In a recent conversation with X-Boarder forcesinger, I found I was having a hard time describing the music of Ken Nordine. Is it spoken word or jazz? Is he serious or playing a joke on all of us? Are we laughing with him or at him?

Well, I figure it’s a little bit of both on all counts.

Ken Nordine hails from Chicago; his deep, resonant voice may be recognizable to older X-Boarders as the voice heard in a million ’60s and ’70s commercials (Taster’s Choice Coffee in particular comes to mind). I include him in the same category as American Beat-era greats. Think: Jack Kerouac, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Allen Ginsberg… and Ken Nordine. His own unique art combines off-kilter everyman observations and anecdotes spoken over a background of beatnik cool jazz, and has to be heard to be believed. In spite of his dry manner and appearance, there’s some strange Cold War paranoia and panic bubbling deep under the surface, deep below Nordine’s deep, deep voice… maybe that’s why he was hired to voice-coach Linda Blair during filming of “The Exorcist”.

Nordine’s lyrics are gut-busting hilarious and bizarre:

………
my baby didn’t say anything
just looked at me with that special look my baby has
i looked back
with that special look i get
when my baby looks at me with that special look she gets
………

or

………
have you ever been hungry in the middle of the night?
that happens to me sometimes
and then i go raid the icebox
for example, the other night i did that
we had some leftover welsh rarebit
i found that and a couple crackers
piece of celery
and an olive and i
sat down in the middle of the night
i was very, very

hungry
………

On this, Nordine’s debut album, he experiments with faux interviews, “soundscapes”, true (?) stories, and nonsensical jaff riffs. He was a pioneer… playing with the mixing process to create atomspheric audio environments decades before Brain Eno and others. But all within his context of “Word Jazz”… telling stories to amuse and bemuse.

I first heard of Nordine in high school. A friend’s father had the original LP, and when we first heard it, we felt like we had discovered a comedy goldmine. Neither of us had heard anything like Word Jazz before — and we never would again. Ken Nordine is a one-of-a-kind treasure who, at age 85, is still producing weekly radio shows and even released his first DVD recently.

Word Jazz is not for passive listening… you’ll get the most out of it when you give it your full attention. In fact, it may be hard not to once you put it on. Do yourself a favor - check out Ken Nordine, baby.

NOTE: This album is no longer in circulation… a “Best Of” compilation was issued on CD several years ago and is now out of print, fetching more than $50 at Amazon and eBay. This compilation included all but one of the original LP tracks, which I’ve located and sequenced in the original order, with original album art… as a gift for those who know where to look.

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Posted in Reviews •

A phenomenon that stretched over 28 years appears to have come to a halt this summer. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith completed George Lucas’ six part space saga that revolutionized the cinematic experience in 1977, when Star Wars (which later became Episode IV: A New Hope) set new standards in film and arguably started the ‘blockbuster’ genre. This first big movie franchise nurtured the largest fan base (most likely) any film series has ever had, a community now devoid of a new Star Wars movie to anticipate. But surely a franchise that has garnered millions upon millions of dollars will be reluctant to fade from the limelight completely.

So then, where exactly does the legacy of Star Wars lie? The straightforward answer: in television. Again. Star Wars ventures on the small screen are a mixed bag. When the Original Trilogy (i.e. Episodes 4, 5 and 6) finished with Return of the Jedi in 1983, George Lucas came up with the idea to produce a Star Wars television feature that centered around the Ewoks (the cuddly bear-like creatures from Episode 6), which resulted in the 90 minute film Caravan of Courage. 65 Million US viewers of the premiere and an Emmy award for special effects were reason enough to create the sequel The Battle for Endor in 1985, to equal success. On the other hand, George Lucas was also responsible for the abominably infamous Holiday Special, a TV special about the Wookies (the ape-like race Chewbacca stems from) produced in the aftermatch of the first film’s impact in 1978. Despite a large amount of viewers, the Holiday Special remains one of Star Wars universe’s most shameful chapters (to the point that George Lucas made sure it was never aired again or released on video).

History seems to be repeating itself, at least what strategy is concerned about. With the completion of the Prequels, the second trilogy, Lucas wants to continue his universe on television. The faith that new TV projects will pay off is largely due to the success of the Clone Wars series, an animated blend of anime and CGI created by Genndy Tartakovsky (Samurai Jack) detailing the epic war that broke out in Attack of the Clones (Episode 2) and were concluded in Revenge of the Sith. The three (Volume I) to twelve (Volume II) minute episodes were aired to great critical appraisal. This achievement paved the way for Clone Wars 3D and an as of yet untitled live action series, two television projects slated for late 2007. Here’s a collection of what is known so far about these two series:

Clone Wars 3D

Posted in Movies, Star Wars •