On the Playlist 12JUL2018…
Holly Cole Trio - Don't Smoke In Bed - “I Can See Clearly Now”
A bit late posting this one as I didn't listen to this till later in the day and forgot to post it. This jazz singer from Canada (Yes, I checked and confirmed that) had one song that caught my attention in a very high end audio store. Holly Cole Trio and their hit album Don't Smoke In Bed and in particular "I Can See Clearly Now". One Saturday afternoon shortly after moving to California I was in a very high-end audio store. I was there to talk about running ethernet network wiring in the house as they did that as well and got to talking with the salesman. While we were chatting he showed me one of their rooms that over $500,000 of audio equipment in it in just one system. I am glad it was that expensive because if it had been any reasonable price I would have bought it right then and there. He put on "I Can See Clearly Now" and the hair on the back of my neck stood up and I had goosebumps. The sound was amazing!!!! SO amazing that it sounded like they were right there in that room. I was impressed to say the least. I only listened to that track and then we moved back to his office to finish the conversation. I came home and immediately set about determining if that track was available in some kind of crazy hi-resolution release but could only find it available in CD. In fact, I actually had that CD in my collection. So, I put it on to play on my system and turned the volume up. When I turned it up to a certain volume (much louder than the usual background level I listen to music while I work) I got that same feeling although maybe not quite as real but the same feeling nonetheless. I played some of the other tracks on this album and nothing. It was only this track that when cranked up sounded amazing. I have been to a couple more audio stores and audio shows since then and this is my go to track. Not every system gives me the goosbumps but the good ones do. So, it wasn't so much the system as the recording and this one track in particular. Thank goodness as I really didn't want to spend that kind of money on an audio system but I might have if it did that to all the music it played because it was magical. My family hates when I play this song.
Holly Cole Trio - Don't Smoke In Bed - “I Can See Clearly Now”
On the Playlist 11JUL2018…
Doors - LA Woman
Last studio album before the death of Jim Morrison, I am talking about LA Woman by the Doors. Great album with one of many of my favorite songs from the Doors - Riders On The Storm. I remember when I was in high school and first really getting into music I worked at a deli sandwich shop next to a record store so a lot of my budget went to buy records. I got a good discount as the record shop employees would come over for lunch at the deli. I was buying music like crazy at the rate I could using my discretionary funds. Meanwhile my brother who was totally into pop music won a complete library of the Doors from a radio station. I was so jealous and he never shared them. Not sure he even ever listened to them. Interestingly, his interest in pop music got me into several bands but more on that another day. I finally completed my collection of the Doors many years later in CD and I think this is my favorite of their albums.
Doors - LA Woman
On the Playlist 10JUL2018…
John Coltrane - One Down, One Up: Live at the Half Note
Classic Coltrane today. From "One Up, One Down: Live at the Half Note" I am listening to his version of My Favorite Things. This is a piece that he is somewhat famous for. Although the acoustics and this recording are not the greatest I like the solos in this version which goes on for 22 minutes. This album was released in 2005 and contains some live sets. Not one of his more famous albums but I enjoy it nonetheless.
John Coltrane - One Down, One Up: Live at the Half Note
On the Playlist 9JUL2018…
Whale/Human Collaborative Music Project - Pod Tune
Had something lined up for today and then at the last minute discovered something ever more wierd and wonderful to listen to. "Pod Tune" is ambient music by different musicians from around the world that is set to, and inspired by, accompanying humpback whale songs. As some of you may know I am a trained whale naturalist in Orange County thanks to my oldest daughter who got me to take the training with her. As part of that course we learned a lot about various whale species including humpback whales which are regularily found in the waters around Orange County. Humpback males exhibit a very interesting behaviour in that they will at certain times of the year hang out in groups in the ocean and sing. This singing consists of repeated 20-30 minute sessions and they may do this for as long as 24 hours at a time. These songs have a recognizable pattern that is unique to a family or geographic group and differs between groups. Furthermore, the songs evolve from year to year. Scientists do not know what the purpose is of these songs but they are thought to be mating calls which is what scientist seem to ascribe all strange animal behaviour to. Anyway, their calls are quite eerie to listen to. When paired with ambient type music they can be quite relaxing. I received the CD today that I ordered a couple days ago so that is why I am listening to it instead of what I had originally lined up for today.
Whale/Human Collaborative Music Project - Pod Tune
On the Playlist 8JUL2018…
Andre Heuvelman - After Silence
As a Sunday bonus as I couldn't resist this one. Discovered this artist from a YouTube video which if you haven't seen is worth watching here. Andre Heuvelman is a solo trumpet player who is quite amazing. After seeing the YouTube video I had to get more of his music. So, today while reading in my den I have been listening to his album " After Silence." I am reading "Surviving the Storm" which is what got me thinking about this music and put it on.
