Conor Oberst - Outer South (CD)

The first few hits on the drumset make me ready for a rousing good time from Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band to rock my soul and keep my ear full of pleasant tasting music and dreams. I’ve listened in about a dozen times, and can honestly say that, as usual, Conor takes me deep within myself – a line sung in the song will take my mind off to deep memories and thoughts and return just in time to hear another line that will take my mind off on another tangent. That’s good for me, I enjoy these mind trips. But I won’t be able to coherently tell you the story Conor wants to convey. And that’s okay, because when you buy this CD you’ll experience your own newly uncovered dreams and deep thoughts.

I’ve thought a lot about how he pulls this off. Usually a guy doesn’t tell me a story, I tune him out. Conor has an uncanny ability to dig up stories from within myself, some of which I forgot about or never knew existed. How does he manage to do this? Conviction. Each note comes out of his mouth with complete and total conviction that the song is important and he has found a fantastic back-up band to support his convictions.

The first cut rocks Slowly (Oh So Slowly) – “the veil between the world and the faceless bride” – right off the bat we are reminded we are listening to a poet. “Dementia, you better treat me good. The human race is in its second childhood.” Another line lets me know that I’m not the only one who uses music as an escape from reality, “Sometimes I need a place to go. Classical music plays from my radio. I sit real still, let my shadow grow.”

An acoustic guitar strums To All The Lights In The Windows until the band gets me up on my feet dancing circles to biblical allusions. “That’s the thing about charisma – it makes everyone believe.” Big Black Nothing keeps the rock & roll beat while the poet is singing about “fooling everyone” and asking “will you still be my friend if I told you it’s all just pretend?” There is some cool call & response going on with the band in this song, which makes for a lot of fun, especially when they begin the clap-along joyful noise. “I’m real scared, but so prepared for the worst.”

Air Mattress was weird on the last tour, and is just as weird here – but in fun way. Like a quick just for fun break in the proceedings, a lightning fast dance to “twist the night away.” An 80’s flavored pop punk song about sharing – I picked up on that!

Cabbage Town is a beautiful tribute to Steve Nieve’s work with Elvis Costello. Ten Women Between You And Me is a self-confessed acoustic-flavored fantasy tune, “I’m biding my time like a cellar of wine.” The fun has a sorta bittersweet flavor when the poet looks for “one witness to mourn for our love,” and admits that the fantasy is a “tragedy”. Difference Is Time reminds me of “Lay Lady Lay” because Conor’s voice takes on a completely different timbre to tell this tale, “I want to be done with everything I know.” He includes an epitaph for his headstone, “Life is hard, even if you cheat.” This performance may be the classic one that gets played from this album 40 years from now.

I talked about Nikorette last year, and still feel the same time warp when listening to this performance. “There’s nothing more sad than a lynching mob full of rational men who believe in God.” The song also includes a bit of reality that turns out to be prophecy for the capitalist created crisis that has affected the economy of the poor and middle class while the rich stuff their pockets. “My neighbor dreams big ‘cause his house is small, says all he needs now is some capital. It’s a pirate world, it’s a free-for-all.
They take your bright ideas and they make them dull. . . It’s all just a fix.”

Bloodlines is a summer radio-ready pop masterpiece, “How could you refuse to believe it’s a wonderful life? Two sheets to the wind all over again”. Spoiled is a perfect follow-up summer radio song, the music happy & joyful over lyrics proclaiming “you get everything you want and you still feel down.” Total pop irony, I love it. Dance the depression away. Complete with party noises. This late summer song will play well, even after school has started and the kids are all writing their “what I did” essay. Worldwide is the radio song for autumn, “there’s a place you go when the weather’s cold, leave it all behind.” How I long for the days when there were radio stations that played songs like these. Dream on. Roosevelt Room is the ‘underground’ FM radio cut, complete with some far-out guitar solos bouncing off the organists salutations.

It’s hard to tell how serious the band wants us to take Snake Hill. Remember the guy who sang “Don’t Bogart” on the Easy Rider soundtrack. The voices sound like they’re pretending a southern accent, but the words have a serious intent. Leave it to someone smarter than I to figure out why the band chose this method to present this story of a young man seeking to visit the huge world outside his family surroundings. “I discovered that a girl was what my mother tried to hide from me. She can make you feel alive, she can make you want to die.”

Last year Conor made my personal list, as well as many other lists of top CDs for 2008. I have a real sneaky suspicion that this new CD is going to stay close enough to my CD player to reach the top CD list for 2009. A big thanks to Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band for making this week start off with a blast and having me look forward to many hot summer days listening to this fine album.

Check out Conor’s website this week for a stream of Slowly (Oh So Slowly), the opening cut; and a free download of Nikorette. Also, keep your eye open for a downloadable documentary film, One Of A Kind, from the website soon – it is being offered at no cost, with the understanding that if you receive personal benefit from it that you’ll donate some cash toward charity. Conor Oberst

Nikorette Live:


A year ago - Souled Out:


A beautifully filmed live show from last year from Amoeba.com:

Bertie Blackman - Sky Is Falling

“I jump in a hole deep within.” It’s not often that someone takes the seven notes (12 if you include sharps or flats) and makes them sound this fresh. Bertie is approaching pop music with a unsullied vision of music. Not that she doesn’t have influences – simply that she’s surpassed them and found a personal reflection of sound that can be enjoyed by others. Let me say it this way - you’d never mistake this as a pre-2009 music but you know from the first notes that it is music. Call it melodic hip-hop in the way that the Beatles were melodic soul and the Stones were melodic blues. Her poetic imagery matches the intensity of her music. “The earth is gone, already dripping with blood.”

