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
"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!)
