On the Playlist 20DEC2018…

While technically not the 20th yet I am going to take advantage of being on the West coast and trust most readers won't see this till the 20th. Another must listen Christmas album going back to a huge name in rock and pop music - Phil Spector and the compilation album "A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector". Originally released in 1963 it was not an instant success but now is 142 on the top 500 albums of all time list by Rolling Stone. The album gives the wall of sound treatment that Phil Spector was famous for to a bunch of Christmas favorites as sung by artists he was working with at the time. A classic holiday album!

A Christmas Gift To You From Phil Spector

On the Playlist 19DEC2018…

Another great instrumental Christmas album today to follow-up with the one from yesterday with The Ventures and "The Ventures Christmas Album". Appropriately and simply named the music is guitar rich in the style of the Ventures. The best track on the album in my opinion is Frosty the Snowman set to the tune of Tequila. Yes, sounds strange but it works - trust me! This album is fun and playful with interesting takes on a log of the holiday classics.

The Ventures - The Ventures Christmas Album

On the Playlist 18DEC2021…

Today I pulled out one that I discovered last year from the radio - Joey De Francesco and his album "Home For the Holidays" and my favorite track from this album - Twelve Days of Christmas. This track which features flute, drums and organ is an amazing jazzed up funky version of this classic song that is the best version I have ever heard. If you haven't ever heard Joey De Francesco before, you will recognize his music instantly with his very specific organ playing style. Originally from Philadelphia he is the most amazing organ player out there.

Joey DeFranceso - Home For the Holidays

On the Playlist 17DEC2018…

Continuing on with the Christmas theme I was listening to Nick Lowes "Quality Street - A Seasonal Selection For All the Family". I loved the name of this album as it is a throwback to my childhood and Quality Street chocolates which were a brand of chocolates that we would get around Christmas time when I was growing up. What I really enjoyed about this album is that is was very Christmassy but didn't have any Christmas standards except Silent Night which was a really different version that didn't sound like the usually sappy version. So while this is most definitely a Christmas album it sounded new and different. Although I know of Nick Lowe this is the first music I have from him and really enjoyed so I think I will need to look into more of his music. I really like this one and recommend it. 

Nick Lowe - Quality Street

On the Playlist 14DEC2018…

Okay, I am cheating a bit here as I was out of the office and travelling on the 14th but I have an album I want to make sure gets on here for my Christmas lists and I have listened to it recently in the run up to the holiday season. The album by Ray Charles "The Spirit of Christmas" is another one in my holiday rotation. This is more of a classic Christmas album featuring Ray Charles' amazing voice.

Ray Charles - The Spirit of Christmas

On the Playlist 13DEC2018…

Technically listening to this on the 12th but already posted for today and will be travelling tomorrow which is the 13th so posting it now for tomorrow. Discovered something very interesting today and keeping with the theme that I hope to keep going till Christmas this is an improvised jazz album based on Christmas standards. The band called Ill Considered and their album "An Ill Considered Christmas" was recorded in a day with all the musicians live in a small studio in London. This album was just released a couple days ago. Something a bit different to get you into the Christmas spirit (or not).

Ill Considered - An Ill Considered Christmas

On the Playlist 12DEC2018…

As you might guess I am going to roll with the Christmas theme for as long as I can. On the playlist today is an album from Elvis Presley but unfortunately not "Elvis' Christmas Album" but rather "Christmas Peace". The former album was alluded to yesterday as it is the highest selling Christmas album in history. Today's album is a compilation of reissues put together long after Elvis passed away. It is a good collection of a lot of Christmas standards in a 2 CD set. Perfect to put on and get into the Christmas spirit with Elvis and what could be wrong with that. The first CD includes pretty much the whole holiday repertoire in chronological order while the second CD is more gospel and inspirational music that is not the traditional Elvis rock music.

Elvis Presley - Christmas Peace

On the Playlist 11DEC2018…

Since I started the run of Christmas music yesterday I am going to continue that theme for the next couple days at least. My daughter last night asked to hear some Christmas music and where else would I start than with the most classic Christmas music of all time. I remember listening to this album when I was a child. My parents had this album from as long as I can remember and played it extensively during the holiday season. When I was filling out my own music collection it was a required album to add to the collection. I am talking about the album by Bing Crosby "Merry Christmas". I am not sure if this is the first Christmas album or not but it was originally released in 1945 and since then the single "White Christmas" is the best selling single of all time at more than 50 million copies. Interestingly, the album is the second best selling Christmas album at about 15 million copies. My favorite track is the last one, "Meli Kalikimaka", but I can pretty much recite all the songs in order in my sleep. This is a classic!! How many of you have this album or remember listening to it during the holiday season?