The shoutouts are many: Thump (“if only the night were forever, I’d fight for you”); Heart (“This road feels rough under my shoes”); White Owl (“he has so many faces inside”); Birds Of Prey (“you picked the wrong girl off the streets and my nails are sharp. . .I live in my own darkness”); Come To Bed (“what’s it to you that we’re worlds apart?”); Shout Out (“it’s like a fear I feel tonight”); Town Of Sorrow (“dirt roads covered with daisies so in love with each other”); and Baby Teeth (“I’m always on the run to never feel anything else in the dark”). Each song has its own musical flavorings, and each of these flavors fits the story the poet wishes to convey perfectly. Purchase current single on Amazon (Heart).

Free download of Heart from ITunes

Bertie Blackman on MySpace – watch for CD release date.



Visions from previous albums:




Live:


A freak that can never fit in:

Vince Bell – One Man’s Music (autobiography)

You never know what to expect from a poet in terms of autobiography. Vince surprises in that while his prose is poetic, it reads well, like a good novel. We get small glimpses into his life filtered through the eyes of a good writer. Vince’s life interests me in that the first dozen or so years out of the nest our lives paralleled, though I was in California and he was down south. I cut out of the “scene” after having a few kids and gathering the responsibility to see them eat regular, something a musician’s life doesn’t guarantee. Vince stuck to it, so let’s share some gleanings from the first 40 pages. I will read the rest, but I already know this is a volume I’ll be recommending, and there’s plenty up front to let you know that it’s a worthwhile read.

Vince’s prose is filled with irony and self-deprecating humor, in the best sense. “I’ve grown up in music, worked to distraction in music, married unsuccessfully in music, and I’ve been at it for several wifetimes.” Nope, that’s not a typo, that’s Vince at his best. Occasionally he’ll remind us that he’s a poet, “every kind of human perturbation was partially obscured by a verdant, elephant-eared undergrowth”, but his poetic phrases do not distract from the story, they add some color and flavor.

When Vince speaks of “we”, he is most often talking about himself and his guitar. His guitar meditations make for a peek into a love-affair that we seldom ever get, but is obvious when you see so many guitar-pickers hanging that shapely lover around their neck. “The guitar you played and owned was a symbol of your vision. . .You could rest assured, if you couldn’t be recognized in a carping musical crowd for your tuneful genius, your guitar surely could.” Vince is open and honest about life on the road, and feels no need to shelter himself or his heroes from the diggity eyes of the self-righteous. “Coffee and marijuana: drug maintenance and the first two things you needed to start a rock ‘n’ roll band, even ahead of a new set of strings.” Reminds me of a bass I had that went 6 years without a new set of strings. Loved that filed-down fretboard Fender bass. Dunno what happened to it – gave it to a young musician 20 years ago, who has gone on to become a father himself in the intervening years.

Many of the things you’re forced to do as a musician are pure insanity, like a 3 piece playing in front of 8 people convincing them that they are having the time of their life. I’ve been here: “I got tired of playing in between songs on the jukebox in the same hick towns.” Vince was keen and smart enough to get here: “My first few lessons about the ragtag of showbiz taught me that if you couldn’t fool yourself first, that I an idea didn’t light you up like Times Square, you couldn’t fool anyone else into believing they were in Times Square.” I’ve played with many musicians, and many were legends in their own mind, but a few went beyond that to become legends in the collective mind. They had the magnetism, and charisma, largely because they had total and complete belief in their ability to do nothing else in this word besides play music, no matter who they hurt along the way, or how lonely they were before and after the show.

I’m not sharing any of Vince’s wonderful stories here – you’ll enjoy them as you read the book. Just a few more lines so you can be assured you’ll have fun while turning the pages. I loved this insight Vince had after forming several musical groups: “I was turning into a writer, a different person than the teen idols I had tried to emulate with my group. It would ultimately take a few more dips into the pond of my imagination, a place I never spent much time in the shallow end of. But I was becoming liberated from delusions of my youth. . .If I was going to survive my budding authorship in the rough-and-tumble music world, if I was going to make the difference I aspired to with my work, it would be because I kept playing those solo gigs. Just me and those six strings.” Vince Bell

The book as a stage event:


It was 32 years ago today, Vince Bell taught his guitar to play:

Mojo Morgan - Tonight

”Don’t look at my fancy clothes or shoes. Just lok at my shades ‘cause I’m in the groove.” Humorous beats for a perfect send-off for a Friday night dance party. “It’s enough. It’s time to shine tonight!” This record does just that! Keeps the grove steady & the word rhythms rockin’. “Get your swerve on and put on your dancing shoes!” I enjoy the way Mojo encourages having fun, dreaming, and building up your self esteem, without discussing losing your moral ground. In fact, he seems to suggest you can have great fun while maintaining a higher ground, and I think he’s right. “Don’t think, just live your life for the light!” There’s nothing wrong with this track, but I did wish it had gone on a few more minutes. Guess I’ll have to wait for the dance-floor re-mix. Shoutouts for the rocking Reggae Avenue (“there’s no hope if you never dream”), soulful Childhood (“all my days full of dreams”) & the pop flavors of Petrified (“can’t even tell your friends you’re all alone”). Watch the myspace page for the release date:Mojo Morgan

In the meantime, enjoy these

Go to folder - FileFactory.com

earlier releases:

Adam Hill - High Road

”There’s a hundred million reasons why electrons spin around.” Well, that’s a very new thought for me. Never really thought about one reason, and this guy has a bunch of ‘em. Course, he doesn’t cover them all in 3 minutes, but he does get some ideas rolling pretty dang fast. “Everyone we pass is gone, wonder if we’re right or wrong, but we never really know.” Sounds like a folk singer borrowing johnny cash’s guitar for an hour and has some pretty deep roots in rock. “It may just might be the things we see are tracking all the things we sow.” Could be. Definitely something to consider. “Sometimes we don’t understand.” Shoutout for Fueled Up, a new r&r dance for my friends who have a good sense of humor. “You get fueled up and you turn three times around, you tear off your crown and throw it to the grown. You huff and puff and you blow this house down.” With a few whoops, just for fun. Can’t help but smile at Adam’s energy. Adam Hill

Yellow Dog Records - It's All Connected Sampler, Vol. 3

Samplers are always fun, small tastes of different artists – appetizers to prepare for a full meal. This particular sampler is a meal in itself. It begins with a tasty treat by the Asylum Street Spankers called Breathin'. A finger-snapping tune begins with a walking bass, then a voice that welcomes all listeners which, in turn, introduces a fiddle. 2nd verse introduces a tasty guitar and sets the tone for the hump-day party of fun – “loving you is just like breathin’ in and breathin’ out.” The next solo is a visit from a clarinet. A few cuts later Mark Lemhouse has a track that brings in some blues banjo and other tasty Americana-type instruments rooted in a blues mode. He supplies the potatoes on the plate with Paper Sack, while Mary Flower supplies the meat with Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me. This one is lightly grilled with humor and an acoustic-filled night of joyful sorrow. Some fine picking. The pecan pie is supplied by Calvin Newborn with a soulful instrumental he calls Newborn Blues. A guitar-based joy, the back-up band here provides the delicious crust that enhances the subtleties of the sweetened bitter pecans. Fine to dance with also.

I think this sampler arrived simply because I became a follower on twitter; but there are other ways to get it: Yellow Dog Records

Death By Sexy - Wake Me Up

“You got me achin’ to pray!” The sound captured me immediately. Rock and roll trios always have a special sound and mean a lot to me, especially when everyone contributes to the vocals. The bass player drives the percussion, and the guitar player has to fill in with beautiful noise. The drummer has the hardest job, using the drums as a melody instrument while maintaining a steady beat – I’m impressed & am also betting this is a great live show band. Luckily they captured their energy on disk to share with us – not easy to do. Good work. Death By Sexy is high-energy rock and roll fulfilling the promise to “Wake Me Up.” Shoutouts for You’re So Hot & C’mon Babe. Death By Sexy

Go to folder - FileFactory.com

2 years ago:

Bob Dylan - I Feel A Change Comin' On

"Dreams never did work for me anyway, even when they did come true." A love ballad to float away on. Some fun details and recommendations, "I'm listening to Billy Joe Shaver and reading James Joyce." Some spirituality, "they say that life is for love"; some pessimism, "what's the use of dreaming?"; and some lust "you're the object of my desire". What else do we need from a song? Bob Dylan at his sexy best. Bob Dylan

Branford Marsalis Quartet - The Jitney Man

The Jitney Man starts of this wonderful CD with an upbeat introduction to a group of players who know each other well, and play well off each other with brilliant chord runs and smooth jokes. There are call-outs to the past with sly smiles, as well as joyful improvisation that creates a fresh and exciting dance of sound interweaving the molecules of air around me. This session may be led by Branford, but what makes this album a must-have for a collection is the ensemble. Each member adds compositions, voices and dreams so that each movement is truly a new flavor and no one player makes the effort to overwhelm the set with their voice. These guys work together with joy and tenderness. Joey Calderazzo, Eric Revis, and Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts are co-conspirators with Branford in putting together a most delicious meal. Shoutouts for The Blossom Of Parting, Jabberwocky, and The Last Goodbye. Branford Marsalis Quartet





It was 50 years ago today:

Autumn:Downpour:Machinery - Eye Of The Funeral

This trip starts with a chord lost in the ethers until the drummer invades my thoughts with a welcoming call back to earth. Guitars talk to me with invitations to partake of the surrounding lotus blossoms. I enter my own funeral procession, but the musicians drag me back and tie me down to prevent my escape back to the lotus. It turns out the eye simply allows a religious service of future possibilities. I’m impressed with the musicianship, and the composition’s power to transport. This is the second offering from the airbagpromo net label, and well worth your time to download an listen. Shoutout for the equally georgeous soundscapes of March Of The Spineless. Autumn:Downpour:Machinery

Saturday Songfest

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Hero b/w Sunshine Coolin’
Clarence Bucaro – Back In The World
Maria Taylor - Cartoons and Forever
Encore – So Gone
The Alrights - Getting Ready For Love
Ramblin'Jack Elliott – The Soul Of A Man b/w Falling Down Blues
William Elliott Whitmore - Old Devils b/w Hell Or High Water & Hard Times
Super Furry Animals – Inconvenience b/w Mountain & Where Do You Wanna Go
Dear Reader – Out Out Out b/w The Same, Dearheart & Way Of The World
The Greencards – Chico Calling b/w Three Four Time
Rubik - Wasteland
Great Lake Swimmers - Pulling On A Line



Rubik - Wasteland


Maria Taylor - Cartoons and Forever Plans


It was 48 years ago today:

