compared to what

As usual, the holiday season resulted in some new music landing in my lap. My family has the wonderful habit of giving each other what we personally like, with only half an ear to what we think the recipient likes. It sounds backwards, but it means we end up with really good stuff we might not otherwise have listened to. (Believe it or not, I’ve even come to appreciate most of the hardangar fiddle records I received a number of years back).

Best new stuff for me this year: Randy Travis’ latest album, “Around the Bend”. Country isn’t ususally my thing, but I’ve always liked Travis’ voice for all of it’s color. Not everything on this album is my cup of tea, but Travis sounds great, and the instrumentals are so good that they bring interest to pretty much every track. Here are a couple of my favorites:

Around the Bend

Turn it Around

But my favorite is his cover of Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice”. Travis doesn’t have an inch of irony in his musical soul, so his take on this ends up sounding positively giddy with freedom and no regrets. It’s a wonderful interpretation:

categories: music
tags: Randy Travis

One more year and we’re out of this decade without ever having had to resolve on what to call it. Major win, and not just because I predicted it.

Lots to look forward to. On the social front, the progressive in me hopes and feels that we’ll make progress towards getting health care and basic civil rights to everyone. The conservative in me hopes and feels that the federal government will return to economic responsibility and respect for the constitution. It’s about time.

On the music front, there’s also a lot to look forward to, both in recordings and live music. The album I’m most curious about is Taylor Hicks’ upcoming release. Given the scarcity of performances over the last year (except for Broadway) and the fact that he doesn’t use a permanent band, I don’t have the first clue what kind of music to expect. Maybe that’s typical with the studio-oriented approach he’s adopted. There’s a lot of ways it could go, so it’ll be interesting to hear what it’s all about. Hope it’s a good one.

The album I’m most looking forward to is Back Door Slam’s. They’re more live music oriented - they’ve been touring their fingers to the bone, and writing and trying out new music as they go. Given the fortunate circumstances that they finished this marathon opening for the very taper-friendly Government Mule, a fair amount of their new music is out there to be heard. Who knows what songs will make the cut, and what new ones are in the pipes, but I’ve heard enough to know that I like their sound, know it’s evolving, and want to hear the next project.

As far as live shows go, I don’t know what’s all down the pipes, but in the short term, I’ll get to hear an old favorite, and someone I’ve been dying to hear live for awhile now. Old favorite is Jason Ricci. He’ll be back for a 3 night run in the area, and judging by a recent show taped in KC, he’s got some good new material. (He’s also up for Artist of the Year over at Blues Wax).

The guy I’ve not heard yet but will soon: Joe Bonamassa. So, in honor of that, I’ll just add in a nice clip of him doing India>Mountain Time. Not only does it have an appropriate global/local vibe for me, it’s some great guitar playing:

Happy New Year, one and all. Hope it’s a good year for us all. What’s in your musical future?

categories: music
tags: Back Door Slam, Jason Ricci, Joe Bonamassa, taylor hicks

My all time favorite Christmas song: Gaudete Christus est Natus

There’s a lot of versions on the net, including a peculiar old one by Steeleye Span, a cute boy’s choir one by Libera, and a very slow one by the Medieval Baebes. But I like this version best, musically.

“A time of grace is here,… the world is restored.”

…it’s worth working on.

categories: music

categories: Uncategorized

Based on the start of Chess Records in Chicago, Cadillac Records is coming out this week, Dec. 5. Since posting on this movie last year, I’d forgotten about it, so good to see it coming so soon.

No clue how good the story will be, but I’m going for the sake of the soundtrack and the 50s era Chicago setting. The part of Leonard Chess went to Adrian Brody, but most interesting will be to see if Beyonce can pull off Etta James. If she comes even close, it’ll be a major achievement. It would be stupid for her to try to do an imitation, but she’s got to bring the danger. Anyway, here’s the movie trailer:

Etta herself, live. If not quite back in the day, it’s close:

categories: film, music
tags: Chess Records, Etta James, Muddy Waters

Just happened to run across this little summit, and thought you might like it, too.

Yer Blues

categories: music
tags: Eric Clapton, John Lennon, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Mitch Mitchell, Yer Blues

I consider myself a reasonably intelligent person. Usually, I’m quite happy to plow into any hard subject and, with the full freedom of ignorance, give an opinion. Physics, fractals, whatever, I’ll give it a go when it hits my curiousity. But not economics. My eyes glaze over and all arguments sound equally reasonable or unreasonable, as the wind blows. I can’t be bothered to even balance my checkbook. When it gets more complicated than “only spend what you’ve actually earned”, I just have to trust.

It doesn’t keep me from trainspotting the trainwrecks, however, and my ignorance of the mechanics allows me a certain level of aesthetic enjoyment. The following, which I ran across on Sullivan’s blog the other day, is practically musical in its construction: call and response, tension and release, each variation wilder than the previous, anticipation that is satisfied by familiarity and outrageousness.

If anyone deserves to say “I told you so”, it’s this guy. It makes me feel better about not bothering to listen to money pundits over the years, though the fact that Schiff is the only one who doesn’t sound snide and self-satisfied should have probably been a major tip off.

categories: thought
tags: economics, Peter Schiff

The transition process is running fairly underground, and while I’m sure I’ll have opinions on how the administration is put together, I’m too ill-informed to enjoy speculating on the decisions in advance. But I don’t mind at all thinking about what music will be there for the inaugaration parties.

According to jambands.com, Wilco and what remains of the Grateful Dead are likely choices. No problems with that!

Wilco for Obama

U.S. Blues

That’s the speculation. But I’d also love to see Mavis Staples:

or Sharon Jones and Dap Kings

Who would you put there, if it was your choice?

categories: music

A lot of people, for reasons much more personal and profound than mine, will look at our next president and see someone they identify with. I don’t share Mr. Obama’s racial background or multicultural history. But one of the things that is mostly deeply satisfying to me personally tonight is to have a president with whom I identify:

Someone who values deliberation and communication. Who believes in paying our own way, instead of borrowing from our children and grandchildren. Who understands that being a good American means being a good citizen of the world, and knows what that means because he’s lived elsewhere in the world. Someone who sees the practical and the intellectual as cooperating and aggregating forces, not competing ones, and both of which should be prized, respected and developed. Someone who sees our diversity as a strength.

I’m thrilled and proud that we have taken a step that proves that all Americans are valued. But mostly, I’m thrilled that we’ve returned to the idea that competence matters.

Unfortunately, I suspect that he may not have all that much groove. No matter. We can do that part ourselves. Here’s a start, let me know what you’d add. First, the excellent Cohen song mentioned by eastonwest yesterday:

Democracy - Leonard Cohen

Sail on, sail on
O mighty Ship of State!
To the Shores of Need
Past the Reefs of Greed
Through the Squalls of Hate
Sail on, sail on, sail on, sail on

And because one must boogie:

One Nation Under a Groove - Funkadelic

categories: thought

categories: thought