Teasing the Korean Posted February 16, 2019 Report Posted February 16, 2019 (edited) https://www.wbez.org/shows/wbez-news/word-jazz-creator-and-host-ken-nordine-dies/71c82188-3b11-432b-93da-91d83affdaad Edited February 16, 2019 by Teasing the Korean Quote
Big Beat Steve Posted February 16, 2019 Report Posted February 16, 2019 So "took the A Train" actually is a synonymous expression for "left the building"? I wouldn't have thought that the Duke Ellington tune has such a morbid title. Quote
medjuck Posted February 16, 2019 Report Posted February 16, 2019 Or "left town"? As in "Lester Left Town"? Quote
duaneiac Posted February 16, 2019 Report Posted February 16, 2019 He truly was one-of-a-kind. I'm glad that last year I was able to acquire a copy of the 2 disc You're Getting Better: The Word Jazz Dot Masters. Fabulous recordings. Rest in Peace, Mr. Nordine. Quote
JSngry Posted February 16, 2019 Report Posted February 16, 2019 Whoa, 98! A totally amazing artist. RIP Quote
JSngry Posted February 16, 2019 Report Posted February 16, 2019 The question then and now (especially now) - how are things in your town? That voice, always that voice. Quote
ghost of miles Posted February 16, 2019 Report Posted February 16, 2019 One of a kind for sure... glad that he stuck around for as long as he did. My girlfriend and her mother listened to him with great devotion when they lived in the Chicago area. Quote
Brad Posted February 16, 2019 Report Posted February 16, 2019 2 hours ago, Big Beat Steve said: So "took the A Train" actually is a synonymous expression for "left the building"? I wouldn't have thought that the Duke Ellington tune has such a morbid title. Never heard it used that way and I’m from the City. However, if you’d like to take a ride from Rovkaway (where my grandmother had a beach house) in Queens to near the Henry Hudson Bridge at the tip of Manhattan, that’s the way to do it. Quote
sonnymax Posted February 16, 2019 Report Posted February 16, 2019 3 hours ago, Big Beat Steve said: So "took the A Train" actually is a synonymous expression for "left the building"? I wouldn't have thought that the Duke Ellington tune has such a morbid title. No, it isn't. The OP used this phrase in the title of a Lou Reed obit thread he started here five years ago. Frankly, I think it comes off as rather flippant, although I doubt that was his intention. Anyway, Ken Nordine's Word Jazz was a favorite among my friends and I at Berklee in the late 70's, especially after a bowl or two. Quote
JSngry Posted February 16, 2019 Report Posted February 16, 2019 Some of those Word Jazz things seem, to me, like they should be standard reading/listening in some sort of 20th Century American Literature calsses, the type that probably hardly exist, (if they exist at all). OTOH, they're quintessentially "middlebrow" (if you subscribe to the whole brow hierarchy thing at all), yet at the same time, they're complete renderings of an entire ethos of a time and place. Quite remarkable achievements, the best of them. Quote
danasgoodstuff Posted February 16, 2019 Report Posted February 16, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, JSngry said: Some of those Word Jazz things seem, to me, like they should be standard reading/listening in some sort of 20th Century American Literature calsses, the type that probably hardly exist, (if they exist at all). OTOH, they're quintessentially "middlebrow" (if you subscribe to the whole brow hierarchy thing at all), yet at the same time, they're complete renderings of an entire ethos of a time and place. Quite remarkable achievements, the best of them. This. His ability to describe situations and human responses to them in the abstract made him like a less twisted Kafka. Edited February 16, 2019 by danasgoodstuff Quote
Teasing the Korean Posted February 17, 2019 Author Report Posted February 17, 2019 (edited) When I was in high school, the NPR station in our market played Nordine's Word Jazz radio show on Friday nights at midnight. Jazz would come on at 1 am. I used to get into bed by midnight, put on the headphones, and space out to Word Jazz. I would go to sleep listening to jazz afterward. That was an exciting time for musical discovery for me. Safe travels, Ken. Edited February 17, 2019 by Teasing the Korean Quote
Larry Kart Posted February 18, 2019 Report Posted February 18, 2019 I once played golf with Nordine. Very nice guy but not a good golfer; neither was I. I'd just showed up that weekday morning at a local public course in Winnetka, Il., and he and I were paired together. Strange feeling for a while talking to a man whose distinctive voice had so many associations -- not only to "Word Jazz" but also to a good many Chicago-area radio commercials over the years. Quote
Teasing the Korean Posted February 18, 2019 Author Report Posted February 18, 2019 23 minutes ago, Larry Kart said: I once played golf with Nordine. Very nice guy but not a good golfer; neither was I. I'd just showed up that weekday morning at a local public course in Winnetka, Il., and he and I were paired together. Strange feeling for a while talking to a man whose distinctive voice had so many associations -- not only to "Word Jazz" but also to a good many Chicago-area radio commercials over the years. BEAUTIFUL! Quote
chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez Posted February 18, 2019 Report Posted February 18, 2019 Do you all know here how Jerry was really influenced by ken nordine, and he speaks in interviews of how influential the word jazz lp was to him and in the 90s he actually guested with them, i think he did a recitation over 'space'......... Quote
Teasing the Korean Posted February 18, 2019 Author Report Posted February 18, 2019 6 hours ago, chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez said: Do you all know here how Jerry was really influenced by ken nordine, and he speaks in interviews of how influential the word jazz lp was to him and in the 90s he actually guested with them, i think he did a recitation over 'space'......... I had no idea that Jerry Lewis loved Ken Nordine so much! Thanks for the info! Quote
Teasing the Korean Posted February 18, 2019 Author Report Posted February 18, 2019 The father of a good friend of mine was a professional jazz and studio musician who was part of the Chicago scene that included Dick Marx and Johnny Frigo. My friend's Dad knew Ken Nordine and played on some of those early Word Jazz backings. Quote
chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez Posted February 18, 2019 Report Posted February 18, 2019 no, dawg..... Quote
Brad Posted February 19, 2019 Report Posted February 19, 2019 2 hours ago, chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez said: no, dawg..... And I thought it was Jerry Jones you were talkin’ about Quote
Teasing the Korean Posted February 19, 2019 Author Report Posted February 19, 2019 2 hours ago, chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez said: no, dawg... I wouldn't know about that. I prefer listening to music by stylishly dressed musicians, as opposed to that by hygienically challenged hippies. Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted February 19, 2019 Report Posted February 19, 2019 Met him a couple of times. Nice man with big props. Quote
chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez Posted February 19, 2019 Report Posted February 19, 2019 IS THIS BETTER Quote
Brad Posted February 19, 2019 Report Posted February 19, 2019 2 hours ago, Teasing the Korean said: I wouldn't know about that. I prefer listening to music by stylishly dressed musicians, as opposed to that by hygienically challenged hippies. He also took the A Train Quote
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.