Week 4 - Music for Many Moods

"Sunshine Superman" - Donovan - Donovan’s music is a blend of world music, psychedelics and acoustic. Influential for the past 50 years, he has worked with and written for some of the best known groups in the business.

Sadly, he is also one (of two) musicians I’ve walked out on…the Who being the other….it’s a long story. (Daniele Dugre-Martin)

(Editor's note - In the wake of Bob Dylan going electric, a number of "folkies" followed suit. Donovan was one of the more successful crossover artists.  As "trippy" as the lyrics might be, the blend of harpsichord and tabla drums is quite delightful.)

"Aloha" - Møme - As I just found by googling the name to get the special character, Møme is a French DJ, and this song was in the top 10 songs in France in July 2016 (who knew!). I was originally going to submit this song because it has a very unique, chill, upbeat sound. But it's very interesting that it was a top song in France and makes me want to look at the top charts in other countries more often. 

(Megan Winslow)

"The Gunner's Dream" - Pink Floyd - My mood has been dark these past few days.  So much so that I was reminded of Pink Floyd's 1983 "Final Cut".  It's an anti-war anti-Reagan screed that works well to fuel depression (even if you liked Reagan).
(T. Williams)

(Editor's note - After its beginnings in the psychedelic 60s, Pink Floyd - and, in particular bassist and songwriter Roger Waters - took a turn to the left and began creating much more political and societal music.  Waters still does.)

"The Train and the River" - The Jimmy Giuffre Trio with Jim Hall  - Reed master (saxophones and clarinets) Jimmy Giuffre (1921-2008) first came to critical attention in 1947 as a member of the Woody Herman Big Band when he wrote "Four Brothers", a song that featured the reed section - it's a swing music standard to this day.  In the mid-1950s, he put together a series of trios that combined folk and blues music elements with improvisation. By 1961, the trio moved into more avant-garde territory with free improvisation that eschewed conventional rhythms for a more flowing style.



The above tune, however, was the first Giuffre song I ever heard and is one of my all-time favorite albums.  It's bluesy, quiet, and, to me, very soothing.  Guitarist Hall (1930-2013) influenced a slew of guitarists through his career, doing so by working with artists as diverse as Ella Fitzgerald, saxophonist Sonny Rollins, pianist Bill Evans, and trombonist Bob Brookmeyer (who joined the Giuffre Trio replacing the bassist- see video below).

"The Green Country Suite (New England Mood)" - Jimmy Giuffre 3 with Jim Hall and Bob Brookmeyer - This trio made two albums, the first being "Trav'lin Light" released in 1958 and "The Western Suite" from 1960.  The tune above, as you can see, came from the earlier album and is wonderfully contemplative, so quiet at a time when rock 'n' roll was a loud intrusion and the Civil Rights Movement was making national headlines.  Brookmeyer, from Kansas City, went on to be a great composer for Big Bands and a mentor to many of today's young composers - you'll hear his music in a later post.

(R Kamins)