Bing Crosby - Merry Christmas

On the Playlist 10DEC2018…

Not sure when is too soon to start playing Christmas music but I started today with a new CD I just got in. It took him 22 studio albums before he made his first Xmas album, I am talking about the new album from Eric Clapton call "Happy Xmas". Have to say I did enjoy it as all the songs are really done in Eric Clapton's relaxed blues style and don't sound like the traditional sappy Christmas songs. The album includes one original song and the rest are covers of Christmas standards. If you like Eric Clapton and feel you need to listen to Christmas music this is a good album. Personally, I really like the simplicity of the cover as well. 

Eric Clapton - Happy Xmas

On the Playlist 7DEC2018…

Not been in the office listening to music for a couple weeks but got wind of something that excited me last night so got it playing right now. The track is Yuve Yuve Yu by The Hu band. They also have another track that is next in the queue called Wolf Totem. So the set up here... this is a Mongolian band that plays Heavy Metal using traditional Mongolian instruments and vocal style. Personally I love it, but there is something different about it. The Youtube video of this track has translation of the lyrics on it which makes it a bit more powerful and cool. They include a bit of a traditional throat singing technique which is strange and a skill that is dying out in Mongolia. This same technique is also done by the Inuit in Northern Canada.

The Hu Band - Yuve Yuve Yu

On the Playlist 2NOV2018…

Listening to K.D. Lang today and her album "All You Can Eat". I have followed K.D. Lang since her very early days when she used to play at the Sidetrack Cafe in Edmonton with her band the Reclines which was a Patsy Cline tribute band. I went to the Sidetrack Cafe quite a bit in Edmonton as they had a lot of good live music acts there. I am sure that venue will come up again on these post. I remember one time when I was in university going here on a date with a friend. She was a very nice lady but about halfway through the evening she mentioned she had a very important exam the next day. I felt terrible and was a bit annoyed. I was annoyed for two reasons - one that she didn't mention this earlier as we could have gone on another evening and annoyed that I was going to miss the second half of the concert. I couldn't have stayed as much as I wanted to. Anyway, that was my first and last date with her but we did keep in touch for some time and remained friends. K.D. Lang was always an interesting performer and being from rural cattle country in Alberta was rather controversial after denouncing the cattle industry. I like her music though so won't hold that against her. Her rise to fame was powered by her performance at the closing ceremonies of the Calgary Winter Olympics in 1988. She also played at the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

K.D. Lang - "All You Can Eat"

On the Playlist 1NOV2018…

Listening to Evan Parker and his album Conic Sections today. This album from the British saxophonist is something that is quite different in the avant garde or free improvisation genre. I first became aware of this album when I was study clarinet improvisation while I was in graduate school in Vancouver. I was trying to learn circular breathing techniques on the clarinet (I was never really able to get it down) and was introduced to this album that includes not only circular breathing but also includes overlaying harmonics by having the reed vibrate in two modes simultaneously. So when you listen to the music on this album there are multiple layers to the music that if you focus on you can shift between hearing almost like two different tunes within it. Amazing stuff!

Evan Parker - Conic Sections

On the Playlist 31OCT2018…

What else would be playing today but Pink Floyd and their album Ummagumma. In particular the studio album and the track "Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict" which contains a whole variety of strange sound effects. This track was by Roger Waters. Basically the studio album was a free for all where each band member got half an album side to do whatever they wanted. This album has been called the worst of rock excess but I have always kind of liked it myself.

Pink Floyd - Ummagumma

Halloween bonus on the topic of the worst of rock excess. This album also by Roger Waters called "Music From the Body" truly is horrible and is the worst excess ever. It is actually a soundtrack to a documentary film "The Body" which still doesn't make up for how bad it is. This album is made up mostly of sounds from the human body including slaps, breathing, laughing, whispering and yes even flatulence. I bought the album at the height of my LP collecting days as it was from a Pink Floyd member. I still have it!

Roger Waters - Music From the Body

On the Playlist 30OCT2018…

Listening to the Brad Meldhau Trio and their most recent album "Seymour Reads the Constitution!" This is a fairly straightforward jazz album from this group led by Brad Melhdau on Piano with his longtime collaborators Larry Grenadier on bass and Jeff Ballard on drums. The title of the album comes from a dream that Brad had of Philip Seymour Hoffman reading the constitution. This dream occured two weeks before the actor died. A fun bit of trivia. Good album of good jazz from this trio.

