Jean’s Jazz: Smells Good II

I never really understood jazz but back in the ‘90s when I was trying to learn more about it I went straight to the source: Fats Waller and Louis Armstrong. Then while working as a houseboy on Long Island my employers used to play Ella Fitzgerald- whose voice exposed me to the songs of Cole Porter- and during my time in the Peace Corps I started listening to Frank Sinatra- who schooled me in the old standards.

Chet Baker

I’m not really into hard, trippy, or experimental jazz; I gravitate more towards jazz interpretations of well-known standards whether it’s Cole Porter, Lennon and McCartney, or movie themes. I guess there’s something comforting in hearing a song I already know but with a touch of jazz and such tunes can also usually class up any cocktail or dinner party. Here are some more of my favorite jazz songs. Enjoy!

Ella Fitzgerald

01. Chet Baker – “It Never Entered My Mind” (1959)

02. Gerry Mulligan Quartet feat. Chet Baker – “My Funny Valentine (Live)” (1952) 

03. Ramsey Lewis – “Dear Prudence” (1968)

04. Chet Baker Quartet – “Summertime” (1956)

05. Richard Stoltzman – “Philadelphia (From ‘Philadelphia’)” (1995)

06. Dizzy Gillespie – “Stardust” (1956)

07. Ella Fitzgerald – “All Through the Night” (1956)

08. Ella Fitzgerald – “Anything Goes” (1956)

09. Ella Fitzgerald – “Miss Otis Regrets (She’s Unable to Lunch Today)” (1956)

10. Ella Fitzgerald – “Too Darn Hot” (1956)

11. Ella Fitzgerald – “Manhattan” (1956)

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Ethan Hawke channels Chet Baker in 'Born To Be Blue'

Joanie from Staten Island

Around the same time I began exploring Cher’s ‘70s music I also discovered the music of another dark lady- Joan Baez- through her best known ‘70s songs like “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and  “Diamonds & Rust”. But of course it was through her ’60 folk music that Baez became iconic and she will be forever linked with Bob Dylan whose songs she helped introduce to the world. Like Cher, Joan Baez was not the female image being sold in the ‘60s- she wasn’t pale, blonde, and dumb- quite the opposite. Yet Baez- like Dylan- helped influence a generation to think, to care, and to try to change the world- which they did. Here are some of my favorite Joan Baez songs- six written by Dylan. Enjoy!

01. Joan Baez – “A-Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” (1965)

02. Joan Baez – “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” (1971)

03. Joan Baez – “Diamonds & Rust” (1975) 

04. Joan Baez – “Farewell, Angelina” (1965)

05. Joan Baez – “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” (1965)

06. Joan Baez – “Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word” (1968)

07. Joan Baez – “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right (Live)” (1963)

08. Joan Baez – “Forever Young (Live)” (1975)

09. Joan Baez – “God Is God (Live)” (2016)

10. Joan Baez – “We Shall Overcome (Live)” (1963)

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Jackson Browne Inducts Joan Baez into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - 2017

Joan Baez Documentary

Cher’s Facts of Life

It must have been about 15 years ago when I first began exploring and enjoying Cher’s ‘70s music, the best of which can be found on the concise but powerful Greatest Hits. Like Kenny Rogers’ Greatest Hits, Cher’s Greatest Hits is cross-generational in its appeal and both parents and kids can be thrilled and entertained while listening to Cher explain the sad and glorious facts of life.

I’m less impressed by Cher’s ‘60s material- including her recordings with husband Sonny Bono- though there’s still some good stuff from that period. But it’s Cher’s early ‘70s recordings where the dark lady is in her element as an entertainer- and entertain she does- whether it’s channeling Bob Dylan, lamenting about happens when you fall for Mr. Wrong, or singing to her childhood rag doll about the man who just took her virginity. Here are some of my favorite Cher songs. Enjoy! 

