MOTD - Walter B. Rogers: Shredding Cornet Music from 1904

Mp3 Of The Day



Band/Artist: Walter B. Rogers
Song: Yankee Doodle and Variations
Style: Vaudeville, Classical, Cornet music (early shred metal hehe)
country/location: Delphi, Indiana, US
release: 1904

So two weeks ago, just before my grandfather's funeral, I was helping my mother and uncle clean out his apartment/assisted living home. My mother told me that if there was anything I wanted, I could have it (with some things already claimed). I went to town on his CD/music collection for I figured he'd want me to have some of his recordings. One of the CDs I picked up was an album of really really old cornet music from the 1900s and even earlier. Some of it is really awesome and fun. I decided to share one of these gems.

This one was recorded in 1904 (the real old school here!) by this cornet player named Walter B. Rogers, who was popular at the time and rightly so. This guy is no slouch on his instrument. This track is him and a small band performing the ol' traditional song "Yankee Doodle" (which itself dates back to the 1750s btw). Now this recording starts off with him and his little backup orchestra playing the melody in a very straight-forward yet still peppy type way. After this, the orchestra repeats their routine backing of Rogers while he increases his tempo to double of his original performance. Again, he is no newb on the cornet, his playing is spot on & almost shredding (even by our standards of that term). The end finds Rogers triple tonguing his cornet in incredible precision. The sound quality is pretty damn good considering this was record 105 years ago! Of course it's not crystal clear, but still! Personally I'd like to think of this as a very very old precursor to the concept of shredding guitars in metal, but that's just me haha. I hope you enjoy this old highly skillful and fun gem!

Walter B. Rogers - Yankee Doodle and Variations

MOTD - Artie Shaw: A Long Distance Dedication

Mp3 Of The Day



Band/Artist: Artie Shaw and his Orchestra
Song: Stardust
Style: Swing, Big band music, Jazz
country/location: New York City
release: 1930s

So two weeks ago, my grandfather passed away. If there was ever a person who directly influenced my love of music, it was he. His entire life and soul was based around music, much like mine if not more than mine. He played trumpet his entire life, taught music, played in a jazz band for 60+ years, shared it, etc. Even up until his passing, he'd have a Saturday evening music series where he'd invite his neighbors to explore various types of music, ranging from Mendelsohn to Steven Foster to who knows (though he never did metal or heavy music heh). In the four or five years he did this series, he never ever repeated a night! Always something different.

Anyways, I wanted to pay tribute to him in my Mp3 of the Day. I thought of no better song than "Stardust." "Stardust" was often described to me as his theme song, and understandably too. It's a beautiful ballad that conveys longing love in a sorrowful yet heartfelt way. This version by Artie Shaw and his orchestra is an old favorite of mine, featuring Billy Butterfield (trumpet) and Jack Jenney (trombone). The orchestra swings you gently as each soloist get their moment to shine. It's the perfect slow dance number for it is comforting while still having a rhythm that would work amazingly on the dance floor. I can just imagine him and my grandmother dancing to this song at their wedding. Then 60 years later, still dancing to "Stardust" as if no time has passed. That's what I see and feel when I listen to it. It truly describes my grandfather, whose life was full of love and music.

I dedicate this song/post to my grandfather, Milt Aptekar, who taught me to love music and life.

Artie Shaw and His Orchestra - Stardust

MOTD - Decomposed: A Good Slab Of Brutal Death from Indonesia

That's right folks! It's a MOTD finally!

Mp3 Of The Day



Band/Artist: Decomposed
Song: Orgiastic Of Subconscious Butcher
Album: Putrid Stench Purulency
Style: Brutal Death Metal
country/location: Indonesia
release: 2002

So it's been over a month since the last MOTD I posted. It's quite embarrassing really haha. I've been wanting to get back into doing these cus I enjoyed them, but my life has been uber busy and other things. Anyways, I'm going to try and reignite the MOTD spark! I still have a bunch of old school metal posts to do, but until I get back into a groove, I'm just going to post a few things I've been listening to lately and/or just feel like posting! Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

Restarting things off, I present to you some Indonesian brutal death metal! I acquired Decomposed from a buddy of mine who was getting rid of his distro. I didn't even realize where this band was from until I looked them up. Anyways, they're pretty much your run-in-the-mill brutal death band. Chugging guitars that slam you in the throat, blasting drums, mid ranged yet still guttural vocals, it's all here. There's nothing particularly surprising or original about this band, however they do their thing well. They got a lot of range in their riffs, ranging from fast grind like playing to slower headbanging slams. The vocal performance sounds natural yet still inhumanly brutal. No brees here, though his growls take on a high pitched quality. Decomposed certainly won't change people's minds, but for those who enjoy some brutal death, this is a pretty good slab of it!

Decomposed - Orgiastic Of Subconscious Butcher