While it's a been a crazy semester (personally as well as all around me), I hope you all have a great Summer. Rest, read, listen, hike, cook out, see friends, you know, all that stuff that gets pushed aside when we're in the midst of the school year.
Here's some tunes for your wide open ears!
"Woodstock" - Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young - To celebrate the sponsor dropping out of the scam that was Woodstock 50… (Daniele D-M). This song, written by Joni Mitchell (who was involved with Graham Nash at the time), serves as a reminder of those halcyon days of the late 1960s. And she wrote "We are stardust, we are golden/ We are billion year old carbon/And we got to get ourselves back to the garden." The good old days! (Editor)
"Rolling In The Deep" - Adele - In honor of my daughter Laura who is finally starting the rest of her life. (B. Rosenblum) (Editor's note - I find it amazing that England creates such soulful singers. Adele can belt it with the best of them. As it used to be when I was growing up, many of these singers become more popular than the Black women they emulate. That aside, Adele can surely sing!)
"Watch" - Billie Ellish - Ms. Eilish gained popularity extremely quick (she's still only 17). Although this is not from her new album which is extremely popular, this is one of my favorites because it really showcases her style of singing. It's a bit more breathy and she doesn't belt, but I love that she's not following that trend because it really showcases how beautiful her voice is. (Megan. W)
The Roots - "Proceed" (from 1995’s Do You Want More?)
My students are stunned to discover that the Roots did not become famous from becoming Jimmy Fallon’s house band (and I am repeatedly stunned by my restraint in responding to this)... 25 years later, Black Thought (Tariq) is still one of the most intelligent lyricists in the history of hip hop. A great track for struttin’ into the Summer. (Kyle S.
"Thin Blue Line" - Jerry Salley - a Bluegrass tune that celebrates public servants. Many of my friends live this daily. (Thomas W) Salley is one of today's premier songwriters in Country music.From his website: "From Sir Elton John’s only chart single to appear on the Billboard Country Chart (“Where We Both Say Goodbye”) – duet with Australian artist Catherine Britt) to a Gospel song so popular it has been included in church hymnals (“His Strength Is Perfect”); from songs recorded by country music legends Loretta Lynn and The Oak Ridge Boys to some of today’s biggest country stars like Chris Stapleton, Reba McEntire, and Brad Paisley, Jerry’s long list of accomplishments speaks for itself." (Editor)
"Down San Diego Way" - Arthur Blythe - For me, Mr. Blythe (1940-2017) possessed the most joyful tune on his alto saxophone. He could standards, blues, "free" music, bebop, ragtime, Caribbean music - you name it, he'd find a way to lift your spirits. After a decade releasing albums on smaller labels, he was signed to Columbia and released two albums in short. "Down San Diego Way" (he was born there and returned home for the last decade of his life) comes from from one of those Lps, "Lenox Avenue Breakdown" - this delightful bounce feeds off the raucous tea of Bob Stewart and active drums of Jac De Johnette. Yes, it's a bit noisy but sounds great cruising in the car with the windows open and the volume. Dig the playful flute of James Newton! This tune never fills to make me smile and bounce around! It's 13:17 of noisy delight! (RBK)
"Theme from Exodus (This Land is Mine)" - Andy Williams - This song has always been very moving to hear. It will be more so within two weeks from now. I am so lucky and blessed to be traveling the route of ‘The Exodus’: Egypt, Jordan and Israel. (Joe G)
Our best wishes to Joe and his wife as they make their pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Naomi and I went to Israel 12 years ago and we still talk about all the amazing things as well as the scary things (when we toured near the Gaza Strip, there had been numerous missile strikes - RBK
Thanks to all who contributed and to all of you who took the time to read and listen! All goes well, I'll get the blog out more regularly in the Fall!
"Fanfare For the Common Man" - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - Daniele Dugre-Martin sent this along for a number of reasons; 1) - she likes the song: 2) - she likes the group: 3) - she attended the concert that followed the recording of the video. Note the snow and just how cold it looks to be. EL&P were one of the more popular of the "Progressive Rock" bands, not only for its innovative material but also because each member was a great musician. Aaron Copland composed the famous piece of music in 1942 in response to a speech by then-Vice-President Henry Wallace in which the VP said that the 20th Century was "The Century of the Common Man." Nothing common about this music!