01. Cher – “Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves” (1971)

02. Sonny & Cher – “I Got You Babe” (1965)

03. Cher – “Dark Lady” (1974)

04. Cher – “All I Really Want to Do” (1965)

05. Cher – “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” (1966)

06. Cher – “Masters of War” (1968)

07. Cher – “The Way of Love” (1971)

08. Cher – “Dixie Girl” (1974)

09. Cher – “Carousel Man” (1973)

10. Cher – “Melody” (1973)

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Rock Grab Bag VI

Even though rock is now far removed from its origins in the American South and as a genre has taken things about as far as they can go, the folk, blues, and country roots in rock music are still there if one cares to look for them. Anyway, I guess there’s not much left to do now except dig in and enjoy some more of my favorite rock songs including folk-rock, modern folk, adult alternative, singer-songwriter, classic rock, jam rock, lite rock, and blues & boogie rock. It’s the return of the rock grab bag. Enjoy!

Joni Mitchell

01. Joni Mitchell – “A Case of You” (1971)
02. Patty Griffin – “Chief” (2002)
03. Al Stewart – “A Small Fruit Song” (1970)
04. Dar Williams – “Fm Radio” (2015)
05. The Kinks – “This Time Tomorrow” (1970)
06. Indigo Girls – “Closer to Fine” (1989)
07. Peter Gabriel – “Biko” (1980)
08. Grateful Dead – “Friend of the Devil” (1970)
09. Eva Cassidy – “Fields of Gold” (1998)
10. José Feliciano – “Light My Fire” (1968)
11. Donovan – “There Is a Mountain” (1967)
12. The Kinks – “Get Back in Line” (1970)
13. Joni Mitchell – “The Last Time I Saw Richard” (1971)
14. Al Stewart – “Bedsitter Images” (1967)
15. Jimmy LaFave – “Red River Shore” (2012)
16. The Black Keys – “Gotta Get Away” (2014)
17. Indigo Girls – “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right (Live)” (2008)
18. Sarah McLachlan – “Answer (Live)” (2003)
19. Don McLean – “General Store” (1970)
20. Hall & Oates – “When the Morning Comes” (1973)

Patty Griffin

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Country Grab Bag III – Part 3

Country music hit its peak during the ‘70s when there was still lots of crossover on American radio (and Burt Reynolds was still box office gold). By the ‘80s, country’s quality- like so many other musical genres in that superficial decade- suffered and declined but eventually rebounded in the ‘90s with a return to crossover appeal thanks to Johny Cash, Dixie Chicks, and a slew of new country artists.

Even the cheesiest country songs can stand the test of time and remain part of the country canon because something about them has the ring of truth and people remember where they were when they first heard them. For me, country music- like classic rock- is pretty much dead now but thankfully the country well is deep and always there for those who care to drop their buckets down and have a listen. Here are some more of my favorite country songs. Enjoy!

01. George Jones – “A Picture of Me (Without You)” (1972)
02. John Denver – “This Old Guitar” (1974)
03. Kenny Chesney – “There Goes My Life” (2003)
04. Clare Bowen & Sam Palladio – “If I Didn’t Know Better” (2012)
05. Dixie Chicks – “Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)” (2002)
06. Charlie Rich – “Life Has Its Little Ups and Downs” (1969)
07. Jerry Reed – “East Bound and Down” (1977)
08. Deana Carter – “Strawberry Wine” (1996)
09. Restless Heart – “The Bluest Eyes in Texas” (1988)
10. Glen Campbell – “Galveston” (1969)
11. Dixie Chicks – “Top of the World” (2002)
12. George Jones – “White Lightning” (1959)
13. Dixie Chicks – “Landslide” (2002)
14. The Statler Brothers – “Farther Along (Live)” (Unknown)
15. The Highwaymen – “Highwayman” (1985)
16. Marty Robbins – “El Paso” (1959)
17. Randy Travis – “Three Wooden Crosses” (2002)
18. The Everly Brothers – “Mama Tried” (1968)
19. Old 97’s – “Timebomb” (1997)
20. Johnny Cash  and June Carter Cash – “It Takes One to Know Me” (1977)

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Forever Country

Country Grab Bag III – Part 2

“And even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, until in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.” 