Tim Easton – Burgundy Red

”Woke up this morning with an old song in your head, a spilled wine glass, and a stranger in your bed.” Perfect story to start off a Friday night party with – sort of a preview for Saturday morning. Tim performs the song with absolute abandon, and like all great rock and roll, it frees the soul. The percussion is arranged to ensure dancing, and the exciting lead guitar work makes my heart pound with life. Tim’s vocal performance demands attention, I just love his repetitions of never. He convinces me that he’s trying to convince himself, even though he truly doesn’t believe it’ll never happen again. Shoutouts for the musical inspiration of Get What I Got Broke ("all you took away was the hunger and the swagger"), My Heart (“she’s got the coldest heart in this state, and that’s not my imagination”) & Stormy (“don’t like to wear no shoes, that’s why she’s got them running blues”). Stones Throw Away gets a special shout-out as a sleepy tune pefect for the last dance of the night. Tim Easton

Pierce Pettis – Nothing But The Wind

“If you should feel me move toward the light, you'll shoot me down like a dead satellite.” Mark Heard’s beautiful song about how our friends, family, schools, governments, and media will do everything they can to keep us from recognizing the daily miracles around us. “If you should see me stoop to smell the rose, don't let me - show me the thorns it grows.” What I like about this line especially, is Mark also realized that we beg our friends to stop us from exploring our spiritual side, and that if they catch us thinking, we beg them to stop us. Pierce Pettis captures the power of the song and performs it as an introduction to a collection of his own songs. I Am Nothing (But The Angels Sometimes Whisper In My Ears) also explores our spiritual nature (“I stumble when I try to walk the straight and narrow”). Something For The Pain is a meditation on living in the presence of the spirit. Fine collection. Pierce Pettis

Brother Joscephus and the Love Revival Revolution Orchestra - A Child Shall Lead

Brother Joscephus made his way into my heart before I heard the music because of the menu posted on his website for the Nawlins Gospel Brunch. It includes delicacies such as "The Bayou Melt" Grilled Cheese/Andouille Sausage/Caramelized Onions/Sweet Potato Fries. Instant hit with me, but of course that won’t make me tell you about the band. For me to pick up a pen and write and not just dream of eating, I need to hear some music. No prob, the CD is just as much fun as the menu.

A Child Shall Lead starts off this humpday with a church of delight hollerin’ joy in the spirit love this life dance party! “Can I get an Amen?” The Voices of Reason supply the "Amen" in full. The party continues with Bon Tempe Roulez, which announces “got the jones in my bones”, along with an aural menu that keeps these ears happily drinking in the horn section while the singer preaches about chicken wings, jambalaya and shoo-fly pie. Scrumptious. More Than I Need brings Motown spices to New Orleans, “I want to shout it from the top of the mountain. . .I got soul satisfaction!” The slow dance is a total knockout that Brother is able to suck emotions out into the open entitled I Won't Be That Man (“even your dog don’t want to be around you, but he ain’t got no choice”). The jumping party attitude returns with a whistle and some fine horn interplay on Midnight Moon (“I’m listening to the stereo and feelin’ Neil Young, they ain’t come up with an emotion that man hasn’t sung”). The videos will let you see the versatile talents of this exciting party animal. Brother Joscephus and the Love Revival Revolution Orchestra

A Child Shall Lead


I Won't Be That Man

Bob Dylan - Beyond Here Lies Nothin'

The band steals the show and makes this single a joy to dance to. The lyrics are pure nihilism, but done in a loving way. If that sounds like a contradiction, you’ve just discovered the magic of Dylan. “Beyond here lies nothin’, nothin’ but the moon and stars.” And a great rock and roll band. Bob Dylan

It was 40 years ago today:


It was 46 years ago today:

Neil Young – Get Behind The Wheel

Three American pastimes, rock and roll, driving, and double entendres are on masterful display here. “You know she loves those long, slow curves, so take her for a spin.” The guitar drives, the band rocks, and Neil is practicing his bar pick-up lines. Shoutouts for Light A Candle & Just Singing A Song. Neil Young

It was 40 years ago today:

Black Lips - 200 Million Thousand (CD)

Waking up in 1965 to brand new music is always a great pleasure for me, and I mean that as a great complement. Everyone who knows me here at home knows my love of and pride in the garage band collection I have circa 1963-1967. Anytime I discover another group from that era, I am grinning from ear to ear and driving everyone crazy with the loud tunes. What I love most about that era is the idea of rock music was still developing & everything didn’t sound “perfect”. It has energy, often high-energy, pre-Monkees rock and roll. They were willing to let what some players would consider mistakes stand, because recording was both expensive and immediate. What’s even more intriguing about this CD is it was recorded in the 21st century. I love it, and can’t recommend one individual cut because they all have special qualities. For example, I’m listening to “No matter what they say, he can’t be the Jack Johnson of today” with the drummer and rhythm guitar keeping a garage beat, while the lead guitar sends aural enhancements that fit perfectly in the 1965 groove. Many groups try to sound like this, Black Lips make it sound natural. I’m in heaven. Black Lips

Booker T Jones – Potato Hole (CD)

A long-time dream of mine is to find rock players who have a small enough ego to release instrumental rock albums with other players the way jazz players do. Perhaps because jazz has always been about the music, with small audiences, that limits the rock players who have the tendency to think “big arenas”. It does happen occasionally (Santana comes to mind), but not often enough. Booker T has played as a session for many great artists, as well as fronting his own band, so he has the mentality I’m talking about. My dream has come true here. We have Booker T Jones with the Drive-By Truckers and Neil Young playing to their hearts and my hearts delight. No vocals necessary.