"Come Along" - Cosmo Sheldrake - Cosmo Sheldrake is a London-based multi-instrumentalist musician, composer and producer. He is the son of parapsychologistRupert Sheldrakeand voice teacher Jill Purce. He released his first single 'The Moss' in 2014, which was followed by the "Pelicans We" EP in 2015. This song was issued in 2017 and his first full-length album, "The Much Much How How and I" followed in April of 2018 - Joe Gaffney.
"Eleanor" - Cricket Blue - I actually just got hired by these guys for an upcoming album release, and I had been previously unaware of them despite the fact that they’re right around the corner from me up in VT. I have so much respect for this kind of vocal duet approach - it’s so hard to do this well. And while you’re paying attention to their voices, you forget to notice just how skillful the guitar work is. It’s just gorgeous stuff all around - Dr. Kyle Saulnier.
"Comfortably Numb" - Pink Floyd - My husband is a Pink Floyd fan. He knows the lyrics to all of their songs and as a musician, often plays their songs. "Comfortably Numb" is his favorite. In honor or Michael I would like to suggest this song as my contribution to the blog. Close your eyes. Breathe slowly. Listen to the lyrics.... and you may find yourself... comfortably numb.... - Betsy Rosenblum.
"High Five" - Sigrid - I found this song recently and like that it focuses on the idea that people seek approval too often and it can actually get in the way of life - Megan Winslow. Sigrid is a Norwegian singer and songwriter. In 2017, Sigrid rose to fame with the release of her debut EP "Don't Kill My Vibe", and she later won the BBC Music Sound of 2018. Her single "Strangers" reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. On 8 March 2019, Sigrid released her debut studio album, "Sucker Punch",[1] which debuted at number 1 on Norwegian charts and at number 4 on English, Irish, and Scottish charts (Wikipedia).
"Variations on a Shaker Melody" - Christina & Michelle Naughton - This lovely hymn (known as "Simple Gifts" when the song is sung) is part of Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring" which he composed in 1944 for ballet choreographer and dancer Maria Graham. It is one of my favorite melodies and its placement in the full composition is incredibly moving, dramatic, and stunning. This version features the twin pianists, Christina and Michelle Naughton (twins as well) with the arrangement by Bennett Lerner, himself a performer of 20th Century American classical music - RBK
Finals week! O boy, O joy! Papers to read, tests to take, decisions to be made - let's see what the contributors to this post believes will keep us from spinning into the vortex. Personally speaking, Hanukkah is, as I write this, just about over for this year but the spirit of light, freedom, and friendship should get us through the long, dark, nights of Winter. Music helps!
Luciano Pavarotti - "O Holy Night" - One of my favorite Holiday songs! (T. Williams) (Editor's note - The late, great, opera artist has that kind of voice, like Aretha Franklin, that can transport a listener beyond the everyday. Yes, it's theatrical and there are times when emotions are faked but there are some artists who, on certain sings, transcend! RBK)
Marconi Union - "Weightless" - I recently found this mesmerizing, magical and relaxing video and sent it to Michael. I’d like to share it with you for the blog. If you don’t watch and just listen you will feel your heart rate slow down and your breathing will become rhythmic and easy.... music to dream by, meditate to, zone out with. (B. Rosenbaum)
Paul Simon - "Under African Skies" & Peter Gabriel - "Don't Give Up" - Lord knows (pun intended) I’m not much for the holiday season… but it’s a good time of year for songs of beauty and of hope, so here’s one of each - two artists who manage to accomplish real tenderness without it ever being contrived (as it so often is), and with these songs do it in a legitimately multicultural and inclusive way befitting a neglected spirit of the season. Paul Simon’s “Under African Skies” is the best moment of his "Graceland" album for me - it’s such a beautiful, seemingly authentic moment from all the musicians involved. This live 2012 version is particularly sweet without being saccharine.