– Aeschylus

I am drawn to country songs that reflect both the light and dark sides of life, especially those songs about the highs and lows of desire. We are all human, things are tough all over, and to me the best of country music touches something deep and universal in the human condition. I guess the best of any music does that, but country always has that twinge of sadness running through it and the secret truth that sometimes it feels good to be sad. In our fallen human nature, we are lost, confused, and empty without God. And without God, it ain’t country music. Here are some more of my favorites. Enjoy!

01. Kenny Rogers and Dottie West – “’Til I Can Make It on My Own” (1979)
02. Jimmy LaFave – “Walk Away Renée (Live)” (1992)
03. Kenny Rogers – “Daytime Friends” (1977)
04. Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell – “Dueling Banjos” (1972)
05. Johnny Cash – “For the Good Times” (2003)
06. Dolly Parton – “I Will Always Love You” (1974)
07. Lee Ann Womack – “I Hope You Dance” (2000)
08. NItty Gritty Dirt Band feat. Roy Acuff – “I Saw the Light” (1972)
09. Jimmy LaFave – “Catch the Wind” (2007)
10. Dolly Parton – “The Bargain Store” (1975)
11. Dolly Parton – “Jolene” (1973)
12. Brooks & Dunn and Reba McEntire – “If You See Him/If You See Her” (1998)
13. Loretta Lynn – “She’s Got You” (1977)
14. Chris Hillman – “Wildflowers” (2017)
15. The Statler Brothers – “Do You Know You Are My Sunshine” (1978)
16. Jim Reeves – “Welcome to My World” (1962)
17. Mason Proffit – “Walk on Down the Road” (1969)

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Country Grab Bag III – Part 1

After migrating from Long Island to Northern Virginia in 2001, I slowly began listening to, researching, and accumulating country music. During my summer breaks (I was a high school teacher) I would often beat the brutal DC/Virginia heat by sitting inside with the air conditioner turned on full blast and enjoying me some country (which was also my preferred music for napping). In 2004, I moved to Falls Church where I discovered just down the street from my apartment a great little library at which I spent the next couple of years loading up on country music and burning lots of CDs. I tend to favor classic ‘70s country artists but I’ll listen to whatever sounds good. Here are some more of my favorite country songs. Enjoy!

01. George Jones – “Radio Lover” (1983)

02. Roger McGuinn and Calexico – “One More Cup of Coffee” (2007)

03. Johnny Horton – “The Battle of New Orleans” (1959)

04. The Oak Ridge Boys – “Y’all Come Back Saloon” (1977)

05. Charlie Rich – “Are You Still My Baby” (1966)

06. Dillard & Clark – “Don’t Let Me Down” (1969)

07. Willie Nelson and Calexico – “Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)” (2007)

08. Glen Campbell – “Ghost on the Canvas” (2011)

09. Lucinda Williams – “Sweet Old World” (1992)

10. Jeff Tweedy – “Simple Twist of Fate” (2007)

11. George Jones – “The Grand Tour” (1974)

12. Charley Pride – “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’” (1971)

13. 16 Horsepower – “Nobody ‘Cept You” (2000)

14. George Jones – “The King Is Gone (So Are You)” (1989)

15. Old Crow Medicine Show – “Visions of Johanna (Live)” (2016) 

16. Alison Krauss – “Gentle on My Mind” (2017)

17. Tanya Tucker – “Delta Dawn” (1972)

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Oldies: Pass the Fritos V

Is it any wonder ancient peoples worshipped the sun? The light, warmth, and life the sun provides our world is so awe-inspiring. The days are growing longer now and as we in the northern hemisphere move ever closer to the sun, I am reminded of warm afternoons and pleasant evenings past and the far out oldies music which for me always sounds so sweet on sacred summer days and nights.

