R.I.P. - Yusef Lateef

The man made music for 70+ years.

Another jazz original is gone.

There are so few left!

Here's an interesting one!

Erotica

In 1992, a Welsh band called The Darling Buds released a record called Erotica. It was their swan song. It fit somewhere between "shoegaze" and "top of the pops". There are some absolute gems on this record. I'm feeling old as I realize this was 21 years ago... Give it a listen!

Old Favorites

Recently, after discussing Bob Dylan with students I realized I haven't heard the records I'm telling them to listen to in a very long time.

I try hard to avoid superlatives... but,

The Times They Are A'Changin is one of the most important recordings ever made!

Rather than give my interpretation of each song, I just have a simple request...

Listen to it. Now!

If you already own this record, get it out and look at it. Look at the 'punk' on the front cover! If you haven't listened to it in a long time, play it. Now!

When I listen to Dylan anymore, I end up listening all night.

Luckily, I get a (small) continuous dose as I play "The Times They Are A'Changin", "Only A Pawn In Their Game" and "Subterranean Homesick Blues" every year for my students.

Dylan songs blow my students' minds every year. Even the kids who want to hate it because it appears to represent everything they think they aren't. They can't explain why they dig it, but they definitely do. Perhaps, because he's speaking to young people and they hear it differently. I certainly remember how I felt at nineteen hearing Bob tell the people to gather from wherever they roamed. That voice! That guitar! That crazy harp!

I love playing music for my students! Every time I see a kid's face light up upon hearing new music I remember why I feel music is so important. The United States has such a rich musical history that to keep the radios and televisions tuned to pop icons is to truly miss the American message! Here's the message as far as this record goes: "the present now will later be past... and the first one now will later be last."

Mendacity

1961, Max Roach - Percussion Bitter Sweet.

This is a stellar record! Max bangs the drums like no other. Eric Dolphy blows his horn like a man possessed!

But, the standout for me is the fifth song, "Mendacity", sung by Abbey Lincoln. Arriving in 1961, the song acutely depicts the deceit and trickery of the mid-century American political system and is particularly poignant. Abbey's biting lyrics about black disenfranchisement and extreme southern racial violence during the height of the Civil Rights Movement is imperative!

There are no disappointments on this record! Buy this!

R.I.P. - Doc Watson

On May 29th, 2012 the United States lost a musical treasure. Doc Watson was a blind man from Deep Gap, North Carolina. He was Appalachian music. He could pick, sing, interpret songs and carry a crowd better than most!

Unfortunately for the world, Doc wasn't "discovered" until the Folk Revival of the 1960s. However, born in 1923, Doc Watson began playing guitar in his youth and was somewhat famous in his corner of Appalachia. Following the Newport Folk Festival in 1963, Doc began releasing records for Folkways and Vanguard. Most of which in the 1960s-1970s were quite good!

The first Doc songs I heard were renditions of John Henry and Sitting on Top of the World. They were both great, but it wasn't until I found his 1966 record Southbound that I fully understood the power and importance of Doc Watson. That record also featured his very talented son, Merle.

Doc Watson, like Pete Seeger, is a name synonymous with traditional American folk music. He was among the greatest American musical talents of all time. I was truly moved recently when a student of mine recognized one of Doc's songs in a documentary I showed my class. His legacy will surely live on!

~ R.I.P., brother Doc Watson

Heaven.

The Walkmen have just released a new album called Heaven. It threw me for a loop. They have, as all bands do, changed their sound. They use much less of Hamilton's voice. It is a much tighter and more polished sound than their previous records. That doesn't mean it's no good. It's different... especially for them! Someone starting here would probably find it hard to get into the older records. I was not impressed with the first listen. Just skip song one! But, each time I hear it it seems to make a bit more sense. It is a Fat Possum Records release.

The single, also called Heaven, struck me instantly! It sort of sounded like their previous record, Lisbon. While Lisbon had plenty of the qualities of their early recordings, it signaled the changes they have made on Heaven. Heaven is not a disappointment, it just may take longtime fans a while longer to understand. (I need Hamilton's wail!)

My favorites are "Line By Line", "Song for Leigh" "The Love You Love" and "Heaven", but of course you have to listen to the whole album to get the whole picture! Happy listening!

Young Ned of the Hill

The history of Ireland is fascinating. The Irish were invaded by the English on several occasions and fell victim to English oppression for extended periods of time.

Many powerful songs have been written about these episodes. My personal favorite is the variation on an old Irish folk tale, "Young Ned of the Hill", on The Pogues' 1989 album Peace & Love. This song embodies the spirit of punk while embracing elements of traditional Irish folk music.

Shane McGowan didn't write this song, but I can't imagine anyone else singing it! What a great song about a terrible event!