What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

Worrisome Heart -- CD

Melody Gardot

2008 Verve Records

Product Description

". . . in a place where Billie Holiday meets Tom Waits . . . has moments that recall pieces of Nina Simone, early Rickie Lee Jones, and even the sophistication of Cole Porter. " - Business Week

Although there are elements of jazz, blues and folk in her music, it is simultaneously all of those things and none of them. Her engaging songs and sultry controlled vocals possess a timeless quality that places them in the tradition of the great female vocalists on Verve, whose work have also not been confined to any one genre or style.

All songs written and composed by Melody Gardot.

"Worrisome Heart" – 4:21
"All That I Need Is Love" – 2:36
"Gone" – 2:50
"Sweet Memory" – 3:21
"Some Lessons" – 5:23
"Quiet Fire" – 4:13
"One Day" – 2:02
"Love Me Like a River Does" – 4:06
"Goodnite" – 3:04
"Twilight" – 1:01

 

[Botch]

But if you want to get comprehensive, "Rock & Roll Never Forgets," "Fire Down Below," "Horizontal Bop," "Her Strut," "Betty Lou's Getting Out Tonight," and "Katmandu" aren't on this CD--and you'll have to go to the original albums to secure them.

Wow, that's quite a few deletions. :handgestures-thumbdown:

 

[Dennie]

All For You - A Dedication to the Nat King Cole Trio -- CD

Diana Krall

1996 GRP Records

Amazon.com essential recording

All for You is a tribute to the Nat "King" Cole Trio of the 1940s, when Cole performed as both a singer and a pianist. Krall, like her heroes Lena Horne and Carmen McRae, is also a singer-pianist, and she plays both roles on most of the songs here. She's able to link her singing to her piano playing in sympathetic ways and projects tremendous feeling through both. Like Cole in the '40s, Krall plays with a drummerless trio--here with guitarist Russell Malone and bassist Paul Keller. Their sense of intimate rapport is especially valuable on ballads such as "You Call It Madness" and "I'm Thru with Love," but also allows such uptempo tunes as "Hit That Jive Jack" to swing with surprising lightness. --Geoffrey Himes

"I'm an Errand Girl for Rhythm" (Nat King Cole) – 2:55
"Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You" (Andy Razaf, Don Redman) – 4:07
"You Call It Madness" (Russ Columbo, Con Conrad, Gladys Dubois, Paul Gregory) – 4:57
"Frim Fram Sauce" (Redd Evans, Joe Ricardel) – 5:01
"Boulevard of Broken Dreams" (Al Dubin, Harry Warren) – 6:27
"Baby Baby All the Time" (Bobby Troup) – 5:56
"Hit That Jive Jack" (John Alston, Skeets Tolbert) – 4:16
"You're Looking at Me" (Troup) – 5:55
"I'm Thru with Love" (Gus Kahn, Fud Livingston, Matty Malneck) – 4:26
"Deed I Do" (Walter Hirsch, Fred Rose) – 5:52
"A Blossom Fell" (Howard Barnes, Harold Cornelius, Dominic John) – 5:15
"If I Had You" (Jimmy Campbell, Reginald Connelly, Ted Shapiro) – 4:55
"When I Grow Too Old to Dream" (Sigmund Romberg, Oscar Hammerstein II) (Bonus Track)

 

[Kazaam]

Is Diana Krall still married to Elvis Costello? Because if they ever split, I'd be willing to let Diana be my "sugar-mama". She looks particularly good on this album cover.

 

[Botch]

They're still together; a constant source of inspiration for geeks like me. :handgestures-thumbup:

 

[heeman]

Great Saturday AM with the Dave Mathews Band!

