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Re: The Melody of Speech
Posted By: Don the Monkeyman, on host 209.91.94.242
Date: Monday, February 5, 2001, at 13:59:48
In Reply To: The Melody of Speech posted by Travholt on Monday, February 5, 2001, at 13:48:49:

> Today, having *finally* got some payment for at least one of the jobs I've been doing lately, I celebrated by popping around the corner to the music store "Just Jazz" (that's 'Bare Jazz' in Norwegian, by the way, which, come to think of it, almost could do just as well in English).
>
> Well, I listened to four or five CDs, but couldn't find anything I wanted. So I asked the owner (she's a professional jazz saxoponist herself) if she had any suggestions. I told her what I wanted: Some easy, harmonic, a bit funky music. Fusion, or something like it.
>
> She handed me a double CD, which she said was direct import from USA. The artist is Victor Wooten, a bass player, and the record is called 'Yin-yang', the two CDs named Yin and Yang, respectively. Yin is instrumental, Yang has vocals, too. I listened to it, and liked many of the tunes instantly, so I bought it.
>
> Back to work, on with the headset. When song #8 comes up, I suddenly hear babyspeak. Then, the babyspeak returns, now with Wooten's bass playing in unison with the baby's voice, and with chords added!
>
> This is a real "ear-opener" to the fact that our voices actually has melody. It's so easy not to notice, because we're too busy and used to trying to filter out and piece together what the person talking wants to say.
>
> There's something special, different, something to this music that touches strings inside me that ordinary music doesn't. Or maybe it does, but not as directly. Maybe this means that we tend to like music that resembles voice/speech patterns...
>
> I want to share this experience with you. In light of the recent Napster debate here in RinkForum, I'm a bit nervous about putting a link to an mp3 file here, but I'll do it in the message text (no direct link, in other words, you'll have to copy and paste), and I'm going to leave it there for just a couple of weeks, max. It's just over 2 Mb in size, so most of you should be able to download it pretty fast.
>
> I give you also the link to Wooten's site, specifically the page where he explains a bit about the song.
>
> Here's the link to the mp3 file on my site:
> http://home.eunet.no/~stoeylen/audio/kalia_speaks.mp3
>
> I really recommend the rest of this double CD, too. I think it's very nice already, and I expect it to grow on me a bit.
>
>
> Trav"I'm just doing this because I'm so totally fascinated by this, and I'd also like to point out that this is the first time I've made an mp3 file ever!"holt

Well, I am at work now, so I will have to wait until I get home to download it, but I plan to have a listen and then delete it. If I like it, I will go out and buy the set. Personally (and from previous discussion, I suspect most here would agree with me) I do not feel that this is a violation of copyright law, especially since it is only one song, most are likely to do as I do and delete it when they are done, and if anything, this will help _increase_ album sales for Mr. Wooten. Wait, let me rephrase that. It probably IS in violation of copyright law, but in the letter, and not in spirit. Copyright laws are not in place to prevent people from allowing their friends to hear music in hopes of encouraging them to buy albums. Quite the opposite. :-) I have a sneaking suspicion that I will buy the set, at least...

Don "Been wanting to get into some jazz anyway" Monkey

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