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Man! If I could figure out how to just get a little hit of that whenever I’m feeling down or just need a boost energy, I’d be just fine! No, I’m not talking about some new energy drink or other … Continue reading
There are songs that are such classics that they are recorded over and over, generation after generation, and they still seem contemporary. “Cry Me a River” was written in 1953 and first recorded by the British actress Julie London in 1955 as part of the movie musical The Girl Can’t Help It. It was Ella Fitzgerald who introduced it to Jazz fans, though, and it has been recorded by so many great jazz artist since, especially the vocalists, including Shirley Bassey, George Benson, Etta James, Nina Simone, Dinah Washington, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Dexter Gordon, Fourplay, etc.
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Every once in a while, I feel like sharing the music I’ve been listening to lately on this blog. Even in this age of iPods, I still believe music is meant to be enjoyed socially. So I’m sharing a few things here and would love to know what you think of them for better or worse.
This first set is a handful of videos from people I’ve seen live recently and have enjoyed or who are recent discoveries. Let me know what you think.
Saw Jamie Cullum at the House of Blues and he was brilliant. Much more of a showman than I thought he’d be, and much more of a piano virtuoso, too. HOB was a terrible venue though, at least in my opinion. Stupid rules about where you can stand; constant distractions from staff moving people around, according to the rules, yet being inconsistent about it; ATMs with $4 fees; terrible, cold concession food that is only available on the 1st floor which folks from the upper floors are not allowed to go down too except when the food is ready. It’s the most un-Rock and Roll rock Rock Rock Club that I have been to in a long time.
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I have to oddest musical tastes of anyone I know. I don’t dare say they are particularly good tastes, because while I do enjoy a bit of the highbrow every now and then and can be deeply moved by a complex piece of music for no other reason than it is masterfully played, I more often enjoy the decidedly low brow. Authenticity impresses me as much as artistry, and a voice cracking with emotion resonates as profoundly as a soprano’s high C. Energy, spontaneity and interaction more often appeal to me more than a perfectly timed, synced flawless performance.
So why do I have odd tastes? Well, because this evening as I was relaxing after work, I had my iPod set on random, and this is what I listened to. The list was genuinely random. I did not interfere at all. I’ll describe the tracks as best I can, but it won’t be easy, first because the music I like tends to push the limits of genres and second because I often can’t apply genre labels well, given that I don’t pay much attention to them.
* Terra Umana – Patrick Fiori’s version of this well known classic from his album 4 Mots Sur un Piano.
* Denya Wezman (That’s Life) – By the simply amazing Algerian singer/songwriter, guitar virtuoso Souad Massi.
* Bread and Water – Ryan Bingham began his career on the rodeo circuit, then did his time playing in roadhouses. The song is From the album Mescalito.
* I’m Glad There is You – Jamie Cullum is a young jazz pianist/pop star from the UK. This is his interpretation of the Jimmy Dorsey, Paul Madeira classic. It took some nerve to do this. Carmen MacRae, Sarah Vaughan and Frank Sinatra are just three of the people who have recorded well know versions of this song. It’s from Cullum’s album Catching Tales.
* The Last of the American Girls – From Green Day’s latest, 21st Century Breakdown.
* Singin’ in the Rain – Yes, that Singin’ in the Rain. The Song that Gene Kelley danced to with the umbrella and the lamp post for his partner. Here the version is from Jamie Cullum’s debut album Twentysomething.
* Willie and Lauramae Jones – From Just A Little Lovin’, Shelby Lynne’s album of songs by Dusty Springfield. It doesn’t include “Son of a Preacher Man” though. Shelby says that’s Dusty’s song and she can’t imagine recording that one.
* Rosalinda’s Eyes – From Billy Joel’s 52nd Street. Joel’s tour to promote this album was the first concert I ever saw.
* Don’t Bang the Drum – This is from the The Best of The Waterboys 81-90. I was a huge fan of the Waterboys in the 80s.
* International Echo – Allen Toussaint and Elvis Costello collaborated on this one, from the album The River in Reverse.
* My Heart Skips a Beat – From the album Dwight Sings Buck, songs of Buck Owen performed by Buck and Dwight Yoakam.
* Black Crow – Diana Krall’s version of the Joni Mitchell song from her album The Girl in the Other Room.
You can get some of these at iTunes through the iTunes Mix I made. I doubt anyone will want such a strange mix, but some of this is obscure, so this will give you a chance to hear samples.
And just for good measure, you don’t get more genre defying than this. Diana Krall, Elvis Costello and Willie Nelson performing together the song that Willie Nelson composed and Patsy Cline made famous.