 

[topper]

`

Track Listing ~
1. Rock Me Right
2. You Need To Be With Me
3. Little By Little
4. It Hurt So Bad
5. Found Someone New
6. Looking For Answers
7. Can't Leave You Alone
8. Just Won't Burn
9. Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean
10. Angel from Montgomery
11. Friar's Point
`
:text-+1: ` ` ` ` ` `

 

[Dennie]

It Looks Like Snow -- CD

Phoebe Snow

1976/1989 Columbia Records

David Rubinson's production of Phoebe Snow on the 1976 release It Looks Like Snow is an overpowering collection of pop-jazz-funk-folk that puts this amazing vocalist's talents in a beautiful light. Whether it's the Bowen/Bond/Hazel blues classic &"Shakey Ground," which Elton John, Etta James, and so many others have explored, or her exquisite interpretation of the Beatles' &"Don't Let Me Down," there is no doubt the material here should have ruled on the airwaves the year after her Top Five smash, &"Poetry Man." How could Columbia Records not have this material saturating radio across America is the question. There are string arrangements by Sonny Burke and horn arrangements by Kurt McGettrick; the guests galore -- from David Bromberg and Ray Parker, Jr. on guitars (along with Snow, Greg Poree, and Steve Burgh) to David Pomeranz on keys -- make the Snow/Pomeranz co-write &"Mercy on Those" into a majestic and extra-special showstopper. The singer's solo composition &"Drink Up the Melody (Bite the Dust, Blues)" has her dipping into Maria Muldaur territory, and a duet between the two divas here would've been sensational. &"My Faith Is Blind," soaked in gospel introspection, takes the album to another level with its soul searching and sense of spiritual discovery. It Looks Like Snow is a major work from a fabulous performer traversing styles and genres with ease and elegance. The loving mom appears with her daughter on the back cover in a photo by collaborator Phil Kearns Joe Viglione, Rovi

1 Autobiography (Shine, Shine, Shine) Snow 5:15
2 Teach Me Tonight Cahn, DePaul 4:30
3 Stand Up on the Rock Snow, Kearns 3:58
4 In My Girlish Days Lawlars 4:48
5 Mercy on Those Snow, Pomeranz 6:06
6 Don't Let Me Down Lennon, McCartney 5:51
7 Drink Up the Melody (Bite the Dust, Blues) Snow 5:51
8 Fat Chance Snow, Kearns 2:56
9 My Faith Is Blind Snow 5:54
10 Shakey Ground Hazel, Bond, Bowen, Boyd, Boyd 4:18

9901

 

[Dennie]

Joan Armatrading -- CD

Joan Armatrading

1976/1990 A&M Records

Amazon.com

There weren't many female singer-songwriters on the radio (and especially the charts) in the 1970s--you could count them pretty much on two hands. That said, it's only mildly surprising that this LP made it about halfway up the U.S. charts (and did much better in the U.K.). The songs are so well written, the style so warm and appealing that radio just had a hard time ignoring them. "Down to Zero," "Love and Affection," and "Help Yourself" are witty, smart observations of human relations, showcasing Armatrading's sure vocal style and adventurous folk-pop sensibilities. Like Roberta Flack's "The First Time," Armatrading's "Somebody Who Loves You" is a deeply-felt and moving love song, and "Save Me" is a painful and private moment the listener almost feels guilty for overhearing. This is a milestone album in Armatrading's oeuvre. --Lorry Fleming

All tracks composed by Joan Armatrading

"Down to Zero" – 3:51
"Help Yourself" – 4:04
"Water With the Wine" – 2:48
"Love and Affection" – 4:28
"Save Me" – 3:35
"Join the Boys" – 4:48
"People" – 3:30
"Somebody Who Loves You" – 3:33
"Like Fire" – 5:12
"Tall in the Saddle" – 5:43

 

[Dennie]

Slow Turning -- CD

John Hiatt

1989 A&M Records

Rock and Roll For Grownups, June 22, 2003
By Ken Carroll "Ken Carroll" (Eastman, GA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Slow Turning (Audio CD)

If you want to explore John Hiatt -- and you should -- start here. If you're a fan without this CD, what in the world are you waiting for? It just doesn't get a whole lot better than this.

John Hiatt writes about real life. There are no sappy teenage love songs, but there is a great song, "Drive South," about two lovers with "heads in the clouds, just a little off-course" and one more chance to make it work.

"Trudy and Dave" aren't your average couple, but their descriptions (and the baby's) are laugh-out-loud funny. "Tennessee Plates" has a great, catchy guitar riff and an even better storyline: a lonely, desperate man; a female Elvis fan who's "been living in-between" and a car theft in Memphis.