And Peter Gabriel’s always been a guilty pleasure of mine; he wears his heart on his sleeve in a way that only he can, and does it with so much integrity. This version of “Don’t Give Up” (originally written as a duet with Kate Bush), from Gabriel’s "Secret World" live album/tour justifies Paula Cole’s entire career - I could take or leave her solo stuff, but her voice was made for these moments. (K. Saulnier)
Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) - "Christmas Is All Around" - Not a real a holiday song, but what about Christmas is all around us from the movie, "Love Actually?" It’s snarky and funny and really campy! Love it. (C Hakala). (Editor's note - It took a day or two but I finally figured out that this sweet, albeit treacly, tune (hilarious video) is a rewrite of The Troggs 1967 smash "Love Is All Around", a treacly song recorded by the same group who did "Wild Thing" and "I Can't Control Myself.")
Bleachers - "Don't Take The Money" - Spotify released my top 100 most listened to songs, so I figured I would suggest my most listened to: "Don't Take the Money" by Bleachers. I have been listening to Bleachers for a while but have never really known much about them. In looking them up, the release of his first single as Bleachers was "I Wanna Get Better" was in 2014. However, he is part of the band Fun, which is more well-known for a couple of songs that got on the radio. "I Wanna Get Better" is the first song by Bleachers that I found, and I still listen to today. I was immediately drawn to "Don't Take the Money" when I first heard it because there is something about the chorus that I instantly fell in love with. I have never been able to figure out why, but I find it okay to indulge in ignorance from time to time. (M. Winslow)
Young People's Chorus of New York City -"Let There Be Peace on Earth" is a song written by Jill Jackson-Miller and Sy Miller in 1955. It was initially written for and sung by the International Children's Choir created by Easter Beakly and Arthur Granger of the Granger Dance Academy in Long Beach, California. The song's composers led a number of rehearsals for the children's choir from 1955 to 1957, and the song continues to be the theme for this group of children who represent a host of nations and who sang in Washington, DC at the JW Marriott next to the White House in 2002. The song was also performed at the 9/11 Memorial attended by Pope Francis sung by a children’s choir. (J Gaffney)
Lady Gaga & Joseph Gordon-Levitt - "Baby It's Cold Outside" - There's been a lot of discussion about whether this song promotes date rape and excess drinking, etc. but, there are many songs in the Great American Songbook that are worse than this (and no, I won't post them). This particular version turns the tables and the woman is doing the inviting. Whatever, just take a look at the lyrics, then the video, and judge for yourself. (RBK, suggested by T. Williams)
The Felipe Salles Interconnections Ensemble - "Lullaby #1" (live at The Jazz Gallery in NYC on 11/08/18) - As the semester comes to a close, I am also working on my Best of 2018 list of recordings. This was a really good year for big band/large ensemble albums. My Top 10 includes three, one each by Jim McNeely, Dafnis Prieto, and "The Lullaby Project" from saxophonist and composer Felipe Salles. OEWO contributor and large ensemble leader Kyle Saulnier is co-producer. The track below is from a showiest month in NYC. (RBK)
Thanks to all the contributors and to the readers - we'll be back in the Spring Semester. In the meantime, have a wonderful Holiday season, a Happy New Year, and a great break!
When one is in the middle of the semester, it often feels like time is dragging. In my experience, we come back from the Thanksgiving Break and I feel as if we've run out of time and there's so much still to do. In this ever-changing world, that feeling has yet to leave me; even now, in my ninth year, as the temperature dips below freezing and the trees are bare, that feeling hangs on.
But, in the midst of the ever-darkening days (the Winter Solstice is around the corner and the light will begin to increase), the Holidays have begun and this post opens with a modern Hanukkah treat.