This CD has everything one would want from a great rock album. Pound It Out does exactly that – opening the album loud & proud. She Breaks brings in the funky side of rock with a dancing bass line. Hey Ya is a straight-ahead guitar/drum dance with the organ taking on OutKast’s melody. Native New Yorker returns to the loud riffing rock that gets us up and moving with a steady stream of aural candy. Nan is a slow down and look at the world through the eyes of love tune, beautiful and dreamy. Warped Sister is the sole filler. Get Behind The Mule is an instant favorite, perhaps because we’re all familiar with the Tom Waits tune. It’s this tune that makes me wish for more rock players tackling instrumentals. I get a lot of instrumental albums here playing rock tunes, but they usually recreate rock as easy listening elevator music. This group plays it for real, for those of us raised on rock and roll. Reunion Time is simply wonderful, instantly reminding me of 1967 era rock with tons of soul. I hear everything from Jimi starting off the tune to Otis sitting on the dock of the bay, with a touch of little green apples thrown in for good measure. The title tune, Potato Hole is blues funk with the distinct purpose of filling the dance floor and sweating Woodstock 69 style. Space City ends the CD with a promise of more to come, either in this life or the next because Booker T reaches the heavens with his organ on this exquisite tune from the Trucker’s 7th album. 12 stars out of 10 for a Sunday afternoon bbq/dance. I’m hoping this is the first of many rock-based instrumental cds by true rock musicians. Booker T Jones

Philippe Saisse w/ Angélique Kidjo - Assante Sana

Jazz with a full dance beat, extremely tasty! Angélique fronts the ensemble with vocals moving through the spheres. Her back-up singers sway the tune and the players even further beyond the stars. Half way through the tune the guitar starts bringing us back to earth gently. Definitely a 3 minute trip worth recreating over and over. Shoutouts for a sublime sweet tea tune entitled Billy’s Blues and an exciting, rollicking jam called Roppongi Blues. Saisse the composer of all the cuts on this CD, which is exciting because each track has its own distinct flavor, Saisse does not sit still waiting for us to catch up with his stylings. Philippe Saisse

The Rippingtons – Pastels On Canvas

The smooth jazz of this classic ensemble is enhanced by some brilliant acoustic Spanish guitar work on this track. Tasty playing for some delicious relaxation. Every member gets a chance to add their own flavor which creates a true feeling of improvisation. Shoutout for the beautiful I Still Believe.
The Rippingtons

Matthew Montfort - Michelle’s Star

Matthew plays a scalloped fretboard guitar, a new instrument for me. It’s sound is similar to a sitar, and many of the tunes on this CD sound as if they were from India. I am choosing to highlight Michelle’s Star because it brings the same tonality to a western-sounding melody in a beautiful way. The CD is good for relaxing with a cool drink, perhaps even Sangria (another tune from the album) after cleaning up after a loud raucous bbq. Matthew Montfort

Michelle’s Star live:

Wynton Marsalis - Sassy

Wynton nevers fails to win over my soul with his playing. Sassy is my favorite track because of its playfulness. It also plays with themes established elsewhere on the CD. I will admit to taking the 12 instrumental tracks and reburning them as a single 65 minute CD. As much as I enjoy poetry, it was distracting for my enjoyment of the music. Perhaps it will work better as a live performance. Shoutout for A Train, a Banjo, and a Chicken Wing, which has some masterful slow blues trumpet singing. Wynton Marsalis

Wynton Marsalis - Cornet Chop Suey:


Wynton Marsalis – Portrait Of Louis Armstrong:


Wynton Marsalis Septet - The Holy Ghost

Wynonna Judd – That’s How Rhythm Was Born

“Ooh wee!” The sheer joy in the phrase is obvious, and the Texas Swing of her backing band allows Wynonna to give me a full meal of Boswell Sisters music in three minutes. “They praised the Mighty Forgiver. They washed their sins in the river. Cold water made 'em all shiver. That's how rhythm was born!” Wynonna doesn’t stop in Texas, tho. She’s willing to share another full meal, from New Orleans; Women Be Wise (“don’t advertise your man”). She doesn’t sit still, in a few minutes she returns over the border to Texas to revisit the fun of Stevie Ray in full party form with a truly hot band to make a tasty dessert of The House Is Rockin'. Wynonna Judd

Melody Gardot - Who Will Comfort Me

The finger snapping and sweet moan make me ready to hear “These Boots Are Made For Walking”, but Melody takes it a step further. She’s not walking out, she’s walking inwards to her weary soul. “Got a hold on my heart that keeps me bound when the whole wide world is free.” The band keeps the music from getting weary, with some hot bass and trumpet keeping everything afloat. “My home is a wreckage, a family drowned, implied in poverty.” Visiting the depths while being raised high – so high in fact, that by the end the blues have raised the narrator to laughter. Excellent composition. Shoutouts for Your Heart Is as Black as Night,
Melody Gardot

Indigo Girls – The Fleet Of Hope

“The fleet of hope is so pretty when she’s shining in the port
and the harbor clings to the jetty for protection and support.” The narrator is looking up at the horizon on the beach, and shares her poetry with music and beautiful harmony. “Though I stopped breathing I still believe I should try. Maybe a boat in search of lost treasures will pass by.” There is a deep hope in this song, a prayer almost for a continuance of all that the narrator has experienced. I love the opening vision of the fisherman standing like the narrator, he with a pole, and her with a book, “we will have caught on to something by the end of the day, but mostly we think about the one that got away.” Along with the deep hope is also a subtle look at the apparent despondency of it all. “Out in the choppy waters the sharks swim and play. You’re all washed up when Poseidon has his day.” Honest and beautiful poetry, with honest and beautiful music to bring the poem life. Shoutout for the great playing and vocals Second Time Around (“I’m just a little bit off these days”). Indigo Girls

Lisa Ekdahl – Give Me That Slow Knowing Smile

If you woulda told me just 5 years ago that’s I’d enjoy songs that had whistling in them, I woulda chuckled and asked you to find someone else to bug. I think of whistling and songs and I’m back in Mayberry territory in my head. Kinda funny that I ended up living in a town that looks and acts a lot like Mayberry. I digress. Point is, Lisa starts this CD off with a whistle, and it fits perfectly. Been a few others this year like that, so I’m going ahead and accepting the kiss-shaped whistle as a serious instrument in modern music.

