissimo has earned her a faithful following, but she is also one of the few operatic singers to have had a hit pop record – Freddie Mercury, of rock band Queen, wrote ‘Exercises in Free Love’ for her, which was featured on the award-winning album Barcelona. Caballé’s training began at ...
Composed: 1972–76 Premiered: 1978, Stockholm Libretto by the composer and Michael Meschke after Michel de Ghelderode’s play La ballade du Grand Macabre Act I Piet the Pot, drunk as ever, watches Amando and Amanda making love. Nekrotzar, the Grand Macabre, rises from his tomb and prophesies doom for Breughelland at midnight. He rides off on Piet ...
b. 1933 Spanish soprano Caballé studied at the Barcelona Liceo, and joined the Basle Opera in 1956, where she sang the Italian and German repertory. She appeared at La Scala and in Vienna, before consolidating her reputation in several operas by Donizetti. She made her Glyndebourne and Metropolitan Opera debuts in 1965, and her Covent Garden debut ...
(Experimental vocal/instrumental group, 1973–94) Founded in Sheffield by Krautrock fans Chris Watson, Richard H. Kirk and Stephen Mallinder. The trio manipulated tapes and played conventional instruments against and over them. Signed to Rough Trade in 1978, an underground hit ‘Nag Nag Nag’ emerged. The group became more interested in danceable beats, but still retained an experimental edge. ...
(Alto saxophone, arranger, trumpet, vocals, 1907–2003) One of the great arrangers and soloists in jazz history, Bennett Lester Carter wrote some of the first big-band music to fully realize the flowing, legato ensemble of the coming swing movement. His saxophone ensembles were smooth projections of his solo style. ‘Lonesome Nights’ and ‘Symphony In Riffs’ were ...
(Tenor saxophone, 1908–41) Inspired by Coleman Hawkins’ big sound, Leon ‘Chu’ Berry honed a more rapid, streamlined tenor attack. He recorded with Benny Carter in 1933 and joined Fletcher Henderson three years later. In 1937 he topped Down Beat’s first national poll of leading musicians and joined Cab Calloway’s orchestra, where he remained until his death. Berry ...
(Banjo, guitar, educator, 1909–94) Daniel Moses Barker carried forth the musical traditions of New Orleans, playing with a number of traditional bands in the 1920s and 1930s before marrying Louise Dupont (a.k.a. Blue Lu Barker) in 1930. They recorded several sides together in 1938, including Barker’s own song ‘Don’t You Make Me High’, revived ...
John Birks ‘Dizzy’ Gillespie shares the credit for creating bebop with Charlie Parker, but his place in the history of twentieth-century music rests on a considerably wider achievement. He was born in Cheraw, South Carolina in 1917 and acquired his nickname in the 1930s. He moved to New York and worked in big bands with Teddy Hill, Lionel ...
(Trumpet, vocals, 1905–97) Adolphus Cheatham played in countless bands and small groups in the 1920s, before settling in the Cab Calloway orchestra in 1931. He remained with Calloway until 1939, after which he resumed work with a variety of bands. He didn’t emerge as a soloist until the 1960s, working with George Wein, Benny Goodman ...
(Clarinet, bassoon, 1902–91) Jazz’s first double-reed specialist on bassoon, Bushell played with Mamie Smith’s Jazz Hounds before a two-year stint with Sam Wooding’s Orchestra (1925–27). In 1928 he formed the Louisiana Sugar Babies with Fats Waller and Jabbo Smith, and he later worked with Otto Hardwick (1931), Fess Williams (1933), Fletcher Henderson (1935–36), Cab Calloway (1936–37) and ...
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Classical, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country and more. Flame Tree has been making encyclopaedias and guides about music for over 20 years. Now Flame Tree Pro brings together a huge canon of carefully curated information on genres, styles, artists and instruments. It's a perfect tool for study, and entertaining too, a great companion to our music books.
David Bowie
Fantastic new, unofficial biography covers
his life, music, art and movies, with a
sweep of incredible photographs.