The LeeVees - "Applesauce vs Sour Cream" - Hard to believe it's been a decade since I first played this rocking tune from a band that was put together on a whim. Who are these guys? From the bands website: Two nice Jewish guys have taken up the important task of writing a bunch of great, rockin’ Hanukah songs. Adam Gardner (Guster) and Dave Schneider (the Zambonis) have joined forces and started a band called the LeeVees, and they have a new album of sweet and rockin’ indie-pop songs solely about Channuka called “Hanukkah Rocks.” Yes, every song is about Chanuka. Some say such a concept is a bit obsessive but Adam and Dave prefer the phrase “extremely focused.” Yes, it's goofy and, yes, they spell Hanukkah in two accepted variations and, yes, it's about food (lots of Jewish songs have the simple theme of "We were attacked, we fought, we won, and now we eat!" (RBK)
Alessia Cara - "Growing Pains" - My song choice this week is "Growing Pains" by Alessia Cara. Alessia Cara is one of my favorite artists because she is 22 and writes a lot of songs that speak to people around her age. She got very popular quite quick, but she stayed very humble through it, which is apparent in interviews with her. She wrote all the songs on her new album "The Pains of Growing" which I believe allowed her music to better relate to the young people listening to it. Writing her own songs also shows that she truly is passionate about music and wants to share her experiences with others through her art. I specifically chose the song "Growing Pains" because she puts a very clever spin on the use of the phrase. Normally, when someone says growing pains they are referring to the physical pains that come with growing quickly, but in this song she uses it to describe more of the emotional and spiritual pains that come with maturing. She beautifully talks about the hardships without making it overbearing and heavy because she balances it with a glimmer of hope and positive attitude, which is what I think makes her music so appealing. She can talk about something that many people have a difficult time with, yet doesn't have the attitude of allowing it to grow stagnant and consume a person. This gives her music more of a feeling of healing than pain, and this is what makes her music so enjoyable. I also believe that many young artists don't quite capture this in-between stage of a person's life where they're not too young to be totally dependent, yet are not old enough to be independent. I think that Alessia Cara beautifully captures this stage in life where you have life experience, yet are still so new to being an adult and are still learning to cope with the normal fears of being independent and struggling through a time when a lot is changing. (M. Winslow)
Dave Evans - "Pretty Green Hills" - I stumbled upon a Bluegrass station and am hooked. The songs are all lively, fun, and each tells a story. They're as American as apple pie. What a delight! (T. Williams)
Dave Evans (1950-2017) - from his obituary: He started his bluegrass music career in 1968, with Earl Taylor and the Stoney Mountain Boys. Then, in 1973, he joined Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers before starting his own bluegrass band in 1978, known as Dave Evans and The River Bend. Dave is also a former member of The Boys from Indiana, Lillie Mae and the Dixie Gospelaires and Melvin Goins. Dave was also fascinated by earlier bluegrass performers, such as Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, The Stanley Brothers, Bill Monroe, and Jimmy Martin. He created his own style of bluegrass music. Dave began writing and singing his own songs, including, "One Loaf of Bread", "Highway 52", and "Be proud of the Grey in Your Hair."
Andrea & Matteo Bocelli - "Fall On Me" - Beautiful! (B. Rosenblum) - Andrea Bocelli is one of those rare "crossover artists" in that he crossed from opera to "adult mainstream" and became world-famous. (Keep in mind - the first million-selling recording artist in the vinyl record era was Mario Lanza!) Here he sings a duet with his 21-year old son Matteo. The story goes that the father did not discover his piano-playing son could sing until a few months before the 2017 recording session for Dad's new album "Si." A new star is born! (RBK)
John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band- "So This is Christmas (Happy Xmas - War Is Over)" - Here is a Christmas song released in 1971 as a single by John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir. The lyrics, by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, are set to the traditional English ballad “Skewball”. It was the seventh single release by Lennon outside his work with the Beatles. The song reached number 4 in the UK, where its release was delayed until November 1972, and has periodically reemerged on the UK Singles Chart, most notably after Lennon’s death in December 1980, when it peaked at number 2."Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" was the culmination of more than two years of peace activism undertaken by John Lennon and Yoko Ono that began with the bed-ins they convened in March and May 1969, the first of which took place during their honeymoon- Wikipedia. (J. Gaffney)
The Beatles - "Good Night" (take 10 with guitar part from take 5) - 1968 celebrates a number of 50th anniversaries. Not all of them are happy. But, just in time for the Holiday Season, Apple Records has issued this massive seven-CD package of "The White Album" (or, really, just "The Beatles" and the original cover was all-white). For those who do not want to spend their entire pay check, there's a three-CD version, a two-Lp version, and four-Lp version. Included in the biggest package are several CDs of "demos", including the earliest rehearsal takes (known as "the Escher Demos" recorded at George Harrison's home studio) and three CDs of outtakes and rejected takes from the Abbey Road Studio sessions. Those studio sessions stretched on for nearly six months and charts the dissolution of The Fab Four. The early demos show four musicians really having a great time working, playing, and singing together and are the trumpet revelation of the package - these guys really like each other. By the time of the final takes, there are no vocal duets (most often heard on the Lennon-McCartney songs). The song I chose is the final song of the second album, the 30th tune. On the album, there's a large string and brass orchestra, replete with harp and musical saw (!), a large mixed chorus, a production out of a '30s musical, and the affectionate voice of Mr. Starr. The version below features Ringo backed by two guitars and the chorus of John, Paul, and George. It is so pretty in its simplicity and sound. (RBK)
We'll have one more post for Finals Week! May the next two weeks go well for all!