The Brad Melhdau Trio - Seymour Reads the Constitution!

On the Playlist 29OCT2018…

Listening to a bit of Miles Davis and his album "Walkin'" as I am getting in some steps in Denver airport. Did a quick lap of terminal B while waiting for a flight home. Got lucky and after doing an initiation visit in Philadelphia got back to my hotel and was able to get an earlier flight if I moved it to the airport right away. Made it to the airport in time but not enough time to get something to eat for lunch. It was already 3 by this time. As I boarded the plane I was upgraded and had a actually very nice meal in business class on the way to Denver. This meant that I wouldn't have to find something to eat at Denver 4 hours later and instead was able to walk the terminal. This Miles Davis album is a compilation of material that was previously released in small LP format in 1954. Not one of his more famous albums but some good straight ahead bop before his style evolved as on some of his later work although you can hear some of the newer sound hinted in some of the tracks.

Miles Davis - Walkin’

On the Playlist 26OCT2018…

Listening to Portland Cello Project and the track Denmark from their album "Thousand Words." Heard this first on NPR and tracked it down. Then got into Portland Cello Project and have a couple of their albums. As you might guess this is a cello group from Portland although they do incorporate some other instruments the main thrust is cello. They have some interesting goals for the group as follows:

1. "To bring the cello to places you wouldn't normally hear it."

2. "To play music on the cello you wouldn't normally hear played on the instrument."

3. "To build bridges across all musical communities by bringing a diverse assortment of musical collaborators on stage with them."

Great video on Youtube for this track as well.

Portland Cello Project - Thousand Words - "Denmark"

On the Playlist 25OCT2018…

Listening to Blind Boy of Alabama - "Spirit of the Century" this afternoon. Best version of Amazing Grace ever on this album. I bought this album to get a copy of their version of Amazing Grace which blew me away. It is sung to the tune of House of the Rising Sun. You have to listen to this to hear how well it works.

This is a gospel singing group with some serious history. They first sang together in 1939 and have been performing for seven decades. They have won five grammys and when I saw them a couple years back they still have some of the original members.

I saw them in Irvine in one of the stranger concerts I have ever been to. You have to understand Irvine to understand why this story would happen here. Irvine, where I live in Orange County, is a very conservative, by the rules boring place. Nothing interesting happens here and that is the way the city likes it. So in order to promote the opening of the Great Park here (long story on this one) they had a free outdoor summer concert series. They had a lot of local acts and a couple bands I would bother to come out to see including Blind Boys of Alabama. Concert started at 7:00pm sharp and ended one hour later at 8:00pm sharp. The crowd was just starting to get into it and the band was starting to really rock and then 8pm rolls around and it is all over. Organizers pretty much had to escort the band of the stage as they were shutting down the lights and tearing down the sound system. Despite the long applause from the audience they weren't even allowed an encore. You could see the band was even confused. I guess they were worried about the neighbors complaining about the noise or something. Anyway, it was just weird. Now that I have lived here several more years it is not at all surprising in the least though. 

Blind Boys of Alabama - Spirit of the Century

On the Playlist 24OCT2018…

Listening to Yes and their album "Drama" today. This album from 1980 is from the middle of their history and resulted in a breakup of the band. This is their tenth studio album. I have a couple of their albums and didn't realize how many albums they have released. This one is a bit 80s pop music but then what wasn't at that time unless you were into the punk rock. I always loved their album covers and this one is no exception.

Yes - Drama

On the Playlist 23OCT2018…

Was listening to Ujico's album "Flowers". Discovered this artist from my daughter. This is bouncy electronic music with a lo-fi midi synthesizer sound to it. Ujico also releases under the name Snail's house. He is a based in Tokyo. All of his music is quite happy and light. Good stuff for listening to while working. All the tracks on this album are titled after the names of flowers.

Ujico - Flowers

On the Playlist 22OCT2018…

Carlos Santana playing right now. Listening to his album "Dance of the Rainbow Serpent". This is a 3 CD set of a nice mix of his music from a variety of his albums. Always loved his sound with the laid back vibe and slightly latin guitar sounds. Great for a Monday afternoon of getting stuff done.

Carlos Santana - Dance of the Rainbow Serpent