Good day,
Today’s article concerns a gentleman’s choice in music. A man is defined by the music he enjoys therefore he must choose his music carefully.
First of all, what you use to play your music. Is a hi-fi from Retravision going to fit in when put between your humidor and banker’s lamp? Does the cheap plastic exterior match your Chesterfield? Of course it does not. A gentleman, then, must match his musical vehicle with his polished mahogany and leather decor.
The answer is, of course, the gramophone. In lieu of this, a more modern turntable may suffice.
A gramophone can be one of the most prized possessions for a gentleman. Some consider them worthy of a guard dog.
Now that you have your musical apparatus, it is time to choose some appropriate music. Of course, compact discs and “MP3s” cannot be catered for by the noble gramophone. Vinyl is now the only option. In terms of genre, there are two important questions to ask yourself when selecting music:
- Is it jazz? (jazz includes swing, latin jazz, bebop et al)
- Is it classical? (preferably post-baroque)
If the answer to both of these questions is ‘no’, you are looking at the wrong genre.
Don’t be fooled by the name. This is far from gentleman’s music.
Now that you have your gramophone and vinyls, you can relax, light a cigar, loosen your tie and listen to the soft crackle of gentlemanly music.
Or simply stand and admire the fine creation, like this gentleman.
And finally we address the issue of playing music. A gentleman should be able to display virtuosity on at least one instrument. Preferably four or five. This can come in handy in many situations – be it wooing that young lady at the soiree, or getting yourself out a jam when Professor Moriarty attempts to engage you in mortal combat atop the Reichenbach Falls.
Guess which one of these gentleman is not going home alone tonight. That's right, all of them.
And with that, we wish you happy listening.
Until next time,
H.L. Griffith
[...] we have heard about he styles of music that a gentleman listens to (In Music to a Gentleman’s Ears), but if a gentleman must listen to a more upbeat style of music than orchestral but with less [...]
[...] So thanks to previous gentleman’s efforts, we now have gentleman-friendly music to enjoy and get into the spirit of Christmas with. What better way to enjoy a festive evening that with your pipe, your Chesterfield, a warm fire place (for those of us in the Old World), a refreshing Scotch and some gentleman crooning a carol on your gramophone. [...]