“I’m on my hands and knees searching every corner for my lost heart and soul.” Lisa’s pouring out her pain while at the same time knowing that there will be people scoffing at her search. That’s what this song is about – not her personal pain, but the scoffers. And she does it with some wonderful musicians. The bass playing dueting with the organ player is sublime, and the percussionist knows how to hold back and when to let loose. Dreamy. Shoutout for the more acoustic flavors of One Life (“I don’t care if someone says I’m foolish, cause while I’m here I’m singing from my heart”). Lisa Ekdahl

Nicole Hart – Heart Trouble

The upbeat blues music sparkles out of the speakers with joy and solid emotion when this cut begins. I was prepared for some bleeding blues, and was instead treated to a full-throated belly laugh when Nicole began ripping into this old Martina McBride song. “The way you treat me baby, cheat and tell me lies. Guess I shouldn’t care at all, still I sympathize, ‘cause you’ve got heart trouble.” Now, read that again, and replace it wth “Hart trouble.” Great fun. You don’t wanna be carryin’ on married to a woman who’s promising trouble. That’s a bit tongue in cheek, ‘cause I imagine most women are promising trouble to their wandering philanderers. But you just need to hear the way she slowly pulls out the double-meaning “heart” to enjoy the artistry of Nicole and her great band. Good work. Shoutout for the slow riding Percy Mayfield duet You Were Lyin' To Me. Her partner on this tune is Albert Castiglia, who also adds some tasy guitar pickin’. Nicole Hart

Jenny Gillespie - Shells

“I wouldn’t ask you to wonder about God. So we watched the planes take off over the ocean. And the waves, docile until punched by the wind.” Beautiful images planted against a strumming guitar and a voice. The story is about trying not to look back as plans are made for a future the narrator is not looking forward to at this point in time. All the thoughts are kept in her head as she walks with the person she should be talking to. Perhaps is, about more trivial ideas. What I like about this song is how true it is – we keep our deep thoughts to ourselves even while hanging out with those we care deeply about. Jenny Gillespie

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Tara Simmons - When You Say That I Don’t Care About You

“When you say that I don’t care about you I just turn the light inside me out.” Blunt, but powerful. In short, stop being an emotional cripple, life is too short. Put that to music and you have Tara Simmons, who also has no aversion to getting me to get up and dance around the room. Eccentric background music makes for a bit of fun at a party. Somewhere between a ticking clock and a glockenspiel. The melodies of her songs are pure pop, the background seems to be whatever is handy at the time, but always feels appropriate. Shoutouts for the wonderful Shake (“silly girl, you should have known this would all blow over fine”), and Silent (“I can’t speak or sing”). For more fun, look for some of her older tracks, like Ballet and Everybody Loves You. Tara Simmons

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The Killers - Spaceman

"It's all in my mind!" When the CD came out last year I listened once and nothing stood out. My fault for not listening closer. This single (which includes 2 new cuts) stands out and makes for a fun mix in a Friday night party. The songs starts off in the ether, and soon the rock bombardment starts with a short story. “I thought I could leave this star-crossed world, but when they cut me open I guess I changed my mind.” Intriguing story & a lot of fun to dance to! A big thanks to The Killers for releasing the song as single to bring emphasis to it. “The public don’t dwell on my transmission ‘cause it wasn’t televised.” LOL!!! I like the way they make the frivolity so serious-sounding. The single does make me want to go back and re-visit the CD (as soon as I can find it). The two b-sides are fun to shoutout; another fast dance Four Winds (“squatters made a mural of a Mexican girl”), and the cool-down dance Tidal Wave (“on Saturday night they’re running for the shadow”). The Killers

Alex Ray and the Last Place – Between The Stars

“I’ll lie here, a dream between the stars. I’ll imagine we’re not that far away.” Whimsical, just like the music. Light and easy to listen to, these guys have allowed me to relax for a few before I set down to the busy task of preparing everything that needs to be done tomorrow. “I’ve got a head that’s full, a mind that won’t sleep, and one trick left inside.” Would go good with a glass of wine, but I settled for tea and it was just as good. “I’ve got a grin that I can’t hide.” Alex Ray and the Last Place

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Prince – Lotusflow3r

What a show! You will seldom hear me complain that a song isn’t long enough, but the guitar work on some of these cuts is just so dang tasty I hate to hear them end. But end they do, and a few songs later another great guitar lick comes up. Dreamer, followed by Back to The Lotus, perhaps fulfills the thirst most of all, and these two cuts end of the first CD in this 3 CD set. Before going on about the music, I have to say that it’s very cool of Prince to be offering this set to his fans at the low cost of $2 for 3 CD’s. Maybe because of the low cost, the set is only available at Target. No matter, it can be ordered from target’s on-line store.