Billy Joel - "Goodbye Saigon" - It’s Veterans Day weekend and I am trying to imagine what it must have been like for my family members and friends to experience war up close. There are no words to adequately describe my gratitude but there is this Joel song. I consider it to be a tribute. God bless our soldiers. (B. Rosenbaum)
Barry McGuire - "Eve of Destruction" - The more things change, the more they stay the same…this song was written and performed as a protest song in the tumultuous times of the 1960’s. Topics included (but were not limited to) racial tensions, the threat of nuclear war and distrust of government power. The video images that accompany this link are updated from the 1960’s to the early 2000’s.
"Eve of Destruction" was written by P.F. Sloan in mid-1964. Several artists have recorded it, but the best-known recording was by Barry McGuire. This recording was made between July 12 and July 15, 1965, and released by Dunhill Records. The accompanying musicians were top-tier Los Angeles session players: P. F. Sloan on guitar, Hal Blaine on drums on, and Larry Knechtel on bass guitar. The vocal track was thrown on as a rough mix and was not intended to be the final version, but a copy of the recording "leaked" out to a disc jockey, who began playing it. The song was an instant hit and as a result the more polished vocal track that was at first envisioned was never recorded. (J Gaffney)
Max Roach (with Abbey Lincoln) - "Triptych: Prayer, Protest, Peace" (from Max Roach’s We Insist! - Freedom Now Suite, 1960) -Politics on the brain this week, and last. Here’s a challenging listen, but hopefully worth the effort. This is a selection from Max Roach’s 1960 We Insist! - Freedom Now Suite. This is a duet between Roach (a drummer) and vocalist Abbey Lincoln, on a wordless vocal. You’ll want to brace yourself for the middle of this one; it gets intense. Keep in mind the year, 1960 - this record is one of the first really overt Civil Rights statements in America… for comparison, Sam Cooke’s "A Change Is Gonna Come" and Dylan’s "The Times They Are a-Changin’" were both 1964. (K. Saulnier)
Toby Keith - "American Soldier" - For Veterans Day, I’d like to submit this song from 2003. I do think we lay it on a bit thick with the “support the troops” mantra, but the kids who serve are truly a remarkable bunch. (T. Williams)
Professor Williams does not say that he served for many years in the U.S. Army, that he has trained officers at the Army War College, and continues to work/teach for the Army even after his retirement. It's a choice he made many years ago knowing, like the people in Toby Keith's song, that he would be away from his family for long stretches of time. (RBK)
The Guess Who - "American Woman" -My little barb from Canada. (D. Dugre-Martin) Ms. Dugre-Martin does not inform us that her son currently serves in the Canadian Army and just began a one-year deployment to the Middle East. Nevertheless, her choice of song for this week comes from one of Canada's most popular rock bands of the 1970s. This version includes the acoustic blues opening from the album - the extremely popular 45 rpm release consisted of only the "electric" version. (RBK)
Rhiannon Giddens - "Last Kind Words" - Hard to find songs from World War I from the African American viewpoint. This tune, written and recorded in 1930 by Geeshie Wiley - one of only six songs the Ms. Wiley recording her lifetime - is not really a "war song" but can be viewed as a response to the treatment Black soldiers received upon their return home after fighting for their country. According to the website "African American Odyssey", more than 350,000 African Americans served in the "Great War", all in segregated units often led by Black Captains and Lieutenants (by October 2017, over 600 Black officers were commissioned).