"Georgia Rae" is a song about Hiatt's daughter and fits in well with everything else here. The title song is Hiatt's view of the world: unbowed, but realistic. "Is Anybody There?" will put chills down your spine with its mass choir effect and deep lyrics. "Feels Like Rain" paints a beautiful, languid picture of lovers in the Deep South and the music fits as perfectly as the lovers do.

If you like meaningful lyrics, melodies that linger in your head and you still don't have this CD, then you need to do something about it right now. You won't believe how great this is.

All tracks written by John Hiatt, except "Tennessee Plates", written by John Hiatt and Mike Porter.

"Drive South" – 3:55
"Trudy And Dave" – 4:25
"Tennessee Plates" – 2:57
"Icy Blue Heart" – 4:34
"Sometime Other Than Now" – 4:25
"Georgia Rae" – 4:26
"Ride Along" – 3:31
"Slow Turning" – 3:36
"It'll Come To You" – 3:29
"Is Anybody There?" – 5:01
"Paper Thin" – 3:35
"Feels Like Rain" – 4:51

 

[Yesfan70]

Now playing.......

coming up next........

.........more of Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers as Live at the Cafe Bohemia continues............


:dance:

 

[Dennie]

The Allman Brothers Band CD

The Allman Brothers Band

1969/1989 Capricorn Records

A Perfect Record, May 7, 2007
By Vail Ryan "VailBass" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Allman Brothers Band (Audio CD)

Despite much great music with a variety of players up to this day, nothing can really top this first Allman Brothers release. The tunes are solid from beginning to end. It's no surprise that most of them have become standards.
It's also no surprise, that at the time of its release, the album was largely ignored. American blues-based rock was still not very popular, and these guys were Southerners to boot.

But other musicians took note; one of them was Eric Clapton. (Give a listen some time to Eric and Duane dueting on Mean Old World.)
Anyway, Idlewild South, as a whole was not up to this eponymous debut, and soon Duane would be gone. Eat A Peach was ambitious, but much dominated by Duane's playing on Mountain Jam. Then that wonderful and under-appreciated bassist Berry Oakley would be gone, too.

The ABB would have its ups and downs and be a breeding ground for great musicians and a continuing fount of great music, but nothing has yet topped the tight, focused, writing, playing, and sequencing of this first album. It is a perfect record.

Side one

"Don't Want You No More" (Spencer Davis, Eddie Hardin) – 2:29
"It's Not My Cross to Bear"* – 4:48
"Black Hearted Woman" – 5:20
"Trouble No More" (McKinley Morganfield) – 3:47
"It's Not My Cross to Bear" ends in a fade-out on most LP, tape and CD editions of the album. However, original Atco Records LP pressings of the album (catalog no. SD 33-308) follow the fade-out with a "fade-in" to a cold close, adding several seconds to the song's running time.

Side two

"Every Hungry Woman" – 4:16
"Dreams" – 7:19
"Whipping Post" – 5:19

 

[Yesfan70]

^^^ I have a 1991 radio show (Superstar Concerts Series) of The Allmans on vinyl. Great concert!

 

[Dennie]

^^^ I have a 1991 radio show (Superstar Concerts Series) of The Allmans on vinyl. Great concert!

SWEET!!! :handgestures-thumbup:



Dennie

 

[Dennie]

The cover and inside sleeve of this album, created by Hipgnosis, features various images of people interacting with a black obelisk-shaped object. Inside the album sleeve, the item is referred to simply as "The Object." It was intended to represent the "force and presence" of Led Zeppelin.[1] In the liner notes of the first Led Zeppelin boxed set, Jimmy Page explained:

There was no working title for the album. The record-jacket designer said `When I think of the group, I always think of power and force. There's a definite presence there.' That was it. He wanted to call it 'Obelisk.' To me, it was more important what was behind the obelisk. The cover is very tongue-in-cheek, to be quite honest. Sort of a joke on [the film] 2001. I think it's quite amusing.