Okay, to the meat. The album opens with a fun party starter, From The Lotus, an instrumental jazz-tinged ditty with otherworldly effects followed by Santana-like guitar and some funky bass. The leads directly to Boom, a slow rock and roll cut that would fit right into an arena show. This is the song I mentioned earlier that I hoped would continue longer. Seamlessly followed by The Morning After, the first cut that has flavors of Prince’s hits from the 80’s, this jam is just as tasty as any of those. “We can jam, baby, all night long”. The song ends too soon and melds directly into a slow soul-funk beauty called 4Ever. Colonized Mind slows us way down with wailing solos “genetically disposed to rule the world.” We also get a peek into Prince’s spirituality at this point in the party; “without God it’s just the blind leading the blind.” Wonderful, slow build to some great solo efforts. The dance floor is lit up again with the pure funk of Feel Better, Feel Good, Feel Wonderful. Love Like Jazz follows with a bachelor-pad jazzy beat tune, real easy to dance to. 77 Beverly Park is even quirkier, with an almost acoustic trip down a river in Italy or Greece with guitars inviting the sun to settle on the kisses of lovers. Wall of Berlin brings out the funk-rock side of Prince with “reality is only in my mind.” Philosophy while dancing, why not? The party comes roaring back to life with $. And I’ve already discussed the guitar flavorings of Dreamer. All in all, a totally fun album – every song has its own flavor, and we are treated to many flavors here. “It was just a dream – call me a dreamer too.” I have no problem recommending this as a set to purchase for your next party.

And the above only covers the first set. Set 2 goes by the nickname of Mplsound, and starts right off pulling people up to the dance floor with (There'll Never B) Another Like Me. Big ego? Maybe, but who cares? The music is great. 3 high energy dances in a row, then a beautiful, slow, soulful dance U're Gonna C Me. The second hour of the party is just as much fun as the first, with a shoutout going to Better With Time. Aren’t we all? The second set ends with fast popping pure pop of No More Candy 4 U. Half way through he announces “too many haters on the internet”, but don’t worry, it’s still done in fun.

The third set continues the party with the same production values and perfectly performed music and brings on a new vocalist, Bria Valente. “Spiritual humor”. Another good balance of dance floor show-off styles and slow dances. Amazingly, all tasty also. My favorite composition is Immersion, “welcome to the place much faster than time. True reality is the only peace you’ll find.” It’s nearing the end of the party, so these beats give us time to reflect on how great the party has been. We end with Elixer, the title tune of this 3rd CD. It’s a slow ending to the party, performed with harmonic perfection. Prince

Peter Buffet and Akon – Blood Into Gold

“When I go to sleep at night, I wonder why I don’t feel the pain from where the sun is shining bright.” This song will receive it’s official debut at the UN tomorrow night. Blood Into Gold is a socially themed song that talks about the human slavery and bondage that is going on in every nation in the world. I love the line that asks me to look at “all that you own through the blood of another.” So much of what we are able to buy here so cheaply is because of the sweat-shops around the world. How often do we stop and reflect on that fact?

The UNICEF produced video shows just how far-reaching and severe the problem is, and is being performed to bring attention to the predicament. March 25th is being called the ‘International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.’ The day will culminate with a full concert directed by Nile Rodgers in the United Nation’s General Assembly Hall featuring the talents of Akon, Peter Buffett, Audrey Babcock, Angela Brown, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Izaline Calister, Toumani Diabaté, Danny Glover, Gilberto Gil, Bill T. Jones, Sarah Jones, Salif Keita, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Emeline Michel, The Marley Brothers, CCH Pounder, Stephanie Benson, Phylicia Rashad, Noah Stewart, Randy Weston and others with choreography by Gabri Christa.

“Can you open your heart, will you give me your hand? Can you look in my eyes? Will you see who I am?” The theme for the concert is Breaking the Silence, Beating the Drum. “Who will hear when someone cries?” Peter Buffet and Akon



Anything

Peter Bjorn and John - The Feeling

“Been waiting for signs. Last time we got high we thought we had the puzzle worked out.” Been there. A bit of wine brings clarity to everything. Until the next morning. These guys capture the moments with humor and enough loudness to make this a fun Monday morning wake-up song, hungover or not. Some parts of the song are percussion-based, other parts are vocal harmony based, all parts are done with joy and energy. Shoutouts for It Don’t Move Me (“please put Chester’s books and magazines away”) and Living Thing (“I usually aim to please”), which both boil over with energetic dance beat performances. I Want You and Blue Period Picasso are slower dances. I really love the creative lyrics of Blue Period Picasso, which takes on the persona of a painting looking out at its audience. 4 out of 5 is a dirge, which I usually don’t like; but the harmony of this attracts my ears to re-listen over and over. The CD as a whole has a different sound than anything else out there, which is most likely what makes it so attractive. I know it will sit by my player for a lot of fun this summer. Peter Bjorn and John





Instant Recall (where have I heard those guys before?):

A Sunday Dinner With Jazz Flavorings

Sara K. - Gypsy Eyes
André Fernandes - Caixa de Madeira
Mark Whitfield - Send One Your Love

Steve Forbert - Stolen Identity

The song moves along with the topical subject of having your identity stolen, and Steve uses humor to make the best of a bad situation, but send me rolling on the floor giggling like crazy with the last verse. I don't feel free to quote the lyrics here because it would steal from your fun of discovery. Suffice it to say Forbert is at his ironic best here.