Ms. Giddens is one of number of young Black artists who are bringing to light more music from the rural South. (RBK)
Have a great Thanksgiving. No matter your religious beliefs or political bent, we can all use the time to reflect on this and previous years, thanking the people who watch over our cities, serve overseas or here in the US, work in hospitals and hospices as well as nursing homes and in soup kitchens.
This blog's title is a line from "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" by the late, great, Chuck Berry and it is apropos for this semester as we have two weeks before Thanksgiving break two weeks after we return, and, then, a week for exams and final papers - in other words, the final third of the Fall semester.
Now that that's out of the way, here's some music!
Photo: Elliot Landy
The Band - "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" - I’m not a fan of The Band, but I listen to a lot of ‘70s music on my satellite radio and after this song played
earlier this week it’s been in my head. I wondered about the lyrics and what it said about us then, about life in 1969 and now.
I wondered whether it was right to continue playing it or whether it was a reminder of our real past.
I don’t think the song glorifies anything - in fact I think it’s a haunting reminder that war has a steep cost.
It’s a complex topic that defies tidying up.
Here’s a Harvard University Press essay on the subject…it might offer a bit of perspective.
(Editor's note: In interviews that I have read with The Band's main composer Robbie Robertson, this song is written from the Confederate viewpoint....and it's haunting.)
Here's a "live" version from The Band's final concert, filmed by Martin Scorcese and released in the movie "The Last Waltz."
Billy Joel- "I’m in a New York State of Mind" - I was visiting NYC frequently when this song came out. It
seemed like all of us knew the lyrics. It’s a song that reminds me of
having lunch at Katz’s Deli, sitting in the lobby of the Waldorf people
watching and taking the Circle Line around
Miss Liberty. (B. Rosenbaum)
(Editor's note - Written when Joel was in Los Angeles, CA, trying to become a pop music star, this song is quite a blues tune. Te composer sings the heck out of it on this track, the original version.)
Queen - "Another One Bites The Dust" - Just saw "Bohemian Rhapsody" and so I nominate “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen. As my wife points out, it’s such an iconic song that you
can recognize it within three bass notes. And, the song resonated with
the generation it was written
for, but still holds up as a fantastic song. (C Hakala)
(Editor's Note - Sure sounds like the quartet has great fun recording this tune and, Lord, it is funky!)
Hippo Campus - "Bambi" - My
song submission this week is Bambi by Hippo Campus. This group was in
New Haven recently so I went to watch them live and had a really good
time. They have been around since 2013, but I only have known about them
for maybe a year, and didn't really listen to more of their stuff until I was invited to see them live. (M. Winslow)
(Editor's Note - Don't know much about this band but I do know that they're from St. Paul, Minnesota. This is a real "ear worm", just like the other tunes that have been posted already.)
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Phil Collins - "Both Sides of the Story" - This is a song
performed by Phil Collins and was released in 1993 as the lead single from his
fifth album Both Sides released that same year. The fact is, in life
there are many sides to most stories: Republicans, Democrats, Independents; Red
Sox – Yankees; bosses and subordinates; man and woman. At times it may be
easier to see things through one’s own lens and not consider both sides of the
story. This song keeps things simple by
presenting only 2 sides or points of view to a few identified issues/topics,
but its message can be expanded. We must be curious and investigate deeper
information on the messy problems that we face…we must endeavor to see both
sides of the story. (J. Gaffney)
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The Band - "Life Is A Carnival" - My turn! I really loved The Band's second album just titled "The Band." Saw the group live in 1970 as they toured that album and they were pretty impressive. As they got more popular, the quintet started to fall apart. But "Life Is a Carnival", from their 4th studio album "Cahoots" is among my favorites of their tunes for all kinds of reasons. Here's a few: 1) - the guitar work and solo; 2) - the amazing blend of voices; 3) - the funky rhythm pushed forward by drummer Levon Helm and bassist Rick Danko and 4) - the wonderful horn arrangement by Allen Toussaint. This remastered version really makes the song sparkle! (RBK)
Alan Jackson - "Drive" - It wasn’t my childhood, but I can certainly identify with the sentiment. I find its optimistic spirit comforting. (T. Williams) From his official bio: Alan Jackson, born October
17, 1958, in Newnan, Georgia, grew up in rural Georgia; he lived with his
parents and four older sisters in a house built around his grandfather's old
toolshed. Shortly after marrying his high school sweetheart, Denise, in 1979,
Jackson moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue a career in music. After a long
series of rejections, he finally landed a recording deal with Arista Records.
