North Carolina: A State of Music

Robert Griffin | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 15, 1999)
• Original Release Date: November 15, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• ASIN: B00004VXRF
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #953,273 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Carolina on my Mind

2. Rhythm-a-Ning/Petite Adrienne

3. Black Mountain Rag

4. Freight Train

5. It Ain't You

6. Killing Me Softly

7. Hot Buttered Rum

8. Woody Woodpecker

9. Uncle Josh

10. Giant Steps

11. Lullaby for Lindsay

Editorial Reviews

James Taylor, Carolina On My Mind. The third or fourth time most Tar Heel folks heard James Taylor's signature song, they knew that people would be singing it a century from now. But after hearing it ten thousand times, we begin to fear that sad alchemy: a work of genius being trivialized and overplayed into a clich‚. Watch how Robert breathes new life into the melody while perhaps hiding it more deeply than he did with any other song in this collection. The chord changes are all there, and so is the tune if you listen carefully, but the composition is elaborated into a Baroque tour de force in the style of Bach, which blends in a miraculously seamless way into a gospel feeling in one verse and the bridge. Mike Cross, Uncle Tosh. This is one of those endearing comedy sketches that the inimitable Mr. Cross uses to leave an audience howling with laughter. Robert recognized that beneath the comedic intent of the lyrics, Carolina's favorite clown- bard had composed a very strong melody. Robert sticks to the tune very closely here, but adds a lot of grace notes before and after the main melodic line, and also alters their rhythmic placement. His reharmonizations are squarely in the twentieth century classical vein and reminiscent to me of Prokofiev. Doc Watson, Black Mountain Rag. Robert loved Watson's arrangement of this traditional mountain tune, but, in his words, "keeping it lively and changing the feel didn't seem to work for me, so I went the opposite direction. The second and third parts of the tune are treated in a kind of twentieth century neo-classical way, while I was trying for a more Impressionistic feel in the A section. The melodies in all sections are present, just reharmonized, with the melodic rhythm of the A section altered so that each note is four times as long." The Red Clay Ramblers, Hot Buttered Rum. According to Robert, it was the "sweetness" of the Ramblers' tune which attracted him. Alluding to the British Isles origins of much Carolina folk music, he gradually develops the chord progression over a Celtic drone while bringing in the melodic line. Notice the little interlude interspersed among the first three verses it develops into its own separate motif after the fourth verse, then everything comes together in the folk music feeling of the final verse. Roberta Flack, Killing Me Softly. Roberta Flack, best known for her smoky voice, is a native of Asheville, NC. Even though she's not the composer in this case, Killing Me Softly is probably her signature tune. In Robert's words, "I have always loved this song. I kept it in pretty much the same popular music vein the same tune, the same chords, just a slightly different feeling."

Squirrel Nut Zippers, It Ain't You. The Zippers are, at this writing, the latest band of North Carolina musicians to hit the national big time. Many of us have their CDs in our collections, but Robert takes this tune by Jimbo Mathus and Katherine Whalen in some new directions. The pickup and the first four bars "just slayed" him, so he elected to play with it harmonically in a few different ways. He preserved the swing feel of the song, but changed the chords under the melody to give it more drive in the solo piano context. Thelonious Monk, Rhythm-A-Ning. Robert considered a lot of different tunes by this seminal North Carolina jazz voice before settling on this variant of the familiar I Got Rhythm. Monk, as usual, throws us a rhythmic curve ball note the little quirk in the beat at the end of the A section and watch how Robert continues to develop it through the bridge. He references Charlie Rouse's sax solo on the original recording, and also Monk's own unique solo. In the middle of the arrangement, Robert tantalizes us with a taste of his own original melody, Petite Adrienne, which is based on the same chordal changes. John Coltrane, Giant Steps. In reference to this classic jazz composition, Robert says that Hamlet, North Carolina's John Coltrane represents "just that a giant step in the development of jazz and a giant step in terms of jazz playing." Out of respect for the genius of the man, Robert doesn't carve any major new territory here. He lets the originality and vision of the piece stand for itself, as it pours through his delicate pianistic touch. Kay Kyser, Woody Woodpecker Theme. While attending law school at UNC- Chapel Hill, Rocky Mount native Kay Kyser was invited to take over the Carolina Club Orchestra. Many members of that unit followed him in the meteoric rise of his big bands. The Woody Woodpecker Theme, written by George Tibbles and Ramey Idriss, is probably their most recognizable tune. The melody is light and comedic, but watch where Robert takes it...

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have!, August 13, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (Chapel Hill, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: North Carolina: A State of Music (Audio CD)

As a relatively newcomer to jazz, I listened to this CD thinking because I was from North Carolina and enjoyed many of the "mainstream" versions of these songs, this collection would be a way to become a little more familiar with jazz piano. However, I learned that North Carolina: A State of Music is much more than just a collection of tar heel memories for piano enthusiasts. I think it can be enjoyed by many who at first blush would not reach for a jazz CD. What I like most about it is Robert maintains the original feel of the song to make it recognizable but adds his own special flair to make it something unique and truly his own. North Carolina: A State of Music doesn't leave my CD tray and is definitely a must have for all!

5.0 out of 5 stars What a find!, July 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: North Carolina: A State of Music (Audio CD)

Solo piano music at its finest! Griffin covers work by various artists who are fellow natives of NC, such as Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Roberta Flack, Mike Cross and the Squirrel Nut Zippers, yet the arrangements are unexpected, brilliant and all Griffin's own. Both classically trained and fluent in jazz, Griffin's sheer virtuosity is fluid, lyrical, polished and eminently listenable--and the humor of his rendition of Kay Kyser's Woody Woodpecker theme is a delightful plus. This CD will grow and grow on you--it's in heavy rotation at my house, and will stay there. And if you like this CD, don't miss Griffin's work with the Squirrel Nut Zipper's Katharine Whalen and her Jazz Squad.