New Faves 03/18/2021

Popular music is dying from lack of new talent. Either that, or, like earlier generations, I’m just becoming old and grumpy and have no time or patience for new musical artists. But who are the new artists? Where are they? There was a time when new musical artists found you- in the car, at the mall, or on MTV. But now it seems we are all responsible for finding our own new music which means we’re all going in millions of different directions in search of new sounds instead of sharing a small number of sources- radio, MTV, the guy at the record store- for our new music. Internet killed the video star.

Let’s face it. Popular music- as it was defined in the second half of the 20th century- is a dying art form, just like the novel and the film not to mention other charmingly antiquated things like home delivery of bottled milk, newspapers, broadcast television, and mixtapes. There are no new mind-blowingly good musical artists anymore for the same reason there are no new mind-blowingly good sculptors, novelists, or harpsichord players anymore. It’s over- their time has come and gone- and most of their supporters are also dead and gone. But fear not. You can still sculpt, write novels, and play the harpsichord. No one is going to stop you. And no one is going to stop me from finding new music in the past as well is in the present. Here are some of my most recent musical discoveries that I now consider new faves. Enjoy!

01. Tom Petty – “Square One” (2006)

02. Eleanor McEvoy feat. Mary Black – “A Woman’s Heart” (1992)

03. Dottie West – “Would You Hold It Against Me” (1966)

04. Dawes – “Free as We Wanna Be (Acoustic)” (2021)

05. Frank Sinatra – “Emily” (1977)

06. Sonic Youth – “Incinerate” (2006)

07. Dan Reeder – “Clean Elvis” (2004)

08. Peter, Paul and Mary – “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (1965)

09. KC and the Sunshine Band – “Please Don’t Go” (1979)

10. Dramarama – “Femme Fatale” (1985)

11. Lack of Afro – “The Basis” (2009)

12. Mickey Newbury – “T. Total Tommy” (1969) 

13. John Martyn – “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright” (1977)

14. Jake Xerxes Fussell – “Canyoneers” (2017)

15. Karl Blau – “To Love Somebody” (2016)

16. Joe Purdy – “Kristine” (2016)

17. Santana – “Samba Pa Ti” (1970)

18. Cornershop – “Sleep on the Left Side” (1997)

19. Barenaked Ladies – “Brian Wilson (Live)” (1996)

20. Traffic – “Shouldn’t Have Took More Than You Gave (Live)” (1971)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...

Classical Music Faves V

While I have some understanding of how composers- even classical music composers- make money, I have no idea how classical music performers earn a living. I assume not many people are purchasing classical music or going to classical music performances and so I am left wondering: who sponsors these gifted performers? Perhaps it is through patronage and private donations that classical music still survives and, if that’s true, then it gives me hope the arts are not dead since people are still willing to invest money in them including the production of new classical music albums. Classical music, which centuries ago was the popular music of its day, is rooted in Western European civilization but, like all music, it can also at its best reflect the human experience. Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy! 

Julian Bream

01. Purcell: “Trumpet Tune in C Major, Z. 697”
      – The Prague Brass Soloists (1990)
02. Vivaldi: “Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons), Op. 8: Violin Concerto No. 3 in F Major, RV 293, ‘L’Autunno’. III. Allegro”
       – Itzhak Perlman, London Philharmonic Orchestra (1976)
03. Fauré: “Pavane in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 50” 
      – Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner (1980)
04. Gluck: “Orfeo ed Euridice (Viennese version, 1762), Scene 2: Dance of the Blessed Spirits
       – Philharmonia Orchestra, Riccardo Muti (1982)
05. Sondheim: “Send in the Clowns” 
      – Claire Gibault, Natalie Dessay, The Paris Mozart Orchestra (2016)
06. Mancini: “Moon River (From ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’)” 
       – Hungarian Studio Orchestra, Lang Lang, Madeleine Peyroux, Peter Illenyi (2016)
07. Ólafur Arnalds – “Spiral – Sunrise Session” (2021)
08. Rodrigo: “Concierto de Aranjuez: II. Adagio [Excerpt]” 
       – Chamber Orchestra of Europe, John Eliot Gardiner, Julian Bream (1983)
09. Rosey Chan – “Infinity” (2021)
10. Bach: “Cello Suite No.1 in G Major, BMV 1007: I. Prélude” 
       – János Starker (1992)

Stephen Sondheim

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Jean’s Jazz: Smells Good IV

Having been living overseas in the Middle East and now the Caribbean, it occurs to me it has been over three years since I’ve experienced cold weather and I suddenly find myself missing it. I would take even a cold, gray day in March just to reacquaint myself with those old, familiar feelings of winter (in places like New York, Virginia, Bulgaria, Shanghai, Montreal, or Amsterdam) and perhaps even escape the chill by ducking into a cozy little bar or café in which to sit by the corner window at sundown and enjoy some suitable jazz and that feeling the Dutch call gezelligheid. Here are more of my favorite jazz songs. Enjoy!

Charlie Parker (with a young Miles Davis!)

01. Fats Waller – “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (1943)

02. Charlie Parker – “Summertime” (1949)

03. Frank Sinatra – “I Get a Kick Out of You” (1954)

04. Duke Ellington – “Jeep’s Blues” (1956)

05. Hoagy Carmichael – “Stardust” (1933)

06. Nat King Cole – “Nature Boy” (1961)

07. The Dave Brubeck Quartet – “Strange Meadow Lark” (1959)

08. Charles Mingus – “Mood Indigo” (1963)

09. Ella Fitzgerald – “Witchcraft (Outtake)” (Unknown)

10. Charlie Parker – “Just Friends” (1949)

11. James Brown – “That’s Life” (1969)

12. Frank Sinatra – “I Get a Kick Out of You” (1962)

13. Frank Sinatra – “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” (1963)

Fats Waller

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Dave Brubeck and what WWII didn’t solve