The tremendous success of his debut album, "Here in the Real
World"(1990), marked Jackson's arrival among a group of
country artists including Randy Travis, Clint Black, Travis Tritt, Garth
Brooks, and Vince Gill that represented a new brand of traditionalism in
country music and the end of the synthesized pop country trend of the 1980s.
Lovin' Spoonful - "Rain On the Roof" - When our daughters were growing up, Naomi and I took turns putting them to bed. We'd read stories and sing a few songs. My choice today was one that I added to the repertoire when they were just a little past "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" age. The Spoonful, their name coming from a blues song, were considered one of a number of groups to be "The American Beatles" - they had a slew of hits over a three-year period, all of them quite singable and radio friendly. The delightful John Sebastian song has always been one of my favorites; it's sweet and now I sing it to our grandchildren. (RBK)
Peder B. Helland - "Soothing Relaxation" - OK, so this is an odd one. I have discovered amazing sleep music. It runs for six to eight hours with a soothing visual accompaniment of underwater creatures. But listen to the music. It really
works of you need to feel calm and sleepy!! (Sig Nystrom) (Editor's Note - I suppose I should have posted this last but....There are actually a number of longer digital recordings designed to help people sleep.)
Endless Field - "Unending Season" - Here’s some friends of mine that go by the name Endless
Field. The two musicians behind this project, Jesse Lewis (guitar) and Ike Sturm (double bass), are among the most respected sidemen and
session musicians in New York - they’re the kind of cats that appear in
the background of an inexhaustible stream of notable projects from
big-name artists in the jazz and improvised music scenes.
Endless Field is a nature-oriented project featuring their compositions,
as well as collaborations with top-tier jazz musicians such as Donny
McCaslin and Ingrid Jensen. Heartbreakingly beautiful stuff, at once
both intricate and infinitely accessible. (K. Saulnier)
(Editor's Note - I saw and heard these gentlemen just yesterday (10/27) at The Russell Library in Middletown. They played this piece and several others. In the midst of the maddening and sad news coming from Pittsburgh, PA, this music was an excellent balm at a time of need.)
Buddy Holly & the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - "True Love Ways" - Daniele Dugre-Martin suggested this update of classic Holly song. Initially after he passed away at the age of 22 and in the midst of an amazing career. Through the wonder of modern technology, we hear this version the way Holly imagined it - read the story the album by going to www.mygoldmusic.co.uk/artists/buddy-holly/new-album-true-love-ways-orchestra/. Watch the video of the project by going to www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT3WsFCuEHg&feature=youtu.be. \
Here's the title track:
The Beatles - "Think For Yourself" - I can listen to this song several times a day - Harrison's lyrics &
voice, McCartney's fuzz bass, group harmonizing....and the great line
"although your mind's opaque" !!! (Joe Gaffney)
To this day, my favorite "Fab Four" disk and the first of George Harrison's songs that really stood out. Considering the output of Lennon & McCartney, he did not get a lot of opportunities to show his composer's side. I agree with Professor G that the harmonies are spot on - actually, The Beatles were known for their fascinating background work. This new remix (2009) really brings out the brilliant sounds with McCartney shining on both the electric bass and the 'fuzz" bass! (RBK)
"Rolling In The Deep" - Adele - In honor of my daughter Laura who is finally starting the rest of her life. (B. Rosenblum) (Editor's note - I find it amazing that England creates such soulful singers. Adele can belt it with the best of them. As it used to be when I was growing up, many of these singers become more popular than the Black women they emulate. That aside, Adele can surely sing!)