Despite my dislike and distrust of the spring, I do prefer living in regions where there are four distinct seasons. Right now I’m living in the Middle East but am looking forward to travelling to New York and Virginia later this summer with my family to drive down to the beach, bike through the park, and sit under the stars. Here are some more of my favorite groovy oldies songs. Enjoy!

01. The 5th Dimension – “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)” (1969)

02. Ben E. King and the Drifters – “This Magic Moment” (1960)

03. Gale Garnett – “We’ll Sing in the Sunshine” (1964)

04. The Box Tops – “I Met Her in Church” (1968)

05. The Who – “Summertime Blues” (1967)

06. Them – “I Can Only Give You Everything” (1966)

07. The Mamas and the Papas – “My Heart Stood Still” (1966)

08. The Mamas and the Papas – “Go Where You Wanna Go” (1966)

09. The Mamas and the Papas – “Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)” (1967)

10. Them – “Mystic Eyes” (1965)

11. The Monkees – “For Pete’s Sake” (1967)

12. Harpers Bizarre – “Witchi Tai To” (1969)

13. Ben E. King and the Drifters – “Save the Last Dance for Me” (1960)

14. Brian Hyland – “Sealed with a Kiss” (1962)

15. The Seekers – “I’ll Never Find Another You” (1964)

16. The Seekers – “Georgy Girl” (1966)

17. The Association – “Windy” (1967)

18. The Association – “Cherish” (1966)

19. The Small Faces – “My Mind’s Eye (Alternate Mix)” (1966)

20. The Box Tops – “A Whiter Shade of Pale” (1967)

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Classical Music Faves II

While the first warm, sunny day of spring may indicate stirrings of life and signs of rebirth- and makes most people happy- it’s usually a false alarm followed by more miserable weather (not to mention spring allergies). Perhaps it’s my Northern European background (French, Irish, German, and Russian) that makes me prefer long, cold winters to the unpredictability of spring in places like New York and Virginia.

Felix Mendelssohn

I prefer a cold, rainy morning in April sitting in a solarium looking out rain streaked windows to a hike in the woods on a sunny April afternoon when all the trees look dead and the chill in the air stings my soul. Here are some more of my favorite classical music songs that seem to fit my mood as I enter yet another April remembering- and dreaming of- summer’s sweet kiss. Hurry up, May! Hurry! Enjoy!

Springtime by Claude Monet

01. Mendelssohn: “Symphony No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 56 MWV N 18 – ‘Scottish’: 2. Vivace non troppo (Live)” 

       – Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin (2016)

02. Shostakovich: “Jazz Suite No. 2: VI. Waltz No. 2”

       – Dmitry Yablonsky, Russian State Symphony Orchestra (2001)

03. The King’s Singers – “Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover” (1992)

04. Granados: “Danza Española, Op. 37, No. 32 – ‘Oriental’”

       – Pepe & Celine Romero (1982)

05. Saint-Saëns: “The Carnival of the Animals: Aquarium”

       – Richard Stamp, Academy of London (1989)

06. Andrea Bocceli – “Con Te Partirò” (1995)

07. Tchaikovsky: “The Nutcracker: Op. 71, TH.14 / Act 2: No. 13 Waltz of the Flowers” 

       – Valery Gergiev, Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre (1998)
08. Debussy: “Suite bergamasque: Clair de lune (transcr. Stokowski)”
       – Wolfgang Sawallisch, Philadelphia Orchestra (1996)
09. Vivaldi: “Concerto for Violin and Strings in G minor, Op. 8, No. 2, R. 315 ‘L’estate’: 3. Presto (Tempo impetuoso d’estate)”
       – Sir Neville Marriner, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields (1969)
10. Vivaldi: “Concerto for Violin and Strings in E major, Op. 8, No. 1, RV 269 ‘La Primavera’: 1. Allegro”
       – Sir Neville Marriner, Alan Loveday, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields (1969)

Andrea Bocceli

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