Andre Heuvelman - After Silence
On the Playlist 6JUL2018…
The Wild Tchoupitoulas
It's Friday and I feel like a party so I have The Wild Tchoupitoulas on. With a New Orleans call and response Mardi Gras style to it this album it is a classic. This album somewhat launched the Neville brothers who are the nephews of Big Chief Jolly Landry who was leader of this Mardi Gras Indians tribe and played on this album. They stayed together and had their own musical careers. Fun stuff for a Friday afternoon.
The Wild Tchoupitoulas
On the Playlist 5JUL2018…
Max Roach - To the Max!
Maz Roach and in particular his double album "To The Max". I remember when I first encountered this album when I heard the track Ghost Dance on KKJZ radio. It would have been 1994 and I was driving up the PCH near Long Beach in a rental car while on an extended monitoring trip in SoCal. It was a Saturday morning and I was blown away by this song. I had seen Max Roach live several years earlier at the Edmonton Jazz-City Festival in 1982 and was impressed but didn't really get into his music at that point. I had lost track of this tune for several years before coming back to it and re-discovering it and getting a copy of the CD. This album contains a real mix of music that is both studio recorded and live. I still think that Max Roach was the best drummer I have ever seen.
Max Roach - To the Max!
On the Playlist 4JUL2018…
The April Maze - Sleeping Storm - “The Bishop Who Ate His Boots”
On the playlist today... April Maze and in particular their song "The Bishop Who Ate His Boots". April Maze is an alternative folk duo made up of Todd Mayhew (vocals, guitar, banjo) and Sivan Agam (vocals, cello, guitar). I first heard one of their songs and what caught my ear was the cello mixed in. My oldest daughter plays the cello and I have become atuned to hearing cello music. So after getting into them a bit and enjoying their music I discovered this song and the story behind it. The song is a based on a story from Canada's North about the second bishop of Selkirk, Isaac Stringer. He was doing a tour of his diocese in the Yukon and got stuck in the bush (long story here) and starving he decided to eat his seal skin boots to survive. So, as interesting as that story is there are two coincidences here. Todd Mayhew is that Isaac Stinger's great grandson. Second coincidence is that my mom has recently finished her studies and is ordained in that same Diocese in the Yukon. When I told her about this song she knew the whole story. I guess as she has lived in the North of Canada for so long this story is a standard that gets around. Great song and great story. Another really good song by April Maze is "Between Beers".
The April Maze - Sleeping Storm - “The Bishop Who Ate His Boots”
On the Playlist 3JUL2018…
Tom Waits - Bone Machine
Tom Waits who's voices has been described as "it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car". He is infamous for suing Frito-Lay and winning when they used an impersonator to sing a song similar to his in an ad after he had refused permission. If you have heard him there is no mistaking his unique voice so it is little wonder he won but he is amongst a very few artists that have won that type of suit. Today I am listening to Bone Machine which has two songs on it that I particularily like - "The Earth Died Screaming" and "I Don't Wanna Grow Up." I originally was going to say that these are two of my favorite songs but there are so many when it comes to Tom Waits. In fact, my favotire Tom Waits song is going to be a bonus for today below. Bone Machine was recorded in a concrete cellar of the studio and includes Keith Richards (Rolling Stones) on Guitar, Les Claypool (Primus) on Bass and David Hidalgo (Los Lobos) on Violin and Accordion.
Tom Waits - Bone Machine
So what I think is actually my favorite Tom Waits song is "Heigh Ho", yes, you read that right; the Disney song from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Tom Waits does a version of that song on the album "Stay Awake" which is a bunch of covers of DIsney tunes. If you ever thought it was strange that seven dwarves lived alone in a cabin in the woods then this version of the Heigh Ho song will positively creep you out. Done in a dark industrial tone you will never think of that song any other way after listening to this version - brilliant! Some other good covers on this album as well but this is the one to listen to.
Stay Awake - Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films
On the Playlist 2JUL2018…
Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Sessions
Cowboy Junkies "Trinity Sessions" possibly one of my favorite albums of all time. Turn it up loud and listen to it in quiet surroundings to get the full effect. This album was recorded "live" in a church in Toronto using a single microphone with no mixing or overdubing of any sort. They told the church that they were recording a Christmas special and were called the Timmins family singers. They apparently had to bribe a security guard to let them stay late and finish the recording. The acoustics on this album are amazing. Margo Timmins voice seems to be made for this venue. Give it a listen and be prepared to be amazed. This is a go to album when I am listening to another music system - if I get tingles down my spine then the system is okay.
Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Sessions
On the Playlist 29JUN2018…
Sho Hamada - Surfside Sketch
A bit new agey here with Sho Hamada and Surfside Sketch. A collection of solo guitar pieces inspired by the surf. Each piece is title by the wave height, temperature and date. Basically, this is just very nice peaceful guitar music despite the idea. I was expecting something potentially strange and wonderful when I bought this based on the description. I was pleasantly surprised on one account as it is wonderful.
