April 07, 2006

YouTube

As I have mentioned before, I was blessed to have been born into a family with a huge LP collection. As a budding musician I actively sought out experiencing music on any level and in any format. I remember making my first cassette tape (Side A: Muppets; Side B: Chicago II). MTV existed, but we didn't have cable and even if we did I really wasn't into music video's per se. I loved seeing live music and was at the mercy of what four stations had to offer. Austin City Limits, the PBS airing of the Newport Jazz Festival, and the occasional late night musical guest were my lifeblood.

Fast forward to the mid-90's when I first became aware of the internet. One of my first hopes was to find a site where I could watch archival footage of my hero's: Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus and the like.

Fast forward again to the last month where I have finally ebraced the power of YouTube. This site does exactly what I envisioned ten years ago and more. I can't belive all the good stuff I have been finding. Here are some of my favorites so far:

James Brown: 1971