Presence -- CD

Led Zeppelin

1994 Atlantic Records

Amazon.com

Presence is one of Led Zeppelin's more overlooked albums, languishing in the monstrous shadow of its predecessor, Physical Graffiti. It's more noted in Zeppelin mythology for the circumstances in which it was recorded, in double-quick time with vocalist Robert Plant's leg in plaster after a car accident. The lack of time does show--much of the album feels like generic heavy rock, bigger on volume than variety. It's worth the price of the album, however, for the 10-minute-plus "Achilles Last Stand" (a crashing, galloping epic with John Bonham sounding like he's replaced his drumsticks with tree trunks) and "Nobody's Fault but Mine," a Blind Willie Johnson blues regenerated with a 3,000-watt boost by Jimmy Page. --David Stubbs

Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Achilles Last Stand" Page, Plant 10:25
2. "For Your Life" Page, Plant 6:24
3. "Royal Orleans" Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant 2:58
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Nobody's Fault but Mine" Page, Plant 6:27
2. "Candy Store Rock" Page, Plant 4:11
3. "Hots On for Nowhere" Page, Plant 4:43
4. "Tea for One" Page, Plant 9:27

 

[Botch]

But other musicians took note; one of them was Eric Clapton. (Give a listen some time to Eric and Duane dueting on Mean Old World.)

At one point in the Tom Dowd video (he's a big record producer/engineer) he plays the end of Clapton's Layla and isolates the guitar solos of Clapton and Dickie Betts. Classic, classic stuff! :music-rockout:

 

[Dennie]

Journeyman -- CD

Eric Clapton

1989 Reprise Records

Amazon.com

Released immediately following the elaborate Crossroads box set, Journeyman is EC's way of feigning humility while cranking out the blues for his attentive audience. Featuring the help of famous sidemen George Harrison, Phil Collins, Robert Cray, Chaka Khan, and David Sanborn, Journeyman is less a superstar romp than a moderate collection of songs tastefully produced and economically performed. Flashes of Clapton's lead work burst through while his singing remains modest. The cover of "Before You Accuse Me" is heartfelt and while Clapton may at this point be incapable of delivering the down and dirty power of jukejoint blues, he still manages to find a little bit o' soul among the pickings. --Rob O'Connor

"Pretending" (Jerry Lynn Williams) – 4:48
"Anything For Your Love" (Williams) – 4:16
"Bad Love" (Eric Clapton, Mick Jones) – 5:11
"Running On Faith" (Williams) – 5:27
"Hard Times" (Ray Charles) – 3:00
"Hound Dog" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) – 2:26
"No Alibis" (Williams) – 5:32
"Run So Far" (George Harrison) – 4:06
"Old Love" (Clapton, Robert Cray) – 6:25
"Breaking Point" (Marty Grebb, Williams) – 5:37
"Lead Me On" (Cecil Womack, Linda Womack) – 5:52
"Before You Accuse Me" (Ellas McDaniel) – 3:55

Eric Clapton - guitar, vocals, Dobro, design
Phil Collins - drums, background & harmony vocals
David Sanborn - alto saxophone
Robert Cray - guitar
Phil Palmer - guitar
John Tropea - rhythm guitar
George Harrison - guitar & harmony vocals
Cecil Womack - acoustic guitar, vocals
Jerry Williams - guitar, background & harmony vocals
Nathan East - bass, background vocals
Pino Palladino - bass
Darryl Jones - bass
Gary Burton - vibraphone
Hank Crawford - alto saxophone
Ronnie Cuber - baritone saxophone
David "Fathead" Newman - tenor saxophone
Jon Faddis - trumpet & horn
Lew Soloff - trumpet
Steve Ferrone - drums & Hi Hat
Jim Keltner - percussion, drums, tambourine, drum programming
Jeff Bova - synthesizer, programming, drum programming, synthesizer horn
Jimmy Bralower - drum programming
Alan Clark - synthesizer, keyboards, Hammond organ, sequencing
Robbie Kondor - synthesizer, harmonica, keyboards, vocoder, drum programming
Rob Mounsey - synthesizer
Robby Kilgore - synthesizer
Greg Phillinganes - synthesizer, piano, keyboards, background vocals
Richard Tee - piano, Fender Rhodes
Carol Steele - percussion, conga, tambourine
Arif Mardin - arranger, string arrangements
Linda Womack - vocals
Daryl Hall - harmony vocals
Tawatha Agee - background vocals
Lani Groves - background vocals
Chaka Khan - background vocals
Tessa Niles - background vocals
Vaneese Thomas - background vocals

 

[Dennie]

Mama Africa -- CD

Peter Tosh

1983 EMI Records

Right up there with Marley, Toots, and Cliff, February 9, 2008
By Peter Chordas "music lover" (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Mama Africa (Audio CD)

This classic will never get dated. It is Peter Tosh at his best with great backup vocals and band. His signature lead guitar is played beautifully like no other. It's no wonder Bob Marley chose him to be in "The Wailers!" Buy this CD, pop it in your player, and let it take you higher!

