Another aspect of Tony that has always fascinated me is his relationship with music. He never made a secret of it. The quote I used as the subtitle of this article comes from a promo for the show No Reservations, filmed outside CBGB — the ultimate rock club, once located in Manhattan’s Lower East Side at 315 Bowery Street, New York.
Joel Beckerman, who composed the theme for No Reservations, once said: “Tony saw music and food as inseparable, a kind of synaesthesia of expression. I’ve never worked with anyone more knowledgeable or with better musical taste.” Speaking about the creation of the show’s theme, he explained: “The music had to capture Bourdain’s energy and personality as a host — his distinctly punk rock approach to the world, and his love for the people, cultures, and food he encountered. Our goal was to bring back to life the Bourdain we all came to know and love through music. The final theme represents a damn leap into the unknown.” For anyone who has never listened to it, you can find the link here.
Tony was a huge fan of 1970s punk — a passion born in the kitchen during his early days working in New York restaurants, which thirty years later led him to write an article for SPIN magazine (fortunately still available on Google Books), as well as a very interesting piece for Rolling Stone in 2014, where he listed some of his favourite songs.
As mentioned earlier in the article about his TV shows, his premature death led CNN to produce the documentary Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain (its title taken from “Roadrunner”, a song by Modern Lovers that also appears in the film). Through interviews with friends and old footage, the documentary dives deep into Tony’s life — and, of course, into his love of music. It was also thanks to this film that I was able to create a Spotify playlist — yes, I’m there too — called Bourdain’s Fav. I recommend listening to it with a good Negroni (Bourdain’s favourite cocktail), a couple of oysters, and a fine cigarette.
I completely share the idea that food and music are inseparably linked. For me too, music has been a fundamental part of my life over the years, and above all, of my personal growth. I’ll end with a phrase I often say: “Never trust anyone who doesn’t listen to music or have their own taste in it.”
Big Love from Giuliona
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