Happy Birthday Leonard!

Yesterday, September 21, 2009 Leonard Cohen, poet/songwriter turned 75.

Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, March 2008.

In his own words, "Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash." He is one of Canada's best-loved poets, his most recent collection of writings, 2006's Book of Longing, was the first book of poetry to reach the No. 1 position on Canada's bestsellers lists. Cohen's music is not easy to categorize, it has tones of country, cabaret jazz, folk, and rhythm and blues. Cohen himself once called his musical style "European blues." His albums have brought him Juno Awards, a Grammy, and induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2003, he was made Companion to the Order of Canada, and in 2008, he was made a Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec.

I saw him at the Wiltern Theater, in Korea Town, Los Angeles doing his 'I'm Your Man' tour. It was the best live concert I have ever attended. His voice was perfect. He sounded just like his recordings. The audience was attentive, respectful and was absolutely silent during each and every song. It was an incredible musical experience.

One of his backup singers for several years was another one of my favorites, Jennifer Warrens, covered some of his songs on her album, Famous Blue Raincoat (To hear some clips and interviews with Leonard and others about the songs, click the link.). This was her best work, in my opinion. On some of the tracks he sings with her.

Leonard Cohen was very influential in the development of my musical tastes and my own vocal style, along with Bob Dylan, Donovan, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Peter Paul & Mary, Randy Newman, Phil Ochs, Leon Redbone, Brian Wilson and The Mamas & The Papas to name but a few.

Quote: "Act the way you'd like to be and soon you'll be the way you act." — Leonard Cohen

In Memory of Mary

Last Wednesday, Mary Travers died of luekimea.
Mary Allin Travers (November 9, 1936 – September 16, 2009) One of America's favorite folk singer-songwriters and essential member of the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary (the rose between the thorns) along with Peter Yarrow and Noel "Paul" Stookey. They were one of the most successful folk-singing groups of the 1960s. Unlike most folk musicians who were a part of the early 1960s Greenwich Village music scene, Travers actually grew up in that New York neighborhood. She was born in Louisville, Kentucky but in 1938, her parents moved to Greenwich Village where she attended the Little Red School until the 11th grade when she left to pursue her singing career.
Good bye Mary, thanks for the music.