All tracks composed by Peter Tosh; except where indicated

"Mama Africa" - 7:56
"Glass House" - 5:53
"Not Gonna Give It Up" - 5:45
"Stop That Train" - 4:01
"Johnny B. Goode" (Chuck Berry) - 4:03
"Where You Gonna Run" (Donald Kinsey) - 4:09
"Peace Treaty" - 4:21
"Feel No Way" - 3:29
"Maga Dog" - 4:25

 

[Dennie]

Conscious Party -- CD

Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers

1992 Virgin U.S.

Fine Reggae Album, October 21, 2001
By Allison E. Faulkner (Glendale Heights, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Conscious Party (Audio CD)

I own this CD and One Bright Day as well. My fondness for each of these discs acknowledges the different tenor of the CDs. Conscious Party has an introspective flavor to it, whereas One Bright Day is more overtly political. That being said, this disc is filled with wonderful tracks. Tomorrow People is the excellent track that caught my attention prior to buying the disc. The songs "We Propose", "What's True", "Have You Ever Been To Hell", "A Who A Say", and "Conscious Party" all stand out, both lyrically and musically. Plus, I love how the CD leaves its listener on the mellow "Dreams Of Home". This disc is a wonderful choice.

All tracks by Ziggy Marley except where noted

"Conscious Party" – 4:54
"Lee and Molly" – 4:27
"Tomorrow People" – 3:38
"New Love" – 3:41
"Tumblin' Down" (Tyrone Downie, Marley) – 4:01
"We a Guh Some Weh" – 3:51
"A Who a Say" (Mayley, Steve Marley) – 3:33
"Have You Ever Been to Hell" – 5:22
"We Propose" – 4:34
"What's True" – 3:27
"Dreams of Home" – 4:54

 

[Dennie]

Flight Of The Cosmic Hippo -- CD

Bela Fleck & The Flecktones

1991 Warner Bros. Records

Don't miss out on this CD!, July 9, 2000
By Belafan "Belafan1" (Sunrise, Fl United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Flight of the Cosmic Hippo (Audio CD)

This is an early example of one of the most innovative bands in existence. If you only like to listen to bands that you can categorize, skip this CD. These four amazing musicians combine the best from all genres to make the best music possible. This CD is all instrumental. Bela Fleck plays the banjo and electric banjo in ways you have only heard if you're familiar with this artist. He is amazing! Victor Wooten, in turn, plays bass in new and amazing ways. He will astound you. Howard Levy plays piano and harmonica (often at the same time) and gets an outrageous range of notes from a simple diatonic harmonica. You have to hear it to believe it. Finally. Roy Wooten (aka Future Man) provides percussion in a completely different way. He has built a synth-axe drumitar which he plays flawlessly. You'll believe you are listening to real drums, but it creates other effects as well. If you don't have this one yet, by all means don't hesitate! Buy it now!

"Blu-Bop" (Béla Fleck, Howard Levy, Victor Wooten, Roy Wooten) – 4:22
"Flying Saucer Dudes" (Fleck) – 4:51
"Turtle Rock" (Fleck) – 4:12
"Flight of the Cosmic Hippo" (Fleck) – 4:29
"The Star Spangled Banner" (Francis Scott Key, arr. Fleck, R. Wooten, Levy, V. Wooten) – 2:35
"Star of the County Down" (P.D., arr. Fleck, R. Wooten, Levy, V. Wooten) – 4:21
"Jekyll and Hyde (and Ted and Alice)" (Fleck) – 7:04
"Michelle" (John Lennon/Paul McCartney) – 5:10
"Hole in the Wall" (Fleck) – 4:40
"Flight of the Cosmic Hippo (Reprise)" (Fleck) – 2:14