Sho Hamada - Surfside Sketch
On the Playlist 28JUN2018…
Men At Work - Business As Usual
Who remembers one of the hottest songs from the summer of 1982. I was in grade 11 and I totally remember what was playing on the radio that summer. It was an Aussie invasion with Men at Work and their songs "Who Can It Be Now" and "Down Under" were playing everywhere. This was the summer my brother and I won a sailboard from 630 CHED a local pop radio station and we learned how to sail it with the large radio station logo on the sail. I had just got my driver's license and my parents had bought us a beat up 1970 Chevelle as our car. I went to the lake every weekend so I could to learn how to sail it. What a great summer! The version I am playing is an actual digital recording of the album. Yes, I still have the vinyl version of the album and a couple years ago I spent most of the summer recording all my old vinyl albums to digital files. Sounds amazing!
Men At Work - Business As Usual
On the Playlist 27JJUN2018…
Taj Mahal - The Natch'l Blues
Taj Mahal, and I am not talking about the mausoleum in India, which is impressive, but that American blues musician who goes by this name. I first discovered Taj Mahal in High School when I was a DJ on the school radio station. I used to go to the local library to sort through their vinyl collection there and borrow albums for taping at home. I had a rather large collection of tapes at one point as I did a lot of taping off the local underground university station. They were playing a lot of obscure stuff that later became mainstream and I was using that for my DJing at school where I was known for my rather obscure selection of music. There was this album in the bin at the library with a face mask on it title "The Natch'l Blues". Wasn't sure what that was about but tape was cheap and checking things out of the library was cheaper so I took it home and gave it a listen. Well, I liked it - a lot and discovered Taj Mahal. I even saw him when he came to town at one point. I won free tickets from the university radio station. I am sure I must have been one of only a few people that listened to that station as I was able to win tickets quite frequently from them. I remember he put on quite a good show one freezing evening in January in Edmonton at the Student's Union theatre at the University of Alberta. I recall that it was very cold that evening but that is a story for another time. So, in memory of that listening to "The Natch'l Blues" today along with a several other of Taj Mahal's albums.
Taj Mahal - The Natch'l Blues
On the Playlist 26JUN2018…
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
Late 80s and the grunge scene was big as a reaction to the polish of New Wave. While a lot of people were listening to the sounds coming out of Seattle; a great band that came to define the alternative rock scene came out of New York. Sonic Youth were an innovative guitar heavy band. Their last small budget release before signing with a major label is "Daydream Nation." I am listening to the deluxe edition which includes a live version of the album as well with some extra tracks on it from the initial release. Loud and driven - this is 80s rock at its best!
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
On the Playlist 25JUN2018…
The 5, 6, 7, 8's - Pinheel Stomp
Surfer rockabilly from a Japanese female trio? Yes, and you have probably seen and heard them! Anyone remember the all girl band from Kill Bill volume 1 that played "I walk like Jayne Mansfield"? Well that was The 5, 6, 7, 8s and they hail from Japan. Today I was listening to their album "Pinheel Stomp" from 1997 and has some classic covers on it all done in the 5, 6, 7, 8s own Japanese grunge style. Best track on the album I think is "The Barracuda" - Love it!
The 5, 6, 7, 8's - Pinheel Stomp
On the Playlist 22JUN2018…
Prince - The Undertaker
Prince but this one is a bit obscure, "The Undertaker" which is a bit more heavy guitar than his usual music. Also this album was apparently recorded in a single live take. Originally intended to be released with a copy of Guitar magazine it was blocked but not after some of the CDs had got out into the wild. Available only as a bootleg now it is a really good rock album by Prince.
Prince - The Undertaker
On the Playlist 21JUN2018…
Melanie Martinez - Cry Baby
Melanie Martinez and her album "Cry Baby". First heard Melanie Martinez's song carousel at my daughters synchronized swimming practice when one of the senior students did a routine to it. Both my daughter and I liked the music and her style. She is a bit dark in her lyrics but I enjoy the bit of an off-beat sound. Her goal is to do a movie with Tim Burton - enough said.
Melanie Martinez - Cry Baby
On the Playlist 20JUN2018…
The Hot 8 Brass Band - “Sexual Healing”
Last night talking with the kids about music. My youngest has taken up the baritone (like a small tuba - small in a relative sense) in grade 5 and was interested in her future possibilities. I suggested she could join the jazz band in middle school. She wasn't sure if that was a possibility and I explained that baritone or tuba is actually a very traditional jazz instrument from New Orleans and the marching bands that form part of a crew and part of the second line parades. I reminded her of a band I had taken her to see a couple years ago in LA called the Hot 8 Brass Band that do a New Orleans marching jazz band with a hip-hop touch to it. So today, as reminded by that discussion, I put a couple of their albums onto the playlist. One of their better tracks is a cover of Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing."
The Hot 8 Brass Band - “Sexual Healing”
On the playlist 19/JUN/2018...
Men of the Deeps - Buried Treasures
East coast Canada today with Men of the Deeps. This group is a male vocal group of Cape Breton Miners. All the members of the group are or were coal miners. The group was formed in 1966 and among many accolades they were the first Canadian music group to tour China in 1977. With a mandate of preserving working and folk songs of Cape Breton their concerts feature them entering the stage dressed in the working clothes in pitch dark with their helmet lights on.