As usual, Steve travels around several different flavors of music, and does a great job on all of them. Write Me A Raincheck is a serious jazz-tinged composition, and The Beast Of Ballyhoo (Rock Show) is a hilarious rock flavored travelogue through a modern concert. Shoutouts for the fun of Labor Day '08. Steve Forbert

Chuck Loeb - Let's Go

Let’s Go is a funky rock-flavored jazz instrumental, delicious. Featuring the talents of trombonist Brian Culbertson and saxophonist Eric Marienthal, this track is an up-beat introduction to the newest from Chuck. The CD takes a stroll around many flavors, including smooth jazz and Brazil. My other favorites are the rock flavored jazz compositions Mittens and Let’s Play. Good for a relaxing Sunday afternoon on the porch listening to the birds of spring sing along with a master guitarist. Chuck Loeb

Oh Happy Day! (CD)

This CD is a celebration of the 1969 hit Oh Happy Day by the Edwin Hawkins Singers. Full of spiritual songs that managed to creep onto the pop charts over the years, this CD feels like church. I Believe, People Get Ready, Redemption Song, A Change Is Gonna Come, and Oh Happy Day all with stand-out and stand up with arms raised performances. Pop artists paired with great gospel choirs makes for an exciting morning of praise. Angelique Kidjo steals the show. Shoutouts to powerful performances by Queen Latifah, Jonny Lang, Joss Stone, Al Green with Heather Headley, Aaron Neville, and Michael McDonald. The choirs all deserve a huge shoutout also; The Fisk Jubilee Singers, West Angeles COGIC Choir, Mt Zion Mass Choir, Jubilation Choir, and the Washington Youth Choir. One of those rare albums that after you buy your own copy you’ll want to purchase as gifts for loved ones. Oh Happy Day!

Putumayo Presents ¡Salsa!

The challenge is not to get up and dance. Fugget it. Impossible. Ay Valeria! by Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca has one major purpose – to get me up off my couch and move. The story is a forlorn one, the narrator is going around asking people, including a gardener, what happened to his lover. The poetry is that his love is his “flower of Eden”, and therefore perhaps the gardener has seen her. He has fertilized her with tenderness, “and above all love”. In true Putumayo fashion, Ricardo was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and grew up loving the music of Cuba. His heritage allows him to truly place the elements of Africa that people talk about when discussing South American dance music. Works for me. He’s done an excellent job working with Makina Loca to make me want to listen over and over. A shoutout to Juanito y la Agresive for introducing me to the fascinating ¡Salsa Cali! scene in Columbia with the tune Angoa. Great party CD!

Putumayo Presents ¡Salsa!

Putumayo on Eartaste

Looking back in history:

Hey Ocean! - Alleyways

“I’ll take the alleyway today. No need for streets, I’d just compete with other people.” Fun introduction to a character who likes to be alone, but the band – well, you’ll see them in the videos, they love life, and love being able to share themselves with the world. Their music is addictive, and their energy is enthralling.

It’s funny how I was introduced to these folks. I was on the beach on Mustang Island, just south of Corpus Christi, looking at the Gulf of Mexico and the oil rigs on the horizon. I was contemplating how beautiful the oceans off California were without the rigs on the horizon when some music brought me out of these thoughts and I got to visit with another music lover. He had two singles, and was quite willing to share, so I have listened to them over and over. He also told me about a page where I could listen to them live on CDC radio. Click here to here the concert. The ‘irony’ is that here I was on the Gulf of Mexico listening to a band from Canada called Hey Ocean singing a song about California while my mind had been contemplating the oceans of California. It’s a small world after all.

Which brings me to the shoutouts, A Song About California (“can’t think of a single thing to sing about this place”) & Fish (“I felt so at ease slipping in and out of the ocean breeze”). The bands strongest point is its ability to delve into many styles and make them sound naturally their own, be it rock, folk, reggae, jazz, pop, or singer-songwriter. It is also very exciting that they have different singers taking on the tasks of different songs, and beautifully harmonizing with perfect pop sensibilities. They look and sound young, have managed to get two albums under their belt, and have top-notch musicianship that will carry them in the music business for many years to come.

I have not heard their albums, but I have listened to the live show and the singles many times. I am confident that the albums will portray the same love of life that these folks so willingly share on their singles. Check ‘em out.

Stop Looking Like Music (2007)
It's Easier to Be Somebody Else (2008)

Hey Ocean "Alleyways"
by heyoceanfan1

Hey Ocean - A Song About California


Hey Ocean! on MySpace

Ida Maria - Louie

“I know I’m always drunk. As drunk as can be. And I wonder, Louie, have you got room for me?” An open pop song about a character that admits to having a twisted soul, and wondering why some people are ‘different’. The lyrics are thought provoking but it’s the music that attracts me to this collection. In the very next song, “I Like You”, the character says “I only smoke when I’m with you”, entering again into the questions of who we are and why we hang onto traits we don’t like about ourselves. The chorus says “I like you so much better when you’re naked, I like me so much better when you’re naked”, and it’s obvious we aren’t talking about sexual nakedness, but open souls. I get the feeling the narrator is attempting to use pop music to explain a philosophy of complete and total honesty among humans. I’m all for it. Tough to accomplish, but what a world that would be. And if we can keep the dance beat, what a wonderful world that would be. There are many delicious flavors on this CD. More shoutouts for Forgive Me, Morning Light, and Queen Of The World. “I spin around in circles, and I’m singing. Why can’t I stay like this? Oh please let me stay like this.” You have my permission. In fact I’ll join you. Let’s make this a mission for all mankind! =